The Physical Environment – Contents
Chapter 1: Essentials of Geography
-
Focus on The Physical Environment: “Earth From Space”Nova
-
Connections: “Mapping Forest Change with Landsat“. USGS
-
Get Mobile: Apps for the Essentials of Geography
-
Watch: Understanding Map Scale
-
Virtual Field Trip: Y2Y: Yellowstone to Yukon
Chapter 2: The Earth System
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Science on a Sphere: Earth System Overview” NOAA
-
Connections: “Dimming the Sun“ Nova – air pollution’s effect on solar radiation and global warming. Support site and program transcript. (2006)
- Physical Geography Today: Real Time Geomagnetism monitoring – USGS
- How To: In development
- Get Mobile: Apps for The Earth System
- Review & Resources
Chapter 3: The Atmosphere
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “The Carbon Cycle. NASA Earth Observatory” Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer, The New Yorker WGBH Forum
- Connections: “Tracking Pollution” News Hour with Jim Lehrer (PBS)
- Physical Geography Today: AIRNow – real time air quality data (US EPA)
- How To: In development
- World of Change: Antarctic Ozone Hole
- Review & Resources
Chapter 4: Energy and Radiation
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Arbiters of Energy” (NASA Earth Observatory)
- Connections:
- How To: Calculating Noon Sun Angle
- Get Mobile: apps forEnergy and Radiation.
- World of Change: Solar Activity
- Review & Resources
Chapter 5: Atmospheric Temperature
- Focus on The Physical Environment:
- “Temperature and Gas Laws” Mechanical Universe (Annenberg/CPB)
- Connections: “Warming Oceans“. (NPR) All Things Considered
- How To: Temperature Gradients (In development)
- Review & Resources
Chapter 6: Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulation
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “El Nino’s Extended Family” (NASA Earth Observatory)
- Connections: “When the Dust Settles” (NASA Earth Observatory); “The Effects of Globally Transported African and Asian Dust on Coral Reef and Human Health” (USGS)
- How To: Drawing isobars
- Virtual Field Trip: El Nino and the Galapagos
- Review and Resources
Chapter 7: Atmospheric Moisture
- Focus on The Physical Environment: The Importance of Understanding Clouds. (NASA)
- Connections: Scientific American: Fog for a Thirsty Planet
- How To:
- A World of Change: El Niño, La Niña, and Rainfall (NASA Earth Observatory
- Review & Resources
Chapter 8: Weather Systems
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Weather Forecasting through the Ages” (NASA Earth Observatory)
- Connections: “ Trees lost to Katrina May Present Climate Challenge” (NPR)
- Physical Geography Today: US National Weather Service– NOAA | US National Hurricane Center– NOAA
- How To: Interpreting weather maps (In development)
- Get Mobile: apps for Weather Systems
- World of Change: Severe Storms (NASA Earth Observatory
- Review & Resources
Chapter 9: Climate Systems
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “The Climate System” Met Office)
- Connections: “Scientific American: Is Global Warming Harmful to Health?”
Computer models indicate that many diseases will surge as the Earths atmosphere heats up. - How To: Classifying Climate
- Active Learning: Climate Change and Vegetation
- Review & Resources
Chapter 10: The Hydrosphere
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “The Rise and Fall of Africa’s Great Lake” NASA Earth Observatory
- Connections: “Could California’s drought make residents sick?” NewsHour (PBS) 09/03/2016 report
- Physical Geography Today: Ground Water Climate Response Network – USGS
- How To: Calculating a water budget (In development)
- Active Learning: In development
- World of Change: Evaporation of the Aral Sea (NASA Earth Observatory
- Review & Resources
Chapter 11: Soil Systems
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Weathering and Soils” Earth Revealed (Annenberg/CPB)
- Connections: “How to green the world’s deserts and reverse climate change | Allan Savory” TED Talk
- How To: Using a soil survey (In development)
- Active Learning: Spatial pattern of soil characteristics (No longer available)
- Review & Resources
Chapter 12: Biogeography of the Earth
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Arbiters of Energy” (NASA Earth Observatory)
- Connections:
- How To: Calculating Noon Sun Angle
- Get Mobile:apps forEnergy and Radiation.
