Test 1 Flashcards
What is a mental map and discuss.
Maps in our minds of our activity spaces.
Difference between a small and large scale map and provide an example of each.
A small scale map portrays a large area in generalized terms. (The country of Canada)
A large scale map portrays a small area with detail (the city of Boston)
Small- large picture, less detail
Large-small picture, more detail.
Discuss difference between relative and absolute location.
Relative: defines a place in relationship to other places.
Absolute: provides unique address
What was Pangaea ?
Supercontinent when all the continents were once joined together.
Discuss Wegener’s plate tectonics.
Lighter rock continents float atop heavier rock played that move by magma circulation cells within the earth.
What is the ring of fire?
Is a zone of crustal instability along plate boundaries ringing the Pacific Ocean Basin. Earthquakes and volcanoes.
What is the earths inclination? How do the tropics of cancer and Capricorn and the arctic and Antarctic circles relate to the inclination?
23.5.
Differences between conformal and equal-area projections. Examples?
Conformal preserves the shape over small areas but makes things look larger than what they are. essentially a flat map.
An equal area project is kind of true to life. Imagine a cut up orange peel. It minimizes distortion relating to how big an area looks.
What properties are always distorted when transferring a spherical shape like earth to a flat map?
Shape, area, and scale.
Define geography? What does it literally mean?
Geography studies the location and distribution of features on the Earths surface. It literally means “description of the earth”. Geography seeks to answer why and how of different earth phenomena.
What are the two key variables of weather and climate?
-TEMPERATURE
and
-PRECIPITATION
What are the CLIMACTIC CONTROLS that affect a locations climate and how do they affect climate?
-latitude Elevation Land water distribution Ocean currents Atmospheric circulation Topography
What are the TWO causes of our changing seasons?
The angle of inclination
And
The earths position in orbit.
What is the climactic zone of East Texas?
C-Temperate-Humid Subtropical
Why are there no D climates in the Southern Hemisphere?
Because it’s mostly water!
Why are the majority of the worlds major deserts 30 degrees north and south of the equator?
subtropical high pressure zone
Differences between cyclone and anti-cyclone?
Cyclone-low pressure-areas of clouds and percipitation
Anticylcone-high pressure no clouds or percipitation
Describe and discuss the three processes of precipitation.
Convectional-
Orographical-mountain association
Cyclonic Frontal-cold/warm front
How are the distribution of biomes determined?
Climates