1: Introduction to Geography
- Page ID
- 39827
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Introduction
Geography is an inherent part of all of our lives. Very early in life we get introduced to geography as we gradually explore and start learning about our immediate environment both within our homes and outdoors. We learn to make mental maps of the rooms inside our houses, then the closest playground and eventually the way to our school. We learn to adapt to the climate of the area where we grow up in and dress accordingly.
It is a subject that aims to explain something very basic to us like location, day and night, weather and climate and formation of landforms that we see around us. Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\) shows an image of Mc Way Falls in daylight which is an example of a waterfall that falls into the Pacific Ocean. As geographers we are not only interested in how this feature was created but also at where it is found and why. In this book we will not only look at waterfalls but also how various landforms are created by the agents like running water, winds, waves and glaciers.
According to Greek scholar Eratosthenes , Geography means to write about the Earth. As most of us know, Geography focusses on location but it also looks at similarity and variations of features found in different parts of the world. Geographers look at answering questions like where is it, why it's there, and how it relates to things around it. Geography influences where we live, affects our economic prosperity, has dictated the outcome of significant historical events, and shapes our local, regional, and global relationships with each other. This textbook focuses on physical geography and can answer many questions that you might have about the natural world and how it relates to your life and livelihood. Ever wondered why present-day volcanoes exist on the west coast of the United States but not on the east coast? Why tornadoes seem to be unique to the United States? Why palm trees are found in Florida and pine trees in Maine? Where to go for a break from cold winter weather, or to escape a hot summer day? Physical geography can answer these questions, and more.
In this chapter you'll be introduced to the discipline of geography and what it means to study the Earth from a geographic perspective. You will become familiar with the array of tools geographers possess to investigate the Earth system. We'll conclude by looking at how geographers are well suited to address issues related to current trends in environmental change.
By the end of the chapter you should be able to:
- Explain why geographers describe their discipline as a spatial science and uniquely qualified to tackle issues related to environmental change.
- Construct a diagram showing how hypotheses are developed and become theories in physical geography.
- Explain what a map projection is, how and why it's done.
- Learn about the different types of scale and choose the appropriate type and scale of map for its intended purpose.
- Use latitude and longitude to determine location.
- Explain how a global positioning system works.
- List and give examples of remote sensing techniques.
- Differentiate between standard time and daylight saving time.
- Explain how GIS is used to solve problems in physical geography.
- Explain how models are used in physical geography.
- Calculate the mean and range to describe a set of data.