Geography

Department
Physical Geography
About the Program
We focus on the interactions between the atmosphere,
oceans and continents through our combined
expertise in the subfields of climatology, hydrology
and fluvial geomorphology.

Research in this area is strongly complemented by

ties with the human-environment interaction and
medical geography clusters within the department.
There are strong ties on campus with the Florida
Climate, Land Use and Environmental Change, and
Water Institutes, and faculty from Engineering,
Computer Science, Agriculture, and Urban and
Regional Planning. This program combines the
development of critical thinking with practical
experience of real world data sets and modern Surveying cross-sectional profile.
methodologies in order to prepare students for
positions in private sector firms, government agencies,
and academic appointments at universities and colleges.

Physical Geography Courses

Introductory level
GEO 2200 Introductory Physical Geography
A study of the development and distribution of landforms, climates, minerals, soils
and water resources. Interrelationships among the physical environment and
regional patterns formed by these elements are analyzed against man’s utilization
of them.
GEO2200L Physical Geography Laboratory
Laboratory in physical geography, for lab science credit. Changes in the magnitude of the 10-yr maximum
GEO 2242 Extreme Weather annual temperature in the last quarter of the
twentieth century
Introduction to the science of weather (what we get short term) and climate (what
we expect long term) and current scientific developments in such areas as extreme
weather prediction, global climate change and improved forecasting of events.

Intermediate level
GEO 3250/6255 Climatology
Genesis of regional climates and their global distribution. Emphasis on world
regional climatology. Secondary topics include applied climatology and
climate change.
GEO 3280/6398 Principles of Geographic Hydrology
Examines the effects of physical geography on the land-based portion of the
hydrologic cycle at the regional and basin scales. Includes discussion of
precipitation, infiltration and runoff.
GEO 3341/6348 Extreme Floods/Floods Seminar
Examines the world’s most extreme floods from the Pleistocene through present
due to various causes. Discusses physical and human aspects of flood warning,
preparedness, response and recovery throughout the world.
MET 3503/5504 Weather and Forecasting Rainwater cascading down steps on campus
Provides hands-on experience using weather instruments and making forecasts. during severe storm
Advanced level
GEO 4281/6282 Fluvial Morphology and Processes
Examines the nature and variety of fluvial processes and the origin and modification
of fluvial landforms. Includes discussion of environmental changes in rivers and
human activities in drainage basins.
GEO 4285/6938 Models in Geographic Hydrology
An investigation of the numerical and computational techniques available for the
extraction of geographic information from hydrometeorologic data.
GEO 4300/5305
Environmental Biogeography Part of the Atchafalaya River system, Louisiana.
Description and explanation of spatial patterns of
biodiversity, and underlying biophysical factors of human-environment
interactions. Past and present distributions of organisms and how patterns of
environmental variation influence the organisms. Biogeography is useful for
designing nature reserves, forecasting how climate change may affect organisms,
and explaining human adaptations to environmental variability. This class takes a
mostly ecological approach to understanding biogeography.
GEO5346 Natural Hazards
Multidisciplinary analysis of natural and man-induced environmental
catastrophes. Their perception and institutional adjustments.
GLY 4734 Coastal Morphology and Processes
Examines the nature and variety of coastal processes and the origin and
Bank erosion and exposed bank profile,
modification of environmental changes along coasts, including human activities in
Kissimmee River, Florida the coastal zone.
MET 4532/6530 Hurricanes
Meteorological and climatological concepts related to hurricanes. Forecasting
current activity, researching past storms and analyzing storm structure,
damage and future trends.
MET 4560/6565 Atmospheric Teleconnections
Atmospheric teleconnections are recurring large-scale patterns of pressure
and circulation anomalies. They can influence temperature, rainfall, storm
tracks and jet stream location and intensity. Course examines how these
patterns were discovered, how the index that characterizes the phase of each
teleconnection is calculated and the weather associated with different phases.
MET 4750/6752 Tracks of North American tropical cyclones 1850-2012
Atmospheric Data Analysis
How atmospheric data are collected and analyzed for meteorologic and
climatologic-scale research. Learn where to obtain various types of data
and how to analyze data to answer specific research questions.

Lightning and severe storm near St. Petersburg, Florida

Setting up to measure storms associated with the

summer seabreeze front, Florida.
Department supporting courses
GIS 3043/5107C Foundations of Geographic Information Systems
GEO 3162C/6160 Introductory Quantitative Analysis
GIS 4037/5038C Digital Image Processing
GEO 4167C/6161 Intermediate Quantitative Analysis
GEO 6938 Environmental Biogeography
GEO 4938/5305 Advanced Methods in GIS

Facilities
GIS/Remote Sensing laboratories
Fluvial Geomorphology laboratory

Core Faculty (Alphabetical order)

Matyas, Corene, Associate Professor, Email: matyas@ufl.edu
Areas of Specialization:
• Synoptic Climatology for Tropics and Middle Latitudes
• Tropical Cyclones
• Rainfall
• Natural Hazards Students tracking and measuring characteristics of intense storm.
• Spatial Analysis
• Remote Sensing of Rainfall
Mossa, Joann, Associate Professor, Email: mossa@ufl.edu
Areas of Specialization:
• Geomorphology
• Fluvial and Coastal Geomorphology
• Human Impacts and Disturbances on Rivers and Coasts
• River Restoration
• Fluvial and Coastal Hazards
• Riverine-Coastal Interactions
Waylen, Peter, Professor, Email: prwaylen@ufl.edu
Surveying bank erosion along the Kissimmee River, Florida
Areas of Specialization:
• Hydrology
• Hydro-climatological Variability
• Flood and Drought Frequencies
• Freeze and Heat Wave Hazards
• Global-scale Causes of Climate Variability
• Precipitation Variability
Related Faculty (Alphabetical order)
Binford, Michael, Professor
Blackburn, Jason, Assistant Professor
Fik, Timothy, Associate Professor
Southworth, Jane, Professor Conceptual interactions between atmosphere, oceans and continents over the southern isthmus
producing a mid-summer drought.