Introduction to Physical Geography

Introduction to Physical GeographyFigure 1

What is Geography

• Geography is the study of the physical and cultural environments of

Earth.

• Physical geography is the study of Earth and all of it’s components:

lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, and

biosphere.

• The geographic continuum is the range of disciplines and sub-

disciplines under the umbrella of geographic or spatial science.

Scientific Inquiry• Science is a path to gaining knowledge

about the natural world.

• Scientific inquiry is the process of

acquiring a body of scientific knowledge

through scientific questioning.

• Scientists use the scientific method as

a ways to standardize scientific inquiry so

that the process is clear, open, and

repeatable by other scientists.

• Science is the realm of data, facts, and

observations, not moral or religious

judgements. Figure 2

Scientific Method• Scientific questioning requires creating testable

questions.

• Scientific research is done before testing so that the

scientist knows the latest research and information on the

topic.

• Hypothesis is a plausible explanation for the scientific

question.

• Data collection is done to determine if the hypothesis is

correct.

• Conclusions are determined based on the data.

• Theory is when the hypothesis is determined correct over

repeated testing and data collection by scientists.

• The Scientific Method Made Easy

Figure 3

Geographic Grid System

• Great circles are circles that divide the

earth into a circumference of two equal

halves.

• Ex: Circle of illumination, plane of the

ecliptic, equator

• Small circles are circles that cut the earth,

but not into equal halves.

• Ex: Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of

Capricorn, Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle

Figure 4

Geographic Grid System

• Latitude is an angular measurement north

or south of the equator.

• Lines connecting points of latitude are

called parallels.

• Ex: Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of

Capricorn, Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle

Geographic Grid System

• Longitude is an angular

measurement east and west of the

Prime Meridian.

• Lines connecting equal points of

longitude are called meridians.

• Ex: Prime meridian, International

Date Line

Time

Figure 7

Geospatial Technology

• Geospatial technology is a term used to describe all of the

technologies used by spatial scientists. (i.e. spatial data, remote

sensing, global positioning systems, and geographic information

systems)

• Data about the earth is either spatial or non-spatial.

• Big data is a term used to describe data sets that are so large and

complex that regular database management systems can not

accurately or properly process the information.

Geospatial Technology• Remote sensing is technology that

allows humans to study objects

without being in direct physical

contact with them.

• Remote sensors can be airborne or

satellite based.

• Remote sensors can be active or

passive.

• Remote sensors can be

geostationary or polar orbiting.

Geospatial Technology• Global positioning systems (GPS)

is a constellation of satellites that

determine location using a

mathematical process called

triangulation.

• Three or more satellites in the

horizon must be visible by the GPS

device.

• D = rt

(D = distance, r = rate of speed of

light, t = time).

Geospatial Technology• Geographic information systems

(GIS) is a powerful database system

that allows users to acquire, organize,

store, and analyze the physical and

cultural world.

• Two types of GIS database systems:

vector and raster.

• Vector databases represent features

on earth as points, lines, and polygons.

• Raster databases represents features

on earth as pixel cells.

https://www.e-education.psu.edu/files/geog482/image/data_models_buffer.gif

Geospatial Revolution

Bibliography

• http://youtu.be/zcavPAFiG14