“Visualizing Earth Systems” is the theme of this year’s Earth Science Week, an annual event that promotes scientific understanding of our planet.
This year’s event will be held Oct. 11-17 and will promote awareness of the many ways scientists monitor and represent information about Earth systems including land, water, air and living things.
Since its inauguration in October 1998, the mission of Earth Science Week has been to promote the understanding and appreciation of earth science, especially among young people, as each year community groups, educators and interested citizens organize educational and celebratory events around the Earth sciences.
Earth Science Week is organized annually by the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) with support from the AAPG Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, NASA, U.S. National Park Service, ExxonMobil, ESRI and others.
Earth Science Week 2015 includes three national contests honoring this year’s theme. This year’s competitions will feature a photography contest, a visual arts contest and an essay contest.
Students, geoscientists and the general public are invited to participate in this year’s photography contest, “Earth Systems Interacting.” Entries must be composed of original, unpublished material, and show at least one Earth system affecting another Earth system in your community.
This year’s visual arts contest, “Picturing Earth Systems,” is open to students in grades K-5. The contest calls on students to use artwork to show how land, water, air and living things interact with and affect each other.
Finally, students in grades 6 through 9 may participate in the essay contest. This year’s essays must address the idea of “Earth Science Visualization Today” and explain one way in which geoscientists’ use of cutting-edge visualization is advancing Earth science today.
Submissions will be judged by a panel of geoscientists on aspects of creativity, relevance and incorporation of the topic at hand. Selected winners will be awarded for their submissions.
For more information, visit the Earth Science Week website.