Physical Geography Flashcards
Tropic of capricorn
23.5 s
Equinox
Direct rays hit equator
March 21-spring
Sept 21-fall
Solstice
Direct rays hit the tropics
June 21- summer
Dec 21- winter
Latitude
The closer you are the warmer you are
Rotation
24hrs
Revolution
365.25 days
Tilt of earths acces
23.5
Low lat
Hot year round, can experience two seasons (wet and dry)
Middle lat
Can experience both warm and cold climate
4 seasons
High lat
Predominately cold year round with 2 seasons ( cold and cool)
Topography
Affects precipitation
Rain shadow
Forces air to rise and cool, cooler air holds less moisture, causing precipitation
Leeward- dry
Windward- wet
Air pressure and wind HOT
Low pressure
Air pressure and wind COLD
High pressure
What creates prevailing winds
Wind moves from high to low pressure
Warm currents
Precipitation
Warm temps carry more moistur
Cold currents
Dry
Cold temps carry less moisture
Elevation
Overrides all factors and cant hold heat
Creates highland climate
Tropic of Cancer
23.5 north
Soil composition
Air, water, weathered rock, humus
Ecosystem
Interdependent community of plants and animals
Biome
Ecosystem of a region
What does a forest do
It supports a large variety of life
Tropical rain forest
It is 7% of land and 50% of life
Deciduous
Broad leaf
Tropical deciduous
Doesn’t loose leaves
Deciduous temperate
Loses leaves
Coniferous
Needle leaf and green all year
Mixed forest
A mix between deciduous and coniferous trees
Savannas
Tropical, wet and dry seasons
Steppe (short grass) praire (long grass)
Rich soil with deep roots, supports great herds
Desert (plants)
Xerophytic plants that have small leaves, thick bark, and large roots
Tundra
Little plant life with moss and lichens
Permafrost prevents deep roots
Hydrologic cycle
Movement of water through the hydrosphere
Evaporation
Liquid to vapor
Condensation
Water vapor to liquid
Precipitation
The substance that comes out of the clouds from condensation
Headwater
First and smallest streams from run-off
Tributary
Small stream that flows into bigger stream
Watershed
Area that separates water flowing from different areas
Estuary
River meets inlet
Water table
The level of all spaces are filled with water
Type one
Created by tectonic plates
Ex: mountains, glaciers
Type 2
Erosion
Ex: valleys,hills
Type 3
Sediment deposited be ice,water,or wind
Ex 3: delta, beaches
What are the 8 different energy sources
Coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear, hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wind
What 4 are non-renewable sources
Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear
What 4 are renewable
Hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wind
What is the different between renewable and non-renewable sources
Renewable resources produce energy by themselves and are captured while non-renewable sources are man made bc they need to be burned so we can use them, and they pollute the enviorment
Fossil fuels
Dead animals and plants decompose
Divergent
Plates move apart, new crust is created. Creates earthquakes and volcanoes. Creates rift valley
Convergent
Plates move towards each other, crust destroyed bc one plate goes underneath each other
What do convergent plates do
Create steep slope mountains, and earthquakes and volcanoes can result
Transform
Plates move against eachother
What do transformation plates create
Earthquakes and faults
Hotspots
Vertical column of magma in middle of plate
What do hotspots create
Because plates move over it then it creates volcano
What does weathering do
Breaks rocks
Chemical weathering
Water dissolves the rock and disintegrates in
Mechanical weathering
Rocks broken apart, water, wind, and glaciers
Erosion
Changes surface of Earth
Water erosion
Carries sand, dust, soil
Wind erosion
Sediment moved
Glaciation
Changes landforms by moving glaciers
Moraines
Hills created by debris pushed by sheet glaciers
