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Semester 2 > Physical Geography Quiz > Flashcards

Physical Geography Quiz Flashcards

1
Q

Who proposed the continental drift theory?

A

Alfred Wegner proposed this in 1915 and was a German scientist 

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2
Q

What is Alfred Wagner’s theory on continental drift

A

300 million years ago, all of earths landmasses, which were in constant motion, collided to form one supercontinent 

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3
Q

What evidence does Wagner use to support his theory?

A
  1. Continents such as South America and Africa fit into one another like a jigsaw puzzle.
  2. Fossils of the same plants and animals on both continents. Only possible if the continents are once joined together.
  3. Mountains, similar in age structure on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean
  4. Ice sheets covered Southern Africa, India, Australia, and South America about 250 million years ago. The only explanation is that at one time the continents were located closer to the south pole.
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4
Q

How does Wagner explain his theory

A

About 200 million years ago, Pangia broke apart and the continents have drifted to their present location

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5
Q

Who is J. Tuzo Wilson

A

In the 1960s Wilson, who is a Canadian scientist supports the theory of continental drift with the theory of plate tectonics

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6
Q

Plate tectonics- How do they work? Where do they occur?

A

confection current are the circular movements of magma under the surface that is created by uneven heating in the mantle.

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7
Q

Divergent fault

A

When two plates move away from each other and molten rock(lava) which comes to the surface, cools and hardens, forming new crust 

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8
Q

Convergent fault

A

Known as subduction, when two plates collide and one plate slides under the other, forcing it up. These areas are characterized by volcanos and earthquakes.

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9
Q

Translation

A

Not a mountain building process. when two plates move laterally (side-by-side) in opposing direction

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10
Q

What is an alpine glacier?

A

Long slow, moving rivers of ice found in areas of high elevation. They form when more snow and ice accumulate the melt. 

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11
Q

What are continental glaciers?

A

A very old thick mass of ice covering almost entire landmass.

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12
Q

Precambrian era

A

• 4.6 billion-541 million years ago
Geo events-the Laurentian mountains formed, twice the height of today’s Mount Everest. They are now the present day, Canadian shield.
Bio events-early: the first known single celled organism appeared. All life on earth has default from these organisms.
Late: molecular life: animal: jellyfish: plant: algae

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13
Q

Paleozoic era

A

•570-245 million years ago
Geo event-Pangia was formed around 300 million years ago when all of the landmasses of earth collided into one supercontinent. Formation of the Appalachian mountains along Canadas East Coast.
Bio event-the age of amphibians and fish. The first insect. Large swamp.-formed coal from this vegetation. First plants and animals appear on land.

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14
Q

Mesozoic era

A

•245-66 million years ago
Geo event-The Rocky Mountains begin their formation as numerous plates begins sliding under the North American plate. Innuitian mountains formed. Shallow seas in the interior of North America.
Bio events-the age of reptiles. Dinosaurs are all over the planet. First birds in small mammals appeared in this era. First bird had a full set of teeth. 

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15
Q

Cenozoic era

A

• 66 million years ago-present year
Geo event-continents take on their present day shape. The western Cordillera, the Rocky Mountains completed. I sheets covered much of North America.
Bio event-human beings developed. Age of mammals. Modern forms of life evolve.

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16
Q

All about igneous rock

A

Formed: as the magma loses heat, it cools and crystallizes into igneous rock
Two types :
Intrusive-formed from magma cools and solidifies within the earth. The magma cools very slowly, which results in course crystals.
Extrusive -formed at the earth surface. The magma cools very quickly, so the crystals are much finer.

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17
Q

All about sedimentary rock

A

• any rock(igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic) exposed at the Earth surface can become a sedimentary rock
• usually formed in layers from compression of sediment over millions of years

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18
Q

All about metamorphic rocks

A

*any rock(igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic) can become metamorphic rock
* Changes in the temperature and pressure conditions cause the minerals in the rock to become unstable so they either orient themselves into larger crystals, all without undergoing melting. 

