Introducing Physical Geography

Introducing Physical Geography, 6th Edition is known for its clear writing, distinctive photos and illustrations and a strong supplements program. The text continues its tradition as a great book to help non-science readers visualize and understand earth processes and learn the basic language of physical geography. The new edition features a strengthened "Eye on Global Change" coverage and coverage of the geographers tool box.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Physical Geography and the Tools Geographers Use 2 Introducing Geography 4 Spheres, Systems, and Cycles 10 Physical Geography, Environment, and Global Change 13 Tools in Physical Geography 15 Maps and Cartography 17 The Global Positioning System 21 Geographic Information Systems 22 Remote Sensing for Physical Geography 24 Earth Visualization Tools 30 A Look Ahead 33 Chapter 1 The Earth as a Rotating Planet 36 The Shape of the Earth 38 The Earth’s Rotation 39 The Geographic Grid 40 Map Projections 42 Global Time 46 The Earth’s Revolution Around the Sun 49 A Look Ahead 54 Chapter 2 The Earth’s Global Energy Balance 56 Eye on Global Change: The Ozone Layer— Shield to Life 58 Electromagnetic Radiation 59 Insolation over the Globe 63 Composition of the Atmosphere 69 Energy Transfer 69 The Global Energy System 70 Net Radiation, Latitude, and the Energy Balance 75 Focus on Remote Sensing A Look Ahead 79 Chapter 3 Air Temperature 82 Eye on Global Change: Carbon Dioxide—On the Increase 84 Surface and Air Temperature 85 Temperature Structure of the Atmosphere 93 Daily and Annual Cycles of Air Temperature 95 World Patterns of Air Temperature 99 The Temperature Record and Global Warming 103 A Look Ahead 109 Chapter 4 Atmospheric Moisture and Precipitation 112 Eye on Global Change: Acid Deposition 114 Water in the Environment 114 Humidity 120 Adiabatic Processes 122 Clouds and Fog 124 Focus on Remote Sensing Precipitation 128 Types of Precipitation 134 Thunderstorms 137 Tornadoes 140 Air Quality 143 A Look Ahead 147 Chapter 5 Winds and Global Circulation 150 Eye on Global Change: El Niño 152 Atmospheric Pressure 153 Wind 155 Cyclones and Anticyclones 159 Global Wind and Pressure Patterns 162 Winds Aloft 166 Ocean Circulation 172 A Look Ahead 180 Chapter 6 Weather Systems 184 Eye on Global Change: Cloud Cover, Precipitation, and Global Warming 186 Air Masses and Fronts 187 Midlatitude Anticyclones and Cyclones 193 Tropical and Equatorial Weather Systems 203 Focus on Remote Sensing Poleward Transport of Energy and Moisture 213 A Look Ahead 215 Chapter 7 Global Climates and Climate Change 218 Eye on Global Change: Drought in the African Sahel 220 Keys to Climate 222 Climate Classification 225 Low-Latitude Climates (Group I) 231 Midlatitude Climates (Group II) 241 High-Latitude Climates (Group III) 249 Climate Change 253 A Look Ahead 256 Special Supplement: The Köppen Climate System 260 Chapter 8 Biogeographic Processes 264 Eye on Global Change: Human Impact on the Carbon Cycle 266 Energy and Matter Flow in Ecosystems 268 Ecological Biogeography 276 Ecological Succession 284 Focus on Remote Sensing Historical Biogeography 288 Biodiversity 296 A Look Ahead 298 Chapter 9 Global Biogeography 302 Eye on Global Change: Exploitation of the Low-Latitude Rainforest Ecosystem 304 Natural Vegetation 305 Terrestrial Ecosystems—The Biomes 308 Forest Biome 313 Savanna and Grassland Biomes 323 Desert and Tundra Biomes 328 Focus on Remote Sensing Climate and Altitude Gradients 336 A Look Ahead 338 Chapter 10 Global Soils 340 Eye on Global Change: Global Change and Agriculture 342 The Nature of the Soil 344 Soil Chemistry 348 Soil Moisture 350 Soil Development 352 The Global Scope of Soils 357 A Look Ahead 370 Chapter 11 Earth Materials and Plate Tectonics 374 The Changing Earth 377 The Structure of the Earth 379 Earth Materials and the Cycle of Rock