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GEOG 103 > Test 1 > Flashcards

Test 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What does Geography mean

A

geo “Earth” and graphein “to write.”

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2
Q

Scientific method

A
  1. Assume that the real world exists.
  2. Make observations and measurements.
  3. Use your inductive reasoning.
  4. Make a hypothesis.
  5. Make predictions.
  6. Form a “general theory, governing laws.
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3
Q

Systems theory

A

Ordered, interrelated sets of things and their attribute.

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4
Q

Open system

A

Receives inputs and outputs.

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5
Q

Closed system

A

Shut off from the surrounding environment.

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6
Q

System equilibrium

A
  1. Steady-state – in/out puts stable as is mass and energy.
  2. Dynamic – fluctuations around an equilibrium with a trend over time.
  3. Metastable – new equilibrium reached after passing a threshold (abrupt changes in the system).
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7
Q

Earth’s 4 spheres

A

Atmosphere
Hydroshpere
Lithosphere
Biosphere

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8
Q

Earth’s shape

A

Earth is an Oblate spheroid, not perfectly round.

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9
Q

Latitude

A

Lines measuring angular discourse north and south of the equator. The lines run east and west.

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10
Q

Longitude

A

Based off of the “Prime Meridian.” Anything east of the Prime Meridian is the eastern hemisphere, west of it is the western hemisphere.

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11
Q

Is Earth an open system or closed system?

A

Open system.

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12
Q

The short waves of the electromagnetic spectrum

A

Gama | X-rays | Ultra-violet | Visible violet – blue

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13
Q

The long waves of the electromagnetic spectrum

A

Visible yellow – red | Infrared | Microwave | Radio Wave

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14
Q

Do short waves have low or high energy?

A

High energy.

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15
Q

Insolation

A

Incident solar radiation

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16
Q

5 reasons for seasons

A
  1. Revolution
  2. Rotation
  3. Tilt of Earth’s axis
  4. Axial parallelism
  5. Sphericity
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17
Q

Tilt of Earth’s axis

A

23.5° from plane of ecliptic.

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18
Q

Axial parallelism

A

Axis maintains alignment during orbit around the Sun. North pole points toward the North Star (Polaris).

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19
Q

Winter solstice

A

December 21 or 22. Subsolar point Tropic of Capricorn.

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20
Q

Spring equinox

A

March 20 or 21. Subsolar point Equator.

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21
Q

Summer solstice

A

June 20 or 21. Subsolar point Tropic of Cancer.

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22
Q

Fall equinox

A

September 22 or 23. Subsolar point Equator.

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23
Q

What is air?

A

a simple mixture of gases that is naturally odorless, colorless, tasteless and formless, behaving as if it were one gas.

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24
Q

What are the three criteria to examine the atmosphere?

A
  1. Composition
  2. Temperature
  3. Function
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25
Q

Heterosphere

A

Outer atmosphere. Layers of gases sorted by gravity.

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26
Q

Homosphere

A

Inner atmosphere. Gases evenly blended, except ozone, water vapor and pollutants.

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27
Q

Atmospheric gasses in order of how much we breathe in.

A
  1. Nitrogin
  2. Oxygen
  3. Argon
  4. Carbon dioxide
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28
Q

Divisions of atmospheric temperature

A

Top: Thermosphere
Middle: Mesosphere
Bottom: Stratosphere

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29
Q

Troposphere

A
  • Surface to 18 km

- 90% of the atmosphere

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30
Q

Ionosphere

A

-Absorbs cosmic rays, gamma rays, X-rays, some UV rays.

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31
Q

Ozonosphere

A
  • Part of stratosphere

- Ozone (O3) absorbs UV energy and converts it to heat energy.

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32
Q

Temperature inversion

A

Occurs when a layer of warm air gets above a layer of cold air (warm air is thus sandwiched between layers of cold air).

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33
Q

Clean Air Act

A

Unleaded fuel

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34
Q

Ozone hole

A

Largest hole is over the Antarctica (south pole). CFC’s released in the air is the cause, they don’t break down biologically.

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35
Q

Temperature inversion

A

Occurs when a layer of warm air gets above a layer of cold air (warm air is thus sandwiched between layers of cold air).

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36
Q

Anthropogenic Pollution

A

Pollution that HUMANS make.

