91 Cards in this Set
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geographers use spacial analysis to do what?
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study patterns and processes on the Earth's surface. they also use it to study the movement of people over time and space.
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geography means what?
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geo equals earth. graphein is to write. geography is to write about the earth.
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what are the two main characteristics of geography?
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geography is holistic, which is balanced. it is eclectic and diverse.
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what is geology about?
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it focuses on just the earth, does not look at the human component
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geography is a science that studies relationships among what?
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it studies the interdependence and interaction among geographic areas, natural systems, processes, society and cultural activities over space.
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what does geography synthesize?
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physical geography and human geography
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why study geography?
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learn about the natural world around us and how we rely on the earth's systems. to understand weather and weather reports. amaze your friends.
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what is climate?
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what we expect
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what is weather?
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what we get
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what do geographers study?
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patterns and processes on earth's surface
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what do geographers use to study the earth's surface?
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spatial analysis
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steps in scientific method
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observe, hypothesize and predict, experiment and measure, review results which will either prove or reject hypothesis, peer review to communicate findings, publish results, theory is created
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what are the four spheres?
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atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere
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what is the atmosphere?
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gaseous layer that surrounds the earth, which is all aspects of weather and climate
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what is the hydrosphere
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covers all aspects of water and bodies of water
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what is the lithosphere
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the solid earth, sculpted into various landforms
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what is the biosphere?
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it encompasses all living organisms of the earth
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what is latitude?
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angular distance north or south of the equator; parallels of latitude; circles
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what is longitude?
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angular distance east or west of a point on the earths surface; these are not parallel and they connect at the poles.
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what is a meridian?
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a line connecting all points of the same longitude
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what and where is the prime meridian?
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it is designated as zero degrees
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what are great circles?
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a plane that intersects the globe and divides it into equal halves as it passes through the center. Example: the equatorial parallel, and all meridians are great circles
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what are small circles?
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a plane that intersects the globe and splits it into unequal sections. all the lines of
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what is the shortest distance between any two points on the planet?
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an arc of a great circle
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why are standard time zones necessary?
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for coordination of international trade, airline schedules, business and daily living
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at what rate does the earth revolve per hour?
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15 degrees longitude per hour, which equals 360 degrees per 24 hour day
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how wide is each time zone?
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15 degrees
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what two other things shape time zones?
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national boundaries and political considerations
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what is the international date line?
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it is the 180 degree meridian, and opposite the prime meridian. this is the place where a new day begins.
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what is the latitude and longitude of hattiesburg?
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31 degrees north and 89 degrees west
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what is the plane of ecliptic?
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it is 23.5 degrees away from the plane of the equator --plane of the earth's orbit
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what is the perihelion?
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this is when earth is closest to the sun on january 3rd
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what is the aphelion?
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this is when the earth is farthest away from the sun on july 4th
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what kind of energy does the sun radiate?
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shortwave, higher and hotter energy
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what kind of energy does the earth radiate?
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long-wave, lower and cooler energy
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long-wave, lower and cooler energy
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to their surface temperatures
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what is the subsolar point?
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the point on the earth's surface where the sun is directly overhead, forming a 90 degree angle
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what location does the subsolar point move between during the year?
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it moves between 23.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees south
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what are the five reasons for seasons?
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revolution, rotation, tilt of the earth's axis, axial parallelism and sphericity
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what is revolution about?
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earth revolves around sun in one year voyage, earth speed ~ 66,660 mph, and it forms the plane of ecliptic
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what is rotation?
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it takes 24 hours to complete one rotation at 1,041 mph at the equator
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what is the tilt of the earth's axis?
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axis connects north and south poles. it is tilted 23.5 degrees from the plane of the ecliptic
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what is axial parallelism?
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the axis maintains alignment during orbit around the sun.
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what does the earth's axis point towards always???
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it points to the north star, also known as polaris
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what is sphericity?
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produces uneven receipt of insolation
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what are the two ends of the electromagnetic spectrum?
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violet, high energy, gamma rays to red, low energy, radio waves
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what is the range of visible light on the magnetic spectrum? both numbers and colors?
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R.O.Y.G.B.V. and 0.4 (red) - 0.7 (violet)
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what are the inputs of the earth's energy budget?
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solar radiation to the earth
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what are the outputs of the earth's energy budget?
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earth's infrared emission
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when is the longest day of the year?
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june solstice
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when is the summer solstice?
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june 20 - 21, subsolar point is at tropic of cancer
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when is the fall equinox?
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september 22 - 23, subsolar point is at the equator
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when is the winter solstice?
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december 21- 22; subsolar point is at the tropic of capricorn
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when is the spring equinox?
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march 20 - 21; subsolar point is at the equator`
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what is the rotational velocity at the equator?
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1000 mph
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what is the latitude of the north pole and south pole?
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90 degrees north and south
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what is the latitude of arctic and antarctic circles?
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66.5 degrees north and south
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which way do the earth and moon rotate?
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counter clockwise
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what are the three atmospheric layers?
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heterosphere, hemosphere, and exosphere
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what is the heterosphere?
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outer atmosphere; it has layers of gases sorted by gravity which are not evenly mixed
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what is the homosphere
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it is the inner atmosphere, where the gases are evenly blended
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what is the exosphere?
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beyond the rest of the atmosphere in outer space
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gravity causes air molecules to create?
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air pressure
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air is more or less dense at the surface?
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it is more dense, and thins rapidly with increasing altitude
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what are the amounts of nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
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nitrogen 78%. oxygen 21%. argon 0.9%. carbon dioxide 0.3%
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what are CFC's and what are they made of?
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chloro-fluoro-carbons. made of chlorine, fluorine and carbon
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what is transmission?
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passage of shortwave and longwave energy through the atmosphere or water
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what is insolation?
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incoming solar radiation
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what is refraction?
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change in speed and direction of light
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what is albedo?
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reflective quality, or intrinsic brightness of a surface
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what is rayleigh scattering?
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the reason the sky is blue. blue light has shortest wavelengths and is most easily scattered.
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what has the highest albedo?
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snow
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what is the formula for albedo?
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amount reflected divided by the total incoming x 100
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what is absorption?
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assimilation of energy into object's molecules and conversion from one form to another
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what is heat that can be sensed and measured with a thermometer?
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sensible heat
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when energy is absorbed and held in storage, then later released, like water vapor in boiling water, what kind of heat is this?
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latent heat
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what is molecule to molecule transfer of energy, like a hot pot handle?
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conduction
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what is happening when energy is transferred primarily by vertical movement?
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convection
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what is happening when energy is transferred primarily by horizontal movement like fog?
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advection
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what is radiation?
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energy traveling through air or space
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which zones of the earth have a surplus and deficit of energy?
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the tropics have a surplus and the poles have deficits in energy
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what are the four principle temperature controls?
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latitude, altitude, clouds and land/water contrasts
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what three things does latitude affect?
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insolation, sun angles and day length
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what does a thin atmosphere mean about heat?
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it has less sensible heat
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how do clouds affect temperatures?
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lower daily temperatures, and increase night temperatures
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what are the five differences between the way land and water heat differently?
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evaporation, transparency, specific heat, movement and ocean currents
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water has a higher or lower specific heat than land?
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higher
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what is marine versus continental effect on temperature?
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land loses heat more rapidly than water
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what is the line that connects points of equal air temperature across the surface of the earth?
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isotherm
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what is the line that connects the highest mean temperatures across the surface of the earth at a given time?
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thermal equator
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which places on an annual temperature range map show the most extreme ranges, and why?
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interior locations because they are in the center of the continent
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GHY 104:Chapter 7 & 8