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Overview
Environmental physics uses physics to study the natural environment and human interactions with it. It examines energy transfer, radiation, heat, fluids, waves, atmospheric motion, ocean circulation, climate processes, pollution movement, and measurement systems.
Energy Balance
Environmental systems depend on energy entering, leaving, and being stored. Earth's climate is strongly shaped by solar radiation, reflection, absorption, and infrared emission.
Radiation
Radiation transfer determines how sunlight warms Earth and how infrared energy leaves the surface and atmosphere.
Atmospheric Physics
Atmospheric physics studies air pressure, temperature, humidity, wind, clouds, storms, and large-scale circulation.
Ocean Physics
Ocean physics includes waves, currents, density differences, heat storage, mixing, and interactions with the atmosphere.
Climate Physics
Climate physics studies long-term patterns of energy flow, feedbacks, greenhouse gases, ice, oceans, clouds, and circulation.
Pollution Transport
Fluid dynamics and atmospheric motion help explain how pollutants move through air and water.
Environmental Measurement
Sensors, satellites, radar, lidar, buoys, weather stations, and models help measure environmental conditions.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is treating environmental physics as only weather. It includes radiation, energy systems, fluids, waves, materials, and measurement.
Why This Matters in Physics
Environmental physics connects physical science to climate, energy, water, air, ecosystems, hazards, infrastructure, and policy decisions.