Mission earth

Earth is a dynamic living planet which still waits to be explored completely. The study of earth not only unravels the hidden treasures of minerals, coal, oil and gas inside its womb, but also helps find plausible solutions to vital concerns of the world like climate change, alleviating natural disasters such as tsunamis, floods or droughts, shortage of energy sources and environmental pollution. Says Shailesh Nayak, Secretary to the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES), “Earth science deals with earth processes and how they respond to natural and human-induced changes. It is a crucial area for any nation as it enables better prediction in areas of weather, natural hazards, monsoon as well as assessment of living and non-living resources.”The earth system science involves a detailed understanding of atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere and cryosphere.
The dynamic processes inside the earth like magma generation and volcanic activity, on surface processes like erosion of high hills and river channel widening or atmospheric processes involving climate change, meteorological changes and cyclones all come under earth sciences. Adds Tapaskumar Biswal, HOD, Earth Sciences, IIT-Bombay, “Development of colony of marine animals, deposition of sediments and formation of petroleum reservoirs in the oceans are areas of interest in marine geology.”R&D in earth sciences offers an array of options to choose from. You could be identifying fossils, devising ways to mitigate landslides, solving problems of groundwater contamination, mapping the surface of the earth, conducting detailed exploration work for hitherto unknown deposits of natural resources, acquiring meteorological data, executing glaciological studies to understand the snow chemistry of glaciers or get an insight into the past climate and the prevailing climate of the region.Says Dr S.K. Acharyya, retired Director-General, Geological Survey of India (GSI) and emeritus scientist, Department of Geological Sciences, Jadhavpur University, Kolkata, “Now that the nuclear deal has been signed, researchers in earth sciences are gearing up to tackle nuclear waste management, specially on the disposal of uranium ore waste.” Adds Nayak, “Scientists have discovered improved ways of understanding active and break cycles of monsoon (a long break indicates drought conditions) that will help forecast monsoons thereby help farmers plan their crop accordingly.”To become an earth scientist, you need to have either an M.Sc or an M.Tech in any of the earth science subjects such as geology, applied geology or applied geophysics.
Although, it is advisable to get a technical edge with an M.Tech programme considering the requirements of the job market.There are adequate openings in both the private and the government sector. You could join the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), Atomic Mineral Department, Central Ground Water Board, ports and harbours, mining companies, state geological departments or Indian Meterological Department (IMD) You could also be working for private players such as Reliance, Schlumberger or Shell.
The starting salary in the government sector is Rs 34,000 per month and can go up to Rs 50,000. In the private sector, the starting monthly salary range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh per month.A career as an “earth” scientist is exciting, fulfilling and above all, promises tremendous scope for growth.
You require a healthy mix of brain and brawn because of the demands of constant travel and field trips to far off sites. If you are ready to undertake the journey, the success awaits you.