Geog 101 8/16/16

Instructor: Pesses 1

01| Introducing Geography

Part I – Introducing GeographyGeography 101

Physical Geography: Earth’s Surface LandscapesM. Pesses, Antelope Valley College

Today

õ Definitionofphysicalgeography

õ “Spatial”

Physical Geography

õ Geographyliterally“towriteabouttheEarth”

õ Weareinterestedinthespatialrelationships betweenthingsontheplanet

“Spatial”

“of,pertainingto,relatingto,occupying,existingin,occurringin,orcausedbyspace”

ParaphrasedfromthePenguinDictionaryofGeography,1993

“Spatial”

Wearespatialactorsô Wemove(mobility)ô Weunderstanddirection,distance, etc.

ô Newtechnologychangesthis

ó Maps,GPS

Geog 101 8/16/16

Instructor: Pesses 2

“Spatial”

Wevalue landbasedonspatialpropertiesô Coastalhomesô Scenicviewsô Abovethefloodplain

Geog 101 8/16/16

Instructor: Pesses 3

“Spatial”

Weorganize ourhomes&officesaccordingtospatialpatterns

ô Bedroomsvs.diningrooms

Spatial Analysis

õ Exploringthepatternsbetweengeographicphenomena

õ Whatisthere?ô WhatplantsdowefindintheAmazonJungle?ô WhattypeofrocksareatthetopofMt.Everest?

Spatial Analysis

Whyisitthere?ô WhydoesCaliforniahavesomanyearthquakes?ô Whydowefinduniqueanimalsonislands?ô WhydoestheMiddleEasthavesomuchoil?

Spatial Analysis

Howdoesx influencey?ô HowdoeshumanactivitychangeEarth’sclimate?

ô Canweengineerawaytobringmorewatertothedesert?

Spatial Analysis

PhysicalgeographyusesspatialanalysistounderstandhowtheEarthworksô WeviewtheEarthasasetofprocessesô Wewanttoseethedifferences&similaritiesbetweenplaces

Geog 101 8/16/16

Instructor: Pesses 4

Physical Geography

õ InterestedinhowrelationshipsbetweentheEarth’snatural systems existoverspaceorinaplace.

Cultural Geography

õ InterestedinhowrelationshipsbetweentheEarth’speopleexistoverspaceorinaplace.

Overlap?

Geographers

õ Geographersareoftenenvironmentalists

õ Geographersareexplorers

Geographers“Whatattractedmeaboutthetorridzonewasnolongerthepromiseofawanderinglifefullofadventures,butadesiretoseewithmyowneyesagrand,wildnaturerichineveryconceivablenaturalproduct,andtheprospectofcollectingfactsthatmightcontributetotheprogressofscience.”

-AlexandervonHumboldt,JaguarsandElectricEels,1800

Geog 101 8/16/16

Instructor: Pesses 5

Geology

õ Theorigin&structureoftheEarth

õ Wewilldealwithalotofgeologictopicsô Butalsobiology,hydrology,meteorology,etc.

Next time

Science!ô Whatitis&whatitisn’t