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The Physical Environment

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The Physical Environment

This online physical geography textbook is for students to gain a basic understanding of physical geography. It is an introduction to the processes and patterns of the physical environment and demonstrates connections between human activities and the Earth system. The text makes physical geography dynamic through active learning and multimedia integration. Formative and summative assessments encourages student learning as they progress through the text.

Geography (Physical)Geosciences
Author
Michael E. Ritter
Publisher
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Source
LibreTexts
License
CC BY-SA
Language
EN
Category
Basic Sciences
Read online Download PDF (open licence)
Contents· 233 sections
  1. 01: Essentials of Geography
  2. 1.01: Getting Ready for Chapter 1
  3. 1.02: The Discipline of Geography
  4. 1.2.01: Principles of Geography
  5. 1.2.02: Geography as a Spatial Science
  6. 1.2.03: The Continuum of Geography
  7. 1.2.04: Geography and the Scientific Method
  8. 1.03: Tools of the Geographer
  9. 1.3.01: Maps
  10. 1.3.02: Aerial Photographs and Remote Sensing
  11. 1.3.03: Geographic Information System
  12. 1.3.04: Models in Geography
  13. 1.3.05: Graphs and Statistics
  14. 1.3.06: The Global Positioning System (GPS)
  15. 1.04: Locational Systems
  16. 1.4.01: Latitude and Longitude
  17. 1.4.02: Geographical Zones
  18. 1.05: Time
  19. 1.06: Future Geographies
  20. 1.07: Review and Additional Resources
  21. 02: The Earth System
  22. 2.01: The Earth System
  23. 2.1.01: Birth of the Solar System
  24. 2.1.02: The Sun
  25. 2.1.03: Earth Origin
  26. 2.1.04: Size and Shape
  27. 2.1.05: The Earth in Space
  28. 2.1.06: Seasons
  29. 2.1.07: Day Length and Seasons
  30. 2.1.08: The Continents
  31. 2.1.09: The Oceans
  32. 2.02: Looking Back - The Earth
  33. 2.03: Natural Systems
  34. 2.3.01: Components of the Earth System
  35. 2.3.02: Types of Systems
  36. 2.3.03: Sources of Energy
  37. 2.3.04: System Regulation
  38. 2.3.05: Feedbacks
  39. 2.04: Looking Back - Natural Systems
  40. 2.05: Biogeochemical Cycle
  41. 2.5.01: Nitrogen Cycle
  42. 2.5.02: Oxygen Cycle
  43. 2.5.03: Carbon Cycle
  44. 2.5.04: The Hydrologic Cycle
  45. 2.06: Getting Ready for Chapter 2
  46. 2.07: Future Geographies- Feedbacks Driving Global Warming and Environmental Change
  47. 2.08: Looking Back
  48. 2.09: Review and Additional Resources
  49. 03: The Atmosphere
  50. 3.01: Atmospheric Composition
  51. 3.02: Atmospheric Structure
  52. 3.03: Greenhouse Effect
  53. 3.04: Future Geographies - Predicting Atmospheric Composition
  54. 3.05: Review and Additional Resources
  55. 3.06: Getting Ready for Chapter 3
  56. 04: Energy and Radiation
  57. 4.01: Energy and Heat
  58. 4.1.01: The Nature of Electromagnetic Radiation
  59. 4.1.02: Radiation as Particles
  60. 4.1.03: Selective Absorption by the Atmosphere
  61. 4.02: Insolation
  62. 4.03: Radiation and Energy Balance of the Earth System
  63. 4.3.01: The Radiation Balance
  64. 4.3.02: The Energy Balance
  65. 4.04: Global Patterns of Insolation Net radiation and Heat
  66. 4.05: Getting Ready for Chapter 4
