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Physical Geography

The document provides an overview of physical geography, including the definition and scope of geography, the Earth's structure, and its four spheres: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. It discusses the importance of spatial analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), and the scientific method in understanding human-Earth relationships and natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanic activity. Additionally, it covers concepts of location and time, map projections, ocean currents, and significant geological features.

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incorrectlyyours
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7 views68 pages

Physical Geography

The document provides an overview of physical geography, including the definition and scope of geography, the Earth's structure, and its four spheres: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. It discusses the importance of spatial analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), and the scientific method in understanding human-Earth relationships and natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanic activity. Additionally, it covers concepts of location and time, map projections, ocean currents, and significant geological features.

Uploaded by

incorrectlyyours
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physical

Geography
The Science of Geography
• Geography – from geo “Earth” and graphia “to
write.”
• Geography is –
–Holistic.
–Eclectic.
• Geographers use spatial analysis.
• Geographers use Earth systems science.
Geographic Science is –
• Location – Where are the spatial objects?
• Place – Tangible & untangible living/nonliving
characteristics.
• Central Park, N.Y.
• Region – Uniform physical characteristics.
• Colorado Plateau.
• Human-Earth Relationships – How does each impact
the other?
• Desert SW & Navajo Americans lifestyle.
• Movement – Energy exchanges, physical/human
movement.
• Winds, ocean currents, human relocation.
•Geographers
use the
scientific
method.
The Milky Way, Our Galaxy
Earth’s dimensions
The Earth Inside Out
• Inner and Outer Core — solid metallic
center - made up of iron and nickel
• Mantle — molten rock about 1,800 miles thick
• Magma — molten rock - ° created when the
mantle melts the underside of
the crust
• Crust — thin layer of rock at the earth's surface
Earth's Spheres
• Earth has four spheres
— Atmosphere

— Biosphere
Earth's Spheres
• Atmosphere —layer of
Earth's Spheres
Hydrosphere —water
Earth’s Four Spheres

• Atmosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Lithosphere
• Biosphere
Location and Time on Earth
• Latitude.
• Longitude.
• Great circles.
• Prime Meridian and standard time.
Latitude
Longitude
Great Circles and Small Circles
• Greenwich Mean Time – World standard (UT) time.
Longitude (prime meridian) established by International
Meridian Conference, Washington, D.C., 1884.

• Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) – standardized by


French in 1912, determined by the International Bureau of
Weights & Measures (Paris).

• Daylight savings time – Spring forward (lengthens


daylight time), fall back.

International Date Line –

West crossing – one day ahead.


East crossing – one day behind.
divided and slowly

CRETAEEOLS
Maps, Scales, and Projections
• Map – a generalized view of an area, as seen from
above and reduced in size.
Cartography – map making.
• Scale – ratio of map units to ground units.
Descriptive, graphic, & representative fraction.
• Projection – process of
transforming spherical Earth to
flat map.
• Earth can not be projected
without distortion of its:
Shape, area, distance, &/or
direction.
Classes of
Projections
Geographic Information Systems
(GIS)
• GIS systems combine spatial and attribute
data.
• Maps can contain multiple data layers:
– Physical features.
– Cultural features.
• Layers can be added to create composite
overlay.
GIS System
7 Continents and Oceans
• The continuous circulation of water between
the atmosphere, the oceans, and the earth.
❑ 70% Of the earth is
covered by the ocean
1. Pacific Ocean.
2. Atlantic Ocean.
3. Indian Ocean.
4. Southern Ocean.
5. Arctic Ocean.
Ocean Motion
• Ocean Currents —like rivers flowing through
the ocean
• Winds blow over the water and are either
heated or cooled —then blow over the land and
moderate the temperature of the air over the
land
• The motion of the ocean helps distribute heat
on the planet
• Landforms are naturally formed features on
the surface of the earlh.
• Internal forces that
shape the earth's

the lithosphere

baies o\ the world

causes the continuing


reshaping of the earth
Fault
• Fracture in the earth's

San Andreas Fault

Point Rayes

San Andreas Fault


• Seismograph measures the size of the waves
created by an earthquake.
• Richter scale, was
developed by
Charles F. Richter
in 1934. It used a
formula based on the
amplitude of the
largest wave
recorded on a
specific type of
seismometer and the
distance between the
earthquake and the
seismometer.
Richter Scale
• Uses information collected by seismographs to
• determine the relative strength of an

• 2 —probably wouldn't even feel it


• ° 4.5 —probably reported in the news
• ° 7 or more —major earthquake
Earthquake Location

Epicenter
Biggest Earthquakes ever recorded
1.Valdivia, Chile 22 May 1960 (magnitude 9.5)
2. Prince William Sound, Alaska 28 March 1964
(magnitude 9.2)
3. Sumatra, Indonesia 26 December 2004
(magnitude 9.1)
4. Sendai, Japan 11 March 2011 (magnitude 9.0)
5. Kamchatka, Russia 4 November 1952
(magnitude 9.0)
• Lava —Magma that has reached the earth’s
surface. Volcano
Mayon Volcano in Albay, Philippines
Caldera
• A caldera is a large depression formed when a
volcano erupts and collapses. During a
volcanic eruption, magma present in the
magma chamber underneath the volcano is
expelled, often forcefully.
Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the
Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along
the Pacific Ocean characterized by
active volcanoes and frequent
earthquakes. The majority of Earth’s
volcanoes and earthquakes take place
along the Ring of Fire.

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