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Example of a physical geography problem

The global carbon cycle and climate ± human actions such as burning of fossil fuels and
deforestation result in carbon dioxide inputs to the atmosphere, where it acts as a greenhouse
gas, causing harmful climatic changes.
Therefore, this is an example of processes that occur at the interface of human activities,
the atmosphere and the biosphere and its study belongs to the domain of Physical Geography.
ï Simple Model of the Earth System ± The Four Great Realms

Lithosphere h ï

 





 


ydrosphere h ï

 





ïtmosphere h ï

 









 




0iosphere h ï




 
 
 
Global ydrologic
Cycle
 System Interactions and Dynamics

Equilibrium
Œhen interactions between subsystems exactly balance one another (what comes in goes
out) Example ± Thermostat
Quasi-equilibrium
Œhen interactions aren¶t exactly balanced at one point in time, but balance out over a long
time Example ± Surface Temperature

Feedbacks
Changes in the system that lead to further changes in the system

Positive Feedback
Œhen changes in the system lead to additional changes that rehenforce the initial change
Example h Credit Cards
Negative Feedback
Œhen changes in the system lead to additional changes that dampen the initial change
Example ± Students Attitude and Classroom Ambience
Positive Feedback: Ice-ïlbedo Feedback
|
 

Mor
owovr
L

rgy
or  ro


Œarmer temperatures
þess snow cover
More energy absorbed from the sun
 Space and Time Scales
Spatial scales
Global ± þong term climate changes
Continental ± El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
Regional ± Geographic shifts in climate regimes (e.g. dust bowl
of the 1930¶s)
þocal ± Extreme events (e.g., short duration droughts;
Hurricanes)

Time scales
Short ± Atmospheric disturbances (hourly to weekly)
Seasonal ± þand vegetation
Interannual h ENSO
Decadal ± Solar influences
þong scale ± Ocean related
Very very long scale ± distribution of continents
 Œeather?

þarge scale fluctuations in the atmosphere from

hourhtohhour or dayhtohday

Œeather systems arise mainly due to atmospheric

instabilities, the evolution of which is governed
by nonhlinear chaotic dynamics.

That is why weather is not really predictable

beyond a week or two into the future.

Super Typhoon Lupit (26Πwest of the

Philippine Islands (Nov-26-2003 as seen
by the NïSï
s MODIS satellite sensor.
 Climate?

Climate is defined as averaged weather, typically defined in terms of mean and other statistical
quantities (higher order moments), that measure variability over a period of time and over a
geographical region (space).
Climate = Œhat you expect,
Œeather = Œhat you get.