  67. 4.06: Global Patterns of Sensible and Latent Heat Transfer
  68. 4.07: Future Geographies - Radiative Forcing and the Earth's Heat Balance
  69. 4.08: Review and Additional Online Resources
  70. 05: Air Temperature
  71. 5.01: Temperature
  72. 5.02: Controls over Air Temperature
  73. 5.03: Explaining Patterns of Air Temperature
  74. 5.04: Getting Ready for Chapter 5
  75. 5.05: Future Geographies - Global Warming and Regional Temperature Patterns
  76. 5.06: Review and Additional Resources
  77. 06: Atmospheric and Ocean Circulation
  78. 6.01: Getting Ready for Chapter 6
  79. 6.02: Air Pressure
  80. 6.03: Controls over wind direction and speed
  81. 6.04: Cyclones and Anticyclones
  82. 6.05: Local Scale Wind
  83. 6.06: Regional Scale Winds - The Monsoon
  84. 6.07: Global Scale Circulation
  85. 6.08: Wind and Pressure Aloft
  86. 6.09: Ocean Circulation and Atmospheric Circulation
  87. 6.10: Future Geographies - Atmospheric Pressure and Winds
  88. 6.11: Review and Additional Resources
  89. 07: Atmospheric Moisture
  90. 7.01: Getting Ready for Chapter 7
  91. 7.02: Phases of Water
  92. 7.2.01: Evaporation
  93. 7.2.02: Transpiration
  94. 7.2.03: Humidity
  95. 7.2.04: Condensation
  96. 7.03: Adiabatic Temperature Change and Stability
  97. 7.04: Clouds and Precipitation
  98. 7.4.01: Fog
  99. 7.4.02: Clouds
  100. 7.4.03: Precipitation Process
  101. 7.05: Global Patterns of Precipitation
  102. 7.5.01: The Equator to the Subtropics
  103. 7.5.02: Midlatitudes to the Poles
  104. 7.06: Future Geographies - Global Precipitation Patterns
  105. 7.07: Looking Ahead
  106. 7.08: Review and Additional Resources
  107. 08: Weather Systems
  108. 8.01: Getting Ready for Chapter 8
  109. 8.02: Air Masses
  110. 8.03: Fronts
  111. 8.04: Wave Cyclones (Cyclogenesis)
  112. 8.05: Weather and Wave Cyclones
  113. 8.06: Severe Weather
  114. 8.6.01: Thunderstorms
  115. 8.6.02: Lightning
  116. 8.6.03: Tornadoes
  117. 8.6.04: Hurricanes
  118. 8.07: Future Geographies - Severe Weather and Global Warming
  119. 8.08: Review and Additional Resources
  120. 09: Climate Systems
  121. 9.01: Getting Ready for Chapter 9
  122. 9.02: The Elements of Climate
  123. 9.03: Climate Classification
  124. 9.04: Low Latitude Climates
  125. 9.4.01: Tropical Rain Forest
  126. 9.4.02: Tropical Monsoon Climate
  127. 9.4.03: Tropical Wet Dry (Savanna) Climate
  128. 9.4.04: Tropical Steppe Climate
  129. 9.4.05: Tropical Desert Climate
  130. 9.05: Midlatitude and Subtropical Climates
  131. 9.5.01: Mediterranean or Dry Summer Subtropical Climate
  132. 9.5.02: Midlatitude Desert Climate
  133. 9.5.03: Midlatitude Steppe
  134. 9.5.04: Humid Subtropical Climate
  135. 9.5.05: Humid Continental Climate
  136. 9.5.06: Marine (Humid) West Coast Climate
  137. 9.06: High Latitude Climates
  138. 9.6.01: Subarctic Climate
  139. 9.6.02: Tundra Climate
  140. 9.6.03: Ice Cap Climate
  141. 9.07: Urban Climate
  142. 9.08: Future Geographies - The Evidence for Climate Change
  143. 9.09: Review and Additional Resources
  144. 10: The Hydrosphere
  145. 10.01: The Hydrosphere
  146. 10.02: The Hydrologic Cycle
  147. 10.03: The Water Balance
  148. 10.3.01: Computing a Soil - Moisture Budget
  149. 10.3.02: Soil Moisture Seasons
