Geography Final Review

Front 1

Geography

Back 1

relationships among natural systems, geographic areas, society, cultural activities, and interdependence of these over space and time

Front 2

physical geography

Back 2

concerned with spatial aspects and interactions of the physical elements and processed that make up the environment

Front 3

earth systems science

Back 3

study of interacting set of physical, chemical, and biological systems the produce the processes of a whole earth system

Front 4

earth: an open or closed system?

Back 4

open in terms of energy (loses energy to space)

closed in terms of matter and resources

Front 5

radiation wavelengths as they relate to heat of the emitting body

Back 5

the hotter the emitting body, the shorter the wavelengths.

(the hotter the body, the shorter the skirt.)

Front 6

negative feedback

Back 6

further production in the system decreases the growth of the system and results in a self-regulation of the natural system.

ex: forest fires

Front 7

positive feedback

Back 7

further production in the system stimulates growth of the system

ex: high latitude melt ponds

Front 8

steady state equilibrium

Back 8

conditions are generally constant or recur

Front 9

dynamic equilibrium

Back 9

a kind of steady state system which demonstrates a changing trend over time

ex: atmospheric CO2 levels

Front 10

conditions for a hurrican

Back 10

water temps above 80 degrees F
Warm water currents allow hurricanes to affect northern east coast, but not California
High winds and precipitation bc of strong air pressure gradients

Front 11

shape of the earth

Back 11

oblate ellipsoid - slightly bulged at the equator

first argued by Newton

Front 12

latitude

Back 12

angular distance north or south of the equator
determines amt of solar radiation received

Front 13

tropics (degrees)

Back 13

23.5 degrees north or south of equator

Front 14

latitude

Back 14

angular distance east or west of a point on the earth's surface

Front 15

meridians

Back 15

lines of longitude (all great circles)
measured from prime meridian

Front 16

parallels

Back 16

lines of latitude (only equator is a great circle)

Front 17

great circles

Back 17

plane passing thru the center of the earth.

meridians are 1/2 of a great circle

Front 18

small circles

Back 18

intersecting plane anywhere on the earth's surface

ie almost all parallels

Front 19

how many degrees per hour does the earth rotate

Back 19

15 degrees.

relative time can be calculated by subtracting one hour for every 15 degrees west.

Front 20

international date line

Back 20

located on pacific coast approx 180 degrees from Prime Meridian,

marks place where each day officially begins

Front 21

which direction does the earth move

Back 21

eastward

counterclockwise from above

Front 22

written scale

Back 22

1:1, 1:10, 1:100,000 etc

only hold true if original map is not enlarged or reduced

Front 23

graphic scale

Back 23

visual bar scale

Front 24

Mercator Projection

Back 24

Cylindrical projection

assumes all lines of lat and long are parallel - most distortion at poles

Front 25

Gnomic projection

Back 25

planar projection

Front 26

Goode projection

Back 26

equal area projection

Front 27

active remote senseing

Back 27

directs a beam of energy at the surface to analyze enrgy reflected back. emits energy

ex: radar, sonar

Front 28

passive remote sensing

Back 28

records energy radiated from earth's surface. collects energy.

mainly visible and infrared light.

human vision, cameras

Front 29

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Back 29

combines spatial and attribute data. maps contain multiple layers of info, and create a composite overlay

complex mapping
detection of otherwise unapparent geographic patterns
prediction based on multiple attributes

Front 30

perihelion & aphelion

Back 30

perihelion - sun closest to earth on January 3rd

apheilon - sun furthest from earth on July 4th

Front 31

solar wind

Back 31

clouds of electrically charged particles. deflected by earth's magnetic sphere

Front 32

sunspots

Back 32

caused by magnetic storms.
activity cycle of ~11 years.

Front 33

aurora borealis/australis

Back 33

lights caused by solar wind interacting with the upper region of the atmosphere

Front 34

shortwave vs longwave energy

Back 34

shorter the wave, the higher the energy.

the sun radiates shortwave energy, which the earth reflects as longwave energy.

Front 35

insolation

Back 35

solar radiation that reaches a horizontal plane at the earth.

tropics receive more due to curvature of the earth - get direct insolation

insolation most oblique at the poles

Front 36

daily net radiation

Back 36

incoming (shortwave) radiation minus outgoing (longwave) radiation at the op of earth's atmosphere

Front 37

sahara net radiation deficit

Back 37

due to clear cloudless skies and high albedo (reflectiveness)

Front 38

#1 greenhouse gas

Back 38

water

Front 39

reasons for seasons

Back 39

revolution and rotation
tilted axis

Front 40

tilt of earth's axis

Back 40

23.5 degrees from plane of elliptic.

