concepts: The pattern

Patterns are distinctive arrangements of things or objects. Patterns often involve repetitions of designs or shapes. Geography studies spatial patterns: the arrangement of features on the earth's surface, and temporal patterns: how characteristics, trends and features change over time in recognisable ways.

A - Patterns exist in every aspect of our lives. Patterns are all around us. Some are obvious, others less so. Patterns are repeated designs or arrangements of things like shapes and numbers that can be identified. There are patterns in music, dance, architecture, painting, sports, nature, the seasons and our daily routines. The school day has an arrangement of class times, and intervals. This is a pattern that repeats over time - it may be the same pattern every day or be a weekly cycle.

B - Geography has an interest in patterns that exist in present day landscapes, especially patterns to do with location and distribution. Patterns connected with the use of space (land area) are called spatial patterns. Geography also studies how things have changed over time (temporal patterns). Geography identifies, describes and explains patterns that exist in both the natural and cultural world. Geography studies patterns at different scales: local, regional and global.

C - Patterns reflect the past and provide a window into the future. The work of nature and the actions of people have created present day landscapes. This has happened over time, slowly in some places and rapidly in others. Looking at the trends - how the patterns have developed over time - provides a way of predicting and projecting into the future.

There are two types of patterns in geography, that we are concerned with:

Spatial Patterns - variation over space

Temporal Patterns - variation over time