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19
Q

What is sediment?

A

Eroded material that is deposited by water, wind, or glacial ice 

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20
Q

What is abrasion

A

the wearing down of rock by the grinding effect of rock fragments frozen into the bottom of the glacier

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21
Q

Three examples of abrasion are

A

Polish- moving ice that smoothed or grooved the underlying rock
Striations- scratches cut into bedrock
Gouges- Grooves notched out of bedrock

22
Q

Deposition

A

when rock and soil is picked up and moved by a glacier and is dropped off in a new area to create new landscapes.

23
Q

Three examples of deposition are

A

Till- Material that is not sorted and not in layers
Outwash- deposits made by streams after glaciers melt
Erratics- Boulder-size rocks dumped by a glacier

24
Q

What is parent material

A

broken up rock

25
Q

what is humus

A

partially decomposed plants and animal material

26
Q

what are the four components of soil?

A

Minerals, bacteria & organic materials, air, and moisture

27
Q

minerals

A

comes from broken up rocks caused by weathering called parent materials and it provides nutrients that plants need for growth.

28
Q

Bacteria & Organic Materials

A

Bacteria decomposes plants and animal materials back into the soil, as it breaks down it forms humus which provides nutrients, moisture, and dark colour to plants and soil

29
Q

Air

A

plants need air around their roots. These air pockets are created by worms, insects, and small animals that tunnel through the soil.

30
Q

Moisture

A

water dissolves nutrients so can be taken up by plants. It also helps break down rocks and decay organic material.

31
Q

What are the parts of soil

A
  1. O-organic material
  2. A Horizon- topsoil
  3. B Horizon- sub-soil
  4. C Horizon- parent material
32
Q

O-organic material

A

former living material (many plants) in the process of breaking down

33
Q

A Horizon- topsoil

A

rich in organic materials; takes hundreds of years to produce; actually quite thin; made of humus (the living part of soil)

34
Q

B Horizon- sub-soil

A

mainly inorganic material (broken up rock) with some organic material

35
Q

C Horizon- parent material

A

broken up bedrock or solid bedrock

36
Q

What is leaching

A

*where there is a lot of precipitation
*downward movement of water through soil
*dissolves nutrients and carries downward
*in very wet climates, nutrients carried so deep that plant roots can’t reach them

37
Q

What is Calcification

A

*in drier climates
*water drawn to surface by capillary action
*water evaporates
*minerals/nutrients that are dissolved in the soil water are carried to the surface and deposited there as the water evaporates
*can lead to rich topsoil – full of nutrients
*In extreme cases so much is deposited that the soil becomes poisonous to plants

38
Q

Deciduous vs. Coniferous leaves

A

Carnivorous trees=cold temperatures Deciduous trees=warm temperatures
Carnivorous leaves have waxy needles that keep in moisture and sappy material that helps protect the needles from freezing. Deciduous leaves at least five months of an average temp above 10c. They are dormant in winter but in spring sap flows to the bud causing new leaves to grow.

39
Q

What are the natural vegetation regions

A

-tundra
-Boreal and taiga forest
-mixed forest
-deciduous forest
-grasslands
-cordillera vegetation
-west coast forest

40
Q

What is the difference between weather and climate?

A

weather is the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere. it includes temperature, precipitation, humidity, windspeed and direction, cloud cover and air pressure. Climate is the long term pattern of weather.

41
Q

what is LOWERN stand for

A

L-latitude
O-ocean currents
W-winds and air masses
E-elivation
R-relief
N-near water

42
Q

L-latitude

A

DISTANCE FROM THE EQUATOR IS A KEY FACTOR IN DETERMINING WHETHER A REGION HAS A HOT OR COLD CLIMATE. THE ENERGY FROM THE SUN THAT HITS THE EARTH AT THE EQUATOR COVERS A SMALL AREA. THE SAME AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT HITS THE EARTH AT A MORE NORTHERLY [OR SOUTHERLY] LOCATION IS SPREAD OVER A LARGER AREA BECAUSE OF THE EARTH’S CURVATURE.

