Key Concepts in Physical Geography

These flashcards cover key concepts in physical geography, including terminology related to geomorphology, climatology, biogeography, scientific methods, system dynamics, and feedback mechanisms.

Geomorphology

The study of Earth's shape or form, focusing on the geography of landscapes and their evolution.

Climatology

The geographic study of climates, including climate classification, analysis of regional distribution, climate change concerns, and human-climate interactions.

Biogeography

The study of the geographical distribution of plants (phytogeography) and animals (zoogeography).

Scientific method

A process that includes key elements to obtain facts and learn the truth about phenomena of interest.

Hypotheses

Tentative explanations for observations and measurements.

Scientific laws

Fundamental principles believed to hold without exception, such as Newton's Law.

System

A set of related objects or events and the interactions between them.

Open system

A system whose boundaries allow for the transfer of energy and matter across them.

Closed system

A self-contained system that does not exchange energy or matter across its boundaries.

Equilibrium

A state where a system's property remains unchanging over time.

Dynamic equilibrium

A state of a system in balance despite the continuous flow of energy and/or mass, maintaining a stable form over time.

Positive feedback

A process that amplifies changes in a system.

Negative feedback

A process that resists or counteracts changes in a system.

Models

Idealized representations of reality that highlight specific aspects of interest to a researcher.