geotieteelliset

Geotieteelliset is the Finnish term for geoscientific studies, encompassing the scientific disciplines that investigate the Earth and its systems. It broadly includes geology, geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, meteorology, climatology, oceanography, geomorphology, and related fields such as palaeontology, volcanology, and seismology. The geosciences seek to understand the Earth's interior and surface processes, its history, its materials, and its interactions with the atmosphere and biosphere. They address questions about rock formation and composition, plate tectonics, groundwater distribution, weather and climate patterns, ocean currents, and soil and landscape evolution, as well as natural hazards like earthquakes, landslides, floods, and volcanic eruptions.

Geotieteelliset sciences rely on field observations, mapping, sample collection, laboratory analyses, and theoretical and computer-based modelling. They use remote sensing, borehole data, geophysical surveys, geographic information systems (GIS), and data from satellites to study processes that operate on scales from microscopic minerals to entire basins and tectonic plates. Interdisciplinary collaboration with biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering is common, enabling integrated perspectives on Earth systems.

Applications of geotieteelliset knowledge include natural resource exploration and management (minerals, groundwater, hydrocarbons), environmental protection, land-use planning, water resources planning, and climate research. The information supports risk assessment, disaster preparedness, and sustainable development, as well as informing policy and industry practices related to resource use, infrastructure, and environmental stewardship.

In Finland, geoscience education and research are conducted at universities and research institutes, with public agencies such as the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) contributing data and expertise. Globally, geotieteelliset disciplines align with broader geoscience communities and standards through organizations like the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). See also geology, geophysics, and geochemistry.