Geology: Ch. 2

Front 1

cartography

Back 1

the science of mapmaking

Front 2

equator

Back 2

circles Earth halfway between the north and south poles

Front 3

latitude

Back 3

lines running parallel to the equator. The distance in degrees north or south of the equator.

Front 4

What is a reference point for lines of latitude?

Back 4

equator

Front 5

How many km does one degree of latitude equal?

Back 5

1 degree = 111 km = 111,000 m

Front 6

How many minutes (and seconds) does one degree equal?

Back 6

1 degree = 60' = 60"

Front 7

longitude

Back 7

the distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian; locate positions east and west; lines of longitude are not parallel

Front 8

Prime Meridian

Back 8

reference point for lines of longitude; represents 0 degrees longitude; runs through Greenwich, England.

Front 9

How many time zones is the earth divided into?

Back 9

24 time zones

Front 10

How wide is each time zone?

Back 10

15 degrees wide

Front 11

How many time zones are in the U.S?

Back 11

six different time zones

Front 12

International Date Line

Back 12

180 degrees meridian; serves as the transition line for calendar days. If you traveled west across the International Date Line, you would gain a calendar day, travel east, lose a calendar day.

Front 13

Mercator projection

Back 13

map that has parallel lines of latitude and longitude.

Front 14

What is distorted in a Mercator projection?

Back 14

the areas of landmasses are distorted. Shapes of landmasses are correct.

Front 15

What are Mercator projections used for?

Back 15

they are used for the navigation of planes and ships

Front 16

conic projection

Back 16

made by projecting points and lines from a globe onto a cone.

Front 17

Where is there distortion on a conic projection?

Back 17

near the top and bottom of the projection.

Front 18

Why are conic projections useful?

Back 18

have a high degree of accuracy for limited areas, excellent for mapping small areas.

Front 19

What are conic projections used for?

Back 19

used to make road maps and weather maps

Front 20

gnomonic projection

Back 20

made by projecting points and lines from a globe onto a piece of paper that touches the globe at a single point.

Front 21

What do gnomonic projections distort?

Back 21

direction and distance between landmasses

Front 22

Why are gnomonic projections useful?

Back 22

useful in plotting long-distance trips by air and by sea.

Front 23

topographic maps

Back 23

show changes in elevation of Earth's surface.

Front 24

contour line

Back 24

represents elevation on a topographic map, connects points of equal elevation. Contour lines never cross.

Front 25

contour interval

Back 25

the difference in elevation between two side-by-side contour lines; dependent on the terrain

Front 26

depression contour lines

Back 26

lines used to represent features lower than that of the surrounding landscape

Front 27

map scale

Back 27

the ratio between distances on a map and actual distances on the surface of Earth.

Front 28

verbal scale

Back 28

expresses distance as a statement

Front 29

graphic scale

Back 29

consists of a line that represents a certain distance

Front 30

fractional scale

Back 30

expresses distance as a ratio; large ratio indicates that the map represents a large area, small ratio represents a small area.

Front 31

remote sensing

Back 31

the process of collecting data about Earth from far above Earth's surface

Front 32

At what speed do electromagnetic waves travel?

Back 32

electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of 300,000 km/s in a vacuum (the speed of light)

Front 33

electromagnetic spectrum

Back 33

the arrangement of electromagnetic radiation according to wavelengths

Front 34

frequency

Back 34

refers to the number of waves that pass a particular point each second

Front 35

Landsat satellite

Back 35

receives reflected wavelengths of energy emitted by Earth's surface, including some wavelengths of visible light and infrared radiation.

Front 36

What do Landsat satellites help us with?

Back 36

used to study the movements of Earth's plates, rivers, earthquakes, and pollution.

Front 37

Topex/Poseidon Satellite

Back 37

use radar to map features on the ocean floor.

Front 38

What does Topex stand for?

Back 38

topography experiment

Front 39

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Back 39

a radio-navigation system of at least 24 satellites that allows its users to determine their exact position on Earth.

Front 40

What are some uses of GPS?

Back 40

used for navigation by airplanes and ships; used to detect earthquakes, create maps, and track wildlife. Popular among hikers, backpackers, etc.

Front 41

Sea Beam

Back 41

similar to the Topex/Poseidon in that it maps the ocean floor; however, Sea Beam is located on a ship rather than on a satellite

Front 42

sonar

Back 42

the use of sound waves to detect and measure objects underwater;Sea Beam relies on this to map the ocean-floor features.

Front 43

Who uses the Sea Beam?

Back 43

used by fishing fleets, deep-sea drilling operations, and scientists such as oceanographers, volcanologists, and archaeologists.