Geog Exam 2

Front 1

-Typically moves faster and have a steeper edge, results in unsable, vertically developed clouds and violent, short-lived storms
-Forms vertically
-Cold and warm air meet, the warm air rises
-cumulonimbus clouds

Back 1

Cold fronts

Front 2

-generated over water is a wet air mass
-generated over land is a dry air mass
-Polars are cold masses
-S. continent are dry air masses

Back 2

N. American Air masses

Front 3

-Gentle slope, most precipitation is over a wide area
-non-violent
-develops a series of stratus clouds at different atmospheres

Back 3

warm fronts

Front 4

-Neither air mass displaces the other
-some precipitation due to limited rising of warm air.

Back 4

stationary front

Front 5

-a cold front overtakes a warm front
-The cold air undercuts the cooler air mass associated with the warm front, further lifting the already rising warm air.

Back 5

Occluded front

Front 6

What happens when a cold front passes?

Back 6

1. temperature drops
2. winds shift from S to N
3. Pressure drops then rises
4. Clouds and precipiation at the front

Front 7

-Low pressure cold front from W to E
-Winds circulate counter clockwise in the Northern hemisphere (low pressure)
-Cold front advances faster than the storm center and warm front

Back 7

Midlatitude cyclone

Front 8

-Large, high pressure systems that diverge as they descend

Back 8

Midlatitude ANTIcyclone

Front 9

-a tropical disturbance
-a long, weak, low pressure system between 5-30 degrees
-A band of thunderstorms can develop into hurricanes

Back 9

easterly waves

Front 10

-Intense low pressure tropical disturbance with converging winds in a steep pressure gradient
-Pulls in warm moist air that fuels the storm

Back 10

tropical cyclones

Front 11

-originated by convective heating or frontal activity, then the storm is fueled by the release of heat from condensation

Back 11

THunderstorms

Front 12

-streamflows:
-Always flowing because of direct contact with the ground water
-gains water from the ground water
-effluent

Back 12

perennial streams

Front 13

-stream flow
-Only flows when its raining, the rest of the time, they're dry.
-lose water to groundwater
-influent

Back 13

ephemeral streams

Front 14

-Moderately to highly permeable rocks where moisture moves through

Back 14

aquifers

Front 15

-Production of plant matter by chorophyll containing plants and bacteria.

Back 15

photosynthesis

Front 16

photosynthesis equation is:

Back 16

CO2 + H2O -----> Carbohydrates + O2

Front 17

-Describes the net photosynthesis of a plant comunity over a period of one year
-measured in fixed carbon per unit area.

Back 17

net primary productivity

Front 18

-net primary productivity is highest on _______ within the tropics where both high precipitation and high insolation
-productivity is low _______

Back 18

-Land
-Poleward and cold areas

Front 19

-THe study of plants and animal distribution

Back 19

-Biogeography

Front 20

-A large terestrial ecosystem with recognizable plant and animal assemblage
-Named after vegetation assemblages that are dictated by latitude and climates

Back 20

Biome

Front 21

transitional boundary between biomes

Back 21

ecotone

Front 22

major biome
-Heavy shade, high humidity, little wind
-sits right under ITCZ
-nutrient poor

Back 22

tropical biomes

Front 23

major biome
-Mix of low-growing shrubs and grasses
-ground dwelling mammals

Back 23

Tropical scrubs

Front 24

major biome
-rainfall contrasts are greatest
-dominated by tall grasses
-during the wet season, grass grows tall, dry seasons the grass withers, another season is wildfires
-large animals, carnivores

Back 24

savanna

Front 25

major biomes
-Strong correspondence with dry climates
-extremely low vegetation density

Back 25

desert

Front 26

major biome
-Dry summers, wet winters
-summer fires common
-woody shrubs and open grassy woodland
-seed-eating rodents

Back 26

Mediterranean woodland shrub

Front 27

major biome
-Perennial grasses that lie dormant in winter.
-trees are limited by moisture and fire frequency
-large numbers of few species of animals

Back 27

midlatitude grassland

Front 28

major biome
-complete canopy in summer, deciduous trees in the south, conifers in the north
-occurs in East US

Back 28

midlatitude deciduous forest

Front 29

-major biome
-needleleaf evergreens, pines, firs and spruces
-short, close growing trees
-northern America
-fur-bearer animals

Back 29

Boreal forest

Front 30

major biome
-a cold desert or grassland
-moisture is scarce and summers short, trees cannot survive
-birds and insects are animals

Back 30

tundra

Front 31

-tiny storms with pressure gradient and produces fast winds.
-originates slightly above ground and contains cloud and sucked-in dust

Back 31

tornadoes

Front 32

-formation of __________
-associated with vertical air motion, humidity, instability and produces a towering cumulonimbus cloud and precipitation

Back 32

thunderstorms

Front 33

-thunderstorm stages
-1. updrafts prevail and the cloud grows. falling particles drag air with them initiating a downdraft. ___________
-2. the downdraft precipitation leaves the bottom of the cloud and updrafts and downdrafts coexist as te cloud enlarges. Most active stage; hail, winds, lightning, thunder __________
-3. Downdrafts dominate and there is light rain and turbulence ceasing _________

Back 33

1. cumulus
2. mature
3. dissipating

Front 34

-Development of a larg cumulonimbus cloud causes a separation of electrical charges. Updrafts carrying positively charged water droplets or crystals rise while falling ice gathers negative charges.
-The contrast builds to tens of millions of volts and causes a ground-to-cloud discharge.

