Chapter 1 Flashcards
Physical geography
natural in origin, environmental geography
human geography
human activity, including cultural (languages), economic, political, urban geography
hypothesis
must be testable –> must be a way to prove it wrong
uncertainty
scientists often say “this may suggest’ and say “more research needed”
cautious approach
lithosphere
solid, inorganic part of crust
- contains crust + minerals on bedrock
atmosphere
envelope of air contains gases needed to live
dynamic + most dense at sea level
hydrosphere vs cryosphere
hydro - water in all forms
cryo - frozen (snow, ice)
biosphere + biota
biosphere - everywhere living organisms exist
biota - living organisms
interconnectedness of spheres
soil - contains minerals (lithosphere), life forms (biosphere), air (atmosphere), soil moisture (hydrosphere), frozen water in pores (cryosphere)
open vs closed system
open –> most earth systems are open since energy enters it (inputs i.e. solar radiation) and energy exits it (outputs i.e. meltwater)
closed –> self contained, isolated (earth as a whole with regards to matter)
positive vs negative loops
positive –> causes more of something/reinforces it
ex: arctic ice –> melts from sun, water becomes hotter, more melts
negative –> inhibits a change
ex: hotter temperatures, more water vapor, cloud cover, temperatures reduce
tipping point
point where negative feedback breaks down –> system needs to re-attain equilibrium
plane of equator
equator –> imaginary plane splits north+south pole line in half at 90 degree angle
great circle
result of a plane that divides a sphere into 2 equal halves (hemispheres)
ex: equator
small circle
same idea as great circle, but plane can intersect anywhere (does not need to divide sphere into 2 equal halves)
great circle properties
1) largest circle that can be drawn on sphere
2) great circle routes –> shortest path between two points is along great circle arc
latitude
rungs of ladder
measured as angle from center of earth to any location on earth
parallel
Line connecting all points of same latitude
(parallel to all latitude lines)
Lines of latitude
1) Equator 0
2) Tropic of Cancer 23.5 N
3) Tropic of Capricon 23.5 S
4) Arctic Circle 66.5 N
5) Antarctic Circle 66.5 S
6) North Pole 90 N
7) South Pole 90 S
Zones of latitude
1) Low latitude: equator to 30 N/S
2) Midlatitude: 30 to 60 N/S
3) Highlatitude: above 60 N/S
4) Equatorial: within few degrees of equator
5) Tropical: between 23.5 North/South
6) Subtropical: farther away from tropical –> 25 to 30 degrees N/S
7) Polar –> within few degrees of poles
Meridians
lines of longitude
not parallel except at equator
Prime meridian
Greenwich, England
(at the time chosen, more than 2/3 of world’s shipping used it)
longitude
angle between plane through Greenwich + any point on Earth
Effect of Earth’s rotation
1) Day + night
2) Tides
3) Coriolis effect (opposite movement of wind + ocean currents in North vs South hemisphere
Earth’s orbit around sun
23.5 tilted to North
eliptical
- perihelion: closest to sun on Jan 3
- aphelion: farthest from sun on July 4
seasons caused by
1) rotation
2) revolution (around sun)
3) inclination (23.5)
4) polarity (always points in same direction –> to north star)
circle of illumination
dividing line between daylight + night hemispheres
declination of sun
latitude receiving vertical rays of sun
solar altitude
height of noon sun at dif latitudes
june solstice
vertical rays of sun hit tropic of cancer
September equinox
vertical rays of sun hit equator
december solstice
vertical rays of sun hit tropic of capricon
march equinox
same as september equinox
movement of vertical rays
only strike between tropic of cancer + capricorn
starting in march, moves north to cancer, then back down all way to capricorn
angle of incidence
ray at which sun’s rays hit latitude
higher angle –> warmer
equator –> warmer bc higher angle of incidence
poles –> lower angle of incidence
time zones
15 degree meridians apart, 1 hour time intervals
exception India
3 factors cause unequal warming of earth
1) angle of incidence –> closer it is to 90 (vertical) means more heat in smaller spot, so warmer i.e. tropics
2) atmosphere –> higher angle rays go through less atmosphere + lose less energy
3) day length –> longer days –> more warming
insolation
exposure to sun’s rays
latitudinal radiation balance
energy surplus in tropics
energy deficit at poles
Solar altitude calculation
90 - Arc length
arc length - angle between area of interest and declination of sun
to find arc length:
** if in diff hemispheres, add area of interest + declination of sun **
** if in same hemisphere subtract **
