Foundations of Social Studies
GEOGRAPHY
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
Physical geography refers to the natural features of the earth. The things that a physical
geographer studies include: climates and biomes, soils and vegetation, water, erosion, natural
hazards, and landforms. The most basic elements that a physical geographer might consider
would be the continents, the oceans, and location.
Continents
A continent is a large landmass. The precise definition is often debated as there is no simple
and clear way to determine exactly how many “large landmasses” there are on earth. In the
Americas, the earth is traditionally divided into seven continents: Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe,
North America, South America and Antarctica. In Europe, they usually just divide the world into
6 continents by combining Europe and Asia into a single continent called Eurasia. Some
geographers combine North and South America into a single continent simply called America.
There is no agreement on how many continents there are, but what we do know is that nearly
70% of the world’s landmass is found in the northern hemisphere.
The continents are thought to be slowing moving around the globe in a process known as plate
tectonics. This theory explains how mountains and rift valleys are created. It also explains why
earthquakes and volcanoes occur. Earthquakes and volcanoes occur where the plates are either
pushing against each other or pulling apart from each other.
Oceans
An ocean is a huge area of salty water that separates continents. The world currently has five
oceans. These oceans are: Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, Indian and Southern Ocean. The Southern
Ocean is sometimes called the Antarctic Ocean. There are no clear boundaries between the five
oceans. Boundaries between countries in the ocean can also be difficult to define or agree on.
This can create issues like protecting the oceans and access to the resources in the oceans.
Oceans currently cover about 70% of the planet’s surface. The bottoms of the oceans are varied
and have features much like the surfaces of the continents. There are areas that are very deep
and areas that are shallow. Plants and animals that live in the deepest part of the oceans are
very different than those that live in the shallow areas. The oceans are an area that humans
know a little bit about, but still have a lot of information to learn.
Of all the water on earth, 97.5% of the water is salty, ocean water. Only 1% of the water on the
planet is useable by humans. This makes water availability one of the big issues facing humans
in the future. Humans use water for many different things including industry, farming and
consumption.
Oceans are an important part of the hydrological cycle. Storms are created over oceans and
then move over land causing precipitation. Oceans have currents that keep the water moving in
organized and predictable patterns. Ocean currents also impact storm development and
precipitation. Oceans can influence the climates along the edges of all continents by
moderating the temperatures.
Location
There are four cardinal directions. These are north, south, east and west. These directions are
used to help humans navigate the surface of the earth and describe the relative locations of
places. On a map, you will find these directions indicated on a compass rose. We usually show
north to the top of the map, but this is not always the case.
The earth can be divided into four hemispheres or halves. The equator, which runs around the
middle of the planet, divides the world into the northern and southern hemispheres. The Prime
Meridian divides the world into the eastern and western hemispheres. In order to establish
precise locations, a system has evolved in which we place a grid of lines over the entire planet.
The lines which run east and west are called lines of latitude. The lines which run north and
south are called lines of longitude.
When looking at a map, latitude lines run horizontally and tell you how far north or south of the
equator you are. They are numbered from 0° to 90° north and from 0° to 90° and south. The
equator is 0° and the poles are 90° north (North Pole) and 90° south (South Pole).
Longitude lines are shown as vertical lines on a map and the globe. They all come together at
the north and south poles like the ribs in an umbrella. Zero degrees longitude is located at
Greenwich, England (0°) and runs all the way to both poles and then across the middle of the
Pacific Ocean where it is 180° and called the International Date Line. The lines from 0° (in
England) moving west toward the Americas are 0° to 180° west longitude and those running
east toward China are 0° to 180° east longitude.
Salt Lake City, Utah is located at approximately 40.8° north (latitude) and 111.9° west
(longitude). This means that Salt Lake City is 40.8° north of the equator and 111.9° west of the
prime meridian.