GE100

GEOG.121 Course syllabus

Instructor: Prof. V.Domingo

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

Bridgewater State College

Fulfills a GER Lab Science requirement

Course Description

A visitor from another planet would surely be intrigued by the diversity of physical environments on the surface of the earth, ranging as it does from hot deserts to icy tundra. Such diversity is all around us in differing climatic regimes, soil types, landforms, and vegetation zones. The first question such a visitor might ask could well be: "How did these
different zones develop?"; "How are they connected?"; and "Are they still in a state of change?".

The aim of this course is to explore answers to these and related issues. It is a course in Physical Geography -- the study of the distribution of features at or near the surface of the earth. We will examine the characteristics of a wide range of life zones - tropical rainforests, deserts, and oceans and develop theories that explain their origin and continuing change. Our focus will be on the processes that gave rise to particular features and on the inter-relationships between seemingly disparate processes.

We will be concerned with the distribution of phenomena in the atmosphere (hurricanes, tornadoes), in vegetation zones (forests, savannas), and in soils (humus, leaching). We will examine various landforms including fold mountains, deltas, and volcanoes and we will emphasize the two-way relationships between these features and human occupation of the
earth. As a study of physical geography this course will therefore be firmly placed within the realm of human occupation of the earth.

The time and spatial frameworks used in the course will vary from topic to topic; The overriding time frame will incorporate the whole of geologic time - the last five billion years during which features developed. Examples will be drawn from U.S. and abroad. The main purpose of the course is to enhance awareness of the physical environment so that we may better understand the range of landscapes around us and the impact that humans have on their environment.

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Course outline

1) the earth as a relatively closed system
2) the use of maps
3) the nature of the atmosphere
4) elements of weather and climate - temperature
5) air pressure, wind, precipitation
6) cyclonic weather systems
7) urban climates
8) acid precipitation
9) climate classification
10) geomorphology
11) contours
12) volcanic activity
13) stream erosion and deposition
14) coastal landforms
15) soil classification
16) vegetation zones
17) applied geography - weather modification

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Texts for course:-

McKnight, T. "Physical geography", 9th edition, 2008, Prentice Hall.

Hess, D. Laboratory manual, 9^th edition, to accompany McKnight,

Physical geography, 2008.

Course requirements:
                              3 theory tests
                              3 lab tests
                              Final exam

Calculation of final grade:-
Theory tests ----- 40%

Lab tests --------- 45%
Final exam ------ 15%

A web site for maps

http://www.graphicmaps.com

Sheppard Software has some challenging geography activities

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.php