Unit 1 optional vocab Flashcards
accessibility
The degree of ease with which it is possible to reach certain location from other locations
aerial photography
The taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position off Earth’s surface
circular pattern
A pattern, where objects are located in a rough circle around another object
climate region
An area with a distinct climate, such as tropical, arid, and temperate
connectivity
The ways in which different places, people, and ideas are linked together, creating networks that facilitate interactions and exchanges
culture
A total way of life held in common by a group of people, including learned features such as language, ideology, behavior, technology, and government
daylight savings time
A time cycle, where the clock is pushed an hour ahead of the original timing or is at the original timing, this is changed every Spring and Fall
distance
Can be absolute or relative – measures how far apart two things are
distribution
The arrangement of features in a space
distortion
Inaccuracies or misrepresentations that occur when translating three-dimensional geographic features onto two-dimensional maps
environmental geography
The branch of science that examines issues like climate change, pollution, deforestation, and urbanization to understand their impacts on both humans and the natural world
equator
The 0 degree line of latitude that wraps around the globe, separating the Northern and Southern hemispheres
friction of distance
Movement incurs some form of cost, in the form of physical effort, energy, time, and/or the expenditure of other resources, and that these costs are proportional to the distance traveled
geospatial technologies
A general term for the geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and global positioning systems (GPS)
geospatial data
Information that has a geographic aspect to it, like coordinates or distribution patterns
geocaching
A hunt for a cache where the Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates which are placed on the internet by other geocachers
Greenwich Mean Time
The time in the zone encompassing the prime meridian, or 0° longitude
landscape analysis
A process of studying and describing a landscape, generally with the goal of assessing the impact of humans on that space
International Date Line (IDL)
The line extending between the South and North Poles that is the boundary between one calendar day and the next (about 180 degrees longitude)
latitude
The numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator
local time
The official time for a region, depending on where it is located
location theory
A logical attempt to explain the locational pattern of an economic activity and the manner in which its producing area are interrelated
locator maps
Show the absolute location of a specific event
longitude
The set of curving imaginary lines that run North-South, coming together at the poles. They measure distance, in degrees, East or West of the Prime Meridian
meridian
An arc drawn on a map between the north and south poles
map projection
A way of representing the curved surface of the earth on a flat map
parallel
A circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians, or a line of latitude
physical geography
The science concerned with the study of physical aspects, including air, water, and soil on the Earth’s surface
plat maps
A kind of map that shows and labels property lines and details of land ownership
Prime Meridian
The 0 degree line of longitude that runs through Greenwich, England
proximity
The nearness or closeness of one location to another
regionalization
The process of dividing up the earth into smaller regions or units or the tendency to form decentralized regions
road maps
A map showing the roads of a city, state, or other area
Cartographic scale
Refers to the relationship between the size of the features on a map and their actual size in the real world
scale of data
The scale from which data was collected, often influencing conclusions
spatial models
Theoretical frameworks used to understand and predict the patterns and movements of people, goods, and information across space
nonspatial models
Examining data that is not defined by specific spatial dimensions
spatial data
Information about the physical location and shape of objects, often represented in a coordinate system
spatial organization
The way a group or phenomenon is arranged on the surface of the Earth
spatial perspective
A way of thinking about how and why physical features or processes are positioned in geographic space
time zones
Areas separated by approximately 15 degrees longitude which have different local times from one another to compensate for Earth’s curved surface
Geographic scale
A conceptual hierarchy of spaces, from small to large that reflects actual levels of organization in the real world
Relative scale
The relative size of the map or lens we choose to use to observe geographical phenomena
