What is Earth Science Week?
This year's Earth Science Week is the second week in October annually. Each year there is a new theme.
The USGS partners with AGI to support geoscience literacy by distributing Earth Science Week Teacher's Toolkits, which contain K-12 educational resources from a broad range of partners, including USGS. Many Earth Science Week activities are available online and on social media. Have fun learning about Earth, our one and only home!
Earth Science Week Events
Sunday: International Earthcache Day
An EarthCache is similar to a geocache, and is a special place where people can learn about unique, geological features. EarthCache pages include a set of educational notes along with coordinates.
Monday: Minerals Day
Minerals Day is all about raising awareness of and appreciation for minerals and mineralogy! A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a distinct chemical composition (or range of compositions) and specific physical properties. There are thousands of different kinds of minerals, so picking a favorite is challenging. Quartz is a common mineral that comes in many different colors, is harder than glass, and is made up of the two most abundant elements in Earth's crust (silicon and oxygen). As part of Earth Science Week 2020, USGS scientist Shannon Mahan talks about how she studies minerals in the video," May the Quartz be WIth You."
To learn more about USGS work with minerals, visit the Energy and Minerals Mission Area, the Mineral Resources Program, and the National Minerals Information Center. Did you know that minerals can even be mapped from hundreds of feet above Earth's surface? Learn more about the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) and watch the Earth Science Week (AGI) webinar," The Global Supply of Critical Minerals: Assessing and Tracking Critical Mineral Commodities" by USGS scientist Nedal Nassar.
