Physical geography is one of the most far reaching of all the sciences because it examines everything that happens in the natural environment of our planet. Want to understand why mountains are formed, why certain animals live where they do, and why tropical areas are prone to hurricanes? Then it will be physical geography that will provide the answers. Because it is such an important science, there is much information on physical geography online for those who want to learn more about it.

General Resources

Many people will think only of maps and the study of terrain when the term geography is mentioned, but the field is actually quite vast. Understanding the full extent of geographic study is easier with a basic knowledge of the various subdivisions of physical geography and the common terms used in the field. It should also be noted that the study of geography, broadly speaking, includes more than just physical geography. Human geography is another whole division of the subject.

• Five Themes of Geography — a listing of the five themes of geography as determined by a coalition of geography educators

• Branches of Geography — brief information on the different branches of physical and human geography

• Bitesize Geography — information on various divisions and subdivisions of geography from the BBC

• Cartography Acronyms — decodes many common cartography acronyms and give definitions for cartographic terms

• Geography Dictionary and Glossary — extensive dictionary of terms related to the fields of geography

• History of Maps and Cartography — a brief history of the science of cartography and map-making

• Intute: Geography — collection of links of top research sites for geography

• Natural History: Geography — a great overview and introductory page on the topic of geography

• World Factbook — learn the geography and other details of countries all around the world on this CIA-sponsored site

Science of Physical Geography

Like the other natural sciences, advances in physical geography are made by way of the application of the scientific method. Hypotheses are generated to prove observable phenomena, they are tested, and then they are rejected as false or confirmed as true. Another way of speaking of this is the hypothetico-deductive model wherein the goal is to falsify a hypothesis, and those hypotheses that cannot be falsified are confirmed. Inferential statistics are also commonly used to figure out any relationships of causation that occur between different variables. A variety of other approaches are also used in the science of physical geography and resources abound that describe them.

• Fundamentals of Physical Geography — a thorough chapter on the science of physical geography from an online textbook

• Geography and the Scientific Method — discusses the use of the scientific method in physical geography

• Inferential Statistics — an overview of inferential statistics, which is used in many fields, including physical geography

• The Nature of Geography — excerpts from a book by Richard Hartshorne, one of the fathers of physical geography as a science

• Peter G Knight: Physical Geography — an excellent collection of information on physical geography and the science thereof

• Physical Geography — loads of information on physical geography with descriptions of various physical geographical features

• Sofia: Physical Geography — a multitude of lessons related to physical geography and its processes

Biogeography and Ecology

Biogeography and ecology are often considered together as one of the major subfields of geography. Biogeography addresses the distribution of life forms over a given area and period of time, and it seeks to explain and predict this distribution. Ecology focuses more on the interaction of these life forms with the environment and the effects of the environment on its populations. Together these sciences can help account for the effects of humanity on nature, explain species extinction and growth, and help scientists understand the world in a myriad of other ways.

• Ecology and Biogeography Tutorial — scroll down to part eight for several animated biogeography and ecology tutorials

• Ecology Guide and Tutorial — a basic overview of the sciences of ecology and biogeography

• Major Biomes of the World — a comprehensive page with information on all the major biomes of the world

• Online Vegetation and Plant Distribution Maps — maps of how various plants and vegetation are distributed across the globe

• Resilient Habitats — Sierra Club Project to protect various ecoregions in the United States and Canada

• US Geological Services: Biological Resources — a great resource for all manner of information on biological diversity and other related topics

• World Conservation Monitoring Centre — UN agency devoted to conserving the world’s biosystems

Meteorology and Climatology

Climatology is concerned with weather patterns in a given area over a long period of time. Meteorology focuses on much the same information, although it depends more on atmospheric science and addresses shorter periods. The fields are interdependent and provide all sorts of information for predicting storms, addressing potential climate change, and more. Good climatology and meteorology can literally save lives.

• Air Pressure, Height, and Temperature — an online tutorial with several important meteorological concepts explained

• Aviation Weather — an online tutorial from NOAA on weather and its affect on aviation

• Climatology and Paleoclimatology Research — a good selection of links related to climatology

• Climatology Lectures — notes from climatology lectures and links to several sites with more information on climate science

• Online Meteorology Guide — extensive resource on meteorology with guides and more

• Stuff in the Air — a thorough guide to meteorology and climate science with additional information on global warming and more

• World Meteorological Organization — United Nations Organization devoted to meteorological study

Geology and Geomorphology

Geomorphology looks at the earth’s surface and seeks to understand how it has achieved its present form and what processes are underway to alter this form in the future. As such, it looks at how rivers, glaciers, and more all affect the surface of the earth. Geology looks at the actual minerals and other substances that form the earth itself. It plays an important role in the discovery of fossil fuels and other important resources.

• Advanced Geomorphology — a description of many of the terms used in geomorphology and a look at the science

• Fluvial Geomorphology — tutorial on this sub-discipline of geomorphology

• Geology.com — current geology news, job descriptions, scientific explanations, and more all related to geology

• Inside Geology — lesson plans and other information all about physical geology

• Geology Rocks Tutorial — comprehensive geology tutorial page with tutorials and guides to all elements of geology

• Seismology at the Science Fair — links to activities, lesson plans, and other resources on earthquakes

• Virtual Geomorphology — an online textbook on geomorphology