Physical geography
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{{Nofootnotes|date=February 2008}}
{{otheruses3|Physiographic regions of the world}}
[[Image:Land_ocean_ice_cloud_1024.jpg|thumb|300px|True-color image of the Earth's surface and atmosphere.]]
'''Physical geography''' (also known as '''geosystems''' or '''physiography''') is one of the two major subfields of [[geography]]. Physical geography focuses on understanding the processes and patterns in the [[natural environment]], as opposed to the [[built environment]], the domain of [[human geography]]. Within the body of physical geography, the [[Earth]] is often split either into several [[Earth's spheres|spheres]] or environments, the main spheres being the [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]], [[biosphere]], [[cryosphere]], [[geosphere]], [[hydrosphere]], [[lithosphere]] and [[pedosphere]]. Research in physical geography is often interdisciplinary and uses the [[systems approach]].
== Fields of physical geography ==
[[Image:Delicate Arch LaSalle.jpg|thumb|right|100px|A [[natural arch]].]]
* '''[[Geomorphology]]''' is the science concerned with understanding the [[lithosphere|surface]] of the Earth and the processes by which it is shaped, both at the present as well as in the past. Geomorphology as a field has several sub-fields that deal with the specific landforms of various environments e.g. [[desert]] geomorphology and [[fluvial]] geomorphology, however, these sub-fields are united by the core processes which cause them; mainly tectonic or climatic processes. Geomorphology seeks to understand [[landform]] history and dynamics, and predict future changes through a combination of field observation, physical experiment, and numerical modeling ([[Geomorphometry]]). Early studies in geomorphology are the foundation for pedology, one of two main branches of [[soil science]].
[[Image:Meander.svg|thumb|right|100px|[[Meander]] formation.]]
* '''[[Hydrology]]''' is predominantly concerned with the amounts and quality of water moving and accumulating on the land surface and in the soils and rocks near the surface and is typified by the [[hydrological cycle]]. Thus the field encompasses water in [[rivers]], [[lakes]], [[aquifers]] and to an extent [[glaciers]], in which the field examines the process and dynamics involved in these bodies of water. Hydrology originated from [[engineering]] and has thus developed a largely quantitative method in its research, however, it does have an [[earth science]] side that embraces the systems approach. Similar to most fields of physical geography it has sub-fields that examine the specific bodies of water or their interaction with other spheres e.g. [[limnology]] and [[ecohydrology]].
[[Image:Grosser Aletschgletscher 3178.JPG|thumb|right|100px|Alpine glacier.]]
*'''[[Glaciology]]''' is the study of [[glaciers]] and [[ice sheets]], or more commonly the [[cryosphere]] or [[ice]] and phenomena that involve ice. Glaciology groups the latter (ice sheets) as continental glaciers and the former (glaciers) as alpine glaciers. Although, research in the areas are similar with research undertaken into both the dynamics of ice sheets and glaciers the latter tends to be concerned with the interaction of ice sheets with the present climate and the latter with the impact of glaciers on the landscape. Glaciology also has a vast array of sub-fields examining the factors and processes involved in ice sheets and glaciers e.g. [[snow]] hydrology and [[glacial geology]].
[[Image:Línea de Wallace.jpg|thumb|right|100px|[[Wallace line]].]]
* '''[[Biogeography]]''' is the science which deals with geographic patterns of species distribution and the processes that result in these patterns. Biogeography emerged as a field of study as a result of the work of [[Alfred Russel Wallace]], although the field prior to the late twentieth century had largely been viewed as historic in its outlook and descriptive in its approach. The main stimulus for the field since its founding has been that of [[evolution]], [[plate tectonics]] and the theory of island biogeography. The field can largely be divided into five sub-fields: [[island biogeography]], paleobiogeography, [[phylogeography]], [[zoogeography ]] and [[phytogeography]]
[[Image:Phanerozoic Climate Change.png|thumb|right|100px|Climate trends.]]
* '''[[Climatology]]''' is the study of the [[climate]], scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a long period of time. As opposed to [[meteorology]] which studies atmospheric processes over a shorter duration, which are then examined by climatologist to find trends and frequencies in weather patterns/ phenomena. Climatology, examines both the nature of micro (local) and macro (global) climates and the natural and [[anthropogenic]] influences on them. The field is also sub-divided largely into the climates of various regions and the study of specific phenomena or time periods e.g. [[tropical cyclone rainfall climatology]] and [[paleoclimatology]].
[[Image:Nitrogen Cycle.jpg|thumb|right|100px|[[Nitrogen cycle]].]]
