Geodesy is a branch of geophysics that studies the geometrical, structural, and gravitational properties of the Earth, their time evolution, and the dynamic interactions of the solid Earth with other physical components of the Earth system (atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and the core), at a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Geodesists also study the corresponding topics for other planets in the solar system.

AGU’s Geodesy Section is proud to contribute to this heritage over the decades, in providing services and fostering interactions among geodesists as well as between colleagues in other disciplines.

Seismologists use seismic waves to study how earthquake faults rupture and to probe Earth's internal structure from the surface to the core. Seismology plays a key role in mitigating earthquake hazards, finding oil and other Earth resources, monitoring nuclear explosions, and understanding the internal dynamics of our planet.

The Tectonophysics Section is highly interdisciplinary, with strong ties to other Sections including: Seismology, Geodesy, Planetary Sciences, Geomagnetism/Paleomagnetism, and Volcanology/Geochemistry/Petrology. Its members are interested in geodynamic processes and deformation from the scale of individual crystals to mantle convection and plate tectonics through the study of rock mechanics, mineral physics, seafloor geology and morphology, continental and marine tectonics and structural geology, and the thermal regime and mass balance of the Earth.

An enduring challenge facing tectonophysicists is to relate processes and measurements at Earth’s surface to their origins at depths that can’t be directly observed. Better measurements, whether in the laboratory, at sea, in deep drill holes, or from satellites, are revealing unexpected complexity that often challenges simplified descriptions and standing models. This is nowhere better illustrated than in the continents, where basic issues like the strength of the lithosphere, strength of major plate boundary faults, the origins of the mountain belts, and the mechanics of intraplate seismicity remain unresolved.