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Physical Geography Exam I > Exam I > Flashcards

Exam I Flashcards

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1
Q

What is geography and what does the word mean?

A

Geography is the study of physical features of earths atmosphere as well as the human activity that affects it and how human behavior is affected by these things

literally means “earth description”

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2
Q

What are the two ways in which we study geography?

A
  1. Physical - landform, plants weather etc.
  2. Cultural - populations languages religions
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3
Q

Geography acts as a bridge between the ________ and ____________.

A

social sciences and physical sciences

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4
Q

What are the four environmental spheres?

A
  1. Atmosphere
  2. Lithosphere (earth)
  3. Biosphere
  4. Hydrosphere
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5
Q

What is global environmental change an example of?

A

A positive feedback loop as a result of increasing temperature.

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6
Q

Where is earth in context of the solar system?

A

The 3rd planet from the sun

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7
Q

How old is the universe according to current theory?

A

13.7 billion years ago.

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8
Q

How old is the sun?

A

4.5 - 5 billion years old

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9
Q

How old is earth?

A

4.6 billion years ago

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10
Q

How many planets are in the solar system?

A

8 planets

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11
Q

What is the general size and shape of the earth?

A

Slightly off being a perfect sphere, with bulging at the equator.

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12
Q

What is earth’s diameter?

A

8000 miles

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13
Q

What is earth’s circumfrence?

A

25,000 miles

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14
Q

What is the significance of the equator?

A

It is a plane that passes through halfway to the poles that marks 0 degrees latitude

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15
Q

On what two dates are the sun’s rays directly overhead?

A

Spring equinox (March 19th)

Fall equinox (September 22nd)

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16
Q

What happens once per year at the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capicorn?

A

When the sun is directly overhead either 23.5 degrees north or south

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17
Q

What percentage of the earth’s surface is covered by water?

A

70%

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18
Q

What percent of the earth’s surface is covered by land?

A

30%

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19
Q

What is a geographical grid or graticule?

A

A way of looking at the earth’s surface using a grid system to identify specific points

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20
Q

What is the difference between latitude and longitude?

A

Latitude = parallels of the equator

Longitude is measured in degrees east or west of the prime meridian

(points meet up at the poles, not parallels)

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21
Q

Explain where the low latitudes, mid latitudes and high latitudes would be.

A

Low latitudes - 0-30 degrees N or S

Mid latitudes - 30 N/S- 60N/S

High latitudes - 60N/S- up

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22
Q

When was the current prime meridian established and why?

A

Established in 1884 in D.C.

Established because they wanted a principle reference line for east/west measurement.

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23
Q

What happens to the width of a degree of longitude when approaching the poles?

A

They shorten and converge at the poles, so where one degree at the equator is 111km, that same degree at the poles would be 0km

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24
Q

What is Wayne’s latitude and longitude?

A

42 degrees N

97 degrees W

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25
Q

What is a great circle and what can it be used for?

A

A great circle is any plane that bisects a sphere in perfect halves

  1. Determines the hemispheres (equator)
  2. Finds the shortest route between two points
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26
Q

What is the relationship between the Earth-Sun interaction and the seasons?

A

The earth does not receive energy from the sun in equal amounts everywhere during the course of it orbit around the sun

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27
Q

How is the earth’s rotation and its revolution around the sun different?

A

The earth’s rotation is the earth spinning like a top on its rotational axis

The earth orbiting the earth is the gravitational pull from the sun that brings that spinning earth around the sun.

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28
Q

What is the the plane of the Ecliptic?

A

The imaginary plane that is defined by earth’s orbital path around the sun.

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29
Q

What angle is earth’s axis tilted to the plane of the Ecliptic?

A

23.5 degrees

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30
Q

How are the seasons caused by earth’s movement around the sun?

A

Earth’s axis is tilted with respect to its orbital axis around the sun

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31
Q

What causes the annual march of the seasons?