Change 381 Global Topography 391 Focus on Remote Sensing Plate Tectonics 398 A Look Ahead 409 Chapter 12 Tectonic and Volcanic Landforms 414 Eye on Global Change: The Great Tohoku Earthquake of 2011 416 Tectonic Landforms 416 Earthquakes 426 Volcanic Activity and Landforms 431 Focus on Remote Sensing A Look Ahead 441 Chapter 13 Weathering and Mass Wasting 444 Eye on Global Change: The Madison Slide 446 Weathering 448 Slopes and Slope Processes 453 Mass Wasting 454 A Look Ahead 462 Chapter 14 Freshwater of the Continents 464 Eye on Global Change: The Aral Sea 466 Freshwater and the Hydrologic Cycle 468 Groundwater 470 Groundwater Use and Management 476 Surface Water and Streamflow 478 Flooding 484 Lakes 487 Freshwater as a Natural Resource 491 A Look Ahead 495 Chapter 15 Landforms Made by Running Water 498 Erosion, Transportation, and Deposition 500 Stream Gradation and Evolution 506 Focus on Remote Sensing Fluvial Landforms 515 Fluvial Processes in an Arid Climate 518 A Look Ahead 523 Chapter 16 Landforms Made by Waves and Wind 526 Eye on Global Change: Global Change and Coastal Environments 528 The Work of Waves and Tides 530 Coastal Landforms 537 Wind Action 547 Eolian Landforms 551 A Look Ahead 557 Chapter 17 Glacial and Periglacial Landforms 560 Eye on Global Change: Ice Sheets, Sea Ice, and Global Warming 562 Types of Glaciers 564 Glacial Processes 567 Glacial Landforms 569 Focus on Remote Sensing Periglacial Processes and Landforms 578 Global Climate and Glaciation 582 A Look Ahead 586 Appendix 1 Climate Definitions and Boundaries 591 Appendix 2 Conversion Factors 592 Appendix 3 Topographic Map Symbols 593 Glossary 595 Illustration Credits 623 Index 625

About the Author :
Alan Strahler received his B.A. degree in 1964 and his Ph.D. degree in 1969 from the John Hopkins University Department of Geography and Environemtal Engineering. He has held academic positions at the Universikty of Virginia, the Univrsity of California at Santa Barbara, and Hunter College of the City Unviersity of New ork, and is now Professor of Georgraphy at Boston University. With Arthur Strahler, he is coauthor of seven textbook titles with seven revised editions on phyhsical geography and environmental science. He has published over 250 articles in the refereed scientific literature, largely on the theory of remote sensing of vegetation, and has also contributed to the fields of plant geography, forest ecology, and quantitative methods. His work has been supported by over $6 million in grant and contract funds, primarily from NASA. In 1993, he was awarded the Association of American Geographers/Remote Sensing Specialty Group Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Remote Sensing. In 2000, he received the honorary degree Doctorem Scientiarum Honoris Causa (D.H.C) from the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, for his academic accomplishments in teaching and research. Arthur Strahler received his B.A. degree in 1938 from the College of Wooster, Ohio, and his Ph.D. degree in geology from Columbia University in 1944. He was appointed to the Columbia University faculty in 1941, serving as Professor of Geomorphology from 1958 to 1967 and as Chairman of the Department of Geology from 1959 to 1962. He was elected as a Fellow of both the Geological Society of America and the Association of American Geographers for his pioneering contributions to quantitative and dynamicgeomorphology, contained in over 30 major papers in leading scientific journals. He is the author or coauthor with Alan Strahler of 16 textbook titles with 13 revised editions in physical geography, environmental science, the Earth sciences, and geology. His most recent new title, "Plate Tectonics (GeoBooks Publishing, Cambridge, Massachusetts), has received critical praise as an upper-level college text on plate tectonics as the grand paradigm in Earth science.