This document outlines 12 branches of physical geography: geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography, soil geography, hydrology, meteorology, environmental geography, ecology, glaciology, paleogeography, and astronomical geography. It provides a brief 1-2 sentence definition of each branch, describing what each field studies and its focus of inquiry.

1. Branches of Physical
Geography
Dr. ATUL M. JETHE
Department of Geography
C.T. Bora college, Shirur, Dist. Pune –
412210

2. Branches of Physical Geography
1. Geomorphology
2.Climatology
3.Oceanography
4.Biogeography
5.Soil Geography
6.Hydrology
7.Meteorology
8.Environmental Geography
9.Ecology
10. Glaciology
11.Paleogeography
12.Astronomical Geography

3. Geomorphology
• Geomorphology is the main branch of
physical geography. It is the science of
earth surface processes and landforms. In
other words it is the scientific study of
surface involving interpretative description
of landforms, their origin and development
and nature and mechanism of
geomorphological processes which evolve
the landforms

4. Climatology
• According to Critchfield, climatology is
the science which studies the nature of
climate, the causes and interpretation of
its spatial variations and its association
with the elements of natural environment
and human activities.

5. Oceanography
• It is the study of distribution and
characteristics and global impact of
ocean and seas. It is concerned with
the study of various types of oceanic
component and processes related to
ocean floor depths, currents, corals
reefs, and continental drifts etc.

6. Biogeography
• It is also one of the important branch of
geography which is dealing with the study of
physical factors influencing the world
distribution of plants and animals . There are
two sub branches of Biogeography i.e.
• A. Zoogeography
• B. Phytogeography

7. Soil Geography
• Soil geography is the study of distribution of
soil as a and natural resources on the earth
surface. It is not only studies the physical,
chemical and biological properties of soil but
also their utility, management and impact of
living organisms. It is therefore further sub
divided into two sub branches namely
• A. Pedology
• B. Edaphology

8. Hydrology
• Hydrology deals with the occurrence,
movement, and storage of water in the earth
system. Hydrologic science comprises
understanding the underlying physical and
stochastic processes involved and estimating
the quantity and quality of water in the
various phases and stores. The study of
hydrology also includes quantifying the effects
of such human interventions on the natural
system at watershed, river basin, regional,
country, continental, and global scales.

9. Meteorology
• Meteorology is the study of atmospheric
phenomena. This study consists of physics,
chemistry, and dynamics of the atmosphere. It
also includes many of the direct effects the
atmosphere has upon Earth’s surface, the
oceans, and life in general. In this manual we
will study the overall fundamentals of
meteorology, a thorough description of
atmospheric physics and circulation, air
masses, fronts, and meteorological elements.

10. Environmental Geography
It is the branch of Geography that majorly deals
with the study of the earth components such as
atmosphere, hydrosphere, Lithosphere and
Biosphere. It is the branch of Geography the
describes and explains spatial aspects of
interaction between human individuals and
their natural environment.

11. Ecology
• Ecology is the study of physical environment in
which how organism interact with other. The
distribution and abundance of organisms on
earth is shaped by both biotic and a biotic
factors .

12. Glaciology
• The word glaciology is also derived from greek
language ‘glacio’ means ice sheets and logos
means to study. It is the study of glaciers and
the processes related to glaciers. It is
interdisciplinary earth science that interact
with Geophysics, geology, Geomorphology,
Climatology and hydrology.

13. Paleogeography
• Paleogeography is the study of Historical
geography. Generally Physical landscapes,
Paleogeogeography can also include the study
of human or cultural environment when the
focus is specially on the study of landform.
Inshort ith the scince focuces on the way the
earth looked in ancient times.

14. Astronomical Geography
• It is the part of Mathematical Geography that
treats with earth and the other celestial
bodies., it studies about planet stars satellite
comets, eclipses the origin of planet etc. It
also studies the speed of planet and effects on
the earth seas, oceans , atmosphere, tides and
seasons etc.