Transition work flashcards 2022
What is meant by causality?
Causality is the relationship between cause and effect
In what different ways are places defined and understood by geographers?
-Places are meaningful to individuals, in ways that are personal or subjective
-Places can be meaningful at a social or cultural level
-Places are dynamic, changing both in term of their material human and physical geographies
What is a system?
A system is an assemblage of interrelated parts that work together by way of some driving proess
What are some common characteristics of systems?
Common characteristics of systems include:
-They have a structure that is defined by their parts and processes
-They are generalisations of reality
-They function in the sam way (involves input and output of matter)
-All systems exchange energy and/or matter beyond their defined boundary to their outside environment
-Functional relationships only occur because of the prescence of a driving force
What are the three kinds of properties within the boundary of a system?
The three kinds of properties within the boundary of a system:
-Elements: the parts that make up a system eg atoms or sand grains
-Attributes - characteristics of the elements that may be perceived and measured eg size
-Relationships - the associations that occur between elements and attributes. These associations are based on cause and effect
What are the types of systems?
Types of systems include:
-Isolated system
-Closed system
-Open system
-Morphological system
-Cascading system
-Process-response system
-Control system
-Ecosystem
What is an isolated system?
An isolated system is a system that has no interactions beyond its boundary layer
What is a closed system?
A closed system is a system that transfers energy but not matter across its boundary to the surrounding environment
What is an open systm?
An open system is a system that transfers both matter and energy across its boundary to the surrounding environment
What is a morphological system?
A morphological system is a system where the morphology of a system is understood based on its elements though its processes are not fully understood
What is a cascading system?
A cascading system is a system where its flow of energy and/or matter is more important to understand than the quantitative relationships between elements
What is a process-response system?
A process-response system is a system that integrates the characteristics of both morphological and cascading systems,. We can model the processes involved in the movement, storage and transformation of energy and/or matter between system elements
What is a control system?
A control system is a system that can be intelligently manipulated by the action of humans
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a system that models relationships and interactions between the various biotic and abiotic components making up a community
What are the features of the lithosphere?
The lithosphere:
-The solid outer part of the earth
-Made up of brittle crust and top part of the upper mantle
-Thickest at the cratons
-Interacts with other earth systems to influence earth’s climate and landscape
What are the features of the hydrosphere?
The hydrosphere:
-Stores 96.6% of liquid water on earth, due to impacts such as precipitation and surface run-off
What are the features of the cryosphere?
The cryosphere:
-Examples include ice sheets in greenland and america as well as ice caps, glaciers, areas of snow and permafrost
-Plays an important role in the atmospheric temperature of the earth as the snow and ice reflect heat from the sun, helping to regulate our planet’s temperature
What are the features of the atmosphere?
The atmosphere:
-Composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, 0.1% other gases
-Divided into 5 layers: troposphere (closest to earth’s sueface), stratosphere (contains the ozone layer) , mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere (furthest from earth’s surface)
