The Australian Physical Environment uses a systems approach to introduce students to the three critical aspects of the physical environment: the atmosphere, the biosphere, and the lithosphere. International and national comparative examples are used to place Australia's unique environment within a global context.Winner of an Australian Education Publishing Award 2009Oxford University Press is proud to announce that The Australian Physical Environment was a Tertiary (Wholly Australian) Single Title joint category winner. The judges commented that the text was an "important and useful contribution to a field dominated by US textbooks, the book integrates Australian and international information well. Following a systems approach it employs a strong learning framework including case studies and around the world comparative examples."Congratulations to Howard Bridgman, Deidre Dragovich and John Dodson.

Table of Contents

Part 1 - IntroductionChapter 1 Australia in the Physical WorldChapter 2 The Earth in Space and TimePart 2 - The Atmosphere and the Climate SystemChapter 3 The Global Energy SystemChapter 4 Atmospheric CirculationChapter 5 Hydrologic Systems and Atmospheric ProcessesChapter 6 Ocean - Atmosphere InteractionsChapter 7 Climatic EnvironmentsPart 3 - The Surface of the EarthChapter 8 The Development of teh LandscrapeChapter 9 Landscapes, Sediments, and Soil DevelopmentChapter 10 Water in the LandscapeChapter 11 Aeolian LandformsChapter 12 Coastal LandformsPart 4 - The BiosphereChapter 13 Historical BiogeographyChapter 14 Ecological BiogeographyChapter 15 Communities and EcosystemsPart 5 - Looking Towards the FutureChapter 16 Current Trends in Environmental SystemsAppendix: Field Maps: A Key Tool for Geography and Environmental Science