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Geophysics, Space Physics, and Geodesy are a fundamental discipline of the Earth sciences and also an important branch of the natural sciences. Specifically, the geophysics aims to reveal the formation and evolution of the Earth system based on the detection and analyses of the physical fields on the Earth’s surface and inside the Earth’s interior, and finally provides a scientific basis for the resource exploration, energy utilization, natural disaster monitoring and prevention, and also the environment protection and treatment. The space physics mainly focuses on the terrestrial space environment and solar-system space environment and also the interaction between them, and aims to reveal the formation mechanisms and evolution features of a serious mysterious phenomena such as the solar eruption, solar wind, geomagnetic storm, magnetospheric substorm, and aurora, and finally on the basis of such observations and analyses forecasts the space weather accurately and alleviates the impact of solar eruption on the Earth’s environment. The geodesy focuses on a specific reference frame of time and space, precisely measures the shape and gravity field of the Earth and other planets, and thereby establishes a model for them and continuously monitors their temporal evolution, and consequently aims to provide a spatiotemporal reference for human beings during the determination and description of the universe. Historically speaking, the geophysics, space physics, and geodesy have played a pivotal role during the development of human civilization and indisputably they have contributed significantly to the modern society. In general, such a discipline has not only greatly expanded our knowledge about the Earth, planets, solar system, and even the universe, but also has provided a robust scientific basis for boosting the socio-economic development. Targeting these issues and relying on a systematic review and careful investigation of the disciplinary branches, in this paper, we analyze the significant contributions of geophysics, space physics, and geodesy to the human civilization from three different angles and then discuss their responsibilities and commitments in the future development of the human civilization from six different aspects. First of all, we believe that this discipline (including geophysics, space physics, and geodesy) has unveiled the intrinsic structures and laws of the Earth and even the universe, which greatly helps us reshape the knowledge framework of nature, life, and human beings. Then, we are sure that this discipline has sped up the development of the industrial civilization, which greatly supports the industrial revolution, modernization construction, and the economic globalization. Finally, we feel confident that this discipline has provided scientific support and rational guidance for the disaster prevention and mitigation, space exploration, and the expansion of extraterrestrial habitation. In the future, the discipline will keep focusing on the frontier scientific problems, such as the deep-space exploration, deep-earth exploration, deep-sea development, and the Earth system sciences. Accompanied by the technological innovation and driven by information revolution, the discipline will persistently overcome technical challenges and theoretical boundaries. Particularly, in the future, this discipline will strengthen the fundamental research and thereby make essential breakthroughs in the conceptual advance, technological innovation, resource exploration, energy utilization, environment protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, and so on, to address the strategic problems and major concerns of our country. Ultimately, on the basis of the above endeavor, this discipline aims to greatly promote the sustainable development of the modern society and also play a more critical role in advancing the human civilization.
Fu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.