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Physical Geography > Unit 1: Chapters 1, 3, and 4 > Flashcards

Unit 1: Chapters 1, 3, and 4 Flashcards

1
Q

What does the study of geography include?

A

how things differ from place to place

requires a spatial approach to analysis divided into: human geo and physical geo

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2
Q

What does the study of physical geography encompass?

A

examines the spatial variations of natural phenomena

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3
Q

What four natural spheres are studied by Physical Geography?

A

lithosphere - curstal rocks and overlaying soils
atmosphere - mixture of gases which envelopes the Earth and sustains life
biosphere - includes all living organisms and all places where they exist
hydrosphere - water in all its forms

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4
Q

What is the approximate age of the earth?

A

4.5 to 5 billion years old

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5
Q

What does the Big Bang theory attempt to explain?

A

origin of the universe

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6
Q

What does the Dust Cloud Hypothesis attempt to explain?

A

origin of our solar system

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7
Q

What are the key formation steps of the Dust Cloud Hypothesis discussed in class?

A

dust left over from big bang, supernovas, etc. drew inward by gravity to become planets and stars. the density increased enough to form elements of solar system

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8
Q

As discussed in class, if the age of the earth were reduced to one year, approximately when would the following have occurred?

a. formation of the oceans
b. first life
c. blue-green algae and stramatolytes
d. completion of free oxygen in atmosphere
e. land plants and animals
f. climax of dinosaurs

A
  1. formation of oceans - March 1st to June 1st (from the moisture in the air from volcanoes and ice comets)
  2. first life - March 1st to April 1st (anarobic to bacteria)
  3. blue green algae - May 1st (oxygen begins major production)
  4. free oxygen - September 1st (levels they are today)
  5. lands plants and animals - November 24th
  6. climax of dinosaurs - December 16th
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9
Q

How can your latitudinal position be located in the northern hemisphere using the North Star?

A

the Northern star is at 90 degrees, so if you’re directly under it, you’re at the North Pole and if it is on the horizon, you are at the equator. Finding your angle compared the the North Star gives your location

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10
Q

What three gases make up 99.9% of the earth’s atmosphere and what are their respective percentages?

A

Nitrogen - 78%
Oxygen - 21%
Argon - 0.9%

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11
Q

What direction does the earth rotate when viewed from above the North Pole?

A

counterclockwise

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12
Q

Know how the rate of temperature change acts as a separation criteria for sorting out the four atmospheric layers.

A

earth to troposphere - temp is decreasing
troposphere to stratosphere - temp is increasing
stratosphere to mesosphere - temp is decreasing
mesosphere to thermospehere - temp is increasing

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13
Q

What is ozone and how is it formed?

A

high energy ultraviolet radiation strikes and oxygen molecule and causes two free oxygen molecule and causes it to split into two free oxygen atoms. The free oxygen atoms collide with molecules of oxygen to become ozone molecules. (So three oxygen atoms together is ozone)

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14
Q

What is the major ozone depleting element discussed in class and how does it deplete ozone?

A

Chlorine atoms are separated by sunlight from chlorofluorocarbon, and when they hit ozone molecules, it separates back into oxygen molecules

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15
Q

If the ozone in the stratosphere was compressed to sea level pressure and cooled to 32 degrees F, how thick would the layer be?

A

3 mm

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16
Q

What is a Dobson unit as it relates to ozone values?

A

0.01 mm of ozone at 0 degrees C (32 degrees F) and one atmosphere pressure equals one Dobson Unit.

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17
Q

How does length of daylight vary from season to season?

A

There are always 12 hours of each daylight and nighttime at the equator.
March equinox - all get 12 hours of each
June solstice - n of equator gets more daylight and s of equator gets less
September equinox - all get 12 hours of each
December solstice - n of equator gets less daylight and s of equator gets more

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18
Q

Why does the difference in length of daylight and darkness increase as one goes poleward?

