Earth Systems Exam I

Geography

The study of all physical and human phenomena at individual places and how interactions among places form patterns and organize larger spaces

Foundations of geography

Where is something located?

Why is it there?

How did it get there?

How does it interact with other things?

Physical geography

Studies the characteristics of the physical environment.

Human geography

Studies human groups and their activities

Environmental system

A collection of things and processes that operate as a whole.

Closed system

Allows energy to flow in and out freely, but keeps all matter contained.

Open system

Allows both matter and energy to exit the boundaries of the system.

Output

Feedback that is released from a system

Input

Feedback that is absorbed into a system

_____ released from systems and are then returned back to the system as input.

Outputs are….

Negative feedback is…

Also known as balancing feedback.

Positive feedback is…

Also known as reinforcing feedback

Negative feedback

When system inputs and outputs counteract each other. This has a dampening effect and stabilizes the system.

Ex: being to warm and turning on a fan, and then becoming too cold and turning on a heater.

Positive feedback

When the system inputs and outputs strengthen each other. It has an amplification effect. This produces extreme conditions.

Equilibrium

When inputs = outputs so that conditions within the system remain the same. Not to be confused with a similar concept, despite the fact that it is promoted by it.

Atmosphere

Contains clouds, climate

Related heavily to the hydrosphere

Thin layer of gas that envelopes the earth and allows it to breathe

Biosphere

Contains all living organisms

Soil, microbes, birds, humans etc.

Lithosphere

The rock solid surface of the earth

Concerned with geology, mountains, soil etc.

Hydrosphere

All of the water contained on earth, including that inside of living organisms or the air.

light detection and ranging

LiDAR stands for _____

LiDAR

a technique of collecting data that involves using a laser to scan precise measurements of elevation

Oblate spheroid

The shape of the earth is ___, which is where the rotation of the earth causes an equatorial bulge

Equatorial plane

The plane interesting the earth at the equator.

The angle from the core center of the earth to the point on the surface.

What angle determines the degree of latitude or longitude?

Parallels

Lines of latitude that run east to west across the globe

Meridians

Lines of longitude that run north to south.

Equator

Line of latitude at the center of the earth

Tropic of Cancer

Line of latitude at 23.5 degrees N

(Maximum northern declination of the sun)

Tropic of Capricorn

Line of latitude 23.5 degrees South

(Maximum southern declination of the sun)

Arctic Circle

Line of latitude at 66.5 N

Antarctic circle

Line of latitude at 66.5 S

Prime Meridian

The international meridian located in Greenwich which was a major trade point.

Considered the starting point for longitude or 0 degrees E or W.

Degree°, minute’, second”, direction

What is the way to write out a location based on latitude and longitude?

69 miles

How many miles are in 1 degree of latitude

101.2 ft

How many ft are there in a second of latitude?

0° to 90°

What is the range for latitude (not including direction N or S)

0° to 180°

Range of degree for latitude

Thirty five degrees four minutes and fifty three point eighteen seconds north, ninety two degrees and twenty seven minutes and thirty point zero two seconds west.

How would this be read: 35°, 4’53.18”N, 92°, 27’30.02”W

North West Cartesian plane

+-

South West Cartesian plane

— —

North East Cartesian plane

++

Southeast Cartesian plane

-+

Cartesian plane organization

What organization places degrees only in decimals and uses positives and negatives to signal directions?

Ex: 35.080524, 92.455896 -

Cartesian plane

a map layout that has a lot of distortion at the poles

• Size 

• Shape 

• Distance 

• Direction

The basic properties of a map are _____

thematic maps

represents a specific kind of information (restaurant locations or locations of public bathrooms in the covered area)

Graphic scale

represented by a bar style graph that shows a physical representation of the map’s scale

Verbal scale

representation of the map’s scale that is written out in words and numbers

distorted 

all maps are _____

isolines

lines connecting points of equal value on a map (ex: elevation)

Closer

the elevation grade is steeper when the contour lines are _____ in distance to each other.

further

the elevation grade is less steep when the contour lines are _____ in distance to each other 

contour interval

the amount of physical distance represented in between each contour line

isotherm

a type of isoline that connects equal data points that can exist at a point (ex: elevation, atmospheric pressure, temperature)

Isopleth

a type of isoline that connects equal data points that cannot exist at a point (ex: population density, average tornadoes in an area)

isobar 

map showing equal atmospheric pressure 

isohyet

map showing equal rainfall

isotherm

map showing equal temperature

more pronounced

the ______ the gradient of an isoline map is, the more dramatic the change in data.

