Coming up …

This week we are being introduced to the discipline of physical geography, earth systems, and the atmosphere. Next week some of the most important topics of the semester are presented, energy and radiation. I say this because the geography of energy and radiation determines a variety of earth surfaces processes and controls the spatial variation of climate, vegetation, soils, weathering and to some degree, landform development. Make sure you get a good handle on what controls insolation, net radiation, sensible heat and latent heat. Start trying to picture the geographical variation of these elements.