Programme

Introduction to Physical Geography; composition and layering of the atmosphere; radiative balance of the Sun/Earth/atmosphere system; air temperature; atmospheric pressure and winds; general circulation of the atmosphere; air moisture and precipitation; cyclones and anticyclones; weather and climate; climate classification and spatial distribution; Italian climate; climate changes; hydrologic cycle; sea; physocal and chemical features of marine water; ocean moviments (waves, currents, tides); general introduction to geographic maps; map scale; shape of the Earth (ellipsoid and geoid) and datum; geographic network; longitude and latitude; geographic projections; triangulation; UTM; cartographic symbols; map reading and interpretation; Italian cartographic production; exercises on topographic maps at different scales concerning: computation of geographic and metric (UTM and Gauss-Boaga systems) coordinates; drawing of topographic profile and of drainage divide, computation of percentage and angular slope, of point elevation, of planimetric and real distance, of magnetic declination for correct map orientation.

Core Documentation

MCKNIGHT T.H. & HESS D.H., GEOGRAFIA FISICA. COMPRENDERE IL PAESAGGIO. PICCIN, PADOVA

LUPIA PALMIERI E. & PAROTTO M., IL GLOBO TERRESTRE E LA SUA EVOLUZIONE, ZANICHELLI, BOLOGNA

SAURO U., MENEGHEL M., BONDESAN A. & CASTIGLIONI B. – DALLA CARTA TOPOGRAFICA AL PAESAGGIO. ATLANTE RAGIONATO. – ZETABETA EDITRICE SRL, VICENZA

MORI A. – LE CARTE GEOGRAFICHE E LA LORO LETTURA E INTERPRETAZIONE. – LIBRERIA GOLIARDICA, PISA

Type of delivery of the course

32 h lessons 24 h lab activity

Type of evaluation

a written test, some exercises on maps, an oral examination