The 12 auxiliary sciences of Geography

Our planet has a series of conditions that make it capable of supporting life as we know it, and of done so far, no other has been identified in which it exists (although it is unlikely to be the unique).

But Although it is our home, the truth is that there is much that we do not know about our planet. That is why there is geography, a discipline that tries to investigate and explore the surface of our planet.

However, often the knowledge and techniques of a single discipline is not enough to explain and acquire critical knowledge of what is studied, Rather, it requires the contribution of related or specialized sciences in specific elements linked to the object of study in order to obtain more knowledge full. This also happens with geography, and that is why in order to visualize how other sciences contribute to its understanding we are going to describe some of the most relevant auxiliary sciences of geography.

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What is geography?

Geography is the discipline or branch of science whose main object of study is the surface of our planet, describing and analyzing both the particularities of the terrain and the different territories and landscapes as well as the societies that inhabit them, as well as the interaction between both. This study refers to both natural and socially generated territories.

It is a historical discipline and once considered universal, although with the passage of time it has been displaced by other sciences such as physics or chemistry. In short, geography analyzes the natural and geographical phenomena that exist today, as well as the different factors that influence their change. And in his doing, he often feeds his knowledge with the contributions of various auxiliary sciences.

What are auxiliary sciences?

The name of auxiliary sciences is given to the set of disciplines that, Although they do not fully ascribe to a specific discipline and have their own objects of study, they complement it and provide support to improve understanding and development of the discipline in question.

One of the easiest cases to understand, and in which the aid of auxiliary sciences is most often used, is history. Events that occurred in the past can be analyzed solely on the basis of the events themselves.

However, this knowledge is partial if we do not take into account that our way of seeing things may differ greatly from what they had in the times studied. Thus, we can better understand what happened if we take into account, for example, economic conditions, way of thinking, beliefs, values ​​and cultural expectations, the level of development of agriculture and livestock or the climate of the moment (which implies the participation of sciences such as economics, sociology, psychology, agriculture or meteorology).

The case of geography is similar: understanding the current state and the changes that the planet's surface undergoes and has been undergoing It requires knowing aspects such as the climate, the formation or disappearance of aquifers or glaciers, the behavior of tectonic plates. or even the effect that living things (including us) have on it. That is why the help of auxiliary sciences is so necessary.

Main auxiliary sciences of geography

Geography can be nurtured and improve its understanding of its object of study based on the contributions of multiple disciplines, among which we can find the following.

1. geology

Geology studies the composition and structure of rocks and soils, something that is essential in order to understand the properties and help explain why and how the surface of the planet can change. Tectonics is part of it, studying for example the movement of land masses.

2. Meteorology

Another of the most relevant auxiliary sciences for geography is meteorology, since the study of the behavior of our atmosphere, weather and climate it can serve to explain processes such as desertification or floods.

3. Hydrology

Three-quarters of the earth's surface is water, so geography must largely drink from the study of the composition and behavior of the liquid element in all types of waters: rivers, aquifers, seas or oceans. And its study is in charge of the branch of science called hydrology.

Within this we can find its branches such as oceanography or potamology. Tides or sea level or the presence of aquifers are aspects that are linked, for example, to the amount of land that has emerged.

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4. Cryology

This discipline is responsible for study of water in solid state, including the formation of glaciers or hail. Technically it could be considered within hydrology, and your participation in geography can be of great use.

5. Mapping

Cartography is deeply linked to geography, being the science that studies the topography of the terrain and takes measurements of it to create graphic documents such as maps.

6. Astronomy

Although geography focuses on our planet, Astronomy is also a discipline that you can turn to to improve your understanding of your object of study. The behavior of the stars and how they influence our planetAs well as the way in which our planet moves through the cosmos, it can help explain the state of the surface.

7. Ecology

Our planet is inhabited by an immensity of creatures, which survive in a subtle balance with the ecosystem on which they depend. The presence or absence of certain living beings can greatly alter the surface of the Earth.

8. biology

Undoubtedly, biology is a science especially linked to geography, since different living beings have a role in the state of the planet's surface. Plants, animals and even microorganisms are part of the world and modify it (For example, plants contribute to the formation of oxygen and make soil erosion difficult).

9. Sociology

The study of societies and forms of human organization is an element of sociology, which can contribute to analyzing the concept of territory and how the human being operates in it. In fact, from the union of both disciplines the so-called social geography arises.

10. Politics

Although it apparently has little to do with geography, politics can be considered an auxiliary science of this due to that the understanding of the human organization and management systems as well as the multiple laws and policies applied in relation to the territory can influence and even explain the state of the planet's surface.

In addition to this, the policy also explains the division of territories made by the different countries. In fact, the relationship between politics and geography is so relevant that there is a sub-discipline called political geography.

11. Physical

One of the purest sciences that exist, physics is responsible for studying matter, energy and their properties. Physics can be used to understand the properties of the earth's surface and the forces to which it is subjected.

12. Story

Our passage through the world is relatively short, but there is no doubt that it has contributed to modifying the earth's surface. For example, industrialization or the creation of cities are factors that have greatly changed the earth's surface.

Bibliographic references:

• Bartsch, J., Colvard, M.P. (2009). The Living Environment. New York: Prentice Hall.
• Cosgrove D. AND. (ed.) (1999). Mappings. London: Reaktion Books.