* '''[[Pedology (soil study)|Pedology]]''' is the study of soils in its natural environment. It is one of two main branches of [[soil science]], the other being [[edaphology]]. Pedology mainly deals with [[pedogenesis]], [[soil morphology]], [[soil classification]]. In physical geography pedology is largely studied due to the numerous interactions between climate (water, air, temperature), soil life (micro-organisms, plants, animals), the mineral materials within soils ([[biogeochemical cycles]]) and its position and effects on the landscape such as [[Tropical_rainforest#Characteristics|laterization]].
* '''[[Palaeogeography]]''' is the study of the distribution of the continents through geologic time through examining the preserved material in the stratigraphic record. Palaeogeography is a cross-discipline, almost all the evidence for the positions of the continents comes from [[geology]] in the form of fossils or [[geophysics]] the use of this data has resulted in evidence for [[continental drift]], [[plate tectonics]] and [[supercontinents]] this in turn has supported palaeogeographic theories such as the [[Wilson cycle]].
[[Image:Portcampbellcliffs.jpg|thumb|right|100px|High-energy coastline.]]
* '''[[Coastal geography]]''' is the study of the dynamic interface between the ocean and the land, incorporating both the physical geography (i.e coastal geomorphology, geology and oceanography) and the human geography of the coast. It involves an understanding of coastal [[weathering]] processes, particularly wave action, sediment movement and weathering, and also the ways in which humans interact with the coast. Coastal geography although predominantly geomorphological in its research is not just concerned with coastal landforms, but also the causes and influences of [[sea level change]].
[[Image:Thermohaline circulation.png|thumb|right|100px|[[Thermohaline circulation]].]]
* '''[[Oceanography]]''' is the branch of physical geography that studies the Earth's oceans and seas. It covers a wide range of topics, including marine organisms and ecosystem dynamics ([[biological oceanography]]); ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics ([[physical oceanography]]); plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor ([[geological oceanography]]); and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries ([[chemical oceanography]]). These diverse topics reflect multiple disciplines that oceanographers blend to further knowledge of the world ocean and understanding of processes within it.
* '''[[Quaternary science]]''' is an inter-disciplinary field of study focusing on the [[Quaternary]] period, which encompasses the last 2.6 million years. The field studies the last ice age and the recent [[interstadial]] the [[Holocene]] and uses proxy evidence to reconstruct the past environments during this period to infer the climatic and environmental changes that have occurred.
[[Image:Indiana Dunes Habitat Fragmentation.jpg|thumb|right|100px|[[Habitat fragmentation]].]]
* '''[[Landscape ecology]]''' is a sub-discipline of [[ecology]] and geography that address how spatial variation in the landscape affects ecological processes such as the distribution and flow of energy, materials and individuals in the environment (which, in turn, may influence the distribution of landscape "elements" themselves such as hedgerows). The field was largely founded by the German geographer [[Carl Troll]] Landscape ecology typically deals with problems in an applied and holistic context. The main difference between biogeography and landscape ecology is that the latter is concerned with how flows or energy and material are changed and their impacts on the landscape whereas the former is concerned with the spatial patterns of species and chemical cycles.
[[Image:Geabios3d.jpg|thumb|right|100px|[[Digital elevation model]].]]
* '''[[Geomatics]]''' is the filed of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering of geographic information, or spatially referenced information. Geomatrics includes geodesy (scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the earth, its gravitational field, and other geodynamic phenomena, such as crustal motion, oceanic tides, and polar motion) and [[Geographic information system|G.I.S.]] (a system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to the earth) and [[remote sensing]] (the short or large-scale acquisition of information of an object or phenomenon, by the use of either recording or real-time sensing device(s) that is not in physical or intimate contact with the object).
[[Image:Aralship2.jpg|thumb|right|100px|[[Salinization]].]]
* '''[[Environmental geography]]''' is a branch of geography that describes the spatial aspects of interactions between humans and the natural world. The branch bridges the divide between human and physical geography and thus requires an understanding of the dynamics of geology, meteorology, hydrology, biogeography, and geomorphology, as well as the ways in which human societies conceptualize the environment. Although the branch was previously more visible in research than at present with theories such as [[environmental determinism]] linking society with the environment. It has largely become the domain of the study of environmental management or anthropogenic influences on the environment and vice a versa.
