While Geography has followed almost all 19th and 20th Century social and biophysical sciences along

the reductionist route, we have, in my view, tried

to keep an eye on the “big picture” better than most. We have been criticised for this holistic (and traditionally rather generalist) approach by other
disciplines because breadth across a range of disciplines tends to require a somewhat less deep appreciation of any one discipline (Pitman, 2005,
p.137)”. Therefore there is a need to expand the discipline in terms of further research but keep it within its context (that is., within the spatial science).
Hence, there were changes that were encountered such as understanding the Earth System Science in a holistic approach rather than sub diving it and
with the development of computers Geographic Information Systems. Pitman (2005, p.140) stated that, “Earth System Science is gaining considerable
momentum”. Thus it can be developed within geography as the two are related in terms of the biophysical aspects.

Geography is not entirely included as a discipline that can assist in contributing to this new science that is gaining momentum. Pitman (2005, p.140)
argues that “the international scientific community has developed Earth System Science with little reference to the Geography community”. The role
that geography has to offer in the discipline of Earth System Science remains highly ignored.

The aim of this paper is to examine and assess the change in direction within the discipline of Geography towards Earth System Science. To gain
insight to this matter, this paper will therefore, define Geography, outline the history of Geography as a discipline and also define Earth System
Science, establish a relationship between Geography and Earth System Science, assess the change of Geography towards Earth System Science and
lastly the conclusion.

2. The definition of Geography

2.1. What is Geography?
Geography is defined as the study of spatial phenomena and the interaction between society and nature consequently describing and explaining the
spatial patterns and processes. It therefore, studies the lands description, population and incidents of the Earth. Geography is thus a study of spatial
science. According to the online dictionary.com, “geography is the science dealing with the areal differentiation of the earth’s surface … arrangement
and its interrelations over the world of such elements as climate, elevation, soil, vegetation, population, land use, industries, or states, and of the unit
areas formed by the complex of these individual elements”. It further defines geography as “the science of place, that is, the study of the surface of the
earth, the locations and distribution of its physical and cultural features, the areal patterns or places that they form, and the interrelation of these
features as they affect humans”.

Hence geography can be divided into two main subfields, namely, Human and Physical Geography. However, there is a third subfield known as
Environmental Geography that focuses on how humans affect the environment through their activities and ways of managing the environment (in other
words, ways of conserving the environment from being depleted). For the purpose of this assignment, only Human and Physical Geography will be
discussed.

2.1.1. Human Geography

Narsh (2003, p.30) describes Human Geography as a “… study of human activities on the Earth surface”. Indeed Human Geography studies the
human activities, how they have change the Earth surface, how they affect it and how the processes of the Earth such as climate affect human
activities or productivity. Human Geography is further divided into Urban Geography, Economic Geography, Population Geography, Cultural
Geography and Political Geography to name a few. Therefore people (geographers) who specialise in Human Geography normally focus on one
aspect of the subfields. However, two or more subfields can be studied simultaneously in a research project to enhance the understanding of the
spatial science.

2.1.2. Physical Geography

According to Ernst (2000), “Physical Geography is a discipline for those that are concern with the vital matter of the environmental quality”. Hence
Physical Geography is mainly concern about the landforms, temperature, soils and climate, how these factors influence the habitants in terms of their
structure and attributes. Hughes (1863) describes Physical Geography as a study “…which concerns the Earth’s physical environment (the
atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere)”.

“Physical geography also studies the interrelationships of these phenomena to human. This area of geography has seen very intense interest and
growth in the last decades because of the acceleration of human induced environmental degradation. Thus, physical geography’s scope is much
broader than the simple spatial study of nature. It also involves the investigation of how humans are influencing nature (Pidwirny, 2006)”. Hence the
emphasis that physical geography is concerned with the importance of environmental worth.

Physical Geography can therefore be subdivided into the following: Geomorphology, Climatology, and Environmental Geography to name a few.
Physical Geography is regarded as the basis for Earth System Science since these fields studies the Earth surface and its processes. As a result,
Earth System Science is viewed as the modern physical geography.

2.2. Geography as a discipline

Geography has contributed to the science field by means of publications and application of certain methodologies in solving problems that are
associated with the spatial phenomena. It is considered as a Science subject because it uses the scientific method as basis of the research projects
within the discipline. Like any other academic discipline, geography has the following aspects:

● Institutionalisation, meaning that it is identified by the fact that it is taught in universities;

● Professionalism, geography is being practiced by people who are qualified in the field of geography as a result they become expects in this
field;
● Original research and publishing the findings
 ● Has bodies to promote the discipline Conferences, seminars, journals and publications
● Conferences, seminars, journals and publications that contribute the academic discipline. The publications and journals provide insights as
to what has been studied in the past and how to advance the knowledge within this discipline. Conferences and seminars are a platform to
discuss the arising matters and finding the solution to it.

Having inspected geography as a discipline it will be vital to establish the history of geography as a discipline, how it started and the future that it holds
as new discoveries are made. Therefore, resulting in new focus for the discipline such as the Earth System Science that geography is changing
towards it. This is discussed in the next section of the paper.

3. History of Geography
Geography as a discipline has a long history that can be dated back Before Christ (BC), whereby geography became a separate field of study. ‘The
widely accepted goal of geography is given by the etymology of its name describing the earth. According to Johnston (199, p.139), this has ancestry of
established numerous subject history (which the author distinguishes from disciplinary histories, reserving the latter term for surveys of academic
discipline as practised in universities and comparable establishment)’. Hence geography has developed and has become institutionalised which is one
of the characteristics of an academic discipline.

