Dr. Wenlong Li
Rm 401A, Main building of east area at Yuzhong campus
Office Hours: Drop in or by appointment
e-mail address: wllee@lzu.edu.cn
Text: Guanghe Wu, Naiang Wang, Shuangxi Hu, Lianshu Tian, Jianming Zhang, 2008. Physical Geography. Fourth Ed. Higher Education Press. The textbook is available for purchase at the University of Manitoba Bookstore. One copy of the 4th edition of this text is on 4 h reserve in the Lanzhou University library. Note: Chapters listed in the course outline refer to chapters from the 4th edition.
Lists of other references will be provided as required:
1.Jamehs O.Wheeler, Peter O.Muller, Grant Ian Thrall, Timothy J.Fik. Economic Geography 4rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002.
2. Jerome D. Fellmann, Arthur Getis, Getis, Judith Getis. Human Geography 8th ed.New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2005.
Grade Assignment:
Quiz (5-10times, - During class time) 10%
Term paper (Before the end of the 19th week)20%
Final Examination (During regular examination period.) 70%
Note: Late assignments will not be accepted and will automatically receive a grade of zero.
Examinations will include questions and problems from lectures, text and assigned readings.
Note: Academic dishonesty is a serious offence. Please refer to the General Academic Regulations and Policy section in the General Calendar for information on `Plagiarism and Cheating' and`Examinations: Personations'.
http://lzujwc.lzu.edu.cn/
Evaluative feedback from the first assignment and midterm examination will be provided prior to the deadline for voluntary withdrawal (November 18, 2009).
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
Course Description: Interaction among Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere and Lithosphere and its effect on the Earth’s Surface System were elaborated in physical geography. Especially, it was emphasized that the Earth’s Surface Environment is a system. In the other hand, interaction between human beings and its environment is stressed in this lesson. This lesson teaches students developing of the earth’s surface environment, interactions among the four parts, and regional relations among various physical geographical factors and rules that factors were changed in different directions, Then, methods and theories used to assess, forecast, plan, manage, control and chose the earth’s environment were discussed in some experiences according to system science. Last, the effect of physical geography on social developing and economical construction was concluded.
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students should:
1) Understand basic principles and concepts of physical geography and related topics.
2) Be able to develop solutions to simple physical geography problems through the geographical research methods.
3) Effectively communicate scientific knowledge related to physical geography.
Lectures are scheduled at 6:00-8:35 pm(1st to 18th week ), Rm 401A, Main building of east area at Yuzhong campus.
COURSE OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION (Chapter 1)
- definitions, objectives and role of physical geography
2. EARTH SYSTEM (Chapters 2)
-the location of earth in the universe
-the structure of the earth and basic surface form
-the motion of the earth and geographical coordinates
3. CRUST OF EARTH (Chapter 3)
- the physical and chemical composition of the crust
- geological structure & Plate tectonic theory
- volcano and earthquake
-crustal evolution and earth history
4. ATMOSPHERE AND CLIMATE SYSTEM (Chapters 4)
-atmospheric composition and heat energy.
- atmospheric precipitation
- atmospheric motion and weather system
- the formation and changes of climate
5. LAND AND OCEAN WATER (Chapters 5)
- the earth's water cycle and water system balance
- sea water and sea water movement
- river water and groundwater
-lakes and marshes
-glacier water
6. LANDFORMS (Chapters 6)
- landform formation and landform types
- fluvial landform and topography of Karst
- Glacial and periglacial landforms
- aeolian landform and loess landforms
-coastal and submarine geomorphology
7. THE PEDOSPHERE (Chapters 7)
- principles specific to material composition and characteristics of soil
-the type of soil characteristics and spatial distribution of rules
-chinese soil taxonomy system
8. ECLOGICAL COMMUNITY AND ECOLOGICAL SYETEM (Chapter 8)
- understanding the earth's biosphere
- biology and environment conservation
- biological populations, communities and ecosystems
- terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
- social, economic and natural complex ecosystem
- biological diversity protection
9. INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY(Chapter 9)
- the natural geographic environment of the whole
- regional differentiation of natural geographical environment
- the study of geographical regionalization
- the types of land use and land cover
- human and environment harmonious development
- summary of total main points of physical geography
