Physical GeographyPhysical Geography

What is Physical Geography?• Examines the relationships among

patterns and processes within the physical environment

• Study of earth’s physical processes• Geology – rocks and earth formations • Environmental science – human interaction

with the environment• Topography – earth’s features• Cartography – map making.

How are Physical Factors spatially defined?

Location: The location of a place or thing on the earth’s surface

Absolute Location: The exact spot of a place on the earth’s surface

-Use Latitude and Longitude to define it

Ex. - Toyko, Japan is at 36° N Latitude and 140° E Longitude

Relative Location: The location of a place in relation to another place or thing

Ex.) Sonic is across the street from Kroger

Globe: Scale model of the earth

Zero Degrees Latitude is the Equator

Numbers get higher the further North or South you move away from the Equator

90 Degree North (North Pole)

90 Degrees South (South Pole)

AKA: Parallels

Latitude lines measure North or South of the Equator

KNOW THESE LINES KNOW THESE LINES and their latitude and their latitude measurements!! measurements!!

EquatorEquator

2 Tropics2 Tropics

2 Circles2 Circles

2 Poles2 Poles

AKA- Meridians

Zero Degrees longitude is the Prime Meridian. 180 degrees East or West is the International Date Line

By international agreement - 0 degrees longitude runs through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England

Numbers get higher the farther you move either East of West

Longitude lines measure East or West of the Prime Meridian

Where lines of latitude and longitude cross they form a pattern known as:

(a global address)

Each degree of the earth is equal to 1/360 of the earth. Each degree of the earth is equal to 1/360 of the earth.

Each degree is divided into 60 minutes (‘). Each minute = 60 seconds (“)Each degree is divided into 60 minutes (‘). Each minute = 60 seconds (“)

HemispheresHemispheres

If you cut the Earth through the Equator you would get two

halves, the Northern and Southern Hemisphere

If you cut the Earth through the Prime Meridian you would get two halves, the Western

and Eastern Hemisphere

The US is in the Western Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere

Basic Geography

0• 0 latitude –

Equator– (Distance from

it has large effect on climate)

• 0 longitude –Prime Meridian– (Distance from

it has no effect on climate)

Rotation

• The spinning of the earth on its axis

• Takes 24 hours

• Creates night & day

Revolution• The orbit of the earth around the sun

• Takes 365 ¼ days

• Creates the seasons

Polar Night• When the polar region is tilted away from the sun – the

polar area receives 24 hours of darkness. When it is pointed toward the sun the area receives 24 hours of daylight.

EQUINOX• Direct rays of the sun

are located on the EQUATOR

• Days and nights are equal in length

• Spring (Vernal) and Fall (Autumnal)

• When it is Spring in the northern hemisphere it is Fall in the southern hemisphere (the opposite is also true)

SOLSTICE• Direct rays of the sun are

located on the TROPIC OF CANCER OR CAPRICORN

• Days and nights are not equal in length – summer days are longer – winters nights are longer

• Summer and Winter

• When it is Winter in the northern hemisphere it is Summer in the southern hemisphere (the opposite is also true)

Red – LOW LATITUDES

0 – 23 ½ North & South

Tropics

Hot and Humid

Green – MID LATITUDES

23 ½ - 66 ½ North & South

Temperate

Mild

THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD’S PEOPLE LIVE IN THE TEMPERATE ZONE!!

Blue – HIGH LATITUDES

66 ½ - 90 North & South

Polar

Cold and Dry

LITHOSPHERE LITHOSPHERE

http://mediatheek.thinkquest.nl/~ll125/images/struct.jpg

Solid, rocky crust covering entire planet.

www.space.gc.ca

ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE

• 78% Nitrogen

• Just under 21% Oxygen

• less than 1% argon, carbon dioxide & other gasses

The air surrounding Earth

HYDROSPHERE HYDROSPHERE

All the water in or near the Earth

BIOSPHERE BIOSPHERE

Composed of all living organisms• Plants

• Animals

• One-celled organisms

How do physical process affect:

•7 continents – Africa, Asia, Antarctica, South America, 7 continents – Africa, Asia, Antarctica, South America, North America, Europe & AustraliaNorth America, Europe & Australia

•5 Oceans – Southern, Arctic, Pacific, Indian, Atlantic5 Oceans – Southern, Arctic, Pacific, Indian, Atlantic

FACTORS THAT AFFECT CLIMATE

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg/300px-The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg

LACEMOPSLACEMOPS

Weather –Weather – The daily condition of the atmosphere which includes temperature and precipitation.

