GEOG 2300 1st Edition Lecture 4Outline of Last Lecture I. Geography as a ScienceII. Scientific MethodA. HypothesesIII. RealmsIV. ScalesV. SystemsVI. Earth’s EnergyOutline of Current Lecture I. SystemsII. FeedbacksA. PositiveB. NegativeIII. Time CyclesIV. Shape of the EarthV. Earth’s rotationCurrent LectureI. SystemsA. Systems are structured by the way matter and energy flow along pathwaysB. Matter and energy can flow in (input) and/or out (output)C. Systems require a power sourceD. Systems can be open or closed1. Open: matter and/or energy enters and leaves the system (ex: river)2. Closed: a material cycle has no input or output (ex: water cycle)E. Whether the system is open or closed depends on the scale and where the boundary is drawnII. FeedbacksA. Feedbacks depend on how the system responds to changeB. Simple changes may be predictableC. Feedbacks create changes in other parts of the systemsD. Positive and negative feedbacks1. Positive: reinforce or accentuate change; an example is the albedo effect (more sunlight is reflected because of snow and then the These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.surface gets warmer because of less sunlight absorption then it snowsmore and so on) 2. Negative: compensate or reduce change; tends to regulate; an example is plants and carbon dioxide (CO2 increases and then plants grow and then they absorb more CO2)E. Equilibrium is achieved when flow rates in different pathways remain the same; there is no net change between input and output; this is usually done by negative feedbacksIII. Time CyclesA. Matter and energy can flow at different rates; an example is the amount of water coming in to a lake from tributaries vs. runoffB. These rates are also subject to changeC. Can be cyclical; an example is seasonsIV. Shape of the EarthA. Mostly round, close to a sphereB. Technically an oblate ellipsoid, slightly flattened like a hamburger (prolate ellipsoid is like a hot dog)C. More flattened at the poles, bulges at the equator due to Earth’s rotationD. The difference in the dimensions is small – 3/10ths of 1%E. We know the Earth is round by how ships at the horizon look partially submerged; it shows the curvature of the EarthV. Earth’s rotationA. Earth’s axis: imaginary line through both polesB. Rotates on this axis once every solar dayC. Rotates counter-clockwise or eastwardsD. The axis acts as a reference for the grid of latitude and longitude, provides a way to measure the time of day, and affects Earth’s
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