Front 41

winter solstice

Back 41

December 21/22
subsolar point is at tropic of capricorn
daylight all day in antarctic.

Front 42

spring equinox

Back 42

march 20/21
subsolar point is at equator

Front 43

summer solstice

Back 43

june 20/21
subsolar point at tropic of cancer
daylight all day in arctic

Front 44

fall equinox

Back 44

september 22/23
subsolar point at equator

Front 45

exosphere

Back 45

transition between atmosphere and outer space

Front 46

thermosphere

Back 46

top of the principle atmosphere

Front 47

normal lapse rate

Back 47

temperature decrease with existing altitude
6.4 degrees/1000 m of altitude

Front 48

atmospheric pressure

Back 48

measured in millibars

Front 49

heterosphere

Back 49

outer atmosphere
80 km outwards to thermosphere
layers of gases sorted by gravity.
< 0.001% of atmosphere's mass.

Front 50

homosphere

Back 50

inner atmosphere
surface to 80 km altitude
gases evenly blended
nitrogen #1 component by volume.

Front 51

thermosphere

Back 51

roughly the same region as the heterosphere.

Front 52

mesosphere

Back 52

50-80 km outwards. temperature decreases with altitude.

Front 53

stratosphere

Back 53

18-50 km outwards. temp increase with altitude

Front 54

troposphere

Back 54

surface to 18 km. 90% mass of atmosphere.
where normal lapse rate occurs.

Front 55

ionopshere

Back 55

absorbs cosmic rays, gamma rays, x rays, some UV

Front 56

ozonosphere

Back 56

part of stratosphere
ozone absorbs harmful UV rays and converts them to heat energy.

Front 57

antarctic ozone hole

Back 57

thinning of ozone layer over antarctic circle.
caused by human activities resulting in emission of CFCs
increasing UV radiation exposure leads in increased rates of cancer, esp acute in australia

Front 58

photochemical smog

Back 58

created by primary pollutants that go through chemical processes and create secondary pollutants.

Front 59

dry acid deposition

Back 59

acidity reaching the ground without assistance of water

Front 60

wet acid deposition

Back 60

acidity reaching the ground via water droplets

Front 61

acid rain

Back 61

all acidic precipitation
caused primarily by burning fossil fuels
primarily sulfur dioxide (coal) and nitrogen oxides (automobile exhaust)

Front 62

Fahrenheit

Back 62

32 degrees - freezing point
212 - boiling point

Front 63

Celsius

Back 63

0 degrees - freezing point
100 degrees - boiling point.

Front 64

Kelvin

Back 64

0 K = absolute zero
273 K = freezing
373 K = boiling

Front 65

principle temperature controls

Back 65

latitude - affects insolation
altitude - greater daily range and lower annual average
cloud cover - high albedo, moderates temps (cooler days, warmer nights)

Front 66

principle temperature controls

Back 66

latitude - affects insolation
altitude - greater daily range and lower annual average
cloud cover - high albedo, moderates temps (cooler days, warmer nights)

Front 67

Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone

Back 67

Region with low air pressure, intense precipitation, and lots of cloud formation

Front 68

cloud cover

Back 68

high albedo
moderates temps by reflecting and absorbing radiation
55% of earth covered by clouds on average

Front 69

albedo

Back 69

reflective quality of a surface

Front 70

daily radiation patterns

Back 70

coolest just after sunrise
warmest between noon and 3 pm (lag effect - most insolation received at noon)

Front 71

sensible vs latent heat

Back 71

sensible - can be felt by humans

latent - released or gained in water phase change

Front 72

land-water heating differences

Back 72

areas adjacent to oceans much more moderate
water has higher specific heat than land - takes more heat to warm up, but hold it longer

Front 73

photic layer

Back 73

layer of ocean that is illuminated

Front 74

thermal equator

Back 74

line connecting all points of highest mean temperature

moves southward in january, northward in july

Front 75

Urban Heat Island

Back 75

Urban environments are warmer
lower albedo
more heat expelled at sensible heat
electricity and combustion
paved surfaces - surface water runoff

Front 76

Photovoltaic cells

Back 76

solar cells
easily expendable
emissions free

Front 77

meridional flows

Back 77

winds move north and south along meridians

Front 78

zonal flows

Back 78

winds move east or west along parallels

Front 79

2 principal properties of wind

Back 79

speed and direction

Front 80

anemometer

Back 80

measures wind speed

Front 81

naming winds

Back 81

named for direction in which they originate

Front 82

4 forces determining wind direction and speed

Back 82

Earth's gravity on atmosphere
Pressure gradient force
Coriolis force
Friction force

Front 83

Pressure gradient force

Back 83

High and low pressure areas arise from unequal heating
Pressure gradient - difference in atmospheric pressure btwn areas of higher pressure (more dense) and lower pressure (less dense)

