Systems in geography Flashcards
physical geography includes
physical and life sciences
human/cultural geography includes
human and cultural sciences
describe the continuum of geography
the two divisions of geography are at each end with the middle holding the synthesis of the physical environment with the human/cultural environment
what are the three divisions of physical geography
biogeography, climatology, geomorphology
geomorphology
the study of landforms and landform evolution.
climatology
the study of the atmosphere and weather patterns over time.
biogeography
examines spatial patterns of biological diversity
geomatics
the measurement, analysis and management of data relating to the earth and the built environment.
what elements are a part of geomatics
- remote sensing
- GPS
- GIS
what is important about environments that are cold
as they thaw, all the ancient decay and frozen matter are thawing as well = producing lots of CO2 = impacting climate change
why is the study of Earth and its environment more crucial than ever now
natural world is changing
what has happened with the human life expectancy doubling
increases population = increases impact on environment
how does physical geography examine processes and events happening at specific times and locations
spatial perspective
how does physical geography use spatial perspective
to examine processes and events happening at specific locations and times
what has become an overriding focus of the study of Earth systems
climate change
what is the best way to fight climate change
in a way that is harmonious to our current way of life
how do physical geographers study the environment
by analyzing air, water, land and living systems
what is geography all about
understanding systems and their impact
how is the science of geography unified
by its method
is the science of geography unified more by its method or specific body of knowledge
method
what method unifies the science of geography
spatial analysis
what do we want to understand about systems
their predictability
what is process in geography
the set of actions or mechanisms that operate in some special order
what is a central concept of geographical analysis
process
geographical analysis
The process of analyzing data to identify geographic relationships, patterns, and trends.
what is physical geography
spatial analysis of all the physical elements, processes and systems that make up the environment
what is important in physical geography
scale
how do humans struggle with scale
how to understand and interact with scales that are very small or very big
example of how humans struggle with scale
very hard to pick up a single grain of sand AND it’s very hard to pick up a grain of sand the size of a car
what does physical geography encompass
the field of Earth systems science
earth systems science
area of study that seeks to understand Earth as a complete entity
what does the spherical view of earth mean
the interactions of systems on earth (biosphere, atmosphere…)
what does the process of science consists of
- observing
- questioning
- testing
- understanding elements of natural world
what is the roadmap to science
scientific process
scientific method
traditional recipe, organized steps that lead toward concrete, objectives and conclusions
the scientific methodology is ______
timeless
what is the end result of the scientific method
a conclusion that is reproducible by other scientists and that can be tested repeatedly/shown as true or false
what is important about drawing over a photograph
drawing forces us to see details we may have missed while taking a photo
where is there positive feedback in the scientific method
from the theory formulation back to observations of nature
where is there negative feedback in the scientific method
from predictions back to observations
what do scientists who study the physical environment begin with
clues they see in nature
variables
conditions that change in an experiment or model
what do scientists often seek to reduce when forming a hypothesis
the number of variables
hypothesis
tentative explanation for the phenomena observed
what is a hypothesis educated from
what we see/observe
how do scientists test hypotheses
experimental studies in laboratories or natural settings
inversions
when cold air is more dense than hot air
what leads a hypothesis to become a theory
when results support it, there is repeated testing and verification
what is a part of the scientific method
reporting research
peer review
reviewed by other experts in the field
is scientific progress slow or fast
very slow
why is scientific progress slow
research is very rigorously tested and reviewed
scientific theory
explanation made on the basis of SEVERAL extensively tested hypotheses
True or False
scientific theories are NEVER reevaluated or expanded according to new evidence?