Precipitation - Precipitation - Moisture that falls from the sky. Precipitation has 4 forms: rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

Climate - Climate - Average weather. Measured over an extended period of time (usually 30 years).

http://www.mnh.si.edu/archives/garden/images/4seasons.gif

L - LATITUDE - L - LATITUDE - The most important factor! The farther from the Equator - the colder and drier it becomes. Direct rays of the sun are always between the Tropics. Areas not in the tropics receive indirect sun rays.

A - AIR MASSES A - AIR MASSES

In the Northern Hemisphere, cold air from the Polar Regions comes from the north. Hot air from the tropics comes from the south,

Mountains to the north of a city could block the cold air from reaching the city.

(opposite in the Southern Hemisphere).

C - CONTINENTALITY C - CONTINENTALITY

Water moderates climate. Water takes longer to heat and cool than land. Areas inland from the coast will be hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than areas with the same latitude on the coast.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://edc.usgs.gov/imagegallery/imageSrc/United%2520States-NED500.jpg&imgrefurl=http://edc.usgs.gov/imagegallery/imageDetail.php%3Fpage%3D18%26img%3DUnited%2BStates-NED%26id%3D2071%26col%3DStates%2B-%2BNED%2BShaded%2BRelief&h=353&w=500&sz=121&hl=en&start=17&um=1&tbnid=tsJBVC5mQRiZ6M:&tbnh=92&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dunited%2Bstates%2B%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GGLG%26sa%3DG

E - ELEVATION E - ELEVATION It gets colder as you go up a mountain. The formula for vertical climate is: Temperature decreases 3.5º F for every 1,000 feet increase in elevation (the opposite is also true). You can work out the temperature at the top of a tall mountain.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.savetibet.org/images/images/MountEverest.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.savetibet.org/news/newsitem.php%3Fid%3D1050&h=300&w=400&sz=22&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=ODjU-A29uyNbXM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmt%2Beverest%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26rls%3DGGLG,GGLG:2005-42,GGLG:en

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/images/0314-01.jpg

3.5° (from formula)3.5° (from formula) X 15X 15 (how many thousands of feet the mountain is tall) (how many thousands of feet the mountain is tall) 52.5°52.5° (how much colder at the top than the bottom) (how much colder at the top than the bottom)

It is 75º at the base of a 15,000 ft. tall mountain. What is the temperature It is 75º at the base of a 15,000 ft. tall mountain. What is the temperature on top of the mountain?on top of the mountain?

First, count the First, count the thousands…thousands…((1515,000) ,000)

75° (temperature at bottom)75° (temperature at bottom) - 52.5- 52.5° (how much colder at the top)° (how much colder at the top) 22.5 ° (temperature at the top) 22.5 ° (temperature at the top) Answer Answer

Second, Second, multiply that multiply that number by number by 3.5…3.5…

Third, Third, Subtract that Subtract that number from the number from the temperature at temperature at the base to get the base to get the answer…the answer…

M - MOUNTAIN BARRIERS M - MOUNTAIN BARRIERS

Orographic effect: Wind containing moisture hits the windward side of a mountain (the side facing the wind).

Moisture-full clouds are too heavy to get over the mountain so precipitation occurs, after they’re empty, they are able to rise over the mountain.

The side facing away from the wind is called the leeward side. The leeward side of a mountain is arid.

The windward side has lush vegetation.

The leeward side of a mountain is in the rain shadow and is usually a desert.

O - OCEAN CURRENTS O - OCEAN CURRENTS

Cold currents bring dry, cool air to the coastal areas.Cold currents bring dry, cool air to the coastal areas.