A

at the north pole, the sun rises on the march equinox and is above the horizon continuously for the next 6 months, it goes higher and higher until the june solstice, then it goes lower and lower until it sets on the september equinox

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19
Q

What is albedo?

A

The percentage of light reflected by an object

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20
Q

Have a general idea of how different earth materials would rank with regards to their albedo.

a. snow
b. clouds
c. sand
d. grass
e. forest
f. water
g. soil

A 
highest to lowest:
fresh snow
thick clouds
water when the sun is near the horizon
sand
grass
wet earth
forest
water when the sun is nearly vertical
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21
Q

What is the sky a blue color when the sun is high in the sky?

A

rayleigh scattering - with a clear sky, the blue light is scattered while the longer waves of green and red are not affected as much

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22
Q

Why is the sky a reddish or orange tint when the sun is near the horizon?

A

when the sun is near the horizon, the blue light is absorbed, red light passes most easily through the atmosphere and is scattered along the way

23
Q

What is the “greenhouse effect?”

A

short wavelengths of visible light from the sun pass through the atmosphere and are absorbed, but the longer wavelengths of the infrared re-radiation from the heated objects are unable to go back out of the atmosphere, raising the temperature: global warming

24
Q

Explain adiabatic heating and cooling

A

Adiabatic is the temperature change associated with pressure change - no loss or gain of total energy in adiabatic processes
warm air rises, air expands, air cools
cool air descends, air compresses, air warms

25
Q

What does temperature change, but there is no gain or loss of heat energy in the air with adiabatic heating and cooling?

A

The pressure is causing the molecules to speed up and slow down.

26
Q

What is latent heat?

A

stored energy, like the heat in condensation. when water turns into vapor and condensation, it releases some of the heat from within

27
Q

What is differential heating and cooling?

A

Differential heating is when one area (in meterological situations land) heats faster than another area (a sea or a lake).
This causes air to flow across the border (the rising heated air pulls the cooler air into the volume it has vacated).

28
Q

Why does water heat slower and cool slower than land? Provide three reasons discussed in class.

A
  1. water is translucent, light can penetrate to around 600 feet
  2. water circulates, redistributes heat
  3. high specific heat (1.0)
29
Q

Explain how Ocean currents (ocean gyers) help to distribute energy around the world, thus moderating the Earth’s climate.

A

Acting at times as a climate and weather moderator, the surface temperature of the ocean affects air temperature over adjacent land. Cooler ocean currents and higher specific heat of water compared to land lead to minimal temperature fluctuation. Warmer currents can completely alter the weather and climate of a region. Comparing San Diego, California and Savannah, Georgia, both of which lie at 32 degrees north latitude, is a good example of this. According to the National Weather Service San Diego exhibits an average August temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit while Savannah is at 90 degrees.

30
Q

Explain how global winds help to distribute energy around the world, thus moderating the Earth’s climate.

A

The earth system is a dynamic collection of currents. Circulation first starts at the equator with warmer air from more solar radiation. The moist air rises and falls with rain, this air will continue to travel to the 30 degree latitude (a much drier climate). After taking in the coriolis effect, a system of wind belts will transpire among the planet. Surface wind effects surface currents. Currents and winds disperse the heat likewise.

31
Q

Explain how latent heat help to distrubute energy around the world, thus moderating the Earth’s climate.

A

About 3/4 of all sunshine falls on a water surface when it reaches earth. much of this energy is utilized in evaporating moisture from bodies of water. thus the energy is passed into the atmosphere as latent heat sotred in the resulting water vapor and will be released when condensation takes place.

32
Q

On what coasts are warm currents usually found?

A

east coast

33
Q

On what coasts are cold oceans currently found?

A

west coast

34
Q

What is an isobar?

A

Isobars are lines of constant or equal pressure on a weather map.

35
Q

What is an isotherm?

A

Isotherms are lines of constant or equal temperature.

36
Q

Know how to interpret isobars and isotherms on a map.

