quiz 1 Flashcards
1
Q
What is a system ?
A
a set of ordered, Interrelated components and their attributes
2
Q
Human geography (3)
A
- populations
- economic things
- cultures
3
Q
geographic information science (3)
A
- spatial analysis
- geovisualization
- cartography
4
Q
Physical geography (4)
A
- Landforms
- systems (water cycle, etc)
- animals and plants
- earth layers
5
Q
System similarities (3)
A
- system function is greater Than the sum of its parts
- systems are nested within and connected to other systems
- systems are controlled by positive and negative feedback
6
Q
Open system
A
a systems where energy or matter can flow freely in and out
7
Q
closed system
A
energy and matter are kept in the system / no free flow
8
Q
types of feedbacks in systems (3)
A
positive
negative
neutral
these do NOT refer to good or bad, but simply the direction of change
9
Q
system feedback - positive
A
reinforces original function of the system
eg. more births in a population will lead to more births overall later on
10
Q
system feedback - negative
A
reduces original system function
eg. increase in temperature causes clouds, which limit incoming solar radiation and heat
11
Q
system feedback - neutral
A
no change to systems function
12
Q
Mean residence time
A
average time a typical molecule remains in a system
eg. is there is a 100L bucket that gets 10L a day, but also loses 10L a day from a hole, the MRT is 100L/10L
water in vs water out = avg time per molecule = 10 days
13
Q
4 layers of earth systems
A
biosphere
hydrosphere
atmosphere
lithosphere
14
Q
biosphere
A
encompasses all life on earth
15
Q
hydrosphere
A
encompasses water in all 3 states
16
Q
atmosphere
A
system of gasses held by gravity
17
Q
lithosphere
A
the solid surface of earth
18
Q
projection
A
process of creating a map from a sphere to a flat plane
19
Q
map scales (2)
A
small scale - low detail, zoomed out, cover large area
eg. a globe
large scale - high detail, zoomed in, focus on smaller areas
eg. map of SFU
20
Q
Universal transverse mercator (UTM)
A
most common grid systems applied to maps, measured in meters
21
Q
Norths (3)
A
grid north
geographic north
magnetic north
22
Q
grid north
A
the top of a flat map - usually different from geographic north
23
Q
geographic north
A
north direction, place where points converge, north pole
24
Q
magnetic north
A
different yearly, this year 16.5 degrees E of N
25
Latitude
lines run horizontally, but measure how close or far a location is from the equator
- degrees minutes seconds
26
longitude
lines run vertically, measure how close or far a location is from the prime meridian
- degrees minutes seconds
27
formula of map scale
distance (map) / distance (ground)
28
earths tilt
23.5 degrees E of N
29
Insolation
the amount of the sounds energy (in watts) received at any point on the earths surface
30
solar constant
the avg amount of the suns energy available at the top of the earths surface
31
wein's law
objects radiate energy in wavelengths related to their individual surface temperatures
32
suns energy emissions
47% coloured rays, 45% infrared rays, 8% gamma/xray
33
subsolar point (also called declination of the sun)
where insolation is most intense - where the suns rays hit the earth head on
- varies through the year due to earths tilt
- varies between topic of cancer and capricorn
34
angle of incidence
angle where the suns radiation encounters the top of the atmosphere and the earths surface
35
Earths rotation (3)
- west to east
- faster at equator than poles
- impacts critical zone (daylight, weather, etc)
36
density
mass of an object in a given volume (usually in kg/m3 or g/cm3)
37
pressure
force applied to a given area (usually measured in newtons or pascals
38
standard atmospheric pressure
101.3 kPa
39
heat
the flow of kinetic energy form one substance to another
40
specific heat
the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by 1 degree C
41
earths atmosphere composition
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% argon
small amounts of co2 and other gases
42
homosphere
0-80km above surface of earth
43
heterosphere
80+km above surface of earth
44
when we increase the height we are from earth... (3)
air density decreases
atmospheric pressure decreases
atmospheric heat decreases
45
levels of the earth (homosphere)
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
thermosphere
46
the critical zone
earths surface to 8-17km up
75-80% of atmospheric mass
47
how are seasons generated?
