🌎 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY — SIMPLE STUDY NOTES 1. What is Geography? 🗺️ Geography Geography = studying places on Earth and what happens there. Easy way to remember: History = WHEN things happened Geography = WHERE things happen Physical Geography Physical geography = studying the natural parts of Earth. Examples: * 🌋 Volcanoes * 🌊 Oceans * 🌧️ Weather * 🌳 Plants * 🏔️ Mountains * 🌎 Earth’s surface Human Geography Human geography = studying people and how they interact with places. Examples: * Cities * Population * Culture * Migration * Businesses Geographic Techniques These are tools geographers use to study Earth. ⸻ 🛰️ 2. Remote Sensing Remote Sensing Measuring or studying something from far away WITHOUT touching it. Think: 👀 Looking at Earth from a distance Examples: * 🛰️ Satellite * ✈️ Airplane * 🚁 UAV/drone Quizlet card Q: What is remote sensing? A: Studying or measuring Earth from a distance. ⸻ 🌍 3. Latitude & Longitude THIS is important. Imagine Earth has an invisible grid around it. The grid helps us say exactly where a place is. There are two main directions: LATITUDE = up and down on a map Latitude tells you how far NORTH or SOUTH you are from the Equator. 🌎 Equator = 0° latitude Think: LATITUDE = LADDER 🪜 The lines look like they go across Earth, but latitude tells you NORTH or SOUTH. Examples: * Equator = 0° * North Pole = 90° N * South Pole = 90° S So: 40° N = 40 degrees north of the Equator. ⸻ 📍 4. Longitude Longitude tells you how far EAST or WEST you are from the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian is: 0° longitude It runs through Greenwich, England. Think: LONGITUDE = LONG lines that go from pole to pole Longitude goes: 0° → 180° East 0° → 180° West A ⸻ 🧠 EASIEST WAY TO REMEMBER. What does it measure? Starting point Latitude North ↕ South Equator = 0° Longitude East ↔ West Prime Meridian = 0° Memory trick: LAT = flat Latitude lines look flat/horizontal on most maps. LONG = long Longitude lines go long from pole to pole. ⸻ 🌎 5. Hemispheres “Hemi” means half. So a hemisphere is simply half of Earth. There are 4: Northern Hemisphere Above the Equator. Southern Hemisphere Below the Equator. Eastern Hemisphere East of the Prime Meridian. Western Hemisphere West of the Prime Meridian. ⸻ ⭐ 6. POLARIS QUESTION Your professor asks: If Polaris is 39° above the horizon, what is your latitude? Don’t panic. 😭 The rule: Polaris’s angle above the horizon = your latitude BUT this works in the Northern Hemisphere. So: Polaris = 39° Therefore: ✅ Latitude = 39° N That’s literally it. Why? Polaris is basically lined up with the North Pole. If you’re: * At the Equator → Polaris is about 0° above the horizon. * At 39° N → Polaris is 39° above the horizon. * At the North Pole → Polaris is about 90° above the horizon. So: Polaris angle = latitude Quizlet Q: Polaris is 39° above the horizon. What is your latitude? A: 39° N ⸻ 🕘 7. THE LONGITUDE MATH QUESTION This one looks scary because your professor wrote a bunch of stuff. But it’s really just two steps. Question: You set your watch to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). You travel somewhere else. When the Sun is directly overhead, your watch says 9 AM. What is your longitude? First understand: ☀️ “Sun directly overhead” This means: It is local solar noon. In other words: The place you’re standing = NOON But your watch says: 9 AM GMT So: Noon - 9 AM = 3 hours You’re 3 hours behind Greenwich. ⸻ 🧮 Now the important math Earth rotates: 15° every hour This is something you should memorize. So: 3 hours × 15° = 45° Therefore: ✅ 45° West Why WEST? Because your location is experiencing noon later than Greenwich. Think: Greenwich already reached noon. Your location is still behind Greenwich’s time. So you’re WEST. The whole problem: 12 PM − 9 AM = 3 hours 3 × 15° = 45° Answer: ⭐ 45° W ⸻ ☀️ SUN ANGLE HIGH/DIRECT ANGLE ☀️ ⬇️ ⬇️ 🌎 Energy is concentrated → stronger heating 🔥 LOW ANGLE ☀️ ↘️ ↘️ ↘️ 🌎 Energy spreads out → weaker heating 🥶 🧠 Remember: STRAIGHT = STRONG ☀️ TILTED = WEAKER ☀️ ⸻ 📐 PERPENDICULAR Perpendicular = 90° Think: ⊥ One line is standing straight on another. For sunlight: ☀️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ━━━━ Earth The sunlight is hitting the surface straight on.