Dictionary:

geophysics

  (jē'ō-fĭz'ĭks)

The physics of the earth and its environment, including the physics of fields such as meteorology, oceanography, and seismology.

Those branches of earth sciences in which the principles and practices of physics are used to study the Earth. Geophysics is considered by some to be a branch of geology, by others to be of equal rank. It is distinguished from the other earth sciences largely by its use of instruments to make direct or indirect measurements of the parts of the Earth being studied, in contrast to the more direct observations which are typical of geology. See also Geology.

Geophysics consists of several principal fields plus parallel and subsidiary divisions. These are commonly considered to include plutology, with geodesy, geothermometry, seismology, and tectonophysics as subdivisions; hydrospheric studies, hydrology (groundwater studies), oceanography, and glaciology; atmospheric studies, meteorology, and aeronomy; and several fields of geophysics which overlap one another, including geomagnetism and geoelectricity, geochronology, geocosmogony, and geophysical exploration and prospecting. Planetary sciences, the study of the planets and satellites aside from the Earth, are usually considered a branch of geophysics because the techniques used have been, until the first landings on each, entirely instrumental rather than directly observational. See also Geochronometry; Geodesy; Geoelectricity; Geomagnetism; Glaciology; Hydrology; Meteorology; Oceanography; Seismology.

For more information on geophysics, visit Britannica.com.

The science devoted to the study of the physical properties and processes of geological phenomena, including fields such as meteorology, oceanography, and seismology.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - geofysik

Nederlands (Dutch)
geofysica

Français (French)
n. - géophysique

Deutsch (German)
n. - Geophysik, %

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - γεωφυσική

Italiano (Italian)
geofisica

Português (Portuguese)
n. - geofísica (f)

Русский (Russian)
геофизика

Español (Spanish)
n. - geofísica

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - geofysik

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
地球物理学

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. pl. - 地球物理學
n. - 地球物理學

한국어 (Korean)
n. pl. - 지구 물리학
n. - 지구 물리

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 地球物理学

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) علم الفيزياء الأرضيه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮הפיסיקה של כדור-הארץ, גיאופיסיקה‬

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