physical geography
Natural terrain study
Physical geography is the branch of geography concerned with natural features and processes—landforms, climate, soil, vegetation, oceans, and their interactions.
It studies how mountains form, why deserts exist where they do, how rivers shape landscapes.
Distinguished from human geography, which focuses on people and their activities: The course covered physical geography before moving on to population studies.
Study of Earth's composition
- tectonicsStudy of crustal deformation
- plate boundariesEdges of crustal sections
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
- erosionGradual wearing away
weathering · sedimentation · lithosphere · continental drift · fault line · subduction · orogeny · isostasy
Height above reference point
- contourBounding line of shape
- terrainLand's physical features
- slopeAngled terrain or steepness
- reliefEasing of distress
summit · peak · depression · watershed · drainage · gradient · aspect · benchland
Tall natural landmass
- valleyLow ground between heights
- plateauFlat highland area
- canyonDeep river-cut gorge
- deltaSymbol denoting variation
plain · ridge · escarpment · fjord · mesa · butte · dune · basin
Measured heat intensity
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- weatherAtmospheric state outdoors
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
drought · cyclone · seasonality · El Niño · La Niña · trade winds · microclimate · aridity
Major ecological community
- tundraFrigid treeless biome
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
desert · taiga · chaparral · mangrove · coral reef · wetland · deciduous forest · coniferous forest
geology
Study of Earth's composition
- tectonicsStudy of crustal deformation
- plate boundariesEdges of crustal sections
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
erosion · weathering · sedimentation · lithosphere · continental drift · fault line · subduction · orogeny · isostasy · rock cycle
elevation
Height above reference point
relief · summit · peak · depression · watershed · drainage · gradient · aspect · benchland · lowland
mountain
Tall natural landmass
delta · plain · ridge · escarpment · fjord · mesa · butte · dune · basin · peninsula
temperature
Measured heat intensity
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- weatherAtmospheric state outdoors
monsoon · drought · cyclone · seasonality · El Niño · La Niña · trade winds · microclimate · aridity · rainfall
biome
Major ecological community
- tundraFrigid treeless biome
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
grassland · desert · taiga · chaparral · mangrove · coral reef · wetland · deciduous forest · coniferous forest · steppe
river
Large flowing watercourse
aquifer · watershed · estuary · tributary · meander · oxbow · waterfall · rapids · lagoon · strait
- geographycontinents, continent, oceans, countries, country
- geography booksworld atlas, gazetteer, historical atlas, road atlas, cartography
- subdisciplinesbiochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics
- geography writingtravel writing, maps, cartography, atlases, travelogues
- KantKant, categorical imperative, a priori, thing-in-itself, noumena
- Soviet mapsSoviet republics, Soviet era, Leningrad, regional maps, political maps
physical geographyhuman geography
Study of human spatial organization
political geography · economic geography · geopolitics · demography · sociology
physical, physics, geography, physician, physique, physically, metaphysical, geographic, physicality