What is Physical Geography?
Physical geography is a vital branch of geography that deals with all the patterns and processes of the entire environment. Before studying what physical geography is, let us know its second name is physiography. Here, we will learn about the physical geography types in brief and their features with examples.
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Types of Physical Geography
Here are the details regarding the types of physical geography. Each type can have several chapters according to the education system one is studying in.
Geomorphology: Geomorphology is one of the prominent types of physical geography which deals with the crust of the earth. Students study the formation of the earth and how the crust has formed in billions of years. Geomorphology is further divided and every landform is discussed in detail. You can find India’s geomorphology in the physical geography of India pdf.
Glaciology: Glaciology is yet another prominent type of physical geography. It deals with the study of glaciers and ice sheets. You can cover a large part of glaciology in the physical geography of India pdf as there are a lot of glaciers present in the country. Along with glaciology, you can also relate to the concepts of glacial geology or snow hydrology.
Hydrology: As ‘hydro’ means water, you can understand that the hydrology section of physical geography features the study of water. In this study, you can learn about how water is formed, accumulated, and used on the earth. A large section of hydrology is covered in the physical geography of India pdf as there are different kinds of water bodies present in the country.
Climatology: The section climatology of physical geography features the change of climate and studies related to it. It deals both with regional and global climate. Climate change, one of the grave concerns of the present time comes under this section. You can go for a physical geography pdf free download to study more about climatology. As of now, you can know about its subparts known as palaeoclimatology and rainfall climatology.
Biogeography: The biogeography section of physical geography features the study of species and their distribution. This section of physical geography is majorly related to biology, especially the concepts of evolution. Geographically, the variation of the species is justified with the plate tectonic theory. There are multiple subtypes of biogeography such as palaeobiogeography, island biogeography, phytogeography, zoogeography, and phylogeography. You can find content on each of the subtypes on the physical geography pdf free download.
Soil Geography: Soil geography falls both under pedology and the examples of physical geography. It mainly deals with the type of soil found on a terrain. It also deals with the study of the formation of the soil and its classification. Go for a physical geography pdf free download to know more about soil geography.
Oceanology: Oceanology is the last and one of the vital examples of physical geography. It deals with the facts and concepts of oceans and seas. You can learn about ecosystem dynamics while studying this branch of physical geography.
Apart from the list given here, there are many other branches of physical geography that you can get in the books and study materials found online. Always cross-check for the authenticity of the facts before studying.
Eminent Physical Geographers
Here is a brief list of physical geographers along with their contributions. By studying this, you will be able to understand the scopes of studying physical geography.
Eratosthenes: Eratosthenes founded the geography subject. He was the one to give a scientific note regarding the size of the earth. He is given the title- ‘Father of Mathematical Geography’.
Alexander Von Humboldt: AV Humboldt is the ‘Father of Modern Geography’ and the founder of the famous magazine Cosmos. His contribution to physical geography is the implementation of the concept of Biogeography.
Stefan Rahmstorf: One of the modern-day geography professors who coined the term Global Climate Change. He is also the author of the Theory of Thermohaline Dynamics. It is for Stefan that the modern world is concerned about climate change. His works have intrigued people to think about ways to save nature.
FAQs on Physical Geography
1. Why is physical geography important to learn?
Physical geography is important to learn because it provides knowledge of the earth, our home planet. Learning about the planet helps us to live a better life and conserve the natural resources of the future. Physical geographic concepts are taught to students in their schools but as the advance of the standard, the subjects diversify. In India, a lot of curriculums have taken Geography as a science subject and it is taught more realistically. A person who has learned physical geography can get jobs in different sectors. There are even government posts which they can apply for apart from the common designation of a teacher.
2. Why is oceanography vital to learn?
Oceanography is one of the prominent examples of physical geography. It is vital to learn as there is a complete ecosystem in the oceans. Even though human beings do not live in oceans, people living in the islands and coastal areas have a lot to do with the saline water bodies. Several businesses are dependent on the oceans namely shipbuilding and fishing. Moreover, oceanology is important because it is the oceans on which the climate of a place depends upon. The ocean winds are responsible for the low tides which bring rainfall to the coastal areas. A person who knows oceanology can also work on conserving the plant and animal life of the oceans. This can keep the balance of nature intact and enhance the comfort of life.
