Physical Geography

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Earth systems science

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This science contributes to our emerging view of Earth as a complete entity-an interacting set of physical, chemical, and biological systems that produce a whole Earth.

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Geography

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(from geo, "Earth," and graphein, "to write") is the science that studies the relationships among natural systems, geographic areas, society, cultural activities, and the interdependence of all of these over space.

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Spatial

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refers to the nature and character of physical space, its measurements, and the distribution of things within it

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Geographic Science is separated into five spatical themes

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Location, region, human-Earth relationships, movement and place

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Spatial analysis

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a method rather than a specific body of knowledge that governs geography. Using this method,geography synthesizes (brings together) topics from many fields, intergrating information to form a whole-Earth concept.

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The language of geography reflects this spatial view:

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space, territory, zone, pattern, distribution, place, location, region, sphere, province and distance

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Process

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a set of actions or mechanisms that operate in some special order, is central to geographic analysis.

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Physical geography

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is the spatial analysis of all the pysical elements and processes that make up the enviorment: energy, air, water, weather, climate, landforms, soils, animals, plants, microorganisms, and Earth itself

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physical geography vs. human/cultural geography

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reflect a basic duality or split within geography

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System

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is any ordered, interrelated set of things and their attributes,linked by flows of energy and matter, as distinct from the surrounding enviorment outside the system

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Matter

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is mass that assumes a physical shape and occupies space.

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Energy

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is a capacity to change the motion of, or to do work on, matter.

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Open system

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Systems in nature are generally not self-contained: Inputs of energy and matter flow into the system and outpurs of energy and matter flow from the system

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Closed system

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a system that is shut off from the surrounding enviorment so that it is self contained, for example: air, water and material resources.

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Location

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Absolute and relative location on Earth. Location answers the question Where?-the specific planetary address of a location.

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Region

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Areas having uniform characteristics; how they form and change;their relation to other regions.

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Human-Earth Relationships

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Humans and the environment: resource exploitation, hazard perception, and enviromental pollution and modification.

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Place

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Tangible and intangible living and nonliving characteristics that make each place unique. No two places on earth are exactly alike.

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Movement

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Communication, movement, circulation, migration, and diffusion across Earth's surface

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Earths Four "Spheres"

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Earths surface is a vast area where four immense open systems interact. Abiotic (non living) systems overlap to form the realm of the biotic (living) systems. The abiotic spheres are the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithophere. The biotic sphere is the biophere.

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Atmosphere: The Energy-Atmosphere Sytem

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is a thin, gaseous veil surrounding Earth, held to the planed by the force of gravity. Formed by gases arising from within Earth's Crust and interior and exhalations of all life overtime. A combination of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, water vapor and trace gases

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Hydrosphere: The Water, Weather, and Climate Systems

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Earths waters exist in the atmosphere, on surface, and in the crust near the surface. Collectively these waters form the hydrosphere.

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Cryosphere

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The portion of the hydrosphere that is frozen: ice sheets, ice caps and fields, glaciers, ice shelves, sea ice, and subsurface ground ice.

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Three states of water in the hydrosphere and its chemical conditions

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Water of the hydrosphere exists in all three states: liquid, solid (the frozen cryosphere), and Gaseous (water vapor). Water occurs in two general chemical conditions, fresh and saline (salty)

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Lithosphere: The Earth- Atmosphere Interface

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Earths crust and a portion of the upper mantle directly below the crust form the lithosphere. The crust is quite brittle compared with the layers deep beneath the surface, which move slowly in response to an uneven distribution of heat energy and pressure. In a broad sense, the term lithosphere somtimes refers to the entire solid planet.

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Biosphere: Soils, Ecosystems, and Biomes

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The intricate inter connected web that links all organism with their physical environment is the biosphere or echosphere. The biosphere is the area in which physical and chemical factors form the contex of life, existing in the overlap among the abiotic, spheres, extendeding form the seafloor, the upper layers of the crustal rock to about 8km into the atmosphere.

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Geodesy

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the science that determines Earths shape and size by surveys and matematical calculations.

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Latitude

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is an angular distance north or south of the equator, mesaured from the center of Earth. On a map or globe, the lines designated these angles of latitude run east and west, parallel to the equator.

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Latitudinal Geographic Zones

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equatorial and tropical, subtropical, midlatitude, subarctic or subantarctic, and arctic or antarctic.

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Longitude

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is an angular distane east or sest of a point on Earths surface, measured from the center of Earth. On a map or a globe the lines designating these angles of longitude run north and south.

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Meridian

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A line connecting all ponts along the same longitude

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Prime Meridian

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a meridian designated as 0 degrees.

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Great circle

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is any circle of Earths circumference whose center coincides with the center of Earth

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Small circles

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These circles have centers that do no coincide with Earths center.