  • Carbon monoxide
  • Photochemical smog
  • Industrial smog and sulfur oxides
  • Particulates
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37
Q

Natural Sources of Variable Atmospheric Components

A 
Volcanoes give out sulfur oxides.
Forest fires give carbon dioxide
Plants give hydro carbons
Biological decomposition
Soil
Ocean
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38
Q

Natural Factors That Affect Air Pollution

A

Winds blow pollutants around

Landscapes guide and redirect moving pollutants.

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39
Q

5 principal pollutants

A

(down since Clean Air Act)

  1. Carbon monoxide (down 45%)
  2. Nitrogen oxide (down 22%)
  3. Sulfur dioxide (down 52%)
  4. Volatile organic compounds (down 48%)
  5. Particulate molecules (down 75%)
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40
Q

Significance of the Clean Air Act

A

Use unleaded fuels now. We have saved more money and have cleaner air, resulting in healthier people.

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41
Q

Photochemical smog vs. industrial smog

A

photochemical is nitrogen dioxide released from cars that mixes with sunlight.
industrial is sulfur dioxides from coal burning.

42
Q

Concerns about sulfur dioxide

A

Mixes with the air and becomes sulfur trioxide which mixes with water and produces sulfate aerosols which creates smog clouds, sometimes producing sulfuric acid.

43
Q

Insolation

A

Single energy input driving the Earth atmosphere system. Includes all radiation received at Earth’s surface – direct and indirect.

44
Q

Significance of latitude in insolation

A

Most insolation is NOT over the equator but instead over the tropics. This is because the cloud cover in the rain forests reduces insolation over the equator.

45
Q

Significance of wave lengths in isolation

A

Shorter the wave length, the greater the scattering. Longer is less.

46
Q

Why is sky blue?

A

Rayleigh Scattering: blue is the shorts wave and therefore scattered more and the dominant color of the sky.

47
Q

Significance of transmission in isolation

A

Passage of energy through atmosphere or water.

48
Q

Significance of scattering in isolation

A

Changing direction of light’s movement, without altering its wavelengths

49
Q

Significance of refraction in isolation

A

When insolation changes its speed, it causes it to change direction, and it usually bends.

50
Q

Albedo

A

The reflective quality of a surface. High albedo reflects a lot, low albedo reflects a little.

51
Q

Conflicting roles of clouds

A

Cloud-albedo forcing tends to be the lower stratus clouds, reflect shortwave energy from the Sun, and Atmospheric cooling.
Cloud-greenhouse forcing tends to be the higher cirrus clouds, act as insulation, trapping in longwave radiation, and atmospheric warming

52
Q

Heat transfer

A

Absorption - radiation is absorbed and converted to energy.
Conduction - molecule to molecule transfer. One surface to another.
Convection - Energy transferred by movement, vertical movement.
Advection - Energy transferred by movement, horizontal movement.
Radiation - Energy traveling through air or space.

53
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

Natural. Short wave energy goes in, the surface absorbs it, and then reradiated long wave energy which doesn’t have the capability to exit. Atmosphere delays transfer of heat from Earth into space.

54
Q

Radiation Balace

A

All of Earth’s surfaces are not balanced but Earth as a SYSTEM is balanced.

55
Q

Daily radiation pattern

A

Temperature lag; coolest at sunset and warmest at 3 pm.

56
Q

Net R (net radiation energy)

A 
Net R =
\+SW (insolation) 
–SW (reflection) 
\+LW (infrared coming into atmosphere) 
–LW (infrared leaving atmosphere)
57
Q

Dissipation of NET R

A

Latent heat of evaporation – energy stored in water vapor as water evaporates.
Sensible heat – back-and-forth transfer of energy between air and the surface through conduction and convection.
Ground heating and cooling – energy that flows in and out of the ground. (positive energy gain during the summer is equalized by the energy loss in the winter).

58
Q

Urban heat island

A

Hotter in the center of a city than in the outskirts. metal, irregular shapes, sealed spaces (no water), air pollution.

59
Q

Measurements of temperature and their faze temperatures of water

A

Fahrenheit - 32 degrees freeze, 212 degrees boil.
Celsius - 0 degrees freeze, 100 degrees boil.
Kelvin - 273 degrees freeze, 373 degrees boil.

60
Q

Heat

A

A form of energy that flows between two systems/objects

61
Q

Temperature

A

A measure of the average kinetic energy (motion) of individual molecules of matter.