False
what is the danger of hypotheses in science
scientists looking for what they WANT to see in the results but not the actual results
a hypothesis has to be _______
statistically testable
what is often better
hypothesis or research objectives
research objectives
True or false:
Earth is made up of recycled and recycling atoms
TRUE
how is the earth made up of recycled atoms
it has undergone many transformations
how old is the earth
4.567 billion years old
earth is ______ dimensional
three
True or False
most of the action of Earth is clearly visible on the surface
FALSE
where is most of the action of earth done
hidden from view= above or below us
what modifies the surface of earth
geomorphology
True or False
rocks are proxies and record keepers of earth’s history
TRUE
what are proxies and keep record of earth’s history
rocks
True or false
earth systems, rock, ocean, cyro, bio are not complex NOR are they interconnected
FALSE
what does earth’s history encompass
long periods of stability punctuated by sudden and irreversible events
True or false
Earth’s surface and life continues to change
TRUE
does time greatly limit our perspective in geography
YES
how is physical geography UNLIKE experimental science
time greatly limits our perspective in geography
what is the Earth known as
blue marble
Earth’s average distance from the sun is
150 000 000 km
Perihelion
the point in the orbit of a planet or other astronomical body, at which it is closest to the sun
when is Earth’s perihelion
January 3rd
Aphelion
the point of the Earth’s orbit that is farthest away from the Sun
when is Earth’s aphelion
July 4th
Earth is __ min and ___ second from the sun
8 min 20 sec
what does it mean if the earth is 8 minutes and 20 seconds from the sun
the distance light has to travel to reach earth
Plane of Earth’s orbit is the
plane of the ecliptic
plane of the ecliptic
the imaginary plane containing the Earth’s orbit around the sun
Earth is known as the ____ planet
Goldilocks planet
Why is earth known as the Goldilocks planet?
Its temp is just right
Venus - too hot
Mars - too cold
what does NASA’s Kelper Mission look for
planets in the habitable zone
habitable zone
the area around a star where liquid water could pool on the surface
what is the smallest planet orbiting in the habitable zone
Kelper 452b
how many Goldilock planets should there be
lots
how were we able to estimate the number of Goldilock planets
Drake equation
Drake equation states that in our galaxy there should be
10 advanced civilizations with estimates of 50 to 135 billion galaxies in the universe
what is important in an advanced civilization
- need water in all 3 states
- need planets with the same size for gravitational pull
ecosystem sources
things humans/animals get from nature for FREE
what makes Earth special
it has everything we need to survive
geography is also known as
earth systems science
physical geography deals with the
interactions of systems
what supports all life
sun
humans pose what kind of threat to interactions
speeds them up
interactions have been happening for thousands of years with
certain speeds
what are the central concerns of physical geography
issues of the growing influence of humans on Earth systems
true or false
more people are alive today than every and they are unevenly distributed
true
where is virtually all population growth
in less developed counrties
less developed countries make up _____ of the total population
81% (5.75 billion)
what has caused population discrepancies around the world
access to education, food and water
True or false
the word system is never used in our daily lives
FALSE
system analysis
techniques in science that began with studies of energy and temperature
what is an important analytical tool
systems methodology
system
set of ordered, interrelated components and their attributes linked by flows of energy and matter
true or false
systems are distinct from the surrounding environment outside the system
TRUE
true or false
a system cannot comprise of any number of subsystems
FALSE- it can
within Earth’s systems, what is transformed from one type to another
energy
what are retrieved and stored in Earth’s systems
matter and energy
matter
mass that assumes a physical shape and occupies space
energy
the capacity to change the motion of or to do work on matter
three types of systems
- deterministic system
- stochastic system
- chaotic system
chaotic system
system associated with deterministic events that are NOT predictable
what type of system does this describe?
outcome events occur along a bounded attractor
chaotic system
what are examples of chaotic systems
pendulum or planetary orbit
weather systems belong to what kind of system
chaotic system
what makes weather systems hard to predict
small errors in the beginning become larger ones later on
what type of system does this describe?
used to cover the idea of random and chance
stochastic system
stochastic system
systems where the output is governed by a probability distribution
true or false
in a stochastic system, systems cab have deterministic and stochastic variables
TRUE
examples of stochastic systems
coin flip and radioactive decay
what type of system does this describe?
