Unit PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND GIS
- Course
- Earth science and environment
- Study-unit Code
- A004560
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Laura Melelli
- Teachers
-
- Laura Melelli
- Hours
- 52 ore - Laura Melelli
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2025
- Offered
- 2025/26
- Learning activities
- Base
- Area
- Formazione geologica di base
- Academic discipline
- GEO/04
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- PART ONE - PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
1. The Earth: introduction
2. Global energy balance
3. Air temperature
4. Atmospheric circulation and precipitation
5. Winds and Global Circulation
6. Meteorological systems
7. Climate and climate change
SECOND PART - GIS
1. The representation of the earth's surface
2. Maps and globes
3. The reading of topographic and thematic maps
4. GIS (Geographical Information Systems). - Reference texts
- 1. Alan Strahler “Fondamenti di Geografia fisica” (2015) ed. italiana a cura di Elvio Lavagna e Guido Lucarno. Zanichelli ed. ISBN 978-8808167545
2. Elvio Lavagna, Guido Lucarno (2014) “Geocartografia. Guida alla lettura delle carte geotopografiche”, Zanichelli ISBN: 978-8808157898 - Educational objectives
- Knowledge of the main endogenous and exogenous phenomena and the interactions between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
Ability to link causes and effects inherent to endogenous and exogenous phenomena on the planet. Reading and interpretation of geographical and topographical maps.
Knowledge of Geographical Information Systems useful for input, visualisation and project creation. - Prerequisites
- Student must have minimum knowledge (acquired during the high school of second degree) on phenomena that interact on the planet Earth. The teacher will evaluate informally previous knowledge of the students so that they can remedy in the initial stage of course, of the cognitive gaps and bringing students to a base level as uniform as possible. After this stage will start the course proper.
- Teaching methods
- Theoretical lessons and practical training
- Other information
- No other additional information
- Learning verification modality
- Oral examination lasting at least 20 minutes in which students will be evaluated on the ability to express the knowledges acquired by individual study and the ability to develop logical arguments cause / effect.
During the oral examination, a geographical reading of a topographical map at a scale of 1.25.000 based on the elements discussed in the lecture is also included.
Informations about support for DSA students are available at http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa - Extended program
- PART ONE - PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
1. The Earth: introduction
1.1 The shape and motions of the Earth
1.2 Global weather
2. Global energy balance
2.1 Electromagnetic radiation
2.2 Insolation on the Earth's surface
2.3 Composition of the atmosphere
2.4 Energy transfer
2.5 Global energy system
2.6 Net radiation, latitude and energy balance
3. Air Temperature
3.1 Factors and temperature trends
3.2 Daily and annual air temperature cycle
3.3 Air temperature in the world
3.4 Historical temperature data and global warming
4. Atmospheric circulation and precipitation
4.1 Water and the environment
4.2 Atmospheric humidity
4.3 Adiabatic processes
4.4 Clouds and Fog
4.5 Precipitation (thunderstorms, tornadoes)
4.6 Air Quality
5. Winds and Global Circulation
5.1 Atmospheric Pressure
5.2 Winds
5.3 Cyclones and anticyclones
5.4 Global Pressure and Wind Distribution
5.5 High Altitude Winds
5.6 Ocean Currents
6. Weather systems
6.1 Air masses and fronts
6.2 Mid-latitude anticyclones and cyclones
6.3 Tropical and equatorial weather systems
6.4 Energy and moisture transfer towards the Poles
7. Climates and climate change
7.1 Climates: generalities
7.2 Classification of climates
PART TWO - GIS
2 The Representation of the Earth's Surface
Maps and globes
The cartographic scale
Geographic projections
The reading of topographic and thematic maps. The topographic section. Calculation of latitude and longitude
GIS (Geographical Information Systems): data formats and principles of spatial analysis.
The management of Cartographic Reference Systems in GIS.
Global navigation satellite systems
Notes on remote sensing and photointerpretation
Cartographic portals for numerical spatial and territorial data. - Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
- 11, 13, 14, 15