That was an important discovery for our ancestors. Now we are learning something much more important than how the places on our planet are physically connected. We are discovering how Earth works as a whole system. Earth is not flat. Earth is much more than round.
Earth is whole.
They work together in important and meaningful ways. The clouds, oceans, mountains, volcanoes, plants, bacteria and animals all play important roles in determining how our planet works. Scientists have established a new field of science called Earth systems science to study an discover how all these parts work together. Earth systems scientists combine the tools and ideas from many scientific disciplines including geology, biology, chemistry, physics and computer science. In addition, they use modern technologies to measure key features of our planet, such as the concentration of gases in the atmosphere and the temperature of the ocean in many locations.