GEOG 100: Lecture 01--What is Geography?

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Welcome toWelcome to

Physical GeographyPhysical GeographyWithWith

Angela (Skinner) OrrAngela (Skinner) OrrLecture #1Lecture #1

Where did “Geography” come Where did “Geography” come from?from?

Geo-Geo- comes from Greek comes from Greek “ge” = “Earth”“ge” = “Earth”

geoidgeoidgeologygeologygeometrygeometry

-graphy comes from Greek “graphe” = “writing” or

“description”

(Does it remind you of “graph”?)

Who were the first Who were the first geographers?geographers?

The Greeks were not The Greeks were not the first to “do” the first to “do” Geography…Geography…

Mesopotamian land ownership Mesopotamian land ownership map on a clay tablet map on a clay tablet


Egyptian gold mine map on papyrusEgyptian gold mine map on papyrus

►The Greeks were the first geographers in The Greeks were the first geographers in the Western tradition, and their ideas the Western tradition, and their ideas have been handed down over thousands have been handed down over thousands of yearsof years

►The real reason we follow in the Greeks’ The real reason we follow in the Greeks’ footsteps?footsteps? The ideas contained in their works The ideas contained in their works survivedsurvived

and were and were translatedtranslated into other languages into other languages


Asian GeographyAsian Geography

► Academic knowledge was highly-prizedAcademic knowledge was highly-prized► Japan, Korea, and China all were Japan, Korea, and China all were

engaging in extensive trade long engaging in extensive trade long before European explorersbefore European explorers

► Expansion of the Chinese empireExpansion of the Chinese empire►What was IN that empire? (resources, cultures, What was IN that empire? (resources, cultures, wealth, potential political threats or alliances, wealth, potential political threats or alliances, etc.)etc.)

►Created extensive maps, wrote detailed Created extensive maps, wrote detailed descriptions of culture groups and physical descriptions of culture groups and physical environmentsenvironments

Muslim GeographersMuslim Geographers

► One of the tenants (the 8 “pillars”) of Islam is One of the tenants (the 8 “pillars”) of Islam is that every able-bodied Muslim must make a that every able-bodied Muslim must make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca (in what pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca (in what is, today, Saudi Arabia) at least once in a is, today, Saudi Arabia) at least once in a lifetimelifetime

► Pilgrimages to Mecca offered opportunities for Pilgrimages to Mecca offered opportunities for observation and description, from Africa to observation and description, from Africa to Spain to India and throughout Southwest AsiaSpain to India and throughout Southwest Asia

► As these pilgrims traveled, they wrote about As these pilgrims traveled, they wrote about what they saw and experienced, and mapped what they saw and experienced, and mapped out land and seasout land and seas

Immanuel Kant—18th Century Immanuel Kant—18th Century philosopherphilosopher

►Categories of Academic Disciplines:Categories of Academic Disciplines:

1. Systematic Sciences—orderly, 1. Systematic Sciences—orderly, methodical, subject matter is easily methodical, subject matter is easily classifiedclassified

(Physics, Geology, Botany, Zoology, (Physics, Geology, Botany, Zoology, etc.)etc.)

2. Temporal Sciences—the dimension of 2. Temporal Sciences—the dimension of timetime

(History, Archaeology, Paleontology)(History, Archaeology, Paleontology)

3. Spatial Sciences—the dimension of space3. Spatial Sciences—the dimension of space (Geography, Geophysics*, Astronomy)(Geography, Geophysics*, Astronomy)

The map is a geographer’s primary spatial toolThe map is a geographer’s primary spatial tool

The most important The most important

question inquestion in Geography Geography isis::

Why is it there?

The FundamentalsThe Fundamentals

► Every study of Geography incorporates Every study of Geography incorporates one or more of the following 5 one or more of the following 5 Fundamental Concepts in Geography:Fundamental Concepts in Geography:

1.1. LocationLocation

2.2. PlacePlace

3.3. MovementMovement

4.4. Human-Environment InteractionsHuman-Environment Interactions

5.5. RegionRegion

The 5 Fundamental Spatial The 5 Fundamental Spatial Concepts of GeographyConcepts of Geography

►1. 1. Location—Location—study of study of wherewhere something is something is found in Earth spacefound in Earth space

►2. 2. PlacePlace—study of the —study of the site and situationsite and situation characteristics of a particular portion of characteristics of a particular portion of spacespace



►2. 2. PlacePlace—study of the —study of the site and situationsite and situation characteristics of a particular portion of characteristics of a particular portion of spacespace

““Sense of Place” is an important geographical Sense of Place” is an important geographical conceptconcept

sense of placean artist’s interpretation

Sense of Placesome “imaginary” places

GLADIATOR

JIMMY BUFFETT

THE PERFECT VACATION

“MARGARITAVILLE”

?


►3. 3. MovementMovement—study —study of theof the circulationcirculation of of objects, people, and objects, people, and ideas, and their ideas, and their distributiondistribution (spatial (spatial patterning) on patterning) on Earth’s surfaceEarth’s surface

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►4. 4. Human-Earth Human-Earth InteractionsInteractions—study —study of how humans of how humans perceive, use, and perceive, use, and alter the planet, and alter the planet, and how the environment how the environment affects and changes affects and changes humans, in returnhumans, in return

►5. 5. Region—Region—

study of an area on Earth’s surface that study of an area on Earth’s surface that exhibits some form of spatial cohesion exhibits some form of spatial cohesion reflected by a reflected by a homogeneityhomogeneity of specific of specific features or functional linkages to a features or functional linkages to a central nodecentral node

(WHAAAA???)(WHAAAA???)