A
  1. Latitude that receives the vertical rays of the sun
  2. The height of the sun at noon at particular latitudes
  3. The lengths of day at different altitudes
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32
Q

How does latitudinal position determine the vertical rays of the sun that hit the earth?

A

The vertical rays of sun only hit the earth between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.

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33
Q

If the sun is directly overhead at high noon on June 21st at the tropic of cancer, where will the sun be directly overhead on December 21st?

A

Tropic of Capicorn

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34
Q

On what two dates is the sun directly overhead (at local high noon) at the equator?

A

March 19th and September 22nd

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35
Q

What is the significance of seasonal patterns?

A

The length of the day, angle of the sun’s rays both contribute to the seasonal differences in temperature.

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36
Q

Why do the mid latitudes experience large seasonal temperature variations where low latitudes do not?

A

Because there are sizable variations in sun angles and length of days during the years.

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37
Q

Why are southern hemisphere winters generally less harsh than northern hemispheres?

A

Because the southern hemisphere has proportionally more ocean than land - there is very warm water when winter approaches, so there is a larger buffer period.

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38
Q

What causes night and day?

A

The rotation (spinning) of the earth

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39
Q

When and why were world time zones created?

A

D.C. 1884

because they wanted a standard timezones to avoid confusion

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40
Q

What is the International Date Line?

A

a meridian that is located at 180 degrees longitude for the purpose of re adjusting timelines (goes a day forward or backward)

W to E = day earlier

E to W day later

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41
Q

Why is the International Date Line not straight?

A

Because it deviates around a few groups of islands so the people who inhabit those areas aren’t days apart.

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42
Q

What is the difference between a map and a globe?

A

Map- flat representation of earth 2D

Globe - true representation of earth 3D

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43
Q

Why do globes represent earth’s surface better than world maps?

A

Because it shows the 3-D as well as the various spatial relationships that exist on the surface

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44
Q

What is a reference map?

A

A map that shows natural features like rivers, cities, or political sub-divisions

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45
Q

What is a thematic map?

A

A map that emphasizes a particular thing - like annual average rainfall

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46
Q

What are the three types of map scale?

A
  1. Fractional - 1:63,360
  2. Verbal - one inch = 10 km
  3. Graphic - a line equals one mile
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47
Q

What is scale?

A

scale is the relationship between distance on a map and distance in the real world

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48
Q

What is the difference between what is shown on a large scale map and a small scale one?

A

Small scale shows more with less detail

Large scale shows less with more detail

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49
Q

What are the properties of a map?

A
  1. Area
  2. Shape
  3. Distance
  4. Direction
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50
Q

When map data is put on a flat surface, what happens?

A

One or more of the properties of the map are distorted.

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51
Q

What does an equivalent projection do?

A

Makes sure the area is correct

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52
Q

What does an conforming projection do?

A

Makes sure shapes are accurate

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53
Q

What is a cylindrical (Mercator) map good and bad for?

A

Good for navigation

Bad distortion of land in high latitudes

54
Q

What is a conic map good for?

A

Good at portraying land areas in the mid-latitudes

55
Q

What is an Interrupted (Goode’s) map good for?

A

It minimizes distortion in the continental areas by splitting up the oceans

56
Q

What is meant by a compromise projection like the Robinson?

A

balances the accuracy of shapes and accuracies of an area, but neither are perfect

57
Q

What elements are present in all maps?

A
  1. Title
  2. Date
  3. Legend
  4. Scale
  5. Direction
  6. Data source
  7. Projection type
58
Q

What is an isoline?

A

A line that joins points of equal value of something

like Temp, Elevation

59
Q

How do we draw isolines?

A

closed lines for the most part

lines should not touch

lines should have a universal interval

60
Q

How do geographers portray 3-D landscape?

A
  1. Elevation contours
  2. Digital elevation models
61
Q

What are elevation contours?

A

Contour lines that represent changes in elevation

62
Q

What is a digital elevation model?

