What Is Physical Geography?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 06, 2020

Physical geography is the study of all natural forms and processes in an environment. It is one of the two subsets of geography and earth sciences, the other being the study of human geography.

The study of physical geography can be broken down into several sub-branches which include hydrology (the study of the movement of water on earth) and geomorphology (the study of the Earth’s surface structure). In physical geography, the earth is divided into various spheres, such as the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere, which contain aspects of the environment. While it does not concern man-made structures, the field does cover the cause and effect of human activity on the environment.