A

isotherms are temperature fluxuations, so on a map they would be represented by changing colors / temperatures in areas.
isobars are pressure fluxuations so on a map, seeing the low and high pressures would be isobars

37
Q

What is a temperature inversion?

A

a situation in which temperature in the troposphere increases, rather than decreases, with increasing altitude

38
Q

Why can inversions cause a build up of atmospheric pollution?

A

The create stagnant air conditions that greatly limit the natural upward dispersal of urban-industrial pollutants.

39
Q

What are the lines of longitude (meridians) and how are they numbered?

A

lines of longitude are an angular description of east-west location, also measured in degrees, minutes and seconds. measured outward from the prime meridian with goes through the poles and Greenwich, England

40
Q

What are lines of latitude (parallels) and how are they numbered?

A

lines that describe location on the earth expressed as degrees from north to south. they are numbered 0 to 90 (N) and 0 to -90 (S) with 0 being the equator

41
Q

Where is the troposphere highest above the earth’s surface and where is it lowest?

A

highest above sea level at the equator (18 km) and lowest above sea level over the poles (8 km)

42
Q

Be able to describe the tilt of the earth’s axis relative to the plane of the ecliptic.

A

if you were to take a sheet of paper and use it to represent the orbit of the earth around the sun, then take a line that is perpendicular, then take a line that is from 23.4 degrees from that, which is the tilt of the earth

43
Q

Be able to explain how isotherms appear (bend) over land and water during the winter and summer periods.

A

a) The east–west trend of isotherms reflects the major control of temperature – latitude – and its strong influence on radiant energy budgets. Every place at a given latitude receives the same noon-Sun angle and length of daylight.
b) Isotherms bend poleward over continents in summer reflecting the fact that land heats to higher temperatures than water for the same energy gain.
c) The seasonal shift of isotherms is a reflection of the seasonal migration of the Sun’s vertical rays.
d) Isotherms shift most over land because land reaches higher temperatures in summer and lower temperatures in winter than the ocean.
e) Isotherms bend over ocean currents. The isotherms bend equatorward over cold currents and poleward over warm currents.
f) The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by an almost continuous water surface, especially in the middle latitudes. The Northern Hemisphere is represented by a combination of water and considerable areas of land. The irregular isotherms thus are a reflection of the differential heating and cooling of land and water.

44
Q

How much of the energy comes to the earth from the sun is lost through reflection back into space without contributing to heating of the earth?

A

33% or 1/3

45
Q

What is the approximate diameter of the earth?

A

7900 miles

46
Q

What is the estimated number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy?

A

250 billion stars

47
Q

Why is it that scientists often disagree on theories even though they are looking at the same facts?

A

Science begins as theory and hypothesis, which can change over time

48
Q

What is the nearest star to our sun and solar system?

A

Proxima Centauri and Alpha Centauri which are 4.22 ly and 4.34 ly respectively

49
Q

Approximately how old is our universe according to current scientific theory?

A

4.5 to 5 billion years old

50
Q

Why were stromatolites and blue-green algae important to the development of our atmosphere?

A

Began producing oxygen, which eventually led to life on earth

51
Q

What is the approximate speed of light (miles per second) and what is a light year?

A

186,000 miles per second, and a light year is how fast light travels in a year

52
Q

What is the approximate diameter (miles) of the earth?

A

7900 miles

53
Q

Be familiar with the numbering of key lines of latitude.

a. North Pole
b. Arctic Circle
c. Tropic of Cancer
d. Equator
e. Tropic of Cancer
f. Antarctic Circle
g. South Pole

A

a. North Pole - 0
b. Arctic Circle - 66.5
c. Tropic of Cancer - 23.5
d. Equator - 0
e. Tropic of Cancer - 23.5
f. Antarctic Circle - 66.5
g. South Pole - 0

54
Q

The direct rays of the sun migrate between what two lines of latitude?

A

Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn

Physical Geography (5 decks)

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