Front 84

isobar

Back 84

line along which there is a constant value of air pressure
used to make spatial analysis of pressure patterns
closer isobars = steeper pressure gradient = faster air movement

Front 85

Coriolis Force

Back 85

deflects anything that flows or flies over earth's surface
Force of earth's rotation

Front 86

geostrophic winds

Back 86

winds moving between pressure areas along paths parallel to isobars

Front 87

friction force

Back 87

effect of surface friction on wind extends to about 500 m above surface
reduces coriolis force

Front 88

air flow patterns

Back 88

air flow is predominately zonal (latitudinal)

Front 89

equatorial low-pressure trough

Back 89

forms intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) - area of high precipitation
Hadley cells/trade winds above and below
Calm within ITCZ

Front 90

subtropical high-pressure cells

Back 90

high pressure zone of hot dry air btwn 20 and 35 degrees
westerlies - principle surface winds

Front 91

upper atmosphere circiulation

Back 91

constant isobaric surface

Front 92

Rossby waves

Back 92

undulation within westerly flow of geostrophic winds

Front 93

jet streams

Back 93

polar and subtropical
meandering paths
westerlies

Front 94

land-sea breezes

Back 94

daytime - cool sea breezes
nighttime - warm land breezes

Front 95

thermohaline circulation

Back 95

produced by differences in temp and salinity.
"Oceanic conveyer belt"
connect all major ocean basins

Front 96

eustasy

Back 96

changes in sea level
tied to global ice volume

Front 97

relative humidity

Back 97

ratio of amount of water vapor in the air to maximum water vapor possible at a given temp

Front 98

saturation

Back 98

rate of condensation and evaporation reach equilibrium

Front 99

dew point

Back 99

temp at which a given air mass becomes saturated and condensation begins

Front 100

atmosphere lifting mechanisms

Back 100

convergent - convergence of low pressure surface winds
orographic - air mass hit a mountain, moves up side, cools and precipitates
frontal - cold air mass moves into moist maritime air. thundercloud formation

Front 101

mid-latitude cyclones

Back 101

typically forms at the contact btwn two large anticyclones

Front 102

relative humidity

Back 102

ratio of amount of water vapor in the air to maximum water vapor possible at a given temp

Front 103

saturation

Back 103

rate of condensation and evaporation reach equilibrium

Front 104

dew point

Back 104

temp at which a given air mass becomes saturated and condensation begins

Front 105

atmosphere lifting mechanisms

Back 105

convergent - convergence of low pressure surface winds
orographic - air mass hit a mountain, moves up side, cools and precipitates
frontal - cold air mass moves into moist maritime air. thundercloud formation

Front 106

mid-latitude cyclones

Back 106

typically forms at the contact btwn two large anticyclones
one mass is cold and dry, the other is warm and moist
apostrophe shape
associated with precipitation

Front 107

fronts

Back 107

the boundary between air masses
fronts named by the invading air mass.

Front 108

cold fronts

Back 108

cold air forces air aloft
narrower
rapid cooling of warm air, cloud formation, precipitation

Front 109

warm fronts

Back 109

warm air moves up and over cold air
wider
warm air cools ad it rises over a ramps of cooler air.
not associate with fast-developing storms like cold fronts are

Front 110

thunderstorms

Back 110

require that a warm moist air mass be elevated

Front 111

tropical cyclones (hurricanes)

Back 111

low pressure systems with very strong pressure gradients
usually occur poleward of ITCZ
require sea surface temps of 80 degrees
measured by saffir-simpson scale

Front 112

evaporation

Back 112

86% from oceans
14% evapotranspiration (from plants)

Front 113

precipitation

Back 113

78% over ocean
22% over land

Front 114

infiltration

Back 114

water penetration of soil surface

Front 115

percolation

Back 115

further water permeation through soil and bedrock

Front 116

evapotranspiration

Back 116

combined movement of water from terrestrial environment into the atmosphere

Front 117

soil-water budget

Back 117

precipitation minus "demands' - plant water use, evaporation, soil moisture storage
helps water supply planning
more water used for agriculture than for anything else

actual moisture demand + moisture over-supply +/- moisture savings = Moisture supply

Front 118

lysimeter

Back 118

measures actual evapotranspiration (ACTET)

Front 119

Potential evapotranspiration

Back 119

POTET
amound of water that would evaporate and transpire from any given surface if water was available
direct result of air temp and humidity conditions
rates decrease with cold air and high humidity

Front 120

hygroscopic water

Back 120

molecules thin layer around soil particles that is inaccessible to plants

Front 121

capillary

Back 121

accessible to plant roots