Introduction to the course; geography and geosystems.

Question 1

What is the origin of the word Geography

Answer 1

Geography: from Greek ge-o (Earth) and graphein (to sketch, to write)

Question 2

What dose Geography study?

Answer 2

Geography studies the relationships among various systems through space and time

Question 3

What is a system?

Answer 3

any ordered, interrelated set of elements, linked by flows of energy
and/or matter (not a definition).

Question 4

What is an open system?

Answer 4

An open system – with inputs of energy/matter and outputs of

energy/matter.

Question 5

What is a closed system?

Answer 5

A closed system – shut off from the surrounding environment so
that it is self-contained

Question 6

What is mass?

Answer 6

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object (M, e.g. SI Kg)

Question 7

What is energy?

Answer 7

Energy is the capacity to change the motion of, or to do work on,
matter (M L2 T−2, e.g. SI unit kg m2 s−2 = J for joule)

Question 8

Metric prefixes

Answer 8

hecto h 2
Kilo K 3
Mega M 6
Giga G 9
Tera T 12
Peta P 15
centi- c –2
milli- m –3
micro µ –6
nano n –9

Question 9

Conservation of mass and energy

Answer 9

Mass is neither destroyed nor created.

Energy is neither destroyed nor created.

Question 10

Storage change

Answer 10

Input − Output

Question 11

When is a body in equilibrium?

Answer 11

a body is in equilibrium if net force acting on the body is zero

Question 12

What is static equilibrium?

Answer 12

Static equilibrium (mechanical equilibrium) = motion stopped

If an object is at rest and is in a state of equilibrium, then we would say that the object is at “static equilibrium.” “Static” means stationary or at rest. … The state of the object is analyzed in terms of the forces acting upon the object.

Question 13

What is Dynamic equilibrium

Answer 13

Dynamic equilibrium is the steady state of a reversible reaction
where the rate of the forward reaction is the same as the reaction
rate in the backward direction (forces cancel each other, or input
equals output).

Question 14

What is the stable condition of dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 14

stable (a) - if the system returns to initial condition after disturbance

Question 15

What is the unstable condition of dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 15

unstable (b) - if the system does not returns to equilibrium after
disturbance

Question 16

What is the neutral condition of dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 16

neutral (c) - if the system remains in equilibrium after disturbance
(indifferent)

Question 17

What are feedbacks in a system?

Answer 17

the input modifies a system in such a way that alters the response
of the system to initial disturbance

Question 18

What is positive feedback?

Answer 18

Positive feedback = system response amplifies initial forcing

Feedback that amplifies or encourages responses in a system.

Question 19

What is negative feedback?

Answer 19

Negative feedback = system response reduces initial forcing

Feedback that tends to slow or dampen responses in a system; promotes self-regulation in a system; far more common than positive feedback in living systems.

Question 20

What is Albedo?

Answer 20

is the ratio of reflected solar radiation to the total
incoming solar radiation (fraction).

The reflective quality of a surface, expressed as the percentage of reflected insolation to incoming insolation; a function of surface colour, angle of incidence, and surface texture

Question 21

Is earth an open system or a closed system?

Answer 21

§ Earth system is an open system in terms of energy.

§ Earth system is a closed system in terms of physical matter and resources.

Question 22

What are earths fours immense open systems or “spheres”

Answer 22

Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere and Biosphere

Question 23

What is the Atmosphere?

Answer 23

The atmosphere is a thin, gaseous veil surrounding Earth, held to the planet by the force of gravity. Formed by gases arising from within Earth’s crust and interior and the exhalations of all life over time, the lower atmosphere is unique in the Solar System. It is a combination of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and trace gases.

Thin blanket of air.
§ Held by gravity.
§ Reservoir of essential nutrients.
§ Changing through time.
§ Perpetual motion.
§ Dynamic nature manifested by
climate and weather.

Question 24

What is the Hydrosphere?

Answer 24

Earth’s waters exist in the atmosphere, on the surface, and in the crust near the surface. Collectively, these waters form the hydrosphere. That portion of the hydrosphere that is frozen is the cryosphere—ice sheets, ice caps and fields, glaciers, ice shelves, sea ice, and subsurface ground ice. Water of the hydrosphere exists in three states: liquid, solid (the frozen cryosphere), and gaseous (water vapor). Water occurs in two general chemical conditions, fresh and saline (salty).