43
Q

O-ocean currents

A

OCEAN CURRENTS AFFECT CLIMATE. THE TEMPERATURE OF AN OCEAN CURRENT AFFECTS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR THAT PASSES OVER IT. THE TEMPERATURE OF AN OCEAN CURRENT IN COMPARISON TO THE SURROUNDING WATER DETERMINES WHETHER IT IS A COLD OR WARM CURRENT.

44
Q

W-winds and air masses

A

AN AIR MASS ORIGINATING OVER AN OCEAN CONTAINS MOISTURE. AS THE AIR PASSES OVER LAND, THE MOISTURE MAY BE RELEASED IN A FORM OF PRECIPITATION. AS A RESULT, A MARITIME LOCATION IS LIKELY TO RECEIVE MORE PRECIPITATION THAN AN INLAND OR CONTINENTAL LOCATION. THOUGH, AN AIR MASS ORIGINATING OVER LAND, FAR FROM THE OCEAN, WILL BE DRY BECAUSE IT LACKS THE MOISTURE.

45
Q

E-elivation

A

TEMPERATURE DECREASES AS ALTITUDE INCREASES. AIR LOSES 1°C FOR EVERY 100M OF ELEVATION.AS THE AIR RISES, IT COOLS AND EXPANDS. IT EVENTUALLY REACHES A TEMPERATURE THAT THE AIR IS HOLDING AS MUCH WATER AS IT POSSIBLY CAN AT THAT TEMPERATURE AND AIR PRESSURE. THIS IS CALLED THE DEWPOINT. FURTHER COOLING LEADS TO CONDENSATION.

46
Q

R-relief

A

MOUNTAIN BARRIERS CREATE RELIEF (OROGRAPHIC) PRECIPITATION. PREVAILING WINDS BRING WARM MOIST AIR TO THE WINDWARD SLOPE OF A MOUNTAIN RANGE. AIR IS FORCED TO RISE; IT EXPANDS, COOLS AND CONDENSES. CLOUDS FORM; PRECIPITATION FORMS DEPENDING ON WEATHER CONDITIONS – TEMPERATURE AND ALTITUDE. AIR DESCENDS ON THE LEEWARD SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS; IT CONTRACTS AND BECOMES WARMER. THIS RESULTS IN A DRIER CLIMATE, OR RAIN SHADOW, ON THE LEEWARD SLOPE OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGE THAN ON THE WINDWARD SLOPE

47
Q

N-near water

A

WATER HEATS AND COOLS MORE SLOWLY THAN LAND; THEREFORE, THE COASTAL REGIONS WILL STAY COOLER IN THE SUMMER AND WARMER IN THE WINTER. A MORE MODERATE CLIMATE IS CREATED WITH A SMALLER TEMPERATURE RANGE. CONTINENTAL CLIMATE IS COOLER, DRYER, WITH LESS VEGETATION. MARITIME CLIMATE IS WARMER, WETTER WITH MORE VEGETATION

48
Q

Stages of relief precipitation

A

s1-Warm wet air is forced to rise over high land
s2-as the air rises it cools and condenses. clouds form and precipitation occurs.
s3-the drier air descends and warms
s4-any moisture in the air (clouds) evaporate

49
Q

Stages of convectional rainfall

A

s1-the sun heats the ground and warm air rises
s2-as the air rises it cools and water vapour condenses to form clouds
s3-when the condensation point is reached, large cumulonimbus clouds are formed
s4-Heavy rain storms occur. These
usually include thunder and lightening due to the electrical charge created by unstable conditions.

50
Q

Stages of cyclonic precipitation

A

s1-and area of warm air meets and area of cool air
s2-the warm air is forced over the cold air
s3-where the air meets, the warm air is cooled an water vapour condenses
s4-clouds form and precipitation occurs

Semester 2 (9 decks)

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