Week 2 - Chpt 1 + Introduction Flashcards
Matter is…
…mass that assumes a physical shape.
Energy is…
…a property of substances; it has the ability to do work on mass.
Geography
From geo, “Earth”, and graphein, “to write”
Geography is the science that studies…
…the relationships among natural systems, geographic areas, society, cultural activities, and the interdependence of all of these over space.
Spatial…
…refers to the nature and character of physical space, its measurement, and the distribution of things within it.
What are the five spatial themes of geography?
Location, region, place, movement, and human-Earth relationships.
What is the method that geography is governed by?
Spatial analysis
Define “process”
A set of actions or mechanisms that operate in some special order
What is physical geography?
The spatial analysis of all the physical elements and process systems that make up the environment; essentially, what what is where.
What is the scientific method?
It begins with observation of the real world, generally followed by a sentence similar to, “Huh…that’s funny.” Next, the problem, and whether or not an explanation exists, is considered. Then, if no explanation exists, we make an attempt at one: a hypothesis. We next try to make predictions about what might be true based on our hypothesis. Finally, we attempt to disprove the hypothesis through experiment. If this happens many times over and consistently produces the same results, a theory is formed.
Snowballing
A runaway growth condition
Albedo
Reflectivity
A model is…
…a simplified, idealized representation of the real world.
“All models are wrong, but some are useful.”
Non-living, living
Abiotic, biotic
What are the three abiotic spheres on Earth?
Atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere
What is the biotic sphere called?
Biosphere
What is the atmosphere?
A thin, gaseous veil surrounding the Earth, held in place by gravity
What is the atmosphere made of?
Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, water vapour, and trace gases.
What is the hydrosphere?
Earth’s entire water system, including water that exists in the atmosphere, on the surface, and in the crust near the surface.
What is the frozen portion of the hydrosphere called?
The cryosphere
What is the lithosphere?
Earth’s crust and a portion of the upper mantle directly below the crust
What is the soil layer called?
Edaphosphere
What is the biosphere?
The web that links all organisms with their physical environment; the natural limits in which life is sustainable
What is the range of the biosphere?
From the seafloor to about 8 km into the atmosphere.
Latitude
An angular distance north or south of the equator, measured from the centre of the Earth
A parallel
A line connecting all points along a latitudinal angle
Where are the lower latitudes?
Closer to the equator.
Where are the higher latitudes?
Closer to the poles.
Longitude
An angular distance east or west of a point on Earth’s surface, measured from the centre of the Earth
Meridian
A line connecting all points along the same longitude.
The longitude designated zero
Prime meridian
Where is Earth’s prime meridian?
It passes through the old Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England.
Which can be determined by the stars: longitude or latitude?
Latitude
GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
A generalized view of an area is called…
A map
What is the greenhouse effect?
Infrared thermal radiation from the earth (radiated from solar insolation) is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the troposphere.
What are the layers of the atmosphere, starting at the surface?
Troposphere (weather + greenhouse gases), stratosphere (ozone layer), mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere.
Briefly describe the scientific method.
Observe, check for explanations, make a hypothesis, test hypothesis, peer review, theory.
What are the naturally occurring greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapour, ozone
How have definitions of physical geography changed over the years?
They haven’t really.
Who wrote the first geography text?
Mary Somerville.
Name 5 physical geographers.
Michael Jordan, Michael Palin, Prince William, Neal Stephenson, Justin Trudeau, Adrienne Carr
What does neuroscience tell us is the best strategy before taking a test?
Study and practice before getting good sleep.
What’s a good first step in chunking?
Get a quick overview of what it is you’re studying.
What are five questions a physical geographer might ask?
- How does climate vary in the past, present, and future?
- What can past climate tell us about future climate?
- Can natural systems be restored?
- How can we measure human impact on the environment?
- Why does temperature vary over the Earth?
What are five values of physical geography?
- Interesting and relevant to the real world
- A better understanding of where you live
- Makes travel more interesting
- Enhance environmental awareness
- Broad range of career opportunities
What is the difference between human and physical geography?
Human geography focuses on the spatial distribution of human activity, and physical geography focuses on the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
What are some common misconceptions about the greenhouse effect?
- That carbon and nitrogen are greenhouse gases.
- Greenhouse gases and “pollution”.
- Radiation is “blocked” or “trapped”
- The role of the stratosphere (which is actually related to gamma ray absorption and ozone depletion)
What is the difference between working and long-term memory?
Your working memory is essentially your post-it note and your stepping stone on the way to long-term memory retention. It holds small bits of info for short bits of time, but through repetition or association, this info can be transferred to the long-term memory.
What is Wien’s law?
The hotter it is, the shorter the waves it radiates.
What does Wien’s law explain about the Earth and Sun and energy?
It explains why shortwave solar insolation becomes longwave thermal radiation after being absorbed by the Earth.
What is chunking?
Breaking a complex subject into manageable parts, and then filling in basic sections with more details, allowing you to learn bit by bit and commit things to your long-term memory.
Why is chunking important?
You can’t just learn facts, you need to make connections.
In one sentence: What is the greenhouse effect?
The absorption of infrared radiation by greenhouse gases in the troposphere.
Why is it important to limit studying to 25-minute chunks?
Studies show that difficult tasks literally produce pain. Procrastination is reduced if we limit our exposure to unpleasant tasks to 25 minute periods, separated by something pleasant.
How does science advance?
By testing and disproving hypotheses.
According to neuroscience, what does doing well on a test require?
Sleep, practice, and taking the time to learn effectively, with breaks.