- World of Change: Solar Activity
- Review & Resources
Chapter 13: Earth Biomes
- Focus on The Physical Environment:
In Development - Connections: “Monitoring Monarchs” NPR (2013) Talk of the Nation report on how habitat loss in Mexico and Milkweed decline in US spells disaster for Monarch butterflies.
- How To: In development
- World of Change: Amazon Deforestation
- Review & Resources
Chapter 14: Earth Materials and Structure
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Earth’s Core” Naked Science
- Connections: “Evolution of Landscape Change along Clear Creek, Colorado”
USGS. A look at the effects of urbanization, aggregate mining and reclamation. - How To: How to Construct Topographic Profiles — SERC
- Review & Resources
Chapter 15: Tectonics and Landforms
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Earth’s Deadliest Earthquakes” (NOVA PBS)
- Connections: “South Asia Disaster” News Hour with Jim Lehrer. See “Tsunami Warnings” at the site.
- Physical Geography Today: Earthquakes Hazard Program – USGS
- Tsunami Simulations: Alaska Earthquake Center
- Seismic Wave Simulation: IRIS
- PhET Interactive: Plate Tectonics
- Review & Resources
Chapter 16: Volcanic Processes and Landforms
- Focus on The Physical Environment“Cascades Volcanoes: When Sleeping Giants Wake” (KSPS Public TV)
- Connections: “Remembering Krakatoa’s Cataclysm” (NPR All things Considered)
- Physical Geography Today: Weekly Volcanic Activity (Smithsonian & USGS)
- How To: In development
- Virtual Field Trip: Volcanoes of the World (In development)
- Review & Resources
Chapter 17: Weathering, Erosion, and Mass
Movement
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Killer Landslides” (NOVA PBS). (29:00)
- Connections: When Land Slides (NASA Earth Observatory)
- Physical Geography Today: “Real-Time” Monitoring of an Active Landslide above Highway 50, California – USGS
- How To: Interpreting hill slope profiles
- Active Learning: In development
- Review & Resources
Chapter 18: Fluvial Systems
- Focus on The Physical Environment – “Floods: Using Satellites to keep Our Heads above Water. (NASA Earth Observatory)
- Connections: “Tough Questions on Dam Removal” Science Nation (2011)
- Physical Geography Today: Water Watch – USGS
- Connections: Army Corps Project Pits Farmland Against Flood Threat. (NPR 2015) Flood prtection pits farmland against local communites.
- How To: Calculating flood recurrence
- Active Learning: Virtual River
- Virtual Field Trip: Yunnan Great Rivers Project
- Review & Resource
Chapter 19: Glacial Systems
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Gifts of the Glaciers” Sea Grant Institute
- Connections:“Peeking into Permafrost” (USGS)The USGS wants to investigate what’s causing Alaska’s North Slope bluffs to erode so quickly.
- How To: In development
- Active Learning: Exploring Glacial Features
- Virtual Field Trip: North Cascade Glacier Climate Project– Explore various glacier’s “Changes Through Time“
- Review & Resources
Chapter 20: Eolian Systems
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Wind, Dust and Deserts” The Earth Revealed (Annenberg/CPB) (29:00)
- Connections: “From the Dust Bowl to the Sahel” NASA Earth Observatory
- How To: In development
- Active Learning: In development
- Virtual Field Trip: Sahara Trek
- Review and Resources
Chapter 21: Ocean and Coastal Systems
- Focus on The Physical Environment: “Waves, Beaches, and Coasts The Earth Revealed (Annenberg/CPB) (29:00)
- Connections: “A Dangerous Intersection: Humans and Climate Destroy Reef Ecosystem” NASA Earth Observatory
- How To: In development
- Active learning: NOAA DigitalCoast and the Sea Level Rise Viewer
- Review and Resources