Exam 1 Flashcards
What does geography mean?
From geo “earth” and graphic “to write”
What is spatial analysis?
The examination of spatial interactions, patterns, and variations over are and or/space.
What is systems theory?
Order, interrelated set of things and their attributes (flows of energy and matter)
What is a closed system?
Shut off from the surrounding environment
What is an open system?
Receive inputs and outputs from without
What is system feedback?
Outputs the influence operation;outputs function as information that returns to various points in the system via called feedback loops
What is system equilibrium?
Energy and material in a system that remains balanced over time
What is latitude?
Parallel lines, up and down on a globe
What is longitude?
Horizontal lines that go side to side
What is a map?
A generalized view of an area, as seen from above and reduced in size.
What is remote sensing?
Collection of information about an object from a distance through registering electromagnetic energy
What is GIS?
Geographical information system and they combine spatial and attribute data
What are inner planets?
Formed mostly of rock and metal(solid at high T)
Mercury, Venus,Earth, Mars
What are outer planets?
Are built of ice over rocky cores, massive and cool enough to hold thick layers of gas
Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus, and Neptune
What are the 3 things that define a planet?
Orbits sun
Spherical
Clears material and orbit
What is perihelion?
Earth’s closest position to sun
What is Aphelion?
Earth’s farthest position to sun
What is the plane of earth’s orbit?
Plane of eliptic
What is a cause sunspots?
Magnetic storms
What happens during a sunspot?
Explosions(solar flares)
Outbursts of gases
What is solar wind?
Clouds of electrically charged particles
Describe the earth’s magnetosphere
2 magnetic metals move past one another
Create magnetic field
Flow of the outer core around inner core creates this field
This protects us from radiation poisoning
What is insolation?
Incident solar radiation
What is the electromagnetic spectrums?
The spectrum which lets us view light but also has many other invisible energy Rays
What is seasonality?
Refers to seasonal variations of the sun’s position above the horizon and changing day lengths during the year
What’s the reason for seasonal changes?
Is the Suns altitude, where the sun is facing on the planet, the angle the sun is at
5 reasons for seasons
Revolution Rotation Tilt of Earth's Axis Axial parallelism Sphericity
What is revolution?
Earth revolves around the sun
What is rotation?
Earth rotates on axis once every 24 hours (day)
What is air?
Blended gases, odorless,colorless,tasteless,formless
What is the atmosphere made of?
Two regions which are Heterosphere and Homosphere
What makes up 90% of atmosphere’s mass?
Troposphere
What did the clean air act do?
The U.S. federal law regulating air emissions from stationary and mobile sources
We saw a significant reductions in air pollution and higher quality of life
What is energy balance?
It’s a budget, input and output
What is energy?
Capacity to do work, or move matter
_______ is the measure of the average kinetic energy, or vibrational energy, of individual molecules.
Temperature
What is heat?
Is the flow of kinetic energy between molecules from one body to another
Heat flows from _____ temperature to _______ temperature?
High,low
What is radiation?
Electromagnetic waves
What is conduction?
Molecule to molecule diffusion (e.g., temp differences between dark and light)
Mixing and circulation (e.g.,air mass movements)
Convection
What is advection?
Directional movements(e.g., horizontal winds)
Molecule to molecule transfer of heat as it diffused through a substance is known as what?
Conduction
In energy pathways what is transmission?
Passage of energy through the atmosphere and water
In energy pathways what is scattering
Changing direction of radiation waves without altering wavelengths
In energy pathways what is refraction?
Change in speed and direction of radiation
Why is the sky blue (what principle)?
Rayleigh scattering
A measure of the surface’s reflective quality(or intrinsic brightness) is known as what?
Albedo
What is the greenhouse effect?
The atmosphere acts a bit different, long wave radiation is not trapped like an actual greenhouse, atmosphere delays transfer of heat from Earth into space
What are clouds useful for?
Either cooling or heating
What is boundary layer?
Exchange of energy between lower atmosphere & surface
Small-scale climate conditions due to radiation, heat, and moisture exchanges in the boundary layer at or near Earth’s surface
Microclimate
________ microclimates are different than ________.
Urban;nonurban
What is net radiation?
Energy budget should balance over time, this occurs through no radiative processes
A form of energy that flows between two systems or objects
Heat
What is temperature?
A measure of the average kinetic energy (motion) of individual molecules of matter
What are the three types of scales?
Fahrenheit
Celsius
kelvin
________ decreases w/ increasing _________
Temperature; altitude
List some of the physical differences between land and water:
Evaporation Transparency Specific heat Movement Ocean currents Sea-surface Temperatures
Line of consistent value
Isotherm
What 2 things are caused by wind chills?
Frostbite: body tissue that froze
hypothermia: your body temperature drops to low
What are heat cramps?
Painful, involuntary muscle spams, typically in your calves, arms, abdomen and back
What is heat exhaustion?
Weak and rapid pulse
Low blood pressure
Cool-moist skin w/ goose bumps
Faint/dizzy and nausea
What is heat stoke?
Body temperature of 104 F
What are 3 things included in the Heat Index Table
Heat cramps, Heat exhaustion, and Heat stroke
Atmospheric circulation is driven by the imbalance between:
Heavy insolation at the equatorial = energy surplus
Light insolation at the poles = energy deficit
What is Air Pressure?
Pressure (or force/area) created by air molecules
2 things used to measure air pressure are:
Mercury barometer; Aneroid barometer
What is the horizontal movement of air?
Wind
2 things that are used to measure wind
Anemometer
Wind vane
Driving forces within the atmosphere
Gravitational force Pressure gradient force Coriolis force Frictional force Summary of physical forces
What are trade winds?
Calm winds, mildly variable due to weak pressure gradient and upward (vertical) movement (doldrums)
What are 3 types of local winds?
Land-sea breezes
Mountain-valley breeze
Katabatic winds
Circular flows of water in the ocean basins, tied to high pressure systems
Gyres
Strong east-west currents
Equatorial
Piling-up of water on the eastern coasts of continents
Western intensification
Where currents sweep away water
Upwelling
Where currents pile-up water
Down welling
Deep currents driven by differences in temp and salinity
Thermohaline circulation
What is El Niño?
Happens every 2-12 years
Affects global temperatures
Can occur as early as spring and last all year long
Higher pressures over the western Pacific
What does arid mean?
Refers to the amount of water available
