physiography
Physical geography study
Physiography is the study and description of Earth's physical features—landforms, climate, soils, drainage patterns, and their relationships.
The term once competed with physical geography and now sounds somewhat dated, though it persists in certain academic contexts: The physiography of the region is dominated by glacial deposits.
A physiographic map shows terrain rather than political boundaries.
Flat highland area
- valleyLow ground between heights
- canyonDeep river-cut gorge
- deltaSymbol denoting variation
- fjordGlacially carved coastal inlet
basin · plain · escarpment · ridge · gorge · glen · knoll · hillock
Crust plus upper mantle
- crustHard outer layer
- mantleCovering or wrap
- tectonicsStudy of crustal deformation
- strataParallel geological layers
sediment · erosion · volcanism · seismology · orogeny · minerals · rocks · fossils
Natural terrain feature
- reliefEasing of distress
- elevationHeight above reference point
- contourBounding line of shape
- drainageLiquid removal system
fluvial · glacial · karst · alluvial · denudation · slope · watershed · peneplain
Gaseous layer around planets
- climatologyScientific study of atmospheric patterns
- meteorologyStudy of atmospheric phenomena
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
- aridityAbsence of moisture
humidity · monsoon · microclimate · weather patterns · insolation · evapotranspiration · permafrost
Creating geographic representations
- contour linesLines joining equal elevations
- GISSpatial data framework
- remote sensingGathering data without contact
- surveyingMeasuring and charting terrain
Planet's total water mass
- riversFlowing bodies of water
- lakesLarge inland water bodies
- watershedsRegions draining to outlets
- aquifersWater-bearing rock formations
drainage basins · floodplains · estuaries · deltas · groundwater · water table · runoff · catchment
plateau
Flat highland area
fjord · basin · plain · escarpment · ridge · gorge · glen · knoll · hillock · mesa
lithosphere
Crust plus upper mantle
strata · sediment · erosion · volcanism · seismology · orogeny · minerals · rocks · fossils · stratigraphy
landform
Natural terrain feature
drainage · fluvial · glacial · karst · alluvial · denudation · slope · watershed · peneplain · pediment
atmosphere
Gaseous layer around planets
- climatologyScientific study of atmospheric patterns
- meteorologyStudy of atmospheric phenomena
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
aridity · humidity · monsoon · microclimate · weather patterns · insolation · evapotranspiration · permafrost
cartography
Creating geographic representations
- contour linesLines joining equal elevations
- GISSpatial data framework
- remote sensingGathering data without contact
hydrosphere
Planet's total water mass
- riversFlowing bodies of water
- lakesLarge inland water bodies
- watershedsRegions draining to outlets
aquifers · drainage basins · floodplains · estuaries · deltas · groundwater · water table · runoff · catchment · riparian
tundra
Frigid treeless biome
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- steppeTreeless Eurasian grassland
- pampasSouth American treeless plains
moor · heath · prairie · taiga · chaparral · grassland · desert · rainforest · wetland · marsh
- -graphiesbiography, photography, typography, cartography, choreography
physiographyhuman geography
Study of human spatial organization
political geography · economic geography · demography · sociology · anthropology