A

Computer generated models that represent elevation

63
Q

What does GPS stand for and mean?

A

Global Positioning System

highly accurate clocks are key to location accuracy

64
Q

What are some applications of GPS?

A

Navigating Aircrafts

Guiding Missiles

Traffic

65
Q

What is remote sensing?

A

Measurement by a device not in contact with earth’s surface

66
Q

What are aerial photographs?

A

Taking photos of the ground from an elevated direct-down position

67
Q

What are orthophoto maps?

A

an aerial photograph that is corrected to have the same lack of distortion as a map

68
Q

What is Landstat and how has it been useful?

A

Landstat is a way of analyzing multiband photography of the earth - has sensors that record the light reflected by land

Helps us get a more accurate photo of the earth

69
Q

Why is looking at Earth Observing System Satellites important?

A

studying environmental change

70
Q

What are Geographic Informational Systems?

A

“library” of layers of geo-referenced data to make maps

71
Q

What types of jobs are available with a minor in Geospatial Technology?

A

Cartographer, Urban Planner

72
Q

What is the absolute height of the atmosphere above earth’s surface?

A

6000 miles

73
Q

How did the modern atmosphere develop?

A

Started with H2 and He2 and slowly volcanic eruptions put CO2 in the atmosphere, and life used that CO2 to create O2

74
Q

What are the permanent gases?

A

Nitrogen 78%

Oxygen 21%

75
Q

What is the source of nitrogen?

A

decaying and burning of organic matter

76
Q

What are the variable gases?

A
  1. H2O(g)
  2. CO2
  3. O3
77
Q

Why are variable gases so important if they make up a small portion of the total atmosphere?

A

They exert great control over the environment

78
Q

What percentage of the atmosphere is water vapor?

A

0-4%

79
Q

What percentage is CO2

A

.4 %

80
Q

Why is CO2 so significant?

A

Because it absorbs thermal infrared radiation and helps warm the lower atmosphere

81
Q

What are particulates? (Aerosols)

A

Solid and liquid particles found in the atmosphere that can come from human origin or volcanic ash, salt spray, dust etc

82
Q

What is the trophosphere, why is it significant?

A
  1. It comes in contact with the earth’s atmosphere
  2. Increasing in altitude = decrease in temp
  3. 80% of the mass of the atmosphere is here
83
Q

Why does temperature increase when passing through the stratosphere boundary?

A

Because the ozone layer is absorbing UV radiation

84
Q

How are the homosphere and the heterosphere different?

A

homo has uniform distribution of gases

hetero is where gases are sorted by molecular weight

85
Q

Why doesn’t the atmosphere float away?

A

Gravity

86
Q

Why doesn’t the earth’s atmosphere collapse?

A

Because air by nature is highly compressible, so the lower layers are compressed by layers above it, which will increase the pressure and density of these lower layers

87
Q

Why does atmospheric pressure generally decrease with increasing altitude?

A

The answer is because the molecules in the atmosphere are held closer to earth’s surface by gravity

88
Q

Why is the fact that earth’s atmosphere is 6000 miles high not exactly true about where we can survive

A

Because the “life zone” of earth only extends for the first three miles

89
Q

How is Ozone formed?

A

When ultra violet solar radiation acts upon a diatomic oxygen

90
Q

Where is the Ozone layer?

A

The lower part of the stratosphere 9-30 miles up

91
Q

What is a CFC?

A

Chloro-floro-carbons

odorless, non-flammable, non-reactive

92
Q

What was the 1987 Montreal Protocol?

A

Conference where the world decided to ban all CFC’s

93
Q

What is air pollution?

A

When human activities, among other sources of pollution increase the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere

94
Q

What is a primary pollutant?

A

Pollutant that is emitted directly from a source

95
Q

Why are CO N and S compounds significant?

A

Because they can react themselves to form secondary pollutants

96
Q

How do photochemical smog and ground level ozone originate?

