Close observers of this space may have noticed that the title of geology.about.com—the line at the very top of the browser—now includes "Earth science" as well as "geology." For many years I've insisted on the word "geology" to cover all the ground of Earth-based science. I've thought of "Earth science" as a sort of interloper, a newfangled, dumbed-down substitute. But I'm not always right. Sometimes, the rest of the world is right.

So now I'm exploring what exactly people mean by Earth science as opposed to geology. My first thought is that geology is whatever people did up to plate tectonics and Earth science encompasses the new jobs and tasks that have arisen since then. So prospecting, mapping, fossil studies, site investigation—that's geology. Water supplies, waste disposal, mine remediation, climate change—that's Earth science.

But I'd like your ideas.

One of my favorite things is taking photos of geologic features. In 12 years of doing that and putting them online here, I've learned a few tricks and tips. This photo illustrates one of the best: get there during the morning or evening "golden hour" for the best light. Most of the other tips in this presentation are about coping when you can't do that.
_{Fort Rock, Oregon — Geology Guide photo}

At the last meeting of my local geological society, they announced that the deadline for our three scholarships, one undergraduate and two graduate, is being extended to December 15 to collect more candidates.

This money is meant for research in or near northern California (I guess that means all of California), but the student could be anywhere in the world, so this isn't a parochial thing. I have a larger point, though: if you're a student at any level, beat the bushes for money from your scientific and professional societies, not just the big agencies.

By the way, my society also makes awards to primary and secondary school geoscience teachers. Check its home page.

Last night I attended a presentation on the rock-physics based theory of earthquake precursors (the p-hole theory), and things are moving along nicely. Funders including the World Bank and institutions like the new SUSEL underground lab in South Dakota are supporting research projects. I confess to a bit of a chill as the speaker, Robert Dahlgren of UC Santa Cruz, got into the fringe subject of "earthquake clouds," but there are some intriguing satellite pictures and perhaps the time is right for some genuine ferment in the field of earthquake prediction. The whole theory is summarized in this article so I won't repeat it here, but seven presentations on the topic will be given at the big AGU meeting next month.

Earthquake Lights
EQ Lights and Mental Effects
Online Lecture by Theorist Friedemann Freund