Homogeneity of specific features

Functional linkages to a central node

Geography is holisticGeography is holistic►Interested in Interested in

interrelationshipsinterrelationships►Informed by many Informed by many

other sciencesother sciences Geography is actually Geography is actually

the Mother of many the Mother of many other fields of scienceother fields of science

►Test your professor:Test your professor: Name a field which Name a field which

cannot in some way be cannot in some way be studied by a geographerstudied by a geographer

Physical GeographyPhysical Geography

►Physical geographyPhysical geography is the study of Earth’s is the study of Earth’s natural systems, their spatial distributions, natural systems, their spatial distributions, and interactions. It is the study of the and interactions. It is the study of the natural and human-induced processes that natural and human-induced processes that shape the surface of our planet.shape the surface of our planet. Subfields include geomorphology, climatology, Subfields include geomorphology, climatology,

hydrogeography, etc.hydrogeography, etc. Maintains connections with other physical Maintains connections with other physical

sciencessciences

Geomatics/Technical Geomatics/Technical GeographyGeography

►All of the technical specialties within the All of the technical specialties within the field which assist geographic studies.field which assist geographic studies. Cartography (GIS)Cartography (GIS) Remote sensingRemote sensing Statistical studiesStatistical studies Maintains connections with information Maintains connections with information

technologies, mathematics, computer technologies, mathematics, computer sciences, etc.sciences, etc.

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Systems ScienceSystems ScienceSystems can be large, like the solar system, or smaller, like the living system that makes up a

tree. Regardless of its size, all systems have the same basic characteristics.

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Systems ScienceSystems Science

►What is a “system”?What is a “system”?

A A systemsystem is “a set of things, structures, is “a set of things, structures, processes, [or] activities…[that are] processes, [or] activities…[that are] associated and interconnected, forming and associated and interconnected, forming and functioning as a complex whole through a functioning as a complex whole through a regular set of relations….”regular set of relations….”

--Audrey N. Clark’s --Audrey N. Clark’s Dictionary of GeographyDictionary of Geography

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Systems ScienceSystems Science►Flow system—matter and/or energy moving aroundFlow system—matter and/or energy moving around

Open system—has inputs and outputsOpen system—has inputs and outputs Closed system (also called a Closed system (also called a cyclecycle)—constantly )—constantly

transforming and reusing what’s already there; nothing transforming and reusing what’s already there; nothing ever leavesever leaves

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Systems ScienceSystems Science►FeedbackFeedback

Positive feedbackPositive feedback►When the result of a process causes conditions When the result of a process causes conditions which strengthen that process and increasingly which strengthen that process and increasingly amplify its resultsamplify its results Feedback from an amplifierFeedback from an amplifier Arctic ice reflects sunlight. A warmer atmosphere (due to Arctic ice reflects sunlight. A warmer atmosphere (due to

climate change) causes melting of arctic ice, exposing climate change) causes melting of arctic ice, exposing more water which absorbs more heat and increases the more water which absorbs more heat and increases the melting processmelting process

Negative feedbackNegative feedback►When the result of a process causes conditions When the result of a process causes conditions which weaken the process and reduce its effectswhich weaken the process and reduce its effects An air conditioning systemAn air conditioning system More water in Earth’s atmosphere creating more clouds More water in Earth’s atmosphere creating more clouds

that reflect and scatter sunlight, cooling the surfacethat reflect and scatter sunlight, cooling the surface

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Systems ScienceSystems Science

►Time cyclesTime cycles--systems operate on all --systems operate on all different scales, including time scales, different scales, including time scales, large and smalllarge and small

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Millions of years for continents to move Minutes or hours for a tornado to cause destruction

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Systems ScienceSystems Science►Earth’s systems are Earth’s systems are

always attempting to always attempting to achieve achieve equilibriumequilibrium, in , in which exchanges of which exchanges of matter and/or energy matter and/or energy are equal, in and outare equal, in and out

►Equilibrium is difficult Equilibrium is difficult to attain and even to attain and even more difficult to more difficult to maintain over long maintain over long time cyclestime cycles

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Systems ScienceSystems Science►Sometimes a series of slight changes Sometimes a series of slight changes

might result in a larger change that might result in a larger change that pushes the system over a pushes the system over a thresholdthreshold, a , a point at which the same state can no point at which the same state can no longer be maintainedlonger be maintained

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Quick ReviewQuick Review1.1. What is the most important question What is the most important question

in Geography?in Geography?2.2. Who were the first geographers in the Who were the first geographers in the

Western tradition? Was theirs the only Western tradition? Was theirs the only culture to produce good geographic culture to produce good geographic studies?studies?

3.3. Which of the Categories of Academic Which of the Categories of Academic Disciplines does Geography fit into?Disciplines does Geography fit into?

4.4. Name the 5 fundamental spatial Name the 5 fundamental spatial concepts of geography. What one concepts of geography. What one word or phrase defines each of these?word or phrase defines each of these?

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Quick ReviewQuick Review

5.5. What does it mean when we describe What does it mean when we describe Geography as being holistic?Geography as being holistic?

6.6. What is a system?What is a system?

7.7. What is the difference between an What is the difference between an open system and a closed system?open system and a closed system?

8.8. What is the difference between What is the difference between positive feedback and negative positive feedback and negative feedback?feedback?

9.9. Name Earth’s four “spheres”.Name Earth’s four “spheres”.

Education

GEOG 100: Lecture 01--What is Geography?