axial tilt, revolution around the sun
48
solstice
summer and winter
longest / shortest daylight hour days
49
equinox
spring / fall
equal slight hours
50
troposphere
avg temp 15 - (-57)
where most clouds form
lots of system interaction happens here
51
stratosphere
avg temp -57-0
high ozone concentrations which absorb radiation from the sun
52
mesosphere
avg temp 0-(-90)
coldest part os atmosphere
53
thermosphere
avg temp (-90)-1200
only layer not in homosphere (in heterosphere)
intense solar radiation
54
lithosphere
crust of earth - tectonics
up to 70km deep
rocky, rigid
55
asthenosphere
70-250km deep
high temp, plastic
56
mantle
70-2900km
provides driving forces for plate tectonics
most complex
57
outer core
2900-5150km
molten
mostly iron
very high temp
58
inner core
5150-6370km
solid - iron
59
lapse rates
define changes in atmospheric conditions
60
two types of crust
oceanic crust
continental crust
61
oceanic crust
lines ocean floor
more dense than continental
thinner
largely basalt
62
continental crust
land area
largely granite
less dense than oceanic
63
extreme winds
katabatic winds
- where dense air flows rapidly downward
64
temperature
avg kinetic energy of a substance
65
atmospheric pressure
force exerted per unit area
force on earths surface due to the weight of the atmosphere
66
pressure formula
P =nRT/V P=pRT
p=density
n=number of particles
T=temp
R=Constant of proportionality
V =volume
67
convection
vertical movement of air
68
advection
horizontal movement of air
69
pressure gradient force (3)
particles move from high to low pressure
pushes outward in all directions
responsible for winds
70
why do pressure differences exist at earths surface? (1)
heating of the surface causes air to expand and rise
71
adiabatic changes (2+)
expansion of an air mass
- density and pressure decrease
- results in temperature decrease - adiabatic cooling
compression of an air mass
- density and pressure increase
- results in adiabatic heating
72
albedo
reflectivity of a surface
eg. water - low albedo
snow - high albedo
73
scattering
change in direction of radiation / sun rays
74
transmission
passing of radiation through something
75
specific heat is _____ times that of land
4-5x
76
basic conviction cell process (2)
air circles n shit
cold air sinks and heats up, rises, cools, and sinks again
77
high pressure environment is when ____
cold air sinks down
78
low pressure environment is when _____
warm air rises
79
isobars
lines joining equal points of pressure
80
intertropical convergent zone (ITCZ)
band of clouds by equator as proof of rising air
81
Coriolis effect
Deflection of moving objects form traveling in a straight path
in proportion to the speed of earths rotation
- gives illusion of something like a plane turning when it isnt
- impacts winds (deflects them to the right)
82
trade winds
winds that blow east to west (easterly winds)
83
antitrade winds
winds that blow west to east (westerly winds)
84
polar cell
wind cell by the poles
- form easterly winds
85
Hadley cell
cells by equator
shifts north and south based thermal equator
86
midlatitudes
airflow fed by Hadley and polar cells
- form westerlies
87
the jet stream
band of high speed winds
- at the northern end of Hadley cell and southern end of polar cell
88
why do jet streams form as the edge of cells? (3)
two air masses at different temps
air will flow form higher temp to lower temp (tropics to poles)
Coriolis makes it westerly wind
89
full list of wind from the north pole to equator in order (6)
easterlies <--
polar jet stream -->
westerlies -->
subtropic jet stream -->
antitrade winds -->
trade winds <--
90
wind movement is defined by (2)
pressure gradient
coriolis
91
geostrophic winds
air that circles around a point (due to pressure bringing it in and Coriolis deflecting it) but will never reach the centre
92
low-pressure systems circling
cyclones - rotate counter clockwise
93
high pressure systems circling
anticyclone - rotate clockwise
94
environmental lapse rate
12 degrees C/1000m
95
DAR
10 deg /1000m
96
MAR
6 deg /1000m
97
stability of an air mass (3)
if cooling faster than DAR or MAR - unstable
if DAR or MAR is faster
if both are faster - fully stable
98
types of lifting (3)
orographic
convective
frontal
99
orographic lifting
when air is forced up due to terrain like a mountain
100
convective lifting
standard convection currents but air mass
101
frontal lifting
warm air goes over cold air from the ocean
102
cold front
steep edge
heavy rain
cold air in from ocean
103
warm front
gradual incline of clouds
warm air flows over cold air on the ocean
104
phase changes occur in water through _____
release or absorption of energy
105
humidity
moisture in air
106
dew point
temp at which and air mass is 100% saturated
107
in order for water to condense from gas, is must ___ (2)
be at dew point (100% saturation)
have a surface to condense (aerosols) - like dust or pollen
108
low height clouds
strato clouds (stratocumulus, nimbostratus)
109
mid height clouds
alto clouds (altostratus, altocumulus)
110
high clouds
cirro clouds (cirrus)
111
relative humidity
ratio of water vapour compared to capacity of air mass to hold vapour - expressed as percent
actual vapour in air / capacity x 100
112
vapour pressure
water vapour molecules pushing outward on a surface
113
saturation vapour pressure
when molecules come back to liquid in the form of condensation
114
when temp is at its lowest, humidity is at its _____
highest
115
lifting condensation level
elevation at which the dew point is reached
116
lapse rate
the rate at which temperature changes in atmosphere with elevation change
117
rain shadow effect
explains drier climates behind topographic barriers like mountains
- air masses are forced up and over mountains and reach dew point going up
- then descend over with little vapour on the other side
118
compression warming
warming an air mass through pressure
