Geography is one of the most fascinating and necessary sciences for humanity. Were it not for the era of the great geographical discoveries, we still would not know in what vast and diverse world we live. In a word, almost every person needs key knowledge in this discipline.
Do you know what a geographic process is? This is one of the key concepts, on the understanding of which the quality and quantity of knowledge depends not only on geography itself, but also on many related sciences.
Basic concepts
The word "process" itself implies a successive change of some phenomena or even entire formations. The geographic process (we will give examples below) is the formation of new formations both on the surface of the planet and in its bowels. The various agents of morphogenesis are responsible for these changes. Most scientists characterize such phenomena with the word “dynamic”, since they believe (and not without reason) that only such morphological forces can lead to serious changes.
A similar point of view is fully confirmed by the fact that many geographical processes are (to one degree or another) relief-transforming, since they directly affect the previously existing landscape, actively transforming it.
Many may not understand from a scientific explanation what a geographical process is. The examples are quite diverse, but you can immediately recall the movement of tectonic plates. This is just a dynamic (see above) phenomenon, which leads to serious morphological changes not only in the landscape of a particular area, but also in the whole planet. The continental drift, therefore, is also ideally suited to the definition discussed above.
The importance of the concept
It is not at all surprising that the study of these phenomena is considered the foundation of geography and geology. As the theoretical model of V.M. Davis, the term "process" occupies an important place between structural and staged changes, and yet the studies of this scientist are still considered one of the most profound and important. In this article, we will try not only to give the phenomenon a detailed definition by answering the question of what a geographical process is, but also give an example of its typing.
Key Features
The basic characteristic of geographical processes is that they, while actively participating in the morphogenesis of the earth's surface, also contribute to the movement of substances near it, which serves as an indicator of their importance in lithogenesis. Accordingly, when analyzing their common role, we can come to conclusions about the necessary directions of typing.
In fairness, it is worth saying that there are many different classifications that approximately reflect the essence of geographic processes, but are based on only two or three principles, which is clearly not enough for serious research. We do not pretend to present an exhaustive way of typing. Rather, the article is devoted to the consideration of the role of geographical processes in nature and the possibility of their classification in principle.
Importance for nature
The geographic process of speciation implies the influence of geographic factors on the emergence of completely new varieties of living organisms: relief changes fundamentally affect the migration of animals and their diet. It is not surprising that under the influence of such factors new subspecies often appear.
The geological process of continental drift has led (and still leads) to a change in climatic conditions, the appearance and disappearance of hundreds of thousands of new species, many of which we will never know. It is these natural factors that contributed to the formation of oil, gas and fossil coal deposits.
Any processes in wildlife, no matter how insignificant in global terms they may look, can have a significant impact on the geographical landscape.
A bit about the factors of cosmic nature
It is generally believed that serious phenomena are solely caused by phenomena whose agents originated on the planet itself (rivers, winds, etc.). People completely forget about the initial stages of the Earth's development, when the main factors were the processes of cosmic nature. Of course, over time, when a normal atmosphere has developed, their importance has somewhat decreased, but we must not forget about them.
It is, for example, about the fall of meteorites. Scientists suggest that once a similar phenomenon led to the complete extinction of dinosaurs, while reigning supreme on the planet, as well as to significant climate change. On the Earth's surface, to this day, traces of the fall of celestial bodies are noticeable, and in some areas there are giant craters from meteorites that fell many millions of years ago. This is not so much the processes of ecological and geographical speciation as the phenomenon of the complete destruction of many species of living things.
You should not assume that those times are over: if something like this happens again in our time, the terrain of the earth's surface will also seriously change, and you should not forget about climate transformations.
Thus, any geographic process (see photo in the article) is quite unstable: a change in the main agents, under the influence of which its dynamic modification occurs, can occur at any time.
What are they like?
Most often, scientists prefer not to complicate the issue under study, therefore, the simplest classification of such phenomena is widespread: lowering the surface, maintaining it in the same state or elevating the relief.
If this typology is superimposed on a timeline, it becomes clear that all processes lead either to disintegration of the surface (faults), or to its gradual leveling. Thus, any geographic process (we gave the definition of this term at the very beginning of the article) can be assigned to only one of two main groups. Of course, this approach is not true in every case, but under certain conditions this point of view is justified.
