We explain what physical geography is, its history, characteristics and examples. Also, differences with human geography.
What is physical geography?
Physical geography is called the branch of geography that deals with the study of the earth's surface understood as a natural geographical space. This means that it is concerned with the natural aspects of geography only, without taking into consideration human populations and their relationships with the environment.
physical geography is interested in the geographic patterns and processes derived from energy flows in the environment whether in the geosphere, hydrosphere or atmosphere. To understand them, he methodologically isolates them from the rest of the globe, despite the fact that in nature, as we know, the elements are interconnected.
physical geography emerged as a discipline at the beginning of the 20th century but its study topics have interested humanity since ancient times. Thanks to Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution, and the normalization of 19th century European Imperialism's interest in global description, this discipline began to exist as a body of studies in itself.
One of the great people responsible for the emergence of physical geography was the American William Morris Davis (1850-1934), whose efforts allowed the formal entry of geography into academia.
See also: Economic geography
Features of physical geography
physical geography is dedicated to the study of the physical components of the planet such as the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, as well as their reciprocal relationships, global distribution and development in time. This ranges from orography, hydrography, glaciology, oceanography, climatology and pedology, to paleogeography and the study of natural risks.
Examples of physical geography
Some examples of the application of physical geography are:
- The weather forecasts short and medium term.
- The study of the distribution of nature reserves world and its main threats.
- The understanding of the geographical changes of the planet based on geological evidence.
- The study of the distribution of certain species animals or plants within a given region, or in the world.
Auxiliary sciences of physical geography
Like many other disciplines, physical geography has a border with other sciences that often come to its aid or to provide tools that expand or specialize its object of study. These auxiliary sciences can be:
- Earth sciences (geosciences) They provide specialized geological knowledge to understand the nature of the Earth's crust.
- The geodesy In charge of studying the planet in terms of its dimension, shape and characteristics.
- The physics Whose knowledge of energy, change and movement is useful to understand geographical processes.
- The ecology Necessary for the study of communities of living beings and their geographical distribution.
- Environmental sciences Especially when it comes to preserving the planet.
Physical geography and human geography
Unlike physical geography, human geography focuses on human populations in their relationships with the environment and in their social, political and economic distribution.
Physical geography forms, together with human geography, the two major divisions of the field of geography studies, whose specific perspectives are complementary to each other.
References
- “Physical geography” on Wikipedia.
- “What does physical geography study?” (video) in Educatina.
- “Physical Geography” in National Geographic.
- “What is Physical Geography?” at ThoughCo.
- “Physical Geography and Physical Systems” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
