Earth and space sciences offer a stable wheelhouse from which to turn in dizzying directions. Want to work with both Traditional Knowledges and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the Arctic? Turn to the cryosphere (and go fishing).
Want to spend your winter at the South Pole? Turn to geophysics (and know how to grease a telescope in subzero temperatures).
Want to be an astronaut? Turn to geology (and brush up on your HTML).
Want to help those suffering from seasonal allergies? Take a deep breath, and turn from atmospheric science to geohealth.
Read on to meet 19 scientists who are redefining both geoscience career paths and approaches to them—geoscience as a vehicle for a “just transition” to clean energy, as a brake on the avian escalator to extinction, as an integration of planetary protection and next-gen education, and more besides.
We are grateful to these scientists for sharing their stories with us and hope they can provide some answers to “What can you do with that degree?” questions. They might also inspire you to think about the wheelhouse of your own career and where you can turn next. Either way, please enjoy this special careers feature.
—The Editors