GEOG 2051 EXAM I REVIEW SHEET FALL 2015 Physical Geography Basics What is the science of Geography and what topics are included studies the relationships among o geographic areas natural systems society cultural activi ties and interdependence of all the above through space o Human vs physical What does spatial mean and how does it fit into Geography refers to the nature and character of physical space its measurement and distribution of things within in Know the five themes of geographic science and how to identify examples location place region movement and human earth relationships What is a process sets of actions or mechanisms that operate in some special order to pro duce any phenomena EX meandering in rivers is the result of interactions between water flow segment transport vegetation growth Understand the geographic continuum and how Physical Geography and Geomorphol ogy play a part many subjects can be examined geographically Physical geography the spatial analysis of all physical elements and pro cesses that make up environment Geomorphology the science of the origin development and spatial distri bution of landforms sults Conclusion Know the steps of the Scientific Method and the method of multiple working hypotheses Observations Questions Hypothesis Predicting Testing Experiment Re Multiple working hypotheses development of several hypotheses prior to research that might explain the phenomenon being studied Allows open minded and examine numerous interacting processes What is a system and what are the three types of systems Any set of interrelated things that are linked by flows of energy and mat ter and distinct from surrounding environment Open system can exchange any energy and matter Closed can only exchange energy Isolated cannot exchange anything Know how to identify positive and negative feedbacks Positive encourage similar change in system EX bank account balance encourages amount of interest earned Negative buffer change in system stabilizing self regulate EX body tem perature equals the rate of sweating What are the three types of system equilibrium and how do thresholds affect systems Steady state dynamic meta stable Steady state rates of inputs and outputs are equal and amounts of energy and matter in storage are constant Dynamic increasing and decreasing trend Metastable when system reaches threshold it changes to different state Landscape sensitivity based on Insensitive landscape fast responding to external forces Sensitive landscape slowly responding o TFr mean recovery time mean recurrence interval Know the difference between Relative and Absolute location relative a location of a place in relation to another place absolute an exact point Understand characteristics of Latitude and Longitude and Great and Small circles great circle divides globe into equal halves and passes through center small circle does not go through center and doesn t split equal Latitude angular distance north and south of equator Run E and W but Longitude angular distance east and west of prime meridian Run N and S Latitudinal zones on Earth and how they are divided measure N and S and measure E and W Equator and tropical Tropic of capricorn 23 5 S Tropic of cancer 23 5 N Understand the relationship between Longitude and Time Zones and be able to determine Subtropics 23 5 Mid latitudes 35 Subarctic 55 Arctic 66 5 time difference from a figure 360 degrees divided by 24 hours 15 degrees 1 hour 15 degrees of longitude What is the Geoid and how is it used the shape the ocean would take under the influence of gravity and earth s rotation if extended across the whole globe slight variations in strength of gravity are caused by variations in mass dis tribution Orthometric height H Epllipsoidal height h geoid height N What is a map and what are the four key elements a map should have generalized view of an area title legend scale north arrow orientation Understand map scale and be able to distinguish between large and small map scale Ratio of map units to ground units Large large detail small small detail What is a map projection why are they used and what are the goals orange peel issue the process of transforming the 3D Earth geoid into flat map only preserves at most 2 of following distance directions area shape Know the three main developable surfaces used for map projections cylinder cone plane cylinder tangent at one line farther from tangent more distortion best for small areas cone tangent at one or two lines cant do whole planet at once best for small areas or hemispheres plane tangent at one point can only do 1 hemisphere at once good for navigation What is GPS what is the minimum number of satellites needed and how do they calcu late position on Earth s surface What is Remote Sensing and what are the two types satellite navigation system provides time and location needs at least 4 satellites to calculate x y z and time satellites communicate with receiver via radio trilateration process of determining absolute or relative locations of points by measurement of distances using circles or spheres getting info about distant objects without physical content Passive and active Active direct beam of energy at surface and analyzes energy reflected back Passive record wavelengths of energy radiated from a surface particularly visible light and infrared gathers manipulates analyzes geographic info extremely large in scientific research industry commercially maps can contain multiple data layers handle large amounts of data What is GIS and why is it so useful Geologic Time Earth Structure and Rock Cycle Know the difference between Catastrophism Gradualism and Uniformitarianism Catastrophism change by sudden rapid violent events Gradualism slow gradual change Uniformitarianism The present is the key to the past things that are hap pening today are the same as those that operated in the past Know the difference between Relative and Absolute time Relative time determine sequence of events EX tree rings Absolute semi precise number EX The bright angel shale 515 mya Know the Principles of Superposition and Cross cutting relationships Superposition oldest sediment is on bottom and newest is on top unless it is disturbed Cross cutting Looking at the logical sequencing of events based on what features cut through others Understand how to read the Geologic Time scale and the major Eras and Periods eons are divided into eras eras divided into periods periods divided into epochs Eons Hadean