Physical geography
Topic: Geography as a Discipline: Nature, Branches and Approaches · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 1 "Geography as a Discipline"
Meaning
Physical geography is the branch of geography that studies the natural parts of the earth. It covers four "spheres". The lithosphere is the solid land: landforms, drainage and relief. The atmosphere is the air, with its weather and climate. The hydrosphere is water: oceans, seas and lakes. The biosphere is all living things and what keeps them alive, such as food chains. Its four branches are geomorphology, climatology, hydrology and soil geography. Today it also helps us judge and manage natural resources, which we need for sustainable development (using resources now without spoiling them for the future).
Example
In the Ganga plains of north India, all four spheres meet. The flat land and fertile soil support farming. Monsoon rain sets the rhythm of farming and refills the groundwater aquifers (rock layers under the ground that hold water). Together, these support crops and people.
Don't confuse with
- Human geography: studies people and what they make, such as population, settlements, economy and politics, not natural features.
- Biogeography: grew where physical and human geography meet, so it is not purely a branch of physical geography.