Physical Geography
Physical geography focuses on geography as an Earth science (and is sometimes called Earth System Science).
Physical geography is a branch of geography that focuses on the study of the natural features and processes of the Earth’s surface. It includes the examination of landforms, climate, vegetation, soils, and water resources. Physical geographers use a range of scientific methods and tools to analyze and understand the complex interactions between the Earth’s physical systems.
Learn about the different branches of geography that fall under the physical geography category: climatology, geomorphology, biogeography, and more.
How Do Jet Contrails Affect Local Climates?
Do jet contrails have an effect on local temperatures?
What is the Geographic Center of the United States?
What's the geographic center of the contiguous United States? What's the center if Alaska and Hawaii were included?
Map of Global Lightning Strikes
NASA has created a world map showing the intensity of lightning strikes from 1998-2013.
Carbon Budget
The global carbon budget is the amount of carbon gained and lost in the natural and manmade workings of the ...
Pedology
Pedology is closely related to edaphology (the study of the influence of soil on living organisms) and consists of the ...
What are Two Main Causes of Changes to the Earth Surface?
Erosion and weathering are two forces that change the surface of the Earth over thousands and millions of years.
Lodos (Wind)
The Lodos has been classified as a powerful south westerly wind (blowing from the south west) that can be found at regular intervals throughout the year in the Marmara Sea and Aegean Sea, as well as the Black Sea and Turkey's Mediterranean coast.
What Are the Negative Impacts of a Cinder Cone Volcano?
Cinder cone volcanoes are cone craters which are usually small and steep shaped made up of lots of little rock or ...
Moraines
Moraines are the piles of dirt and rock that are displaced by a glacier as it moves across the landscape.
What is a Continental Divide?
A continental divide is seen as any natural (not man-man) boundary separating precipitation.
Where Does an Oasis Get Its Water?
Oases are interesting and vital parts of an ecosystem that can be found all around the world; along with being a unique geographical feature they provide water, shelter and shade for people passing through as well as plants and animals that live in the area of the oasis.
Mapping Carbon in the Amazon
In order to produce the most detailed carbon maps of the Amazon, researchers turned to remote sensing, specifically satellite imagery and LiDAR.
Why Does Finland Have So Many Lakes?
Finland, with over 187,000 estimated lakes, is known as the "Land of a Thousand Lakes".
Gap Analysis
Gap analysis in ecology identifies areas where species lack protection, comparing actual habitats to areas conserved in order to guide conservation efforts.
Island Biogeography
The biogeography of islands is a fascinating topic that extends to more than just island locations. The ‘island’ part of ...
New Study Discovers the Worst Drought of the Millennium Occurred in 1934
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the worst drought of the last thousand years occurred in 1934 ...
How Geography Influences Animal Evolution: The Story of a Caribbean Lizard
Why are some animal bigger than other? Is evolution only influenced by genes? Does colder and hotter environment have an ...
New Record Extent of Sea Ice in Antarctica
The polar regions of the Earth, the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica, are of particular concern to scientists and researchers. In ...
Lake Extremes
What are the world's largest freshwater lake, the world’s largest saltwater lake, the world’s deepest freshwater lake, the highest navigable lake, and the saltiest lake?
Melt Ponds and the Prediction of Ice Melt
One of the biggest environmental concerns is that of global climate change. Symptoms of major shifts in the Earth’s climate ...
An Ocean of Mountains
With the help of satellite technology, a team of American and European researchers recently announced that they have discovered thousands of new mountains on the ocean floor.
How Many Lakes are There in the World?
Using high-resolution satellite images, researchers created the GLObal WAter BOdies database (GLOWABO), which includes all lakes larger than 0.002 km2.
Aral Sea Continues to Shrink
Once the fourth-largest inland water body in the world, the Aral Sea shrank again in 2013
Mass Movements So Large You Can See Them on Radar
The U.S. National Weather Service in Saint Louse, Missouri recently reported that a butterfly shaped pattern on its radar was the result of... butterflies.