Physical Geography Quiz 1 Flashcards
Name the Earth’s five (5) “spheres”.
1) Atmosphere
2) Biosphere
3) Cryosphere
4) Hydrosphere
5) Lithosphere
Describe the atmosphere.
The mixed gases that make up the layer encircling the Earth’s surface and extending up to 60,000 km above it.
Describe the biosphere.
All of Earth’s living organisms, including
- vegetation,
- fauna
- O-horizon of soils.
Describe the Cryosphere.
Includes all discontinuous forms of frozen water, including
- permafrost;
- ice;
- snow;
- glaciers.
Describe the lithosphere.
Litho= “rock”
Outermost shell of solid Earth, including;
- physical landscapes and forms,
- sea floors.
Describe the hydrosphere.
All water between the litho&atmosphere.
Not including frozen water.
List the Hemispheres.
Northern, Southern.
Eastern, Western.
Land, water.
What is the difference between the Land Hemisphere and the Water Hemisphere?
These hemispheres are divided not directionally or in accordance with the sphere they belong to, but rather the distinct aerial view of coastal division between the two.
Oceans, seas > water hemi
Continental landmasses > land hemi
Name the continental landmasses.
Antarctica, Australia, South America,
Africa,
North America, Eurasia
Define:
Latitude.
The angular distance, in degrees/minutes/seconds, from the Equator. Runs parallel North or South to a max of 180.
Define:
Latitude.
The angular distance, in degrees/minutes/seconds, from the Prime Meridian. Runs parallel East or West to a max of 180.
Define:
Degree.
The angle between any 2 of the 360 parallel lines that equally divide the Earth’s sphere.
Define:
Scale.
The ratio of size.
What is topographical “relief”.
Relief is used to refer to the highest and lowest differences in an area’s elevation.
What does OROGENIC BELT refer to?
Oros=”mountain”
- geological component of a continental landmass.
- zone of HIGH relief; continent’s chain of mountain ranges
OROGENIC activity refers where litho plates thrust, bend and crush Earth’s crust into formations.
What does a continental landmass have when it’s CONTINENTAL SHIELD?
Low, flat and stable low relief zones
- covered in old rocks, funneled down from high active plate formations.
- located in the nuclei of landmasses, surrounded by margins of sedimentary scatter
Map Projections:
Cylindrical projections?
Cylinder wrapped around the sphere/globe, with 1 or 2 parallels or meridians aligned tangent.
-least distortion is@tangent points
Map Projections:
Conic projections?
A cone is set atop a globe, and 1 or 2 latitude parallels are aligned tangent.
- least distortion above/below tangent points
- best for mid-latitu ranges
Map Projections:
Planar projections?
A ‘plane’, path or route is the line of tangency with trace overlay.
Best for intercontinental air travel planning.
Great Circle Route.
Isoline map is?
A projection representing the incremental boundary lines (isolines) of an area’s specified phenomenon as they occur geographically.
What is an “Isoline”?
A line on a map that connects equal values of a given phenomena.
What is contouring?
The isolines on a map representing specific and constant elevations. Topographic maps.
What is a Revolution?
One complete cycle orbiting around the Sun.
Earth’s revolution = 365.25 days.
What is a Rotation?
A 360 turn a planet takes around its own axis.
Earth= 24 hours.
What is the Plane of the Ecliptic?
The line across which Earth travels on it’s orbit around the Sun.
What’s the Circle of Illumination?
The boundary line between night and day that keeps half of Earth lit as Earth rotates.
Equinox means….?
“equal nights”
When the sun’s position to Earth gives off 12hrs daylight and 12 hrs night. 21 March & 23 Sept.
What is a solstice?
“sun stands still”
The point at which the sun has reached the Tropic max of 23.5 latitude and starts it (perceived) change in direction back towers Equator.
Earth’s 5 layers?
1) Inner Core - liquid iron & nickel. Highly pressurized material.
2) Outer Core - molten state iron & nickel.
3) Lower Mantle - solid states of oxides (iron, silicon, magnesium)
4) Upper Mantle - thick, viscous, flowing. Interacts with crust, mineral compositions start to form here.
5) Crust - rocks, tectonic plates and litho.
What is the asthenosphere?
-partially molten state
Subcrustal layer within the partially molten Upper Mantle that is neither solid (as in Lower Mantle) nor same form as rocks making up Crust,
Mohorovicic Discontinuity is significant because…
The Moho is the abrupt and marked change in density that occurs at the point of contact between crust & mantle.
Tis happens in both oceanic and landmasses crust, but disruption occurs at different depths in either of these locations.
How are metamorphic rocks formed?
When existing rocks are changed or midlife by heat, pressure or bth.
Secondary rocks.
How are igneous rocks formed?
When molten rock/magma from within the Earth’s Mantle cool and solidify from exposure to external elements.
Primary rocks.
