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Physical Geography > Chapter 2 Representations Of Earth > Flashcards

Chapter 2 Representations Of Earth Flashcards

1
Q

What is cartography?

A

The study and practice of making maps.

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2
Q

What are reference maps?

A

Maps that show the location of the geographic areas for general use.

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3
Q

What are thematic maps?

A

Maps that focus on a specific theme or subject area.

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4
Q

What does ‘thinking geographically’ mean?

A

Analyzing spatial relationships and patterns.

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5
Q

What shape is the Earth described as?

A

Oblate spheroid.

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6
Q

What is a great circle?

A

The largest circle that can be drawn on a sphere.

To find a great circle identify any line of longitude (meridian) or the equator, as these are the only lines that cut through the exact center of the Earth, creating a great circle

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7
Q

What is a hemisphere?

A

Half of the Earth, usually divided into northern and southern halves.

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8
Q

What is a small circle?

A

A circle on a sphere that is smaller than a great circle.

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9
Q

What is navigation?

A

The process of planning and controlling the movement of a vehicle.

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10
Q

What is a coordinate system?

A

A system for identifying locations on the Earth’s surface.

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11
Q

What is the equator?

A

An imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

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12
Q

What is latitude?

A

The distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees.

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13
Q

What is a sextant?

A

An instrument used for measuring angles in navigation.

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14
Q

What is the prime meridian?

A

The meridian at 0 degrees longitude.

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15
Q

What is longitude?

A

The distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees.

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16
Q

What are decimal degrees?

A

A numeric representation of latitude and longitude in decimal format.

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17
Q

What is the geographic grid?

A

A system of lines that create a grid over the Earth’s surface.

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18
Q

What is a parallel?

A

A line of latitude.

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19
Q

What is a meridian?

A

A line of longitude.

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20
Q

What is a time zone?

A

A region of the Earth that has the same standard time.

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21
Q

What is solar noon?

A

The time of day when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.

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22
Q

What is the International Date Line?

A

An imaginary line that separates calendar days.

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23
Q

What is the Township and Range Survey System?

A

A method for surveying land in the United States.

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24
Q

What is the U.S Public Lands Survey System?

A

A system for surveying and dividing public lands in the U.S.

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25
Q

What is a principal meridian?

A

A north-south line used in land surveying.

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26
Q

What is a base line?

A

An east-west line used in land surveying.

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27
Q

What is a township?

A

A square unit of land in the Township and Range Survey System.

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28
Q

What is a section?

A

A subdivision of a township, typically one square mile.

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29
Q

What are Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS)?

A

Satellite systems used for navigation and positioning.

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30
Q

What is the global positioning system (GPS)?

A

A GNSS used for determining precise locations.

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31
Q

What is a map projection?

A

A method for representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map.

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32
Q

What is a planar projection?

A

A map projection that displays the Earth on a flat surface.

33
Q

What is a conic projection?

A

A map projection that uses a cone to represent the Earth’s surface.

34
Q

What is a cylindrical projection?

A

A map projection that wraps the Earth in a cylinder.

35
Q

What is the Mercator projection?

A

A cylindrical map projection that distorts size but preserves shape.

36
Q

What is a conformal map?

A

A map that preserves angles but distorts area.

37
Q

What is an equal-area map?

A

A map that preserves area but distorts shape.

38
Q

What is an azimuthal projection?

A

A map projection that displays the Earth from a specific point.

39
Q

What is a gnomonic projection?

A

A map projection that shows great circles as straight lines.

40
Q

What is a compromise projection?

A

A map projection that attempts to minimize distortion in all aspects.

41
Q

What is a legend on a map?

A

A key that explains the symbols used on a map.

42
Q

What is map scale?

A

The relationship between distance on the map and distance on the ground.

43
Q

What is a verbal scale?

A

A scale expressed in words, such as ‘1 inch equals 1 mile.’

44
Q

What is a graphic (bar) scale?

A

A scale represented by a bar that shows distance.

45
Q

What is a representative fraction (RF) scale?

A

A scale expressed as a ratio, such as 1:100,000.

46
Q

What is magnetic declination?

A

The angle between magnetic north and true north.

47
Q

What is azimuth?

A

The angle between a reference direction and a point.

48
Q

What is bearing?

A

The direction or path along which something moves.

49
Q

What is discrete data?

A

Data that can be counted and has distinct values.

50
Q

What is continuous data?

A

Data that can take any value within a range.

51
Q

What is an isoline?

A

A line on a map that connects points of equal value.

52
Q

What are topographic contours?

A

Lines on a map that represent elevation.

53
Q

What is a contour interval?

A

The difference in elevation between adjacent contour lines.

54
Q

What is a profile?

A

A cross-sectional view of the terrain.

55
Q

What is gradient (slope)?

A

The steepness of a line or surface.

56
Q

What is remote sensing?

A

The acquisition of information about an object without physical contact.

57
Q

What are drones?

A

Unmanned aerial vehicles used for various purposes.

58
Q

What is an unoccupied aerial system (UAS)?

A

A system that includes drones and their control systems.

59
Q

What is a photograph?

A

An image captured using a camera.

60
Q

What is a digital image?

A

An image created or captured in a digital format.

61
Q

What is a pixel?

A

The smallest unit of a digital image.

62
Q

What is spatial resolution?

A

The level of detail in a digital image.

63
Q

What are passive systems?

A

Remote sensing systems that detect natural energy.

64
Q

What are active systems?

A

Remote sensing systems that emit their own energy.

65
Q

What is aerial photography?

A

The taking of photographs from the air.

66
Q

What is near-infrared (NIR)?

A

A type of light used in remote sensing.

67
Q

What is thermal infrared (TIR)?

A

A type of light used to measure temperature.

68
Q

What is sonar?

A

A system that uses sound waves to detect objects underwater.

69
Q

What is radar?

A

A system that uses radio waves to detect objects.

70
Q

What is weather radar?

A

Radar used to detect precipitation and weather patterns.

71
Q

What is surface imaging radar?

A

Radar that provides images of the Earth’s surface.

72
Q

What is lidar?

A

A remote sensing method that uses light to measure distances.

73
Q

What is multispectral remote sensing?

A

Remote sensing that captures data across multiple wavelengths.

74
Q

What are visualization models?

A

Models used to represent data visually.

75
Q

What is a geographic information system (GIS)?

A

A system for capturing, storing, and analyzing geographic data.

76
Q

What are digital map layers?

A

Layers of data used in GIS to represent different features.

77
Q

What is a digital elevation model (DEM)?

A

A 3D representation of a terrain’s surface.

78
Q

What is draping?

A

The process of overlaying data on a digital elevation model.

79
Q

What are geospatial technologies?

A

Technologies used to collect, analyze, and visualize geographic data.

Physical Geography (4 decks)

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