Introduction to Geography Chapter 1: Introduction to Geography

What is your perspective?

Geography The study of the interaction of all physical and human phenomena at individual places and of how interactions among places form patterns and organize space.

What Is Geography? ► Physical ► Human  Cultural ► Cartography  Making maps ► Remote Sensing  Mapping Earth from satellites & aircraft ► Geographic Information Systems ► A way of thinking about problems, with interacting factors in a place

5 Themes of Geography ► Location  Where is it? ► Place  What is it like? ► Human-environment interaction  How do people relate to the physical world? ► Region  How are places similar or different? ► Movement  How do people, goods, ideas, etc. get from one place to another? LocationPlace Region Movement Human – Environment Interaction

The Science of Geography ► Location  Absolute location  Relative location  Answers the question “where?”

The Science of Geography ► Region  Area with uniform characteristics ► For example, topography, climate

The Science of Geography ► Human-environment interaction  How humans interact with the natural environment  Effects humans have on the environment  Effects the environment has on humans

The Science of Geography ► Movement  Across the earth’s surface  Includes: ► Communications ► Transportation ► Circulation ► Diffusion

The Science of Geography ► Place  Characteristics make each place unique  No place is exactly the same as another

Development of Geography ► Classical Western World  Erastosthenes  Hipparchus ► Non-European World  The Tribute of Yu  Phei Hsiu  Kangnido

Ptolemy 150 A.D.

Since the 1400’s… ► General geography  Bernhard Varen ► Special geography  Regional ► General geography  Topical or systematic ► Human- environment tradition  Alexander von Humboldt ► Cosmos

Contemporary Geography ► 3 approaches  Area analysis  Spatial or locational analysis  Geographic systems analysis “The information that any citizen needs in order to make an informed decision on an important question of the day is largely geographic.”

Area Analysis ► Site  Exact location of a place ► Situation or relative location  Location of a place relative to other places  Accessibility  Constant change  Scale ► Globalization Internal Asian Trade Routes in 1400

Regions ► Formal regions  Essential uniformity in one or more physical or cultural features

► Functional regions  Defined by interactions among places  I.e. trade or communications Regions Television station viewing areas within Iowa

► Vernacular regions  Widespread popular perception of existence Regions

Spatial Analysis ► Distribution ► 3 properties of distribution  Density  Concentration  Pattern

Movement ► Distance  Measurements ► Absolute ► Time ► Cost  Friction of distance ► Distance decay  As distance increases, importance of a particular phenomena decreases

Diffusion ► Hearth  Place where idea begins ► Relocation diffusion ► Contiguous or contagious diffusion ► Hierarchical diffusion ► Barriers to diffusion  Distance & time  Physical barriers  Cultural barriers

4 Physical Systems ► Atmosphere (air) ► Lithosphere (Earth’s solid rocks) ► Hydrosphere (water) ► Biosphere (living organisms)

Human-Environmental Interaction ► Reciprocal interaction ► Culture  Everything about the way people live  Language, food, religion, social ceremonies ► Natural landscapes  Without evidence of human activity ► Cultural landscapes  How humans modify local environment

The Geographic Grid ► Latitude  Location on Earth’s surface between equator & N Pole or S Pole  0-90 ° N or S  Parallels ► Longitude  Measures distance E & W around globe  Prime Meridian  International Date Line  ° E or W

Prime Meridian and Standard Time Prime Meridian and Standard Time ► Prime Meridian in 1884 & GMT established ► Time zones – 1 hour for each time zone  360 deg / 24 hr = 15 deg / hr (rotation of earth)

International Dateline ► 180 th meridian ► One day later west of this line ► Each day officially begins here at 12:01 am International Dateline

Map Making ► Cartography ► Scale  Fraction1/24,000  Ratio1:24,000  Written statement “1 inch equals 1 mile”  Bar style ► Detail and area  Small scale map = less detail, large denominator (1:1,000,000)  Large scale map = more detail, small denominator (1:100,000)

Seattle, WA at different scales

Globe vs. Flat Map Globe vs. Flat Map ► Globe  Scale model of Earth ► Best model representing Earth – 3D ► Not practical  Not easy to carry  Only see ½ at a time  Only “small scale” ► Maps are 2D  Distortion ► Projections try to minimize distortion

Projection ► Scientific method of transferring locations on Earth’s surface to a flat map ► 4 types of distortion  Shape  Size

Conformal and Equal Area Projections

Interrupted Projection

Robinson Projection ► One of the most popular compromises between equivalent and conformal projections

Automated Cartography ► Manual techniques expensive ► Computer-aided Drawing (CAD) ► Application to map making  Sophisticated, specialized digital cartography systems  Drawing & editing on video monitor before printing  Fast, inexpensive, easy editing & updating

Remote sensing ► Acquiring data from high-flying aircraft or satellites orbiting Earth

Satellites ► Landsat  First: 1972  Most recent (Landsat 7): 1999  Next: 2012  Sensors measure radiation of colors of visible light ► Pixel  Size of area sensed  Measure of resolution ► Weather satellites  Very large pixels

Aerial Photo of Banda Aceh Coast Before Tsunami

Aerial Photo of Banda Aceh Coast After Tsunami

Remotely Sensed Data ► Weather ► History & archaeology ► Environmental impacts ► Farmland quality ► Stream flow ► Urban expansion ► Military intelligence ► Commercial information Landsat images of Shenzen, China showing dramatic urban development in 8 years

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) ► Developed for military use ► Now available to civilians ► Works via satellite signals ► Device must be outdoors, unobstructed by trees ► Uses:  Transportation  Land surveying  Environmental assessment  Automobile travel  Hiking

GIS ► Database software that includes spatial information  Boundaries or coordinates  Identifying locator (i.e. address) ► Locates item in space ► Layers  Information with specific characteristics  Can be combined for analysis

Digital Geographic Information ► Raster  Grid cells of data  Pixels ► Vector  Point, line, polygon data  X & Y coordinates ► Different uses & spatial accuracies

Digital Data ► Conversion of paper to digital formats  Digitizing  Scanning ► Available types of data  Topographic maps ► Digital Raster Graphic (DRG) ► Digital Line Graph (DLG)  US Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory  Census Bureau maps of streets with addresses

GIS Spatial Analysis ► Calculating densities and distribution of population ► Monitoring environmental changes ► 911 emergency response  Links landlines to physical addresses  Links cellular phones to transmission towers ► Relational databases ► Online address mapping & directions ► Disparities in availability of information  Lack of resources  Government secrecy

GIS Examples ► ► ► ► ► Remote sensing and GIS by NASA Connect Remote sensing and GIS Remote sensing and GIS

End of Chapter 1