Earth Day Message: Evolve to Earth Analytics

Conventionally, Earth Scientists follow a linear career tract, garnering expertise in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, and in more recent times in environment, remote sensing, GIS, and ecology. This is changing very fast and the purist is witnessing their breed vanish quickly. Earth systems are no more the sole task of earth scientists in this data-driven world. To understand the earth and its problems for sustainable development we need to have interdisciplinary knowledge that results in the generation of more and more data sets. To handle such large data sets called Big Data science one has to develop skills that are often not a part of the curriculum. Earth data science, also known as Earth analytics, uses data science techniques to study Earth processes and solve problems ranging from analyzing natural hazards to environmental processes to exploring minerals and energy resources.
So, Earth Analytics is an interdisciplinary field of scientific methods, processes, and systems to uncover knowledge or develop insights from multiple data sources. It addresses the technological challenges associated with data collection, analysis, archival, and much more.
When, earth science research is taken as a career option, and then possessing these skills will become essential to quantify processes and hypotheses. Earth science has gone much beyond the realm of the romanticism of qualitative analysis often leading to amusing and unending arguments amongst scientific groups without arriving at an acceptable interpretation. With a dramatic shift in our understanding underpinned by the power of new technology of AI, machine learning, deep learning, and data science we can quantify and understand a phenomenon much better. It is high time that Earth scientists evolve to Earth Analytics which will offer them a competitive edge in the emerging job market. Globally, it is observed that those earth scientists who have integrated coding and scientific programming skills into their repertoire are better placed and have escaped layoffs in the global job market. Earth science in combination with data science skills has emerged as a highly sought-after field both in academia and industry. Specifically, there are four must-have skills in earth data science, today. The first one is coding and the very first thought that comes to mind is that computer coding is for nerds.
This may sound discouraging at first but let me tell you as an earth scientist, myself, that this is not true. Given that tools and programming languages evolve, being able to adapt and learn new things is often more important than being an expert. No employer in the earth science field expects a candidate to be an expert coder and know everything but would prefer a person with basic familiarity with coding that helps to communicate effectively in an interdisciplinary environment. The second most important ability is to manage, integrate and process real data sets as very often it is observed that people even with advanced knowledge and expertise in statistics and programming cannot handle the pre-cleaned data and its organization for research studies. Hence, learning how to organize, evaluate, understand, and interpret data becomes critical to a research problem. The third important skill to develop is to communicate and collaborate effectively, especially in interdisciplinary fields that are highly valued by both the industry and academia. As science and technology progress, earth scientists will start asking bigger questions, making it impossible to remain in the realm of just one discipline. This is already happening with multi-authored research articles in high-impact journals like Nature and Science where authors belong to different specialized fields.
Lastly, the most important trait that an earth scientist should acquire is the belief that earth data science is for the greater good. This is not exactly a skill but is a highly valued quality that earth scientists need to imbibe. Intentions and integrity are as important as one’s expertise and are echoed in both academia and industry. Earth scientists need to understand and demonstrate that science is not to be hoarded by oneself or with peers but needs to be shared with fellow researchers for the common good of science.
On this Earth Day, I want to advise my fellow Earth Scientists to develop Data Science skills and encourage budding researchers to acquire the same as an additional qualification, if it is not offered in the regular course of education. There is a real shortage of professionals having both knowledges in the core subjects of earth sciences combined with data science skills. One can see how demand for such coupled skills in the field of finance and health has led to the explosion of business and health analytics courses being offered at some of the IIMs as well as in some private colleges and universities. Earth analytics skills are equally critical to today’s society and economy. I leave you with the thought that Earth Scientists can become good Earth Analytics and not the other way. Data science skills are necessary tools to polish the knowledge of core subjects in earth science and will make Earth Scientists the MOST WANTED on the employment list, everywhere. (The author is a former Chief Scientist at NGRI, Hyderabad)