Notes (08/11)

The Study of Geography


  • Geography:

    • Spatial science

      • Rather than time, how things occured

    • Integrates from other fields of study


Elements of Geography

  • Physical geography (natural science)

    • Landforms

    • Rocks & minerals

  • Cultural geography (social science)

    • Population

    • Economic Activities


  • Other life/phys sciences help us understand physical geography

  • Regional geography uses both physical & cultural 


Key Points


  • Spatial relationships

    • The distribution of things, or phenomena on the Earth’s surface

      • Common to different sub-fields of geography

  • Location

    • Absolute location

      • Mathematical location

      • Expressed by latitude & longitude

      • Ex. coordinates to describe where something/one is

    • Relative location

      • Location relative to other things

      • Mexico neighboring country to US

    • Spatial distribution

      • The extent of the area where a feature exists

    • Spatial patterns

      • Arrangement of features in space

      • Clustered or empty

    • Spatial interaction

      • Something ine 1 place has an effect/impact on other places

        • Ocean affecting atmosphere, climate change


  • Latitude & Longitude

    • Latitude

      • North/South

      • Equator (0*)

      • Poles (90*)

      • Highest # you can have is 90, bc it just circles back around past that

      • Lines (parallels) of latitude circle the Earth from E/W

        • same distance apart

    • Longitude

      • East/West

      • From the prime meridian (0*)

      • 180* east or west on other side

      • Meridians of longitude circle the Earth from N/S

    • Both are measured- Degrees, minutes, seconds



Physical Geography

  • Landforms

  • Rocks & minerals

  • Water

  • Weather & climate

  • Plants

  • Animals

  • Soils


  • Focuses on processes & features that make up Earth’s environments

  • Integrates information from a wide-variety of scientific fields to understand Earth’s major systems (or spheres)

    • Atmosphere (above ground & around Earth. ex- weather, interaction between sun & earth)

    • Lithosphere (rock)

    • Hydrosphere (water)

      • Cryosphere (ice)

    • Biosphere (life)

    • The spheres can overlap, relying on each other