So, the gradual erosion of mountains (wind, water) in any case will lead to their transformation into a plain. An ideal example is the Ural Mountains, which, as a result of a complex geographic process that has been going on for thousands of years, have virtually ceased to be such.
Negative options
As often happens, not the most fundamental, but the most destructive and negative phenomena in relation to a person are in sight. Let's look at their most characteristic examples. You have probably guessed that we will discuss some geographical natural phenomena that have a particularly tangible effect on our lives.
Erosion . This is the process of degradation of soils and rocks, when their components are washed away by water and gradually collapse under the influence of wind. The most intense processes of this kind can be observed in the mountains and on hilly terrain due to the inept plowing of the land.
Landslides - the disruption of large masses of rocks under the influence of both gravity and precipitation. Such physical and geographical processes are characteristic of highlands.
They sat down . Extremely dangerous phenomenon. This is a rapid convergence of a mixture of soil, rock fragments, snow, water and ice. Mudflows can carry an entire city from the surface of the earth in just a few minutes. As you might guess, they are observed mainly in the mountains.
Karst . This phenomenon implies the appearance of large cavities in the bowels of the earth's crust. This is due to the characteristics of geological rocks that are prone to rapid leaching. For example, karst cavities form in limestone in a relatively short period of time.
- The gradual waterlogging of the territory due to the high level of groundwater, the composition and characteristics of soils. This phenomenon is characteristic of many regions of our country.
Thus, geographical natural phenomena are much more common than is commonly believed.
More about karst processes
It is generally accepted (and in some scientific journals you can come across a similar point of view) that karst processes do not have such a significant effect on the geographical and geological features of the area. This is far from the case.
Take, for example, the Yucatan Peninsula. The fact is that geologists and geographers often compare it with a huge head of cheese that someone threw into the ocean. This is due to the fact that its entire surface is literally dotted with dips and faults. And they, as you might have guessed, are just of karst origin. In this case, there is no denying that these geographical objects and phenomena had the most serious impact on the development of the landscape of the area.
In addition, karst on such a scale can contribute to some climate shifts. A large number of karst dips, at the bottom of which there are often lakes, are considered to be a factor predisposing to mitigation and humidification of the climate. In this area, it rains much more often, being one of the main agents of water erosion.
I would like to note that the position of karst processes in the classification series has not yet been clarified. They can be attributed to both underground and terrestrial processes. Most likely, they are included in both groups at the same time. Thus, this geographical process, the photos of which are shown in the article, is important from the point of view of the constant modification of the landscape of our planet.
Adverse Climate Processes
Drought, dry winds, storms, large hail and many other climatic processes - this is not a complete list of negative phenomena. Let's deal with some of them in more detail:
Dry wind . Hot and hot wind that occurs when the air temperature is over 25 degrees Celsius and its relative humidity is less than 25%. Within Russia, it practically does not occur, but is constantly observed in the Central Asian republics of the former USSR.
Storms are dust and sand. Constantly occur in areas where, due to soil erosion, plant roots are no longer able to strengthen the upper layers of the soil. Under these conditions, any wind can provoke the onset of a storm.
With a wind speed of over 29 meters per second, a hurricane occurs. This geographical process is extremely dangerous, since a powerful wind can provoke the appearance of giant waves at sea, blows off a huge amount of fertile soil, drowns even large ocean vessels.
Rain is considered an unfavorable geographical process if more than 50 millimeters of rain fall in 12 hours. This is extremely dangerous, since a large amount of water easily provokes the occurrence of powerful mudflows, landslides, and causes large floods.
- The city, whose diameter is more than 20 millimeters, also belongs to this category, since it can contribute to climate change in large areas due to the complete destruction of vegetation.
Typing
So how can geographic features and processes be classified? The typification of these phenomena should be carried out according to the formula, which immediately includes three elements: characteristics of the terrain, ongoing processes, as well as factors that directly or indirectly affect landscape changes. Keep in mind that a similar formula is used in soil science. But in the case under consideration, all factors must act on each other bi-directionally and simultaneously.