“The principal founders of geography can be traced to the ancient cultures, such as the Greeks, who were the first to explore geography as both art
and science, and this might have been through different approaches including cartography, philosophy, literature and mathematics. Throughout the
middle ages, the fall of the Roman Empire led to a shift in the evolution of geography from Europe to the Islamic world (Baker, 1963)”.

“The 16th and the 17th century are considered as the age of discovery where many new lands were discovered and had contributors such as
Christopher Columbus, Marco polo and James cook, review a desire for both accurate geographic detail and more solid theoretical founders (Baker,
1963)”.

“Geography became recognised as a discrete academic discipline during the 18th and the 19th centuries and became part of a typical university
curriculum in Europe, especially France and Germany. Over the past two centuries the advancement in technology such as computers has led to a
development of geomatic and new practises such as participant observation and geostatistics being incorporated into geography’s portfolio of tools
(Baker, 1963)”. The geography subject started to be taught in primary schools as a tool for listing and naming places, therefore, progressed to the
stage that it is now offered at higher institutions (universities) as a spatial science subject.

Throughout the history of Geography as a discipline it can be established that since the early ages of geography, it explored the spatial science of
humans and its physical content.

4. The definition of Earth System Science

Earth is a multifaceted and full of life entity that includes the disciplinary circuits for lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and life forms as a result
there is no process that takes place in total isolation within the system. Pitman (2005, p.138-9) defines Earth System Science as “…the study of the
Earth as a single integrated physical and social system. Earth System Science views the Earth-System holistically based on the new understanding of
the processes, non-linearities and feedbacks which dominate the system and contribute to emergent phenomenon”. A clear and concise definition
comes from ESSP (1997) which states that “Earth System Science is the study of the Earth System, with emphasis on observing, understanding and
predicting global environmental changes involving interactions between land, atmosphere, water, ice, biosphere, societies, technologies and
economies”. Hence, Earth System Science involves a number of disciplines, such as Geology, Geography, Meteorology, Environmental Sciences,
Energy and Economic studies. The structure of Earth System Science is illustrated in figure 1.

According to Johnston (2005, p.7), the focus of Pitman’s concern is the emergence of a new discipline called earth system sciences which he terms ‘a
re-invention of Geography’. “Earth system sciences study the functioning of and interactions between humans, (including population change, economic
growth, social change and biophysical systems, oceans, cryosphere and ecology) via biogeochemical cycles (Johnston, 2005, p.8)”.

“Earth system sciences is presented as important because is ‘genuinely four dimensional’ though the meaning of the phrase is far from clear. Another
Australian author has recently described this as ‘environmental science’ (Wasson, 2004) as cited by Johnston (2005, p.8)”. Earth system sciences have
impacts on other disciplines such as psychology, neuroscience and education and notable feature of these references is a range and integration of
different areas. It is very difficult to give a precise definition of earth system sciences as it brings a broad range of disciplines and allows them to
interact (Ernst, 2000, p.520)”.

“In certain extents, Earth systems sciences has simple taken the mantle of systems based on physical geography. This perception of defining earth
system sciences may have spread more widely, as noted by the following author who is based in the department of Geological and Environmental
sciences at Stanford University: Earth system sciences is actually twenty-first century geography that encompasses the study of environmental
physical and life sciences and engineering, coupled with analysis of human constructs and political and economical policies. It employs space age
technologies to identify, measure, and manage diverse global databases that serve as a framework and foundation for coherent discipline (Ernst, 2000,
p.520)”. As a result physical geography is considered to be the core discipline for Earth System Science.

5. The relationship between Geography as a discipline and Earth System Science

Geography and Earth System Science both seek to understand the importance of the environment and how humans affect it. The 21th century is highly
affected by the human activities that result in the pollution of the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere which in some instances have resulted in
climate change. Pitman (2005) review earth system sciences as a single, integrated physical and social system. “Earth system sciences have not been
integral. This is due to the fact that specialization in physical geography, as far back as Davis (1901), tended to encourage the same reductionist
approach common in our associated disciplines, within which we strive to be respected. With changes that had occurred in the environment, we now
know that any notion that a single part of the earth system can be fully understood in isolation from other parts, or the element that might be within the
realm of physical Geography can be understood without an appreciation of the role of humans, is inexperienced (Pitman, 2005, p140)”.
“Significant matter of the environmental quality can be precisely defined by Physical geography as a core discipline. Physical geography defines the
structure and character of the local and global habitat which includes features such as landforms, temperature, soils, and climatic conditions. It also
observes the way in which those physical factors determine the pattern of occupancy by living systems that is; it seeks explanations for the
development, through the interactions, of ecosystems. In contrast, it attempts to explain how humans have settled on the land and have used it.
Dressed up in a more modern name, Physical geography is Earth system sciences (Kennedy, 2000, p13)”.

‘It is remarkable that Geographers have been at the front position of assessments of the scale of land cover change having a major contribution by our
discipline. It is now realised that looking at how the biophysical system works without including Humans at the core of any mathematical or conceptual
model of that system is inexperienced. This has clearly been recognised by the International Geosphere Biosphere Program. The central role that
Humans play in all aspects of modern Earth System Science was highlighted by Schellnhuber (1999), the director of the Potsdam Institute in Germany
(Pitman, 2005, p.141)’.