Physical Geography

"Physical Geography" by Mary Somerville is a mid-19th-century work exploring how the Earth's geology, climate, and landforms affect where plants, animals, and people live. The book begins by defining physical geography as the study of Earth, its oceans, the atmosphere, and all living things. It then looks at geological ideas, like Earth's place in space and the forces inside it that build continents and mountains. This start lays the groundwork for talking about different periods in Earth's history and shows how geology links to other parts of physical geography when affecting society and the world around us.