geophysics

[ jee-oh-fiz-iks ]

/ ˌdʒi oʊˈfɪz ɪks /

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noun (used with a singular verb)

the branch of geology that deals with the physics of the earth and its atmosphere, including oceanography, seismology, volcanology, and geomagnetism.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of geophysics

First recorded in 1885–90; geo- + physics

OTHER WORDS FROM geophysics

ge·o·phys·i·cal, adjectivege·o·phys·i·cal·ly, adverbge·o·phys·i·cist, noun

Words nearby geophysics

Geonim, geophagy, geophilous, geophone, geophysical, geophysics, geophyte, geopolitical, geopolitics, geoponic, geoponics

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use geophysics in a sentence

I took an introductory geophysics class, just out of curiosity.
This physicist hopes to shake up our understanding of space|Aaron Tremper|October 24, 2022|Science News For Students
Wegener, who died in 1930, was an astronomer-turned-meteorologist who dabbled in paleontology and geophysics.
The Top 10 scientific surprises of Science News’ first 100 years|Tom Siegfried|September 20, 2021|Science News
By 1969, Science News quoted experts declaring that it was time for “plate tectonics to be accepted as a basic theoretical model in geophysics.”
The Top 10 scientific surprises of Science News’ first 100 years|Tom Siegfried|September 20, 2021|Science News
It’s scientifically useful to have a word to describe the cosmic bodies where interesting geophysics, including the conditions that enable life, occur, he says.
The definition of planet is still a sore point – especially among Pluto fans|Lisa Grossman|August 24, 2021|Science News

Another team, led by Amir Khan, a scientist at the Institute of Geophysics at ETH Zurich and at the Physics Institute at the University of Zurich, looked at the Martian mantle, the layer that sits between the crust and the core.
We just got our best-ever look at the inside of Mars|Tatyana Woodall|July 23, 2021|MIT Technology Review
In other words, I did the geology and petroleum engineering, and he did pure geophysics.
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for geophysics

geophysics

/ (ˌdʒiːəʊˈfɪzɪks) /

noun

(functioning as singular) the study of the earth's physical properties and of the physical processes acting upon, above, and within the earth. It includes seismology, geomagnetism, meteorology, and oceanography

Derived forms of geophysics

geophysicist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for geophysics

geophysics

[ jē′ō-fĭz′ĭks ]

The scientific study of the physical characteristics of the Earth, including its hydrosphere and atmosphere, and of the Earth's relationship to the rest of the universe.

Cultural definitions for geophysics

geophysics

The science devoted to the study of the physical properties and processes of geological phenomena, including fields such as meteorology, oceanography, and seismology.