Climate change poses unprecedented challenges for social, environmental and economic developments.  By learning about natural processes and systems, we will may better understand our role in managing and responding to sensitive changes in our climate.

The ability to extract and use the Earth’s natural resources has enabled humans to evolve from small communities into great civilisations. By understanding how we use natural geological materials, we can learn why these resources are so important in our everyday lives.

Our understanding of landscapes is important in helping us to appreciate our past interdependence and future relationships with our landscape. By understanding the features and systems of a landscape, we can make informed decisions on how to manage and conserve them.

Natural processes and events that occur on the Earth’s surface, beneath the surface, and in the atmosphere, can often have catastrophic effects. By understanding how and why these events occur, we can learn how to reduce the disastrous impacts of natural hazards.