Physical geography consists of describing and explaining the natural features of the earth.
One of the earth sciences, physical geography brings together elements of the natural sciences, such as climatology, hydrology, oceanography, geology, geomorphology, biology, and ecology, to understand the processes responsible for the physical patterns of climate, water, soils, vegetation, and landforms fond over the earth. Goals Students should understand the major concepts, terms, principles, and tools used by physical geographers to interrelate the elements of the physical environment in terms of both patterns and processes. Students should become informed and capable of evaluation the physical world around them both as to how it functions and how it is used. Students should understand how and why the natural environment can be hazardous to humans and their property, and should be able to define particularly hazardous locations on earth. Students should be able to identify the processes responsible for climate patterns, vegetation patterns, soil patterns, water resource distribution, and landform patterns and be able to describe how these patterns affect and are affected one another.