What discipline focuses on the earth and its physical properties?

The discipline that focuses on the earth and its physical properties is geology. Geology entails the study of the solid Earth, including its materials, the processes that act upon these materials, and the dynamics of its formation over time. It covers a vast range of topics, including rock formation, mineral properties, geological structures, and the history of the Earth, all of which are crucial for understanding the planet's physical characteristics.

Geography, while related, emphasizes the distribution of places and the relationships between people and their environments rather than exclusively focusing on physical properties. Environmental Science addresses the interactions between the physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment, including human impacts, but it does not solely concentrate on the Earth's physical properties. Anthropology studies human societies and cultural development, which is unrelated to the physical characteristics of the Earth itself. Therefore, geology is the most accurate discipline that pertains directly to the study of Earth's physical properties.