the outcome is the result of known relations between dependent and independent variables
deterministic system
deterministic system
describes a system whose temporal or spatial evolution can be predicted exactly
examples of a deterministic system
dominos
what type of system do climate systems reflect
deterministic system
systems are linked by
flows of matter and energy
open system
systems that are NOT self-contained
when is Earth considered an open system
with respect to energy
when is Earth considered a closed system
with respect to matter
why are earth’s systems dynamic
the tremendous infusion of radiant energy from the sun
what happens to energy as it passes through the outermost edge of Earth’s atmosphere
it is transformed into various forms of energy
what sets the fluid atmosphere and ocean in motion
the transformation of energy into different forms as it passes through outermost edge of the atmosphere
closed systems
system that is shut off from the surrounding environment so that it is self-contained
what must to done if we want a sustainable global economy
recycling efforts
is photosynthesis open or closed system
closed system
how do forests affect humans
- output of carbon storage
- soil stabilization
- food and resources
what are the direct impacts of humans on forests
- logging for wood
- burning to make way for agriculture
- clearing for development
example of a closed system
thermostat
examples of open systems
Ocean, forest,
positive feedback example
Planet heating up
negative feedback example
in a forest, healthy trees produce roots that stabilize hilltops and limit erosion
why are trees produce roots that stabilize hilltops and limit erosion NEGATIVE feedback
if the trees are damaged, then the hillside would become unstable and susceptible to landslides
What feedback are predators and prey relations and WHY
negative feedback - if the predator population drops then prey populations increase and create instability in the ecosystem. These two populations find a balance.
how is the planet heating up an example of POSITIVE feedback
as the planet heats up, glaciers melt and are replaced with darker land. darker land absorbs more energy which causes the planet to heat up MORE
positive feedback
increases the response or stimulates the processes in the system
is this negative or positive feedback
input and output drive the system further towards an extreme
Positive
what type of feedback is considered unstable
positive
negative feedback
slows down the processes in the system
is this negative or positive feedback
input and output neutralize each other’s effect = stabilizing the system
negative feedback
what type of feedback is considered stable
negative
Albedo effect
the ability of surfaces to reflect sunlight (heat from the sun)
a low albedo
Dark surfaces absorb the rays from the sun (low albedo).
high albedo
Light-coloured surfaces return a large part of the sunrays back to the atmosphere (high albedo)
what is important when thinking of system feedback
the speed at which these things are happening
what is essential for life, without it = no life
carbon in the atmosphere
how does carbon naturally remerge into the atmosphere
- volcanic eruptions
- natural decay
- cellular respiration
what is the importance of the fossil record
rocks hold the secretes of ancient Earth and how it has changed
model
simplified, idealized representation of part of the real world
three types of models
- conceptual
- physical
- numerical
conceptual model
the most generalized and focuses on HOW processes interact within a system
physical model
a scale down or up of a physical system
numerical model
more specific and usually based on data collected from labs or field
what type of model is this?
transitions between states of water
Conceptual model
what type of model is this?
globe or atom model
physical model
what type of model is this?
climate and how climate changes
numerical model
what is the benefit of simplified models
makes systems easier to understand and simulate
are the four systems of Earth’s surface open or closed
OPEN
do the four earth systems interact
YES
what are the three abiotic systems
atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere
the biotic sphere is the
biosphere
atmosphere
a thin, gaseous veil surrounding Earth or held to the planet by the force of gravity
hydrosphere
where Earth’s water exists in the atmosphere, surface and in the crust near the surface
the portion of the hydrosphere that is frozen is the
cryosphere
three main areas of the cryosphere
sea ice, glaciers and permafrost
lithosphere
earth’s crust and a portion of the upper mantle directly below the crust
what sphere does the action happen
lithosphere
biosphere
intricate, interconnected web that links all organisms with their physical environment
is this model conceptual, or mathematical
conceptual
Is this steady-state equilibrium or dynamic equilibrium
steady state
steady-state equilibrium
rates of input/output are equal AND the amounts of energy and matter in storage are constant
dynamic equilibrium
steady-state system demonstrates a changing trend over time
what does a threshold or tipping point mean for a system
where it can no longer maintain its character and lurches to a new level
steady-state condition
energy and matter system that remains balanced over time in which conditions are constant or recur
IS this dynamic or steady-state equilibrium
dynamic
