Physical Geography Notes
Geography – the study of the physical and human landscapes of Earth and the interaction between the
two
Human-environment interaction – humans depend upon the environment, modify it, and adapt to it;
they interact with it.
Convection – current in a fluid caused by uneven distribution of heat. For example, air on a part of the
Earth's surface warmed by strong sunlight will be
heated by contact with the ground and will expand and flow upward, creating a region of low pressure
below it; cooler surrounding air will then flow in to this
low pressure region. The air thus circulates by convection, creating winds.
Plate tectonics – the study of the structure of the Earth's crust and mantle with reference to the theory
that the Earth's lithosphere is divided into large rigid
blocks (plates) that are floating on semi-fluid rock and are thus able to interact with each other at their
boundaries, and to the associated theories of
continental drift and seafloor spreading
Explain
Geographers use tools to study the interactions between
the physical and human landscapes of Earth.
Forces of change
Physical environment
Climate
Interdependence
Innovation
Physical forces cause change in the Earth’s landscape
over time, which alter the human landscape and force
adaptations and modifications to the environment.
Human-environmental interaction
Physical and human processes
Adaptation
Modification
Innovation
Region
Humans modify and adapt to the physical environment to
meet their social, political, and economic needs.
Explain
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND CLIMATE IN RELATION TO ANNUAL CHANGES IN EARTH-SUN
RELATIONSHIPS
Rotation
Revolution
Position in solar system
Coriolis Effect
Current and wind patterns
Solstice
Equinox
Seasons
Tropical, temperate, and polar climate zones
Types of precipitation
Latitudinal Location
Describe
PHYSICAL PROCESSES THAT AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENTS OF REGIONS
Weather
Tectonic Forces
Erosion
Soil-building
Orographic Effect
Examine
PHYSICAL PROCESSES THAT AFFECT THE LITHOSPHERE, ATMOSPHERE, HYDROSPHERE, AND
BIOSPHERE
The 4 spheres of the Earth’s system.
Physical processes that affect the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere
Explain
HOW ELEVATION, LATITUDE, WIND SYSTEMS, OCEAN CURRENTS, POSITION ON A CONTINENT,
AND MOUNTAIN BARRIERS INFLUENCE TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND DISTRIBUTION OF
CLIMATE REGIONS
Including, but not limited to:
Factors that influence the various types of climate regions
Prevailing winds
Latitudinal location
Ocean currents (warm and cold, i.e. Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Drift, Humboldt Current)
Elevation
Global, or prevailing, wind belts that affect ocean currents: trade winds, doldrums, westerlies, polar
winds, and mountain barriers.
Main climate patterns of the world, according to their general geographic distribution, major weather
patterns, and native vegetation: humid tropical (tropical rain forest), tropical savanna, desert, steppe,
marine west coast, Mediterranean, humid subtropical, humid continental, subarctic, tundra, ice cap, and
highland.
Climates in the low, middle, and high latitude zones.
The impact of the position on a continent (coastal vs. continental) on specific types of clim
Other factors such as microclimates, windward, leeward, and shifts in climate (i.e. El Nino, La Nina,
monsoons, etc.)
Describe
DIFFERENT LANDFORMS AND THE PHYSICAL PROCESSES THAT CAUSE THEIR DEVELOPMENT
Including, but not limited to:
Example landforms and processes that formed them (i.e. mountain building, island formation, canyons,
valleys, etc.)
Plate tectonics, convection
Weathering and erosion
Forces within the Earth (e.g. earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes), surface forces (weathering,
deposition, and erosion), and resulting land forms.
Types of faults
Transform (i.e. San Andreas fault)
Diverging (i.e. Mid-Oceanic Ridge and the Great Rift Valley)
Converging (two types)
Same type of plates colliding (i.e. continental to continental which create folded mountains such as
the Himalayas)
Different types of plates colliding (i.e. oceanic to continental causing a subduction zone like the
formation of the Andes Mountains, North American coastal ranges, or the Mariana Trench)
Explain
THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF BIOMES
Including, but not limited to:
Location and types of biomes
Climate regions of the world
Tropical
Dry
Middle latitudinal
High latitudinal
Highland
Microclimates
Compare
WAYS THAT HUMANS DEPEND ON, ADAPT TO, AND MODIFY THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Including, but not limited to:
Needs of society
Development of society
Values of society
Type of environment
Availability and access to resources
Influence of culture and technology on ways humans interact with their environment
Describe, Analyze
THE INTERACTION BETWEEN HUMANS AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE
CONSEQUENCES OF EXTREME WEATHER AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS
Describe the common natural hazards, such as
Floods
Droughts
Earthquakes
Tsunamis
Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones
El Nino, La Nina
Volcanoes
Evaluate
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SETTLEMENTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Sustainable development
Renewable/non-renewable resources
Identify
PHYSICAL AND/OR HUMAN FACTORS THAT CONSTITUTE A REGION
Including, but not limited to:
Identify and give examples of what makes up a region.
climate
vegetation
language
trade networks
political units
river systems
religion
Evaluate
SIGNIFICANCE OF MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS THAT MODIFY THE ENVIRONMENT
Innovations in transportation and energy have had negative and positive effects on the physical
environment.
Innovations may include dams, polders, agriculture equipment (e.g., seed, terracing, reapers, and plow),
transportation (e.g., ship, railroad, and automobile), types of energy (e.g., nuclear, geothermal,
hydroelectricity), pipes (e.g., transport oil or water), fuel (e.g., wood, coal, petroleum)
Analyze
WAYS TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS HAVE ALLOWED HUMANS TO ADAPT TO PLACES
Including, but not limited to:
Air conditioning has allowed growth of urban centers in areas of extreme heat.
Desalination provides clean drinking water in areas with scarce freshwater resources.
Use
GEOGRAPHIC TERMINOLOGY CORRECTLY
Including, but not limited to:
Examples of geographic tools include’
Maps, geographic information system (GIS), global positioning system (GPS), legend, compass rose,
grid system, scale
Examples of terminology to include:
Geography, relative location, absolute location, latitude, longitude, equator, continent, region, spatial
data, cartography
STAAR Note:
These skills will be incorporated into STAAR test questions from reporting categories 1-4 and will be
identified along with content standards.