Exam 1 Flashcards
Tilt of the earth’s axis
23.5 degrees from plane of ecliptic
Tilt of the earth’s axis
axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from plane of eliptic
Summer Solstice
June 21
Northern hemisphere turned maximally toward the sun
over head sun at the tropic of cancer (23.5 degrees north)
Longest day and shortest night in northern hemisphere
Winter Solstice
occurs on or about december 21; earth’s north pole is directly away from the sun; sun’s rays are at 23.5*S (Tropic of Capricorn); 8 hours of light 16 hours of darkness; also called winter, december solstice
heterosphere
gases not evenly mixed, separate on basis of their weight. the heavier the gas, the closer it is to the globe. 80-480km above the earths surface.
thermosphere
the uppermost layer of the atmosphere.
Temp very high but has very little heat
Mesosphere
he middle layer; coldest. Temperature decreases as altitude increases
Stratosphere
The layer of the atmosphere that lies between the troposphere and the mesosphere and in which temperature increases as altitude increases; contains the ozone layer
troposphere
lowest level of the atmosphere, based on temperature. 0-18km. has 90% of the mass of the atmosphere. temperature decreases with elevation throughout the atmosphere.
What are 3 ways that net radiation is expended by?
- latent heating
- sensible heating
- ground heating/cooling
Latent Heat
heat transfer due to evaporation or condensation of water
The greenhouse effect
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb longwave radiation water vapor (#1) Carbon dioxide methane and others
convection/advection
heat transfer of energy through movement of mass
convection-vertical movements
advection- horizontal
mainly atmosphere and oceans
conduction
molecule to molecule transfer of heat energy
transfer of heat from warmer substances to cooler substances
What is albedo? What kind of surfaces have high albedo?
Albedo is earth’s reflection
Avg earth albedo is 31%
High albedos: snow and ice, desert sand, clouds
Lines of longitude are parallel and converge at the poles?
False
The sun emits radiant energy composed of?
visible, ultraviolet, infared
The # of hours of sunshine varies with latitude?
True
The earth does one of these every 365.25 days
revolution
Graphic scale
if you enlarge the map you can still use the scale
no units but if enlarged the scale is no longer usable
Ratio scale
Geography
the study of the earth’s physical and cultural features
method not a body of knowledge
physical geography
s the spatial analysis of all physical elements and processes that make up the environment.
Latitude
The distance north or south from the equator; expressed in degrees.
Longitude
angular distance east or west on the earth’s surface, measured by the angle contained between the meridian of a particular place and some prime meridian, as that of Greenwich, England, and expressed either in degrees or by some corresponding difference in time.
Polar
very cold, no rain(H), N. & S. poles
Daylength
# of hours of sunshine varies with latitude no variability at the equator greatest variability at the poles
Principal Temp Controls
latitude
Altitude
cloud cover
Land-water differences
Geography is the interconnection of ____ (4).
- Natural systems
- Geographic areas
- Society
- Cultural activities
Hurricanes move ____ to ___ and curve to the _____.
east to west, north
The arctic is ___ degrees to the North Pole.
66.5 degrees
The Antarctic is ____ degrees to the south pole.
66.5 degrees
____ is 23.5 degrees north
Equatorial
___ is 23.5 degrees south
tropical
____ receive more concentrated insolation due to Earth’s curvature– 2.5 times more than poles!!!
tropics
Longitude is related to ____.
Time
lines of equal longitude are called ______. –not parallel to each other
meridians
_____ serves as the standard for time.
Prime meridian
What is the universal time?
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Remote sensing can see wavelengths in the ____, ____, and _____
ultraviolet, infrared, and/or microwave range
How much time is Earth from the sun?
8.20
Orbit is _______.
Elliptical
Earth is closest to the sun on _____
January 3rd, perihelion (147,000,000 km)
Earth is farthest away from the sun on?
July 4th, aphelion
152,000,000 km
When the solar wind reaches the poles it is the ______.
Aurora Borealis
On its way to earth, the solar wind first encounters _______.
the magnetosphere
The sun emits which kind of radiation?
shortwave radiation aka solar radiation
The Earth emits which kind of radiation?
longwave radiation, aka terrestrial radiation
What is incoming solar radiation?
insolation
Places where the sun’s rays are perpendicular receive ____ ___
more insolation
Amount of incoming radiation that comes from the sun. varies with season and location because of seasonality.
Insolation
incoming solar radiation that reaches earth. Blue wavelengths are unable to pass back through the atmosphere, causing the sky to appear blue.
insolation
The sun can only be ____ ____ in tropics.
directly overhead
What is 23.5 degrees North?
tropic of cancer
What is 23.5 degrees South?
tropic of capricorn
Why do we have seasons?
- revolution
- rotation
- tilt of earth’s axis
- axial parallelism
- sphericity
What direction does earth rotate?
counterclockwise (west to east)
What is the atmosphere composed of?
- Nitrogen (78%)
- Oxygen (21%)
- Argon (.9%)
- Carbon dioxide (0.039%)
- -All others (.06%) Trace gases
All the atmosphere gases are held down by _____.
gravity
what percent of earth is covered by clouds at any given time?
50%
What decreases exponentially with height?
Pressure
Pressure is highest at ___ ____.
sea level
What are 3 natural factors that affect air pollution?
- Winds
- Local and regional landscapes
- Temperature inversion
What are three ways to examine the atmosphere?
- composition
- temperature
- function
____ is where the gases are evenly mixed (78% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen, act)
homosphere
The temperature normally ___ throughout the troposphere.
Decreases
T/F: Lines of latitude run east to west and are parallel.
True
True or False: In the homosphere, the atmosphere contains 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and .9% argon.
True
T/F: Lines of latitude are parallel and converge at the poles.
False
The earth emits energy composed of _____ wavelengths.
infrared wavelengths
What is the tilt of the earths axis on the spring equinox?
23.5 degrees
What information do you need to guess a locations temperature? (4)
- latitude
- altitude
- proximity to coast
- cloud cover
