Earth science museums focus on the earth and its surroundings, with exhibits divided by subdiscipline such as oceanography, geology, and meteorology. They can be public or private, for education or research, and may contain exhibits in multiple branches. Ownership varies, with some museums publicly owned and others privately owned and for-profit.
Earth sciences are those devoted to the earth and its surroundings. Earth science museums are most commonly divided by subdiscipline and include oceanography, geology, and meteorology museums. Museums can also be classified according to their intent as some museums are designed primarily for public education and others as research institutions. Furthermore, earth science museums could be public or private.
Earth science museums often dedicate their collections to a specific branch of the discipline. Exhibits in an oceanographic museum focus on topics such as the ecosystem of the oceans, waves and wave cycles, and the chemical composition of seawater. A meteorology museum focuses on the weather and weather patterns and might show exhibits on the effects of tornadoes, snowstorms or hurricanes. A geology museum features rocks and survey maps and might contain exhibits of various types of sediments and rock formations. Other earth science museums might have exhibits on soil composition, fossils, atmospheric conditions, or agrophysics.
Some museums offer exhibits in multiple or all branches. Also, other types of museums may contain earth science exhibits. This could include biology, chemistry or anthropology museums. Earth science museums are often local or regional, meaning they focus on the sciences of interest to the area or country in which they are located.
Many earth science museums are open to the public and are designed to educate people. Exhibits are usually edited with explanatory text or audio presentations that describe the contents in a way that the average person can understand. Guided tours are often an option.
In some cases, however, museum collections are primarily intended as a resource for research professionals. This means that some or all of the collections are accessible only to researchers. In these museums, exhibits are limited and generally include little in the way of displays.
Ownership is a major differentiator of earth science museums. Many are publicly owned, such as a government agency. In this case, the museum is most likely open to the public and run on a non-profit basis, although an entry fee may still be charged and donations are most likely accepted.
Private museums are usually controlled by non-profit agencies, companies or individuals. University museums can be public or private, depending on the ownership of the college. Private museums may be for-profit entities and may restrict entry based on museum membership.
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