62
Q

Principal temperature controls

A

Latitude
Altitude
Cloud cover
Land/water heating differences (Evaporation, transparency, specific heat, movement, ocean currents).

63
Q

Maritime vs. continentality

A

Maritime - temperatures are effected by water, temperature curve is moderate.
Continentality - places far from water, temperature curve is extreme.

64
Q

Where is the Gulf Stream?

A

Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

65
Q

High-pressure air properties

A
  • Descending
  • Diverging
  • Cool and dense
  • Clockwise in the northern hemisphere outward
  • Counter clockwise in the southern hemisphere outward
66
Q

Low-pressure air properties

A
  • Converging
  • Ascending
  • Warm and less dense
  • Counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere inward
  • Clockwise in the southern hemisphere inward
67
Q

Devices for measuring air pressure

A

Mercury/Aneroid barometer

68
Q

Devices for measuring wind speed/direction

A

Anemometer and wind vane

69
Q

Hurricane Katrina

A
  • Category 5 hurricane 257kmph (160mph)
  • Barometric pressure of 920 mb
  • One of the lowest barometric pressure for an Atlantic storm.
70
Q

Air-pressure

A

Created by air molecules, product of motion, size and number.

71
Q

What is the normal sea-level pressure?

A

1013.2 mb (millibars).

72
Q

3 levels of wind circulation

A
  • Primary circulation (general worldwide)
  • Secondary circulation (migration of L & H)
  • Tertiary Circulation (local winds and temporal weather)
73
Q

Where is the best place to harness wind energy?

A

Along the coasts.

74
Q

“North wind”

A

Wind coming form the north and traveling south.

75
Q

Driving forces within the atmosphere

A

Gravitational Force – atmospheric pressure.
Pressure Gradient Force – generates winds.
Coriolis Force – deflective force (curving).
Frictional Force – drag on winds.

76
Q

Wind always moves from high pressure to low pressure.

True or False

A

True

77
Q

Coriolis effect

A

The deflected path of an airplane due to the rotation of the earth. Traveling straight ends up being a curved pathway along Earth’s surface.

78
Q

Pressure systems and the winds that create them drive the ocean currents.
True or False

A

True.

79
Q

Polar front

A

Area of contrast between cold (high lat.) and warm (low lat.)

80
Q

Rossby waves

A

Protrusions of the polar front into warmer air, leading to the formation of lows and highs.

81
Q

Jet stream

A

An irregular, concentrated band of wind occurring at several different locations that support surface weather conditions.

82
Q

Monsoon

A

Seasonal shift in winds.

83
Q

Gyres (currents)

A

Surface current consisting of circular flows of water in the ocean basins, tied to high pressure systems. Rotate clockwise in the northern hemisphere and vice versa.

84
Q

Equatorial currents

A

Surface currents consisting of strong east-west currents.

85
Q

Western intensification currents

A

Surface currents consisting of the piling-up of water on the eastern coasts of continents. Surround the equator.

86
Q

Upwelling currents

A

Where currents sweep away water. Deep current.

87
Q

Downwelling currents

A

Where currents pile-up water. Deep current.

88
Q

Thermohaline circulation

A

Deep currents driven by differences in temp and salinity.

89
Q

Perihelion

A

Earth is closest to the sun on January 3.

90
Q

Aphelion

A

Earth is farthest from the sun on July 4.

91
Q

Planetesimal hypothesis

A

Suns condense from nebular clouds.

92
Q

Solar wind

A

Clouds of electrically charged particles.

93
Q

Sunspots

A

Caused by magnetic storms.

94
Q

Solar Declination

A

Latitude where the sun is directly overhead (subsolar point) at noon.

95
Q

Solar altitude angle

A

Angle of the sun above horizon.

96
Q

System feedback

A

Outputs that influence operation:
Positive – encourages the same actions.
Negative – discourages similar actions.

97
Q

Great Circle

A

Cuts the planet directly in half.

98
Q

Small Circle

A

Cuts off a small chunk of the planet

99
Q

Geoid

A

Shape that the surface of the oceans would take under the influence of Earth’s gravity and rotation alone, in the absence of other influences such as winds and tides.

100
Q

Active remote sensing

A

Transmits energy to allow an image to be formed. Camera flash.

101
Q

Passive remote sensing

A

Collects energy reflected or emitted from a surface. No camera flash.

GEOG 103 (4 decks)

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