  150. 10.04: Future Geographies - Water Resources and Climate Change
  151. 10.05: Review and Additional Resources
  152. 11: Soil Systems
  153. 11.01: Soil Development
  154. 11.02: Horizon Development Processes
  155. 11.03: Soil Properties
  156. 11.04: Soil Profiles
  157. 11.05: Factors Affecting Soil Development
  158. 11.06: Soil Forming (Pedogenic) Processes
  159. 11.07: Soil Orders
  160. 11.08: Review and Additional Resources
  161. 12: Biogeography of the Earth
  162. 12.01: Fundamentals of Biogeography and Ecology
  163. 12.1.01: Biogeography and ecological systems
  164. 12.1.02: Habitat Occupation
  165. 12.1.03: Principle of Limiting Factors
  166. 12.02: Ecology of Vegetation and Plant Succession
  167. 12.03: Energy Flow Through Ecosystems
  168. 12.04: Review and Additional Resources
  169. 13: Earth Biomes
  170. 13.01: Patterns of the Biosphere
  171. 13.02: The Forest Biome
  172. 13.2.01: Tropical Forests
  173. 13.2.02: Midlatitude Forests
  174. 13.2.03: Northern Forests
  175. 13.03: Savanna Biome
  176. 13.04: Grassland Biome
  177. 13.05: The Desert Biome
  178. 13.06: Tundra Biome
  179. 13.07: Review and Additional Resources
  180. 14: Earth Materials and Structure
  181. 14.01: The Earth's Interior
  182. 14.02: Forces that Shape the Surface of the Earth
  183. 14.03: Orders of Relief
  184. 14.04: Minerals
  185. 14.05: Rocks
  186. 14.5.01: Rocks and the Rock Cycle
  187. 14.5.02: Igneous Rocks
  188. 14.5.03: Sedimentary Rocks
  189. 14.5.04: Metamorphic Rocks
  190. 14.06: Review and Additional Resources
  191. 15: Tectonics and Landforms
  192. 15.01: Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift
  193. 15.02: Plate Boundaries
  194. 15.03: Crustal Deformation
  195. 15.3.01: Folding and Faulting
  196. 15.3.02: Types and Geographic Patterns of Faults
  197. 15.3.03: Tsunamis
  198. 15.04: Review and Additional Resources
  199. 16: Volcanic Processes and Landforms
  200. 16.01: Features of Volcanoes
  201. 16.02: Distribution of Volcanoes
  202. 16.03: Types of Volcanoes and Landscapes
  203. 16.04: Volcanic Hazards
  204. 16.05: Review and Additional Resources
  205. 17: Weathering Erosion and Mass Movement
  206. 17.01: Weathering
  207. 17.02: Mass Movement
  208. 17.03: Water Erosion
  209. 17.04: Review and Additional Resources
  210. 18: Fluvial Systems
  211. 18.01: The Stream System
  212. 18.02: Channel Geometry and Flow Characteristics
  213. 18.03: Geologic Work of Streams
  214. 18.04: Stream Gradation
  215. 18.05: Landforms of Alluvial Rivers
  216. 18.06: Fluvial Processes in Dry Regions
  217. 18.07: Review and Additional Resources
  218. 19: Glacial Systems
  219. 19.01: Glaciation
  220. 19.02: Geologic Work of Glaciers
  221. 19.03: Landforms of Continental Glaciation
  222. 19.04: Landforms of Alpine Glaciation
  223. 19.05: Digging Deeper-The Fate of Permafrost in a Warming World
  224. 19.06: Review and Additional Resources
  225. 20: Eolian Systems
  226. 20.01: Eolian Processes
  227. 20.02: Depositional Forms
  228. 20.03: Review and Additional Resources
  229. 21: Ocean and Coastal Systems
  230. 21.01: Water in Motion
  231. 21.02: Coastal Landforms and Processes
  232. 21.03: Types of Coasts
  233. 21.04: Review and Additional Resources