Back 34

Lightning

Front 35

-THe abrupt heating by lightning produces instantaneous expansion of the air creating a shock wave.
-occurs simultaneously with lightning but travels slower

Back 35

thunder

Front 36

-tiny storms with pressure gradient and produces fast winds.
-originates slightly above ground and contains cloud and sucked-in dust

Back 36

tornadoes

Front 37

-formation of __________
-associated with vertical air motion, humidity, instability and produces a towering cumulonimbus cloud and precipitation

Back 37

thunderstorms

Front 38

-thunderstorm stages
-1. updrafts prevail and the cloud grows. falling particles drag air with them initiating a downdraft. ___________
-2. the downdraft precipitation leaves the bottom of the cloud and updrafts and downdrafts coexist as te cloud enlarges. Most active stage; hail, winds, lightning, thunder __________
-3. Downdrafts dominate and there is light rain and turbulence ceasing _________

Back 38

1. cumulus
2. mature
3. dissipating

Front 39

-Development of a larg cumulonimbus cloud causes a separation of electrical charges. Updrafts carrying positively charged water droplets or crystals rise while falling ice gathers negative charges.
-The contrast builds to tens of millions of volts and causes a ground-to-cloud discharge.

Back 39

Lightning

Front 40

-THe abrupt heating by lightning produces instantaneous expansion of the air creating a shock wave.
-occurs simultaneously with lightning but travels slower

Back 40

thunder

Front 41

-formation of __________
-generated by severe thunderstorms
-must have a significant change in wind speed or direction from the bottom to the top.

Back 41

formation of tornadoes

Front 42

major climate group
-low latitudes, warm and wet
-lack of coldness

Back 42

Tropical climate

Front 43

major climate group
-dry conditions prevail all year
-potential evapotranspiration greater than precipitation

Back 43

dry climate

Front 44

major climate group
-long hot summer, mild winter
-characterized as "summer and winter" instead of "hot and cold"

Back 44

mild midlatitutde

Front 45

major climate group
-cold winter, relatively short summer
-large temperature range

Back 45

severe midlatitude

Front 46

-formation of __________
-generated by severe thunderstorms
-must have a significant change in wind speed or direction from the bottom to the top.

Back 46

formation of tornadoes

Front 47

major climate group
-low latitudes, warm and wet
-lack of coldness

Back 47

Tropical climate

Front 48

major climate group
-dry conditions prevail all year
-potential evapotranspiration greater than precipitation

Back 48

dry climate

Front 49

major climate group
-long hot summer, mild winter
-characterized as "summer and winter" instead of "hot and cold"

Back 49

mild midlatitutde

Front 50

major climate group
-cold winter, relatively short summer
-large temperature range

Back 50

severe midlatitude

Front 51

major climate group
-coldest summers
-extraordinarily dry
-large temperature range
-low precipitation, mostly snow

Back 51

polar climates

Front 52

levels of salinity
-the equator has _____ salinity
-the subtropics have ______ salinity
-near land is ______ salinity

Back 52

-low
-high
-low

Front 53

-Bulges in the sea surface in some places that are compensated by lower areas or "sinks" in the surface at other places.
-Primarily vertical motions of the water.

Back 53

Tides

Front 54

THe percentage of the total volume of the material that consists of voids (pore spaces or cracks) that can fill with water.
-The more porous a material is, the greater the amount of open space it contains.

Back 54

porosity

Front 55

-The ability to transmit underground water
-Determined by the size of pores and their degree of interconnectedness

Back 55

permeability

Front 56

-Underground water is stored in and moves slowly through highly permeable rocks
-Can be a very slow rate or rapid rate

Back 56

aquifers

Front 57

-The top of the saturated zone.
-Conforms roughtly to the slope of land surface above

Back 57

water table

Front 58

-When water is taken from the well faster than it can flow in rom the saturated rock, the water table drops, forming a _____________

Back 58

cone of depression

Front 59

-Salinity depends on how much evaporation takes place.
-When evaporation is high, salinity is ______
-Where inflow of freshwater is high, salinity is ______
-Lowest salinities are found where rainfall is heavy and near major rivers.
-Salinity is highest in landlocked seas

Back 59

-high
-low

Front 60

-Salinity is ____ in equatorial regions because of rainfall, cloudiness and humidity
-Salinity is _____ in the subtropics where precipitation is low and evaporation extensive
-Salinity is _____in polar regions

Back 60

-low
-high
-low

Front 61

-outter-most material of Earth, includes the crust and part of the upper-most mantle
-a cold slab

Back 61

Lithosphere

Front 62

-Partially molten/liquid rock, further down in the Earth
-A heat source
-very dense

Back 62

asthenosphere

Front 63

-A movement of rock that occurs along a fault
-moves i two different directions
-releases energy from the focus

Back 63

Earthquakes

Front 64

-The first wave of an earthquake
-fastest, motion is by compression

Back 64

P wave

Front 65

-Second wave to arrive for an earthquake
-Motion is up/down and side to side
-more destructive

Back 65

S wave

Front 66

rock
-Formed by solidification of motion magma
-composed of interlocking crystals
ex: magma, lava, pluton, volcano

Back 66

Igneous

Front 67

rock
-Formed by compaction and cementation of sediments

Back 67

Sedimentary

Front 68

rock
-have been drastically changed by heat and/or pressure.
-"cooking" process that heats the rock, causing its mineral components to be recrystallized and rearranged

Back 68

metamorphic rocks