Physical geography also requested as physiography is one of a two fields of geography. Physical geography is a branch of natural science which deals with the processes as living as patterns in the natural environment such(a) as the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere, as opposed to the cultural or built environment, the domain of human geography.
From the birth of geography as a science during the Greek classical period in addition to until the unhurried nineteenth century with the birth of anthropogeography human geography, geography was nearly exclusively a natural science: the inspect of location and descriptive gazetteer of all places of the so-called world. Several works among the best known during this long period could be cited as an example, from Strabo Geography, Eratosthenes Geographika or Dionysius Periegetes Periegesis Oiceumene in the Ancient Age. In more advanced times, these working include the Alexander von Humboldt Kosmos in the nineteenth century, in which geography is regarded as a physical and natural science through the earn Summa de Geografía of Martín Fernández de Enciso from the early sixteenth century, which forwarded for the first time the New World.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a controversy exported from geology, between supporters of James Hutton uniformitarianism thesis and Georges Cuvier catastrophism strongly influenced the field of geography, because geography at this time was a natural science.
Two historical events during the nineteenth century had a great effect on the further development of physical geography. The first was the European colonial expansion in Asia, Africa, Australia and even America in search of raw materials required by industries during the Industrial Revolution. This fostered the setting of geography departments in the universities of the colonial powers and the birth and developing of national geographical societies, thus giving rise to the process subjected by Horacio Capel as the institutionalization of geography.
The exploration of Siberia is an example. In the mid-eighteenth century, many geographers were sent to perform geographical surveys in the area of Arctic Siberia. Among these is who is considered the patriarch of Russian geography, Mikhail Lomonosov. In the mid-1750s Lomonosov began working in the Department of Geography, Academy of Sciences to come on research in Siberia. They showed the organic origin of soil and developed a comprehensive law on the movement of the ice, thereby founding a new branch of geography: glaciology. In 1755 on his initiative was founded Moscow University where he promoted the study of geography and the training of geographers. In 1758 he was appointed director of the Department of Geography, Academy of Sciences, a post from which would determine a working methodology for geographical survey guided by the nearly important long expeditions and geographical studies in Russia.
The contributions of the Russian school became more frequent through his disciples, and in the nineteenth century we cause great geographers such as NM Sibirtsev, Neustrayev, among others.
Theimportant process is the opinion of evolution by Darwin in mid-century which decisively influenced the work of Friedrich Ratzel, who had academic training as a zoologist and was a follower of Darwin's ideas which meant an important impetus in the development of Biogeography.
Another major event in the slow nineteenth and early twentieth centuries took place in the United States. William Morris Davis non only delivered important contributions to the establishment of discipline in his country but revolutionized the field to develop cycle of erosion concepts which he proposed as a paradigm for geography in general, although in actually served as a paradigm for physical geography. His theory explained that mountains and other landforms are shaped by factors that are manifested cyclically. He explained that the cycle begins with the lifting of the relief by geological processes faults, volcanism, tectonic upheaval, etc.. Factors such as rivers and runoff begin to create V-shaped valleys between the mountains the stage called "youth". During this first stage, the terrain is steeper and more irregular. Over time, the currents can carve wider valleys "maturity" and then start to wind, towering hills only "senescence". Finally, everything comes to what is a plain flat plain at the lowest elevation possible called "baseline" This plain was called by Davis' "peneplain" meaning "almost plain" Then river rejuvenation occurs and there is another mountain lift and the cycle continues.
Although Davis's theory is non entirely accurate, it was absolutely revolutionary and unique in its time and helped to modernize and create a geography subfield of geomorphology. Its implications prompted a myriad of research in various branches of physical geography. In the effect of the Paleogeography, this theory provided a framework for understanding the evolution of the landscape. For hydrology, glaciology, and climatology as a boost investigated as studying geographic factors classification the landscape and affect the cycle. The bulk of the work of William Morris Davis led to the development of a new branch of physical geography: Geomorphology whose contents until then did not differ from the rest of geography. Shortly after this branch would present a major development. Some of his disciples made significant contributions to various branches of physical geography such as Curtis Marbut and his invaluable legacy for Pedology, Mark Jefferson, Isaiah Bowman, among others.