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Geo > Extra > Flashcards

Extra Flashcards

1
Q

What is temperature in the context of geography?

A

Temperature is the measure of the kinetic energy of air molecules.

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2
Q

How is temperature typically measured?

A

Temperature is measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit using thermometers.

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3
Q

What factors influence temperature?

A

Latitude, altitude, proximity to water, and ocean currents.

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4
Q

What is the greenhouse effect?

A

The trapping of heat by gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, which warms the planet.

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5
Q

Why does temperature vary with altitude?

A

Temperature decreases with altitude due to lower air pressure and density.

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6
Q

What is latitude?

A

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

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7
Q

What is longitude?

A

Longitude is the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, measured in degrees.

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8
Q

What is the significance of the equator?

A

It divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

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9
Q

What are the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn?

A

They are located at 23.5°N and 23.5°S, respectively.

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10
Q

What is the International Date Line?

A

A line located at 180° longitude where the date changes by one day.

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11
Q

What is air pressure?

A

Air pressure is the force exerted by the weight of air above a surface.

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12
Q

How is air pressure measured?

A

Air pressure is measured in millibars (mb) or inches of mercury (Hg) using a barometer.

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13
Q

What causes variations in air pressure?

A

Temperature changes, altitude, and weather patterns.

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14
Q

What is a high-pressure system?

A

An area where air is descending, often associated with clear skies.

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15
Q

What is a low-pressure system?

A

An area where air is rising, often associated with cloudy and rainy weather.

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16
Q

What are radiation waves?

A

Energy that travels through space as electromagnetic waves.

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17
Q

What is shortwave radiation?

A

Radiation from the Sun, including visible and ultraviolet light.

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18
Q

What is longwave radiation?

A

Infrared radiation emitted by the Earth.

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19
Q

What is the role of radio waves in the atmosphere?

A

Used in communication, they are low-energy longwave radiation.

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20
Q

Why is understanding radiation important?

A

It helps explain energy transfer and climate patterns.

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21
Q

What is the surface energy budget?

A

The balance between incoming and outgoing energy at Earth’s surface.

22
Q

What is insolation?

A

Incoming solar radiation received by Earth’s surface.

23
Q

What are the main components of the energy budget?

A

Solar radiation, terrestrial radiation, latent heat, and sensible heat.

24
Q

What is albedo?

A

The reflectivity of a surface; lighter surfaces reflect more solar energy.

25
Q

How does the surface energy budget influence climate?

A

It determines temperature and weather patterns.

26
Q

What is the lapse rate?

A

The rate at which air temperature decreases with altitude.

27
Q

What is the environmental lapse rate?

A

The average decrease in temperature with height, about 6.5°C per kilometer.

28
Q

What is the dry adiabatic lapse rate?

A

The rate of cooling for unsaturated air, about 10°C per kilometer.

29
Q

What is the moist adiabatic lapse rate?

A

The rate of cooling for saturated air, about 6°C per kilometer.

30
Q

Why are lapse rates important?

A

They influence weather, cloud formation, and atmospheric stability.

31
Q

What are the layers of the atmosphere?

A

Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.

32
Q

What occurs in the troposphere?

A

Weather and most atmospheric phenomena occur here.

33
Q

What is the ozone layer and where is it located?

A

A layer in the stratosphere that absorbs UV radiation.

34
Q

What are the main gases in the atmosphere?

A

Nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and trace gases like CO2 and argon.

35
Q

Why is the atmosphere essential for life?

A

It provides oxygen, regulates temperature, and blocks harmful radiation.

36
Q

What are clouds?

A

Visible masses of water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere.

37
Q

What are the main types of clouds?

A

Cumulus, stratus, cirrus, and nimbus.

38
Q

What is the role of clouds in weather?

A

They influence temperature, precipitation, and energy balance.

39
Q

What is cloud condensation nuclei?

A

Particles like dust that provide surfaces for water vapor to condense.

40
Q

How do clouds form?

A

When air cools and water vapor condenses at the dew point.

41
Q

What is an mT air mass?

A

Maritime tropical air mass, warm and moist.

42
Q

What is a cT air mass?

A

Continental tropical air mass, hot and dry.

43
Q

How do mT and cT air masses influence weather?

A

mT brings humidity and storms; cT causes dry, hot conditions.

44
Q

Where do mT air masses originate?

A

Over warm oceans, such as the Gulf of Mexico.

45
Q

Where do cT air masses originate?

A

Over hot, dry land areas, such as deserts.

46
Q

What is the subsolar point?

A

The point on Earth’s surface where the Sun is directly overhead.

47
Q

What is the declination of the Sun?

A

The latitude where the Sun is directly overhead at noon.

48
Q

What causes Earth’s seasons?

A

The tilt of Earth’s axis and its orbit around the Sun.

49
Q

What is the significance of the solstices?

A

The longest and shortest days of the year.

50
Q

What is the significance of the equinoxes?

A

Days when day and night are approximately equal in length.

Geo (3 decks)

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