Physical Geography Quiz 1

Question 1

Name the Earth’s five (5) “spheres”.

Answer 1

1) Atmosphere
2) Biosphere
3) Cryosphere
4) Hydrosphere
5) Lithosphere

Question 2

Describe the atmosphere.

Answer 2

The mixed gases that make up the layer encircling the Earth’s surface and extending up to 60,000 km above it.

Question 3

Describe the biosphere.

Answer 3

All of Earth’s living organisms, including

• vegetation,
• fauna
• O-horizon of soils.

Question 4

Describe the Cryosphere.

Answer 4

Includes all discontinuous forms of frozen water, including

• permafrost;
• ice;
• snow;
• glaciers.

Question 5

Describe the lithosphere.

Answer 5

Litho= “rock”
Outermost shell of solid Earth, including;
- physical landscapes and forms,
- sea floors.

Question 6

Describe the hydrosphere.

Answer 6

All water between the litho&atmosphere.

Not including frozen water.

Question 7

List the Hemispheres.

Answer 7

Northern, Southern.
Eastern, Western.
Land, water.

Question 8

What is the difference between the Land Hemisphere and the Water Hemisphere?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Name the continental landmasses.

Answer 9

Antarctica, Australia, South America,

Africa,

North America, Eurasia

Question 10

Define:

Latitude.

Answer 10

The angular distance, in degrees/minutes/seconds, from the Equator. Runs parallel North or South to a max of 180.

Question 11

Define:

Latitude.

Answer 11

The angular distance, in degrees/minutes/seconds, from the Prime Meridian. Runs parallel East or West to a max of 180.

Question 12

Define:

Degree.

Answer 12

The angle between any 2 of the 360 parallel lines that equally divide the Earth’s sphere.

Question 13

Define:

Scale.

Answer 13

The ratio of size.

Question 14

What is topographical “relief”.

Answer 14

Relief is used to refer to the highest and lowest differences in an area’s elevation.

Question 15

What does OROGENIC BELT refer to?

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

What does a continental landmass have when it’s CONTINENTAL SHIELD?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Map Projections:

        Cylindrical projections?

Answer 17

Cylinder wrapped around the sphere/globe, with 1 or 2 parallels or meridians aligned tangent.

-least distortion is@tangent points

Question 18

Map Projections:

          Conic projections?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Map Projections:

           Planar projections?

Answer 19

A ‘plane’, path or route is the line of tangency with trace overlay.

Best for intercontinental air travel planning.

Great Circle Route.

Question 20

Isoline map is?

Answer 20

A projection representing the incremental boundary lines (isolines) of an area’s specified phenomenon as they occur geographically.

Question 21

What is an “Isoline”?

Answer 21

A line on a map that connects equal values of a given phenomena.

Question 22

What is contouring?

Answer 22

The isolines on a map representing specific and constant elevations. Topographic maps.

Question 23

What is a Revolution?

Answer 23

One complete cycle orbiting around the Sun.

Earth’s revolution = 365.25 days.

Question 24

What is a Rotation?

Answer 24

A 360 turn a planet takes around its own axis.

Earth= 24 hours.

Question 25

What is the Plane of the Ecliptic?

Answer 25

The line across which Earth travels on it’s orbit around the Sun.

Question 26

What’s the Circle of Illumination?

Answer 26

The boundary line between night and day that keeps half of Earth lit as Earth rotates.

Question 27

Equinox means….?

Answer 27

“equal nights”

When the sun’s position to Earth gives off 12hrs daylight and 12 hrs night. 21 March & 23 Sept.

Question 28

What is a solstice?

Answer 28

“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.

Question 29

Earth’s 5 layers?

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

What is the asthenosphere?

Answer 30

-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,

Question 31

Mohorovicic Discontinuity is significant because…

Answer 31

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.

Question 32

How are metamorphic rocks formed?

Answer 32

When existing rocks are changed or midlife by heat, pressure or bth.

Secondary rocks.

Question 33

How are igneous rocks formed?

Answer 33

When molten rock/magma from within the Earth’s Mantle cool and solidify from exposure to external elements.

Primary rocks.