== Physical geography literature ==
Physical geography and Earth Science journals communicate and document the results of research carried out in universities and various other research institutions. Most journals cover a specific field and publish the research within that field, however unlike human geographers, physical geographers tend to publish in inter-disciplinary journals rather than predominantly geography journal; the research is normally expressed in the form of a [[scientific paper]]. Additionally, textbooks books and magazines on geography communicate research to laypeople, although these tend to focus on [[List of environmental issues|environmental issues]] or cultural dilemmas. Examples of journals that publish articles from physical geographers are:
{{columns |colwidth=28em
|col1 =
* ''[[Earth Surface Processes and Landforms]]''
* ''[[Journal of Biogeography]]''
* ''[[Journal of Quaternary Science]]''
* ''[http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/503334/description#description Geomorphology]''
* ''[[Polar Research (journal)|Polar Research]]''
* ''[[The Professional Geographer]]''
* ''[[Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers]]''
|col2 =
* ''[[Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society]]''
* ''[[Climatic Change]]''
* ''[[Earth Interactions]]''
* ''[[Journal of Climate]]''
* ''[[Geophysical Research Letters]]''
* ''[[Journal of Hydrometeorology]]''
* ''[[GeoJournal]]''
}}
== List of notable physical geographers ==
{{main|List of geographers}}
[[Image:Alexander von Humboldt-selfportrait.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Alexander Von Humboldt]], considered to be the founding father of physical geography.]]
* [[Eratosthenes]] (276{{ndash}} 194 BC), who made the first known reliable estimation of the Earth's size.
* [[Ptolemy]] ([[Circa|c.]]90{{ndash}} c.168), who compiled Greek and Roman knowledge to produce the book ''[[Geographia (Ptolemy)|Geographia]]''.
* [[Gerardus Mercator]] (1512–1594), an innovative [[Cartography|cartographer]] and originator of the [[Mercator projection]].
* [[Alexander Von Humboldt]] (1769–1859), considered the father of modern geography. Published ''Kosmos'' and founded the study of biogeography.
* [[Arnold Henry Guyot]] (1807–1884), who noted the structure of glaciers and advanced the understanding of glacial motion, especially in fast ice flow.
* [[Louis Agassiz]] (1807–1873), the author of a glacial theory which disputed the notion of a steady-cooling Earth.
* [[Alfred Russel Wallace]] (1823–1913), founder of modern biogeography and the [[Wallace line]].
* [[Walther Penck]] (1888–1923), proponent of the [[cycle of erosion]] and the simultaneous occurrence of [[uplift]] and [[denudation]].
* [[William Morris Davis]] (1850–1934), father of American geography and developer of the cycle of erosion theory.
* Sir [[Ernest Shackleton]] (1874–1922), Antarctic explorer during the [[Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration]].
* [[Robert E. Horton]] (1875–1945), founder of modern hydrology and concepts such as [[infiltration capacity]] and [[overland flow]].
* [[J Harlen Bretz]] (1882–1981), pioneer of research into the shaping of landscapes by catastrophic floods, most notably the [[Missoula Floods|Bretz (Missoula) floods]].
* [[Willi Dansgaard]] (born 1922), palaeoclimatologist and quaternary scientist, instrumental in the use of oxygen-isotope dating and co-identifier of [[Dansgaard-Oeschger event]]s.
* [[Hans Oeschger]] (1927–1998), palaeoclimatologist and pioneer in ice core research, co-identifier of Dansgaard-Orschger events.
* [[Richard Chorley]] (1927–2002), a key contributor to the [[quantitative revolution]] and the use of [[systems theory]] in geography.
* Sir [[Nicholas Shackleton]] (1937–2006), who demonstrated that oscillations in climate over the past few million years could be correlated with variations in the orbital and positional relationship between the Earth and the Sun.
* [[Stefan Rahmstorf]] (born 1960), professor of abrupt climate changes and author on theories of thermohaline dynamics.
== See also ==
*[[Ecology]]
*[[Environmental science]]
*[[Environmental studies]]
*[[Geostatistics]]
*[[Weathering]]
*[[Physiographic regions of the world]]
== Further reading ==
*{{cite book |last=Smithson |first=Peter |coauthors=et al |title=Fundamentals of the Physical Environment |publisher=Routledge, London |date=2002}}
*{{cite book |last=Holden |first=Joseph |title=Introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment |publisher=Prentice-Hall, London |date=2004}}
*{{cite book |last=Summerfield |first=Mike |title=Global Geomorphology |publisher=Longman, London |date=1991}}
*{{cite book |last=Wainwright |first=John |coauthors=Mulligan, M. |title=Environmental Modelling: Finding Simplicity in Complexity |publisher=John Wiley and Sons Ltd, London |date=2003}}
*{{cite book |last=Inkpen |first=Robert |title=Science, Philosophy and Physical Geography |publisher=Routledge, London |date=2004}}
==External links==
*[http://www.antiquebooks.net/readpage.html#physiography Physiography by T.X. Huxley, 1878], full text, physical geography of the Thames River Basin
*[http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/contents.html Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2nd Edition, by M. Pidwirny, 2006], full text
*[http://www.geography-site.co.uk/pages/physical.html Physical Geography for Students and Teachers], UK National Grid For Learning
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[[Category:Physical geography| ]]
[[Category:Branches of geography]]
[[Category:Earth sciences]]
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