Week 1 notes- Geog. & Carto./Ch-Lec 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

What does Geography study, and what two basic questions does it ask?

A

Geography studies land; the two basic questions that it asks are: Where are things located?
Why are they there?

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2
Q

What are the two primary branches of Geography?

A

Physical Geography and Human Geography

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3
Q

What are the four major sub-fields, or “spheres,” of Physical Geography, and what examples of what each sphere studies?

A

Four major subfields of physical geography:
-atmosphere (layers of gas and particular matter above us; clouds, ozone layer, greenhouse gases)
-hydrosphere (water in all forms; rivers, water pollution, etc.)
-lithosphere (rocky outer layers of earth; earthquakes, fracking, fossil fuel)
-biosphere (all living organisms; humans, animals, extinction)

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4
Q

What are the four stages of scientific inquiry?

A

1) Ask a geographic question- questions about spatial relationships in the worlds around you

2) Acquire geographic resources- identify data that you’ll need to answer the question

3) Explore Geographic data- organize data into helpful, manageable resources and look for patterns and relationships

4) Analyze geographic information- determine what the patterns and relationships mean with respect to your question

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5
Q

What are “open systems” versus “closed systems,” and is Earth an open system with respect to energy? With respect to matter.

A

Open systems are energy and matter that are free to be exchanged across systems (hydrosphere->atmosphere and back again)

Closed systems are areas contained from outside influence

Earth is a closed system with respect to matter and energy.

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6
Q

What is cartography?

A

Cartography is the science of mapmaking.

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7
Q

What is distortion on a (flat) map?

A

the changes in shape, area, distance, directions, or continuity

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8
Q

What are some common features that help explain the spatial data shown on maps?

A

Scales (1 square = 3500km)
Coordinates
Cardinal Directions

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9
Q

What is a computer-based software system that can help organize and depict spatial data?

A

Sensors
GPS
GIS

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