Untitled Quiz

Physical Geography Basics and Principals

• Zagazig University, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography published a book on Physical Geography Basics and Principals in 2025.
• The book is authored by Dr. Reda M. Selim.
• The book covers a wide range of topics including the scope of physical geography, the Earth's structure, bodies of water and landforms, internal and external forces shaping the Earth, seasons and weather, climate, soils and vegetation, air masses, oceans and seas, Egypt's natural potentials and geographical terms.

Contents

• The book contains 12 chapters with page references for each.
• Topics include scope of physical geography, the Earth's inside and out, bodies of water and landforms, internal forces shaping the Earth, external forces shaping the Earth, seasons and weather, climate, soils and vegetation, air masses, examples of oceans and seas, Egypt's natural potentials and geographical terms, along with selected references.

Scope of Physical Geography

• Physical Geography identifies natural phenomena spatially.
• It combines elements such as weather, climate, soils, vegetation, animals, water features and landforms.
• Physical Geography examines the interplay of these elements with human activities.

Fields of Physical Geography

• Geomorphology: Studies of landforms.
• Pedology: The study of soils.
• Biogeography: Investigating the spatial relationships of plants and animals.
• Hydrology: Study of water in all its forms.
• Meteorology: Atmosphere circulation over short periods.
• Climatology: Studies the effects of weather on life over longer periods.
• Geology: Studies the Earth's surface and subsurface.
• Ecology: Study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.
• Oceanography: The biology, chemistry, physics, and geology of oceans.
• Cartography: The technique of making maps.
• Astronomy: The study of celestial bodies and the cosmos.

History of Physical Geography

• Uniformitarianism: Rejected the idea that catastrophic forces are responsible for current Earth conditions; Instead of catastrophes, uniform processes are responsible for present and past conditions.
• Evolution: Charles Darwin's concept of Natural Selection suggests that individuals with desirable genetic traits succeed and pass them on.
• Exploration and Survey: 1900 mark a period of intense data collection activities to study physical geography like elevation of surface, landform classification and measurement of river flow and associated phenomena.

Bodies of Water and Landforms

• Oceans and Seas: Interconnected body of saltwater covering about 71% of the Earth.
• Ocean Motion: Currents, waves and tides are the fundamental motion of salty water.
• Lakes, Rivers, and Streams: Lakes hold a significant percentage of the world's fresh water supply.
• Rivers and streams transport water to and from larger bodies of water - their tributaries form drainage systems.
• Groundwater: Water beneath Earth's surface, held in soil/rock pores, and affects the water table level, which may fluctuate based on regional precipitation and human water extraction.