Introduction to Regional Geography: South America

1
Introduction to Regional Geography South
America

• Definitions
• Spatial and natural characteristics
• The boundaries of the continent

2
Introduction to Regional Geography South
America

• Definitions
• Geography
• Study of the physical and human processes that
  shape the earths surface.
• Region
• Is an unity of the earths surface which
  possesses distinct physical characteristics and
  human development

3
Composition and Structure of the
AtmosphereIntroduction

• Atmosphere contains
• mixture of gas molecules
• suspended particles (solid and liquid)
• falling precipitation
• Meteorology
• studies the atmosphere and the processes that
  cause weather
• Weather
• the condition of the atmosphere at any particular
  place and time
• Climate
• represents the long-term behavior of the
  atmosphere at a given region

4
Composition and Structure of the Atmosphere
Composition of the Atmosphere

• Permanent gases (constant proportion in the
  atmosphere)
• 99.999 of atmospheric mass
• Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Neon, Helium, Krypton,
  Xenon, Hydrogen
• Variable gases (small percentage, but impact the
  behavior of the atmosphere)
• Water Vapor, Carbon Dioxide, Ozone, Methane
• Homosphere
• lowest 80 km - region of chemical homogeneity
• Heterosphere
• region above the homosphere - lighter gases (H
  and He)