Warm currents bring warm, wet air to coastal areas. Warm currents bring warm, wet air to coastal areas.

http://go.owu.edu/~jbkrygie/krygier_html/geog_111/geog_111_lo/geog_111_lo05_gr/3-16.jpg

P - PRESSURE AND PREVAILING WINDS: P - PRESSURE AND PREVAILING WINDS:

Notice that these lines are located at 0, 30, 60, 90 (not 0, 23 ½, 66 ½, and 90)

Pressure

High pressure is heavy, cold air. Low pressure is warm, light air.

Heat rises. There are some fairly constant air pressure systems.

http://www.worldstats.org/general_world/maps/prevailing_winds_big.gif

Prevailing Winds Prevailing Winds

The Equator is surrounded by an area of calm called the Doldrums (ITCZ).

The Trade Winds (Tropical Easterlies) blow from east to west (generally warm and moist).

Westerlies (Prevailing Westerlies). They blow from west to east.

The Polar Easterlies blow from 90º in an eastward direction toward the Westerlies. There are serious thunderstorms around the 60º latitude line where the two wind patterns collide

Notice that these lines are Notice that these lines are located at 0, 30, 60, 90 (not 0, 23 located at 0, 30, 60, 90 (not 0, 23 ½, 66 ½, and 90)½, 66 ½, and 90)

S - STORMS S - STORMS Where the Polar Easterlies meet the Westerlies there are thunderstorms.

When hot air masses and cold air masses collide - there are storms.

Cyclonic storms (hurricanes, typhoons, etc.) in the Northern Hemisphere spin counter-clockwise.

In the Southern Hemisphere cyclones spin clockwise.

Continental DriftContinental Drift

The theory that the land of the earth was once connected as one The theory that the land of the earth was once connected as one large super continent (Pangaea) and has moved “drifted” to its large super continent (Pangaea) and has moved “drifted” to its current locations (still moving)current locations (still moving)

Plate TectonicsPlate Tectonics

The theory that the crust of the earth is broken up into plates (8 The theory that the crust of the earth is broken up into plates (8 major and many minor) that “float” on the mantlemajor and many minor) that “float” on the mantle

The plate boundaries of the world.The plate boundaries of the world.

SubductionSubduction

When a sea plate and continental plate collide, the heavier sea plate When a sea plate and continental plate collide, the heavier sea plate DIVES under the lighter continental plate. The sea plate then is DIVES under the lighter continental plate. The sea plate then is heated and becomes magma which escapes through volcanoes. heated and becomes magma which escapes through volcanoes.

SpreadingSpreading

When sea plates pull apart leaving a rift, or deep crack. When sea plates pull apart leaving a rift, or deep crack. Magma wells up between the two plates to make Magma wells up between the two plates to make underwater volcanoes and ridges.underwater volcanoes and ridges.

VolcanoVolcano

mountain mountain formed by formed by lava (magma) lava (magma) that breaks that breaks through the through the earth’s crust.earth’s crust.

Ring of FireRing of Fire

area along the edge of the Pacific Ocean that is a zone area along the edge of the Pacific Ocean that is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanoes.of frequent earthquakes and volcanoes.

FoldingFolding

when moving plates squeeze the earth’s surface until it when moving plates squeeze the earth’s surface until it bends the layers of rock.bends the layers of rock.

Faulting Faulting

When moving plates When moving plates grind past each other, grind past each other, creating cracks in the creating cracks in the curst.curst.

EarthquakeEarthquake

sudden, violent moving of plates along a fault where sudden, violent moving of plates along a fault where built up pressure suddenly snaps and shifts.built up pressure suddenly snaps and shifts.

Water erosionWater erosion

fast-moving water cuts into fast-moving water cuts into the land as it flows the land as it flows downstream. Ocean waves downstream. Ocean waves can also erode coastal cliffs. can also erode coastal cliffs. WATER is the most WATER is the most significant cause of erosion. significant cause of erosion. Water Erosion creates Water Erosion creates canyonscanyons

DeltaDelta

the flat, low-lying plain that sometimes forms at the mouth of a river from deposits of sediments.

Deltas form as rivers empty their water and sediment into another body of water, such as an ocean, lake, or another river.

They are called deltas because the alluvial deposit at the river’s mouth looks like the Greek letter delta (∆)