Usually there is a division into endogenous and
exogenous processes. But at present, almost all reputable scientists agree that such a classification is erroneous: these terms only indicate the localization of processes, but do not say anything about the reasons for their occurrence.
If we take the depth of the earth's surface as a basis, then practically all phenomena of this kind can be attributed to internal. The fact is that in practice it is often impossible to distinguish one or another geographic process. What does this mean for geography in general? Only that in the field, specialists who are guided by the above classification principle are forced to rely more on their experience and opinion than on a solid scientific base.
Therefore, we would like to say that it is much more efficient and justified to follow another principle of separation:
Geographic processes of tectonic origin. The most common, serve as the main cause of global relief changes.
Volcanic . Similar to the previous variety.
Isostatic .
Erosion-accumulative processes, which in the scientific literature are often referred to as fluvial.
Gravitational phenomena . Do not underestimate the gravity, which contributes significantly to the formation of new forms of surface relief.
Aeolian .
The formation of karst cavities , which we have already discussed above.
Suffosive .
Abrasive processes that are particularly pronounced in mountainous areas. Harder rocks constantly grind less stable formations, acting like sandpaper.
Phenomenon of cryogenic rock (and post-cryogenic) . Constant defrosting and freezing also contributes significantly to landscape changes. This is especially pronounced in the highlands.
Glacial processes.
Fluvioglacial phenomena.
The processes of biogenic nature. With them, everything is somewhat more complicated, since many underestimate the impact of wildlife on the surface of the planet. Meanwhile, it suffices to recall the formation of coal deposits in order to verify the erroneousness of this point of view.
Weathering and soil formation phenomena.
Cosmic phenomena. These include the incidence of large meteorites, from which in ancient times often formed giant craters.
- Anthropogenic processes.
More about anthropogenic processes
Much has been said about the ability of people to create environmental problems. The disappearance of species, the pollution of water and air ... Much less often, people are reminded that human activity is a powerful geographical process that can seriously change the surrounding landscape. Sometimes even on a planetary scale.
Many people know about the Great Wall of China, but not everyone thinks that it has seriously changed the geographical relief of the area. This construction is not only visible from space (which in itself fully confirms the above thesis). The wall at one time seriously violated the migration routes of many species; several small rivers were simply diverted or filled up for its construction, not to mention streams. Thus, in many areas through which it passes, the intensity of wind and water erosion was significantly reduced, which could not but affect the geographical features of the area.
About the same can be said about the construction and functioning of large cities. They seriously change, and sometimes make it completely impossible for animals to migrate, when they are erected and developed, riverbeds completely change, the actions of many agents of geographical processes are suspended or seriously limited.
Some varieties
As can be seen from the above classification, many processes are divided into subspecies, due to differences in the main agents that directly affect the landscape. For example, rivers flowing along the surface of the water are an agent of fluvial processes.
Depending on the environmental conditions in which one or another agent operates, the processes can be characterized somewhat more accurately: underwater, surface and underground. But what is a geographical process, if we talk about the time that is necessary for its manifestation? More precisely, how can they be classified in this case?
Typology in terms of chronology
All geographical processes can be divided into groups based on their chronological characteristics. According to the time of manifestation, they are modern, ancient and relic. In addition, they distinguish between permanent (rhythmic phenomena in the geographical envelope) and sporadic (temporary) phenomena. As for the flow rate, there are fast, instant and slow processes.
One should be very cautious about the last version of the classification: disputes about whether it is possible to “squeeze” geographical processes into some kind of time frame still do not subside. Much more important is their dynamics and ability to involve large groups of various factors that are involved in a change in topography.
Main conclusions
There are many varieties of classification, each of which has a right to exist. For example, not so long ago, a division into gravitational and anti-gravitational geographical processes in nature was proposed.
Of course, this approach is far from acceptable in all cases. In addition, it should be noted that the physical conditions of our planet do not allow us to seriously talk about the anti-gravity nature of some phenomena.This is what a geographic process is. As you can see, this concept is extremely important for understanding many phenomena that occur on our planet all the time, regardless of other conditions.