Change/Distance

Gradient

Conic Projection

Cylindrical Projection

Plane Projection

Interrupted projection 

Robinson Projection

curved distortion towards the poles

relatively accurate for a projection

AKA compromised projection

Crenulation V

when a stream intersects a contour line

Remote Sensing

includes systems such as LiDAR and imagery

acquisition of data by using aircrafts or satellites orbiting earth

Useful for:

• Land use and land coverage 

• Change in land use or coverage 

• Terrain analysis (elevation, slope, water run off) 

• Environmental monitoring (crop health, drought presence, vegetation health) 

Geographic Information System (GIS)

information system that stores, analyzes, and can manipulate or present spatial data.

Includes the following components:  

• Size 

• Shape 

• Distance 

• Direction

Useful for: 

• Proximity (how far away are things from a particular feature) 

• Navigation (shortest path) 

• Overlay analysis 

• Electrical companies use GIS to keep up with their lines locations, status, and upkeep 

The sun 

powers earth’s seasons, climate, weather, erosion, and biological food webs

fusion reaction

H + H = He + energy (electromagnetic radiation)

The electromagnetic radiation is coming through space and bombarding the earth’s system

How does the sun heat the earth?

Short Wave

High energy waves

ex: XRays UltraViolet Rays 

Long Waves

Low energy waves 

ex: Radio Waves, TV Waves

47 Percent 

______ of energy on earth from the sun presents as visible spectrum waves. 

47 percent

________ of energy on earth from the sun presents as thermal energy

8 percent

_______ of energy on earth from the sun presents as Gamma, XRays, or UltraViolet

• Rotation

• Revolution

• Tilt

• Axial parallelism

• Sphericity

The amount of solar radiation received by a certain location on earth is affected by _______________.

• Tilt

• Axial parallelism

• Sphericity

Seasons are due to _______________. 

Rotation

The earth’s full turn on its’ axis in a 24 hour period

Counterclockwise

We rotate _________

Revolution

The earth’s journey on its path around the sun which takes a total of 365.25 days.

 perihelion

_________ is when the earth is 5 million km closer to the sun

Season

Variation in climate patterns and temperature during different parts of the year

influenced by insolation (incoming solar radiation)

Vertical rays

direct, concentrated rays of radiation

Oblique rays

diffused rays of radiation

23.5

Tilt of the earth’s axis is ________ degrees

Axis Parallelism

the earth’s axis remains at a constant 23.5 degrees during its entire revolution around the sun

Equinox

when the sun is directly above the equator and all latitudes receive an equal 12 hours of sunlight.

Solstice

when the sun is directly above one of the tropic latitudes 

brings the longest and shortest days for its respective hemispheres 

June solstice

Sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer

longest day of the year for the northern hemisphere

24 hours of sun above the arctic circle

June 20-22

December Solstice

Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn

longest day of the year in the southern hemisphere

24 hours of sun below the antarctic circle

December 20-23

March Equinox

March 19-21

September Equinox

September 22-24

Declination 

the degree of latitude of the sun’s location in relation to the equator 

Zero Degrees

what is the declination of the sun during equinoxes?

Atmosphere 

• A blanket of gasses that envelops the earth and is held there by gravity 

• It goes well up beyond the clouds 

• It protects us from space 

• It contains oxygen that allows us to breathe and live on earth

Nitrogen, then oxygen 

the atmosphere is mainly ________ 

Decreases

Atmospheric pressure __________ as you move away from the earth’s surface due to the difference in air density

Sydney

Who is the best fiancée ever

below

50 % of atmospheric pressure is ________ 18,000 ft.