Physical Geography Chapter 1

Front 1

Physical Geography

Back 1

Elements of physical geography are natural in origin

Front 2

Cultural Geography

Back 2

Elements of cultural geography are of human endeavor

Front 3

Lithosphere

Back 3

The solid, inorganic portion of Earth, comprising the rocks of Earth's crust as well as the broken and unconsolidated particles of mineral matter that overlie the solid bedrock

Front 4

Atmosphere

Back 4

the gaseous envelope of air that surrounds Earth

Front 5

Hydrosphere

Back 5

comprises water in all its forms

Front 6

Cryosphere

Back 6

water frozen as snow or ice

Front 7

Biosphere

Back 7

encompasses all parts of Earth where living organisms can exist

Front 8

Plane of the Equator

Back 8

An imaginary plane passing through Earth halfway between the poles and perpendicular to the axis of rotation

Front 9

Equator

Back 9

Imaginary midline of the Earth, where the plane of the equator intersects Earth's surfaces

Front 10

Great Circle

Back 10

any plane that is passes through the center of a sphere bisects that sphere and creates a great circle where it intersects the surface of the sphere

Front 11

Gradicule

Back 11

The grid system of Earth, and consists of latitude and longitude

Front 12

Latitude

Back 12

description of location expressed as an angle north or south of the equator

Front 13

Parallel

Back 13

a line connecting all points of the same latitude

Front 14

Longitude

Back 14

an angular description of east=west location

Front 15

Meridians

Back 15

not parallel to one another except where they cross the equator

Front 16

Prime Meridian

Back 16

Greenwich, England (for all longitudinal measurement)

Front 17

Perihelion

Back 17

Closest Earth Sun distance

Front 18

Aphelion

Back 18

Farthest Earth-Sun distance

Front 19

Plane of the Ecliptic

Back 19

the imaginary plane defined by the orbital path of Earth around the Sun

Front 20

Inclination of Earth's axis

Back 20

tilt of the Earth

Front 21

Polarity of the Rotation Axis (Parallelism)

Back 21

at any time during the year, Earth's rotation axis is parallel to its orientation at all other times

Front 22

Solar Altitude

Back 22

the height of the Sun above the horizon

Front 23

June Solstice

Back 23

occurs about June 21, the Earth reaches the position in its orbit where the North Pole is oriented most directly toward the Sun. Rays of Sun at noon strike perpendicular to the surface at the Tropic of Cancer

Front 24

Circle of Illumination

Back 24

dividing line between the daylight half of Earth and nighttime half of Earth

Front 25

Arctic Circle; Antarctic Circle

Back 25

66.5 degrees north; 66.5 degrees south

Front 26

September Equinox

Back 26

occurs about September 22. rays of sun strike perpendicular to equator

Front 27

December Solstice

Back 27

occurs about December 21. Rays of sun strike perpendicular to the Tropic of Capricorn

Front 28

March Equinox

Back 28

occurs about March 20. Rays of sun strike perpendicular to equator

Front 29

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)

Back 29

the time at the prime meridian, still considered the reference for standard time

Front 30

International Date line

Back 30

is in the middle of the time zone defined by the 180 degree meridian. When you cross the international date line going from west t oeast, it becomes one day earlier