Lecture 1 Essentials of Geography

Question 1

What parallel is Canada located above?

Answer 1

49th

Question 2

Physical geography uses a ______ perspective to examine processes and events happening at specific locations and follow their effects across the globe.

Answer 2

spatial

Question 3

What percent does the melting of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets cause to sea level rise annually?

Answer 3

20%

Question 4

True or False: human activities are forcing climate change.

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Physical geographers study the environment by ______ (4).

Answer 5

analyzing air, water, land, and living systems.

Question 6

______ is the science that studies the relationships among natural systems, geographic areas, society, and cultural activities, and the interdependence of all of these, ______.

Answer 6

Geography, over space

Question 7

______ refers to the nature and character of physical space, its measurement, and the distribution of things within it.

Answer 7

Spatial

Question 8

True or False: maps and location are central to the discipline

Answer 8

True

Question 9

What are the 5 spatial themes to geography?

Answer 9

location, 
region, 
human–Earth relationships,
movement,
place

Question 10

_____ is tangible and intangible characteristics that make each location unique.

Answer 10

Place

Question 11

______ is the absolute and relative positions of people, places, and things on Earth’s surface.

Answer 11

Location

Question 12

______ is the spatial analysis of all the physical elements, processes, and systems that make up the environment: energy, air, water, weather, climate, landforms, soils, animals, plants, microorganisms, and Earth itself.

Answer 12

Physical geography

Question 13

The scientific method is also known as ______.

Answer 13

positivism

Question 14

What two methods are employed by physical geography?

Answer 14

• Empiricism

* Positivism

Question 15

What fields of study does geography deal with?

Answer 15

• meteorology and climatology(study of weather and climate)
• hydrology (study of water)
• geomorphology (study of landforms and landscapes)
• pedology (study of soils)
• biogeography (study of the geography of organisms)

Question 16

_____ is a set of actions or mechanisms that operate in some special order, is a central concept of geographic analysis.

Answer 16

Process

Question 17

Sustainable growth and water resources are an example of what one of the five themes of geographic science?

Answer 17

Human-earth relationship

Question 18

We consider the totality of human impact on Earth as the ______.

Answer 18

Human denominator

Question 19

True or False: Population in most of the more-developed countries is no longer increasing.

Answer 19

True

Question 20

______ is an interrelated set of materials or items existing separate from the environment or within a boundary

Answer 20

system

Question 21

A ______ system has inputs and outputs crossing back and forth between the system and the surrounding environment.

Answer 21

Open

Question 22

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

Answer 22

closed

Question 23

True or False: Earth is essentially a closed system in terms of physical matter and resources—air, water, and material resources.

Answer 23

True

Question 24

___ are referred to as “carbon sinks”

Answer 24

Forests

Question 25

______ is created when a portion of system output is returned as an information input, causing changes that guide further system operation

Answer 25

Feedback loop

Question 26

_____ tends to slow or dampen responses in a system; promotes self-regulation in a system

Answer 26

negative feedback

Question 27

______ amplifies or encourages responses in a system.

Answer 27

Positive feedback

Question 28

What is steady state equilibrium?

Answer 28

Rates of input and output are equal and the amounts of energy and stored matter are nearly constant around a stable average.

Question 29

What is dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 29

System fluctuates around a stable average but jumps when reaches a threshold to form new stable average

Question 30

What variables affect sea ice?

Answer 30

• temperature of the atmosphere and oceans
• ocean currents
• reflection of sunlight from the ice and water (albedo)
• storms that disperse sea ice