GEOG 1000 1st Edition Exam 1 Study Guide Unit 1 1 21 1 29 What is Geography Part one Defining Geography Physical Geography natural science vs Human Geography social science Geographers use cartography GPS and GIS to map and analyze geographic data Greeks Eratosthenes first geography text Hipparchus longitude and latitude Fundamental Geographical concepts Space objects have a relative position and direction Location object in relation to others Scale map resolution Place a geographical locale Geography is a synthetic discipline that studies the world as a variety of interacting systems through space System a set of connected parts working together as a whole Example a city Part two Geographical Approaches 3 Major Approaches 1 Area Analysis surveys describes and collects data about places Site Exact location longitude and latitude Situation Relative location very dynamic trading ex Silk Road Regions Formal relatively uniform ex Climate regions 1 Area class regions fuzzy boundary transition zones 2 Choroplethic regions well defined boundaries Functional definite center or node ex Commuter Shed Vernacular popular perception ex New England 2 Spatial Analysis Distribution Density frequency of occurrence Concentration cluster perfectly concentrated perfectly disperse Pattern geometrical arrangement Movement is displacement and has an origin and destination Friction of Distance cost effort to overcome distance Distance Decay Shorter distance more human interaction Greater distance less human interaction Tobler s 1st Law everything is related to each other Relationships are stronger closer and weaker when the distance is greater Spatial Diffusion ideas innovation or product dispersed outwards Centers of innovation hearths 1 Contagious diffusion Person to person place to place Strongly effected by distance decay 2 Hierarchical Diffusion Mass media transfer Ideas go up and down hierarchy level of importance cities then towns 3 Relocation Diffusion Epidemic of disease Move to new area and decrease intensity 4 Expansion Diffusion Outward spread from origin and increase in density near origin Barriers to Diffusion distance cost physical cultural barriers psychological 3 Geographic Systems Analysis Interrelated environmental and human systems a Components objects flows relationships boundary b Positive Feedback self reinforcing promotes instability c Negative Feedback self regulation promotes equilibrium Ecology Abiotic nonliving Biotic living Ecosystem everything is interconnected Culture patterns of learned behavior Natural landscape cultural landscape Part three Describing the Earth Grid system latitude and longitude Latitude north to south Angular distance from equator Ladder Longitude east to west Angular distance from prime meridian Time zones based on longitude Earth split into Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere Map flat Scale Large small area covered Small large area covered Projection the transfer from curved earth to flat map Distortion of at least one area shape distance or direction Conformal projections preserve shape Equidistant projections preserve scale Azimuthal projections preserve direction Cylindrical tangent to equator Conic tangent to a parallel line Planar tangent to a single point General purpose map multiple uses attributes Thematic single use Unit 2a 1 30 2 6 Climate and Weather Part one Energy and Weather Tropic of Cancer 23 degrees N latitude line Summer solstice Tropic of Capricorn 23 degrees S latitude line Winter solstice Solar Radiation Frequency number of waves in a given time measured in micrometer Short wave red and low energy Gamma rays purple and high energy Solar Constant Langley min Insolation solar energy intercepted by the surface of the earth Earths tilt is why we have seasons Heat Transfers Radiation from the sun is either reflected back absorbed by the atmosphere or transmitted to the earth Albedo the percentage of radiant energy reflected back Highest for snow Condensation evaporation convection Convection is vertical advection is horizontal movement of air Part two Precipitation and Circulation Patterns Precipitation Relative Humidity amount of water present in the air Dew Point temperature at which sir become saturated Precipitation only occurs when large air masses are rapidly cooled Adiabatic cooling the decrease in temperature that results from the expansion of rising air 3 ways air moves precipitation 1 Convectional uplift warm air rising above warm surfaces 2 Orographic uplift marine air over mountain ranges 3 Frontal uplift cold front cold moves under warm warm front warm moves over cold Circulation patterns Low pressure occurs where air is less dense cyclone air is ascending High pressure occurs where air is denser anti cyclone air is descending Air moves from high to low pressure Monsoon Winter wind pattern is cold dry wind towards the sea Summer wind pattern is warm moist wind toward land results in heavy rain Coriolis Effect caused by the rotation of the earth reason why storms rotate Stronger near the poles compared to the equator Part three Climate and Climate Change Climate a long term pattern and variation in temperature and precipitation Air temperature varies with latitude elevation and proximity to the ocean More precipitation near equator and less in the subtropical regions Koppen letter system A Tropical Af tropical rainforest constantly wet Aw tropical wet and dry Monsoon and Savanna B Dry BW deserts BWk cold desert BWh hot desert BS Steppes mild desert C Warm Mid latitude Cs Mediterranean Cfa Cw Humid subtropical D Cold Mid latitude Dfa Dwa Dfb Dwb humid continental Dfc Dwc Dfd Dwd Subarctic E Polar Climates ET Tundra EF Ice Cap Global warming sea levels rising ex island of Tuvalu Unit 2b 2 11 2 16 Physical Geography Part one Landforms 1 Tectonic Forces push move and raise the Earth s surface 2 Gradational Forces wash and wear down the Earth s surface Landforms built by a set of endogenic processes tectonic forces and exogenic processes gradational forces Plate Tectonics Continental plates and oceanic plates Divergent plate boundaries plates move away from each other mid oceanic ridges form Convergent plate boundaries plates move towards one another ocean trenches form Rock Formation Igneous molten material Sedimentary gravel sand silt and clay Metamorphic formed from igneous or sedimentary changed by temperature or pressure Tectonic forces 1 Diastrophism pressure acting on plates that deforms the surface Fault lines