Geography Test #1

Front 1

What planets and stars make up our solar system?

Back 1

Mercury Venus earth mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune (Pluto) no more & Sun

Front 2

What is the Earth’s solstice ?

Back 2

time when Earth’s poles point at their greatest angle toward or away from the Sun

Front 3

What is the Earth's equinox?

Back 3

occurs twice each year when Earth’s poles are not pointed toward or away from the Sun

Front 4

What are the four parts of the Earth system?

Back 4

atmosphere biosphere
lithosphere hydrosphere

Front 5

Describe the Tropics

Back 5

Receive lots of solar energy all year
Are generally warm
Low latitude areas

Front 6

Describe the Polar Regions

Back 6

Receive very little solar energy
Are cold most of the time
High latitude areas

Front 7

The angle between the Sun's rays and the Earth's surface is directly related how?

Back 7

to the amount of energy transferred.

Front 8

When the angle between the sun and earth is large..how does this affect our days?

Back 8

the daytime will be longer and nighttime will be shorter. The length of the day will influence the total amount of energy transferred.

Front 9

The 23.5 degree tilt of the Earth's axis causes what?

Back 9

the two hemsipheres to b unevenly heated

Front 10

December Solstice

Back 10

Northern Hemisphere-fewest daylight hours/1st day of Winter
Southern Hemisphere-most daylight hours/1st day of Summer
Sun strikes the Tropic of Capricorn
All areas south of the Antarctic Circle have 24 hours of daylight
No sunlight at all North of the Arctic Circle

Front 11

June Solstice

Back 11

Northern Hemisphere-most daylight hours 1st day of Summer
Southern Hemisphere-fewest daylight hours 1st day of Winter
Sun strikes Tropic of Cancer
All areas north of Arctic Circle have 24 hours of daylight
No sunlight at all South of the Antarctic Circle

Front 12

Equinox

Back 12

Occurs twice each year when the Earth’s poles are not pointed toward or away from the sun.
Direct sun rays strike the equator and both poles are at a 90° angle from the sun
Occur around March 21 and September 21
Southern Hemisphere
March Equinox is the beginning of Autumn
September Equinox is the beginning of Spring
Northern Hemisphere
March equinox is the beginning of Spring
September equinox is beginning of Autumn

Front 13

Factors Affecting Climate

Back 13

Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at any given time.
Weather in a geographic region over a long period of time is climate.
Temperature is the measuring of heat.

Front 14

The Earth’s atmosphere traps heat energy in a process called?

Back 14

The greenhouse effect. This helps keep our planet warm.

Front 15

Air is always pushing on us through a force called

Back 15

Air Pressure or Atmospheric Pressure. The higher you go the less air there is pushing on you.

Front 16

When air is heated it does what?

Back 16

expands, becomes less dense and rises -- low pressure area

Front 17

When air is cold it is what?

Back 17

dense and sinks-- high pressure area

Front 18

High Pressure

Back 18

As the cold air sinks it heats and dries so we usually have stable, clear, dry weather.
Extreme summer heat
Bitter winter cold

Front 19

Low Pressure

Back 19

All centers of____ are called cyclones.
Range from slight breezes to powerful storms
Usually unstable weather.

Front 20

Wind

Back 20

the horizontal flow of air

Front 21

Wind always flows from?

Back 21

high to low pressure areas.

Front 22

What is a front?

Back 22

where 2 air masses of widely different temperatures or moisture levels meet

Front 23

What is usually found along fronts?

Back 23

Precipitation

Front 24

Factors Affecting Climate?

Back 24

LATITUDE
Greenhouse Effect
Atmospheric pressure
Global Wind Belts
Oceans & Currents

Front 25

Ocean Currents

Back 25

Help move heat back and forth between the tropics and the polar regions.
Help maintain the energy balance of the Earth.

Front 26

How do the Oceans affect climate?

Back 26

Water heats and cools more slowly than land
Land near oceans don’t have temperature ranges as great as interior areas

Front 27

Prevailing Winds

Back 27

when areas have winds that blow from the same direction most of the time.

Front 28

Equator weather-wind

Back 28

calm; no prevailing winds
Called the doldrums

Front 29

Middle latitudes wind patterns

Back 29

usually westerlies (WE)‏

Front 30

High latitudes wind patterns

Back 30

more variable but mostly cold polar easterlies (EW)‏

Front 31

Weather

Back 31

the condition of the atmosphere at a given time or place.

Front 32

Climate

Back 32

Weather conditions in a geographic region over a long period of time.

Front 33

Precipitation

Back 33

Condensed droplets of water that fall as:
Rain
Snow
Sleet
Hail

Front 34

Orographic Effect

Back 34

Moist air pushes against mountain
Barrier forces air to rise
Rising air cools, condenses, forms clouds, causes precipitation
Lots of moisture to side of mountain facing the wind (windward side)

Side of mountain away from wind is the leeward side.
As air moves down the leeward side it warms and dries.
The drier area is called a rain shadow.

Front 35

Side of mountain away from wind is

Back 35

leeward side

Front 36

As air moves down the leeward side it?

Back 36

warms and dries.

Front 37

The drier area of a mountain is called?

Back 37

rain shadow.

Front 38

Archipelago

Back 38

Chain of islands