Janice Wheelock age 12 of Frankforts N, Y,,, for her question:

What is physiography?

Geography is the study of the face of the earth as we find it. Physiography goes further. It tries to explain how this or that surface feature occurred. It describes the formation of mountains, plains and rivers, When we look at the earth in this way, we see that the landscape is far from permanent, This plain was once a vast swamp, that mountain was once a deep ditch. Ancient glaciers once clawed over these rolling hills,

As a rule, the face of the earth changes very slowly and we do not notice much difference in one short lifetime. The physiologist, however, studies layers of rooks on and below the surface. Here is limestone, which means that this area was once under the sea. Here are great gouges in the rocks which could have been made only by an ancient glacier. The rocks in the crest of this mountain were laid down in a low flying swamp and then pushed up to meet the sky.