Chapter 1 Flashcards
Law of conservation of energy
The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be converted to one form to another.
Solar Constant
Solar radiation at the top of the Thermosphere (measured in watts per square meter)
System
any set of interrelated components or objects which are connected together to form a working unit or unified whole.
Types of System
Open
Closed
Open System
A system with inputs and outputs that interacts with the surrounding environment
♣ May gain or lose energy
♣ The output is not the same as the input
input -> process -> output
Closed System
A system that is shut off from the surrounding environment, so that it is entirely self-contained in terms of energy and materials.
♣ no real difference in output/input
♣ no loss of anything.
Example of an open system
Photosynthesis
input: radiation from the sun, water, nutrients, co2
process: conversion of the energy and matter into stored chemical energy (plant sugars for example)
output: oxygen into our atmosphere
Another example:
Equilibrium
The system remains balanced over time
Metastable Equilibrium
Results from an abrupt change from one state to another
Steady-state Equilibrium
System values fluctuate around a steady average and maintains same operation level.
Dynamic Equilibrium
System values fluctuate around a stable average, but exhibits a trend overall.The trend can change over time.
“Thresholds/tipping points”
SyStem jumps to anew stable average condition.
Name the spatial themes
there are 5 SPATIAL THEMES
- Region
- Location
- Place
- Movement
- Human-Earth interaction
Lithosphere
Earth’s crust and upper mantle
Atmosphere
thin gaseous veil surrounding the Earth
Hydrosphere
Water on Earth
Biosphere
Interconnected web that links organisms with their physical environment (flora, fauna, ecosystems)
Who developed the system of diving the earth by latitude and longitude?
Ptolemy
Latitude of the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle
66.5° - 90° N/S
International Date Line
180°
Prime Meridian
0° (Greenwich, England)
Threshold
a moment in which a system can no longer maintain its character, so it lurches to a new operational level, which may not be compatible with previous conditions.
Gravity
- caused by movement in the Iron-Rich core
Great circle
Any circle drawn on the globe with its center coinciding with the center of the globe, bisecting the earth into two equal halves.
The equator is a great circle.
The arc of a great circle can be used to measure the shortest distance between any two points on the surface of the Earth.
One time zone spans how many degrees longitude?
15
Map
A representation, usually on a plane surface, of a region or place on Earth.
Scale
A proportion used in determining the dimensional relationship of a representation to that it represents
Map Projection
reduction of spherical Earth to a flat surface
2-D maps distort one or more
- Distance
- Direction
- Area
- Shape
- Proximity
Main Types of projections
4 MAIN TYPES
- Cylindrical (Mercator)
- Planar
- Conic
- Oval
Remote Sensing
The technique of obtaining information from a distance.
Acquisition of data about Earth’s surface from a satellite orbiting Earth or from other long distance methods.
Active remote sensors
direct a beam of Energy at a surface and analyze the difference in Energy reflected back
Passive remote sensors
record energy emitted from a surface (particularly infrared and visible light)
Geostationary satellite
- keep pace with the Earth’s orbit 35,400 -
- remaining centred over a single area of the Earth’s surface
Orbiting satellite
- orbit around the Earth at differing speeds and orbits
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
a computer system that gathers, stores, and analyzes geographic information, and displays it on demand.
Importance of GIS
helps geographers to monitor and calculate whether relationships between objects on a map are significant or merely coincidental
Geography
The study of interdependence and relationships among geographic areas, natural systems, processes, society and cultural activities over space.
Five themes of geographic education are
Location
Place
Movement
Regions
Human-Earth Interactions
Earth’s 4 spheres
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Geography (Leonard tang)
Geography is the study of how, where and why things are organized in space through time.
Physical geography
Landscape ecology Biogeography Hydrology Geomorphology Meteorology Climatology Glaciologist oceanography Soils
Earth Systems Concepts
SYSTEMS THEORY
SYSTEM FEEDBACK
SHSTEM EQUILIBRIUM
Example of a positive feedback loop
The Arctic sea ice albedo positive feedback loop.
4 criteria of a system
A set of interconnected elements
Boundaries exist
No randomness
Operates within acceptable limits
Types of scales
Written Scale
Representative Fraction
Graphic Scale
Written scale example
1 centimetre equals 5 kilometres
Representative fraction example
1:250,000 or 1/250,000 (no units)
Altering scale affects:
Area covered
Detail shown
Latitude
Angular distance north or south of the equator.
Parallel to the equator??
?????
Longitude
Angular distance east or west of prime meridian
???
Cylindrical Projection
Piece of paper, wrapped around earth, becomes a cylinder - Countries along the equator will be more accurate
- Distortion at the poles
Cylindrical Projection
Piece of paper, wrapped around earth, becomes a cylinder - Countries along the equator will be more accurate
- Distortion at the poles (things appear bigger)
Standard line along the equator
Mercator projection..
Standard Line
Where the point of contact is with the piece of paper in the projection.
Planar Projection
Standard ‘point’ at a pole.
Conic Projection
Standard line across the north america.
Small Circle
??
Solar wind
Clouds of electrically charged particles.
Energy from the sun
Electromagnetic
Solar Wind