The Hydrosphere
§ Water in its three states.
§ Water varies in its salinity.
§ Heat storage capacity.
§ Initially as vapour and later as
water and ice.
§ Continuous movement through
space and time.

Question 25

What is the Lithosphere?

Answer 25

Earth’s crust and a portion of the upper mantle directly below the crust form the lithosphere. The crust is quite brittle compared with the layers deep beneath the surface, which move slowly in response to an uneven distribution of heat energy and pressure. In a broad sense, the term lithosphere sometimes refers to the entire solid planet. The soil layer is the edaphosphere and generally covers Earth’s land surfaces. In this text, soils represent the bridge between the lithosphere (Part III) and biosphere (Part IV).

Question 26

What is the Biosphere?

Answer 26

The intricate, interconnected web that links all organisms with their physical environment is the biosphere, or ecosphere. The biosphere is the area in which physical and chemical factors form the context of life. The biosphere exists in the overlap of the three abiotic, or nonliving, spheres, extending from the seafloor, the upper layers of the crustal rock, to about 8 km into the atmosphere. Life is sustainable within these natural limits. The biosphere evolves, reorganizes itself at times, undergoes extinctions, and manages to flourish.

Question 27

Scientific method

Answer 27

[systematic]
observation,
measurement,
experiment
§ formulation,
testing/modification
of a hypothesis.
§ conclusions
NB - hypothesis testing:
§ conduct experiments;
§ collect further
evidence.

Make an Observation. Before a researcher can begin, they must choose a topic to study. …
Ask a Question. …
Test Your Hypothesis and Collect Data. …
Examine the Results and Draw Conclusions. …
Report the Results.

Question 28

What shape is the earth?

Answer 28

A word that describes Earth’s shape; literally, “the shape of Earth is Earth-shaped.” A theoretical surface at sea level that extends through the continents; deviates from a perfect sphere.

Question 29

What is the polar circumference of earth?

Answer 29

40 008 km

Question 30

What is the equatorial circumference of Earth?

Answer 30

40 075 Km

Question 31

What are the diameters of earth?

Answer 31

12 714 km north to south

12 756 km East to west

Question 32

Explain earths latitudes

Answer 32

Latitude is an angular distance
north or south of the equator,
measured from the center of Earth
(e.g., 49°N, 12°S).

§ A line connecting all points along
the same latitudinal angle is a
parallel.

Question 33

Explain earths longitudes

Answer 33

Longitude is an angular distance east or west of a point on Earth’s
surface measured from the center of Earth (e.g.,10°E, 10°W).

§ A line connecting all points along the same longitude is a meridian.

The prime meridian is a meridian designated as 0°(Greenwich,1884),

Question 34

What is the purpose of Earth’s coordinate grid system?

Answer 34

§ latitudes and longitudes (lat, lon)
allow all places on Earth to be
precisely located.

Question 35

What are earths Latitudinal geographic zones

Answer 35

Arctic: 66.5 N to the north pole
Subarctic: 55 N to 66.5N
Midlatitude: 35 N to 55 N
Subtropical: 23.5 N to 35 N
Equatorial and Tropical: 23.5 N to 23.5 S
Subtropical: 23.5 S to 35 S
midlatitude: 35 S to 55 S
Subantarctic: 55 S to 66.5 S
Antarctic: 66.5 S to South pole

Question 36

Where is the Tropic of Cancer?

Answer 36

23.5 N

Question 37

Where is the tropic of Capricorn?

Answer 37

23.5 S

Question 38

Where is the Subpolar point?

Answer 38

Moves between 23.5 N and 23.5 S

Question 39

Where do the suns rays arrive at oblique angles?

Answer 39

Above the tropic of cancer and below the tropic of capricorn.

Question 40

Where is the suns energy more diffuse?

Answer 40

Above the tropic of cancer and below the tropic of Capricorn. This is because there is a larger area covered.

Question 41

What is the Subpolar point?

Answer 41

Every day at noon, there is some latitude on Earth at which the Sun is “directly” overhead at nearly a 90° angle. During the spring months (March–June), the latitude receiving the “direct” rays of the Sun shifts from the equator, at 0°, to the Tropic of Cancer, at 23.5° N. The exact latitude receiving these direct 90° rays is the subsolar point. Think of this point as the latitude where the Sun is highest in the sky and its rays are perpendicular to the Earth’s surface