A

From incomplete burning of fossil fuels that can result in forming NO2 and Hydrocarbons

97
Q

What are the consequences of anthropogentric air pollution?

A

they can have negative effects on cardio vascular health

98
Q

What is weather?

A

Short-term atmospheric conditions that exist for a given time in a specific area

99
Q

What is climate?

A

Aggregate of the day-to-day weather conditions for long periods of time

100
Q

What are the four elements of weather?

A
  1. Temperature
  2. Moisture Content
  3. Pressure
  4. Wind
101
Q

What geographic features control weather and climate?

A
  1. Latitude (MOST)

2.Distribution of land and water

  1. Circulation of the oceans and the atmosphere
  2. Altitude
  3. Features of the land
102
Q

What is the Coriolis effect?

A

The phenomena where, because of the earth’s rotation, things moving over the surface of the earth appear to drift sideways

103
Q

Does the Coriolis effect impact planetary wind circulation?

A

It deflects the direction of the wind to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.

104
Q

What are the important geographical consequences of the Coriolis Effect?

A
  1. Ocean currents (Right in N)
    (Left in S)
  2. Direction of local and global wind systems
105
Q

What is the UV index?

A

A measure of the UV radiation in one area at a time

106
Q

What is the impact of temperature on the landscape?

A

Landscape may be affected by breakdown of exposed bedrock etc. Long term patterns affect the agents of erosion

107
Q

What is the source of all the Sun’s energy?

A

Nuclear fusion

108
Q

What is the principle source of all significant energy powering atmospheric processes?

A

The Sun

109
Q

From degrees C to degrees F

A

°F = °C×(9/5)+32

110
Q

How does solar energy travel through space?

A

as Electromagnetic Radiation

111
Q

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

A

range of wavelengths

112
Q

What are some examples of shortwave radiation?

A

ultra violet and visible light

113
Q

What are some examples of long wave radiation?

A

radio TV infrared

114
Q

What is insolation?

A

the incoming solar radiation on earth

115
Q

Does the Sun send short wave (light) or long wave radiation (IR)?

A

short wave

116
Q

What are the ways that energy may be transfered?

A
  1. Conduction- heat transferred like hot metal pan
  2. Convection - transfer of heat by movement of liquids and gases
  3. Radiation
117
Q

What is the greenhouse effect on earth?

A

When certain gases in the atmosphere that transmit incoming radiation from the sun, but do not transmit terrestrial radiation as well so a “greenhouse” effect is seen

118
Q

What is the most basic atmospheric warming/cooling process?

A

Rising air cools, sinking air always warms

119
Q

Describe cooling by expansion.

A

when a parcel of air rises and there are fewer molecular collisions the overall kinetic energy decreases

120
Q

Describe heating by compression.

A

when a parcel of air sinks and molecules have more interactions causing an increase in kinetic energy

121
Q

Describe what latent heat is.

A

When water changes states

Evaporation absorbs heat

Condensation releases heat

122
Q

Describe earth’s solar radiation budget.

A

radiation from the sun hits the earth and 45 percent is absorbed and half is lost via reflection.

123
Q

What is meant by the long term balance of earth’s energy balance?

A

How much total energy is absorbed by the earth and atmosphere and how much of it is returned.

124
Q

Why are there variations in the heating of earth by latitude and season?

A

Insolation absorption differences

125
Q

How do we know how “high” the sun is in the sky?

A

The angle of incidence

126
Q

What determines how long the Sun is above the horizon?

A

your latitude

127
Q

Where are the greatest annual winter-to-summer temperature ranges on earth?

A

The mid and high latitudes

128
Q

How is excess energy from the sun that is received in the tropics transferred to the mid latitudes?

A

By water currents and wind currents

129
Q

How are water and land different in how they absorb energy?

A

Land heats up and cools much more quickly than water

130
Q

What is the basic pattern of ocean circulation?

A

Giant spheres called subtropical gyres that flow clockwise in the N

counter in the S

Physical Geography Exam I (4 decks)

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