What type of disposition involves the body being returned to the earth?

The correct choice of burial pertains to the disposition in which the body is returned directly to the earth. Burial typically involves placing the body in a casket and interring it in the ground, allowing it to decompose naturally over time and ultimately return to the soil. This method of disposition has been a traditional practice across many cultures and carries significant symbolic meaning, emphasizing a connection to nature and the cycle of life.

In contrast, cremation involves reducing the body to ashes through intense heat and does not return the body to the earth in its original form. Entombment refers to placing the body in a crypt or mausoleum, which again prevents the direct return to the earth. Lastly, donation to science involves the transfer of the body for educational or research purposes, not resulting in a direct burial or earth disposition. Thus, of the options presented, burial is distinctly characterized by the process of returning the body to the earth.