Download The Geographer`s Tool

Physical Geography
Looking at the Earth
Geography involves the
study of places: their
locations, their
characteristics, and how
humans use and move
around them.
Satellite image of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
NEXT
Physical Geography
Looking at the Earth
SECTION 1
The Five Themes of Geography
SECTION 2
The Geographer’s Tools
NEXT
Section 1
The Five Themes of
Geography
• Geographers view the world in terms of the
use of space.
• Geographers study the world by looking at
location, place, region, movement, and
human-environment interaction.
NEXT
SECTION
1
The Five Themes of
Geography
The Geographer’s Perspective
Geographers and Historians
• Historians look at events over time
• Geographers look at:
- use of space on Earth
- interactions that take place there
- patterns and connections between people and
land
• Geography is the study of the distribution and
interaction of:
- physical features on Earth
- human features on Earth
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
1
continued The
Geographer’s Perspective
Methods of Geography
• Geographers use a variety of tools:
- maps
- photographs
- charts, graphs, tables
- scale models
- five themes of geography
Image
NEXT
SECTION
1
Theme: Location
Where is it?
• Absolute location—exact place where a
geographic feature is found
• Relative location—location of a place compared to
places around it
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
1
continued Theme:
Location
Absolute Location
• Earth is divided into two equal halves, vertically and
horizontally
• Each vertical and horizontal half is called a
hemisphere
• An imaginary line, the Equator, divides north and
south halves
• Another imaginary line, the Prime Meridian,
divides east and west
Map
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
1
continued Theme:
Location
Latitude Lines
Map
• Geographers use latitude lines to locate places
north and south
• Latitude—imaginary lines that run parallel to the
equator
Longitude Lines
Map
• Geographers use longitude lines to mark positions
east and west
• Longitude—imaginary lines that go over the poles
• Where latitude and longitude lines cross is the
absolute location
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
1
continued Theme:
Location
Relative Location
• How a place is related to its surrounding
environment
NEXT
SECTION
1
Theme: Place
What is it Like?
• Place includes physical features and cultural
characteristics:
- physical features include climate, landforms,
vegetation
- cultural characteristics include dams, highways,
houses
Image
NEXT
SECTION
1
Theme: Region
How are Places Similar or Different?
• A region is an area united by similar characteristics
• Unifying characteristics—physical, political,
economic, cultural
• Three types of regions:
- formal
- functional
- perceptual
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
1
continued Theme:
Region
Formal Regions
• Defined by a limited number of related
characteristics
• Formal regions of the world:
- The United States and Canada
- Latin America
- Europe
- Russia and the Republics
- Africa
- Southwest Asia
- South Asia
- East Asia
- Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
1
continued Theme:
Region
Functional Regions
• Organized around interactions and connections
between places
• Example: a city and its suburbs are connected
through human movement
Perceptual Regions
• Region with characteristics people perceive in
much the same way
• Example: the American Midwest
• Sometimes perceptions differ: Does Midwest begin
in Ohio or Illinois?
NEXT
SECTION
1
Theme: Human-Environment Interaction
How Do People Relate to the Physical World?
• A relationship exists between people and their
environment
• People use and change the environment to meet
their needs
• People adapt to environmental conditions they
cannot change
• Often, people in similar environments adapt in
different ways
Image
NEXT
SECTION
1
Theme: Movement
How Do People, Goods, and Ideas Get from
One Place to Another?
Image
• Geographers use three types of distance to analyze
movement:
- linear distance
- time distance
- psychological distance
Linear Distance and Time Distance
• Linear distance—how far a person, product, or idea
travels
• Time distance—how long it takes for person,
product, idea to travel
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
1
continued Theme:
Movement
Psychological Distance
• Refers to the way people perceive distance
• Example: unfamiliar places may seem farther away
than familiar ones
NEXT
Section 2
The Geographer’s Tools
• Geographers use two- and three-dimensional
tools to learn about the earth.
• Geographers use computer-assisted
technology to study the use of the earth’s
surface.
NEXT
SECTION
2
The Geographer’s Tools
Maps and Globes
Visualizing Earth
• Oldest known map: Babylonian clay tablet, circa
500 B.C.
• Maps show locations of places, landforms, bodies
of water
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
2
continued Maps
and Globes
Two or Three Dimensions
• Globe—a three-dimensional representation (a
sphere) of Earth
• Map—a two-dimensional graphic representation of
Earth’s surface
• Cartographer (mapmaker) tries to accurately
reflect earth’s surface
• Map projection—way of showing Earth’s curved
surface on a flat map
Interactive
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
2
continued Maps
and Globes
Types of Maps
• Three types of maps: general reference,
thematic, navigational
• A topographic map is one kind of general
reference map
• Topographic map—shows natural and man-made
features of earth
• Thematic map—shows specific data such as
climate, population density
• A navigation map is used by sailors, pilots
NEXT
SECTION
2
The Geographer’s Tool
The Science of Mapmaking
Surveying
• Surveyors observe, measure, record what they see
in a specific area
• Remote sensing, gathering geographic data from a
distance, includes:
- aerial photography
- satellite imaging
Interactive
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
2
continued The
Science of Mapmaking
Satellites
• Best known satellites are Landsat and GOES
• Landsat is a series of satellites; can scan entire
planet in 16 days
• Geostationary Operational Environment Satellite
(GOES):
- orbits in sync with Earth’s rotation
- gathers images of atmospheric conditions
Continued . . .
NEXT
SECTION
2
continued The
Science of Mapmaking
Geographic Information Systems
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a
digital geographic database
• Combines and displays information from many
sources
Global Positioning System (GPS)
• Uses series of 24 Navstar satellites to beam
information to Earth
• Hand-held GPS receivers on Earth display exact
position
• GPS used by explorers, sailors, drivers; also used
to track animals
NEXT
This is the end of the chapter presentation of
lecture notes. Click the HOME or EXIT button.
Print Slide Show
1. On the File menu, select Print
2. In the pop-up menu, select Microsoft PowerPoint
If the dialog box does not include this pop-up, continue
to step 4
3. In the Print what box, choose the presentation format
you want to print: slides, notes, handouts, or outline
4. Click the Print button to print the PowerPoint
presentation
Print Text Version
1. Click the Print Text button below; a text file will open
in Adobe Acrobat
2. On the File menu, select Print
3. Click the Print button to print the entire document, or
select the pages you want to print
Print
Text
Print Text
CONTINUE