exam one

Latitude

measures distance north or south of the Equator.

Runs from 0° to 90° N or S

Lines are called parallels

Parallels run east-west

The Equator = 0° latitude

North latitude is positive; south latitude is negative.

Longitude

measures distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.

Runs from 0° to 180° E or W

Lines are called meridians

Meridians run north-south

They converge at the poles.

Prime Meridian = 0° longitude

East longitude is positive; west longitude is negative.

the tropics

the Tropic of Cancer 23.5° N and Tropic of Capricorn 23.5° S

Controlling Factors of Climate

Latitude, land masses and water bodies, Global Atmospheric Circulation/Atmospheric Pressure, altitude/elevation, ocean currents

Controlling Factors of Climate: latitude

affects the amount and timing of solar radiation received at a location.

Lower latitudes → generally more direct solar radiation

Higher latitudes → generally less direct solar radiation and greater seasonal variation

Controlling Factors of Climate: Land Masses and Water Bodies

Land and water heat and cool at different rates.

Land heats and cools faster

Water heats and cools more slowly

Controlling Factors of Climate: Global Atmospheric Circulation/Atmospheric Pressure

High pressure

Air descends

Generally associated with dry/stable conditions

Forms over relatively cool surfaces

Low pressure

Air rises

Generally associated with unstable conditions

Forms over relatively warm surfaces

Air moves from areas of high pressure toward low pressure.

High = descending = dry

Low = rising = precipitation/unstable

Controlling Factors of Climate: Altitude/Elevation

As elevation increases, temperature generally decreases. Cool air holds less moisture than warm air, which affects precipitation.

Controlling Factors of Climate: Ocean Currents

Ocean currents transport warm or cold water around the planet.

They influence the temperatures and precipitation patterns of nearby land areas.

Koppen Climate Types: A

Tropical

Warm/tropical; relatively uniform solar radiation year-round

Koppen Climate Types: B

Dry

Evaporation exceeds available moisture during at least one season

Koppen Climate Types: C

Mild/temperate

Moisture available after evaporation; relatively warmer winters

Koppen Climate Types: D

Continental/cold

Moisture available after evaporation; colder winters

Koppen Climate Types: E

Polar

Very cold; large seasonal difference in solar radiation

Koppen Climate Types: H

Highland

High elevation causes cool/cold temperatures

Theory of Demographic Transition Stage 1

High Stationary

High birth rate

High death rate

Little population growth

Theory of Demographic Transition Stage 2

Early Expanding

Birth rate remains high

Death rate falls significantly

Population grows rapidly

Theory of Demographic Transition Stage 3

Late Expanding

Birth rate begins declining

Death rate remains relatively low

Population continues growing, but growth slows

Theory of Demographic Transition Stage 4

Low Stationary

Low birth rate

Low death rate

Little/no population growth

Theory of Demographic Transition Stage 5

Negative Change

Death rate exceeds birth rate

Population declines

What is the difference between absolute and relative location?

Absolute location is a precise coordinate; relative location describes where something is in relation to other places.

What is a map projection?

A method of transferring Earth's curved surface onto a flat map, which inevitably creates some distortion.

What is physiological density?

Population per unit of arable/farmable land.

What is arithmetic density?

Population per unit of total land area.

what is the rate of natural increase

Crude birth rate (the total number of live births per 1,000 people in a population over the course of one year) minus crude death rate (the total number of deaths divided by the total mid-year population, expressed per 1,000 people over the course of one year).

What is population doubling time?

The amount of time required for a population to double at its current growth rate. 70 divided by the growth rate percentage approximately equals doubling time.

What is GIS?

A system for storing, analyzing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced data.

What is remote sensing?

Acquiring information about Earth's surface from a distance using sensors.

How does GPS work?

Receivers use signals from multiple satellites to calculate their location.

What is a region?

An area sharing similar physical and/or human characteristics.

What is diffusion?

The spread of ideas, practices, objects, or culture from one place to another.

What is relocation diffusion?

People move and carry ideas/practices with them.

What is expansion diffusion?

An idea spreads outward from its origin while remaining present there.

Why do map projections create distortion?

A curved surface cannot be perfectly represented on a flat surface.

What is a formal region?

Region defined by shared characteristics.

What is a functional region?

Region organized around a central node.

What is a vernacular region?

Region based on people's perceptions/mental maps.

What is site?

Physical characteristic of a location.

What is situation?

location of a place relative to surrounding places.

What is absolute population?

Total number of people.

What is agricultural density?

farmers divided by arable land

What is population momentum?

Continued population growth caused by a large population entering reproductive ages.

What is an ecological fallacy?

Applying group-level statistics incorrectly to individuals or another scale.

What is a dependency ratio?

Relationship between dependent age groups and working-age population.

What is carrying capacity?

Population an environment can sustain indefinitely under given conditions.

What did Malthus argue?

Population could grow faster than food production, leading to shortages and population checks.

What did Boserup argue?

Population pressure can stimulate agricultural innovation and intensification.

What is the difference between global food supply and local food security?

Enough food globally does not guarantee every local population can access it

What is epidemiological transition?

Change from infectious diseases being dominant health threats toward chronic diseases as societies develop.

What are sUAS?

Small unmanned aircraft systems/drones.

What is contagious diffusion?

Spread of ideas travel from person-to-person

What is hierarchical diffusion?

Spread through influential people/places, often from larger to smaller cities.

What is relief?

Difference in elevation between high and low points.

Hill vs. mountain according to class?

Hill <2,000 ft relief; mountain >2,000 ft relief.

What is a delta?

Landform created by river deposition where a river enters a lake or ocean.

What is deposition?

Transported material being deposited in a new location usually by sand, wind, water

Renewable vs. nonrenewable resource?

Renewable resources can be replenished/are effectively continuous; nonrenewable resources are finite.

What are the three major fossil fuels?

Coal, oil, natural gas.

What is conservation?

Sustainable use of resources for future generations.

What is preservation?

Protecting natural areas with minimal human impact.

What is the greenhouse effect?

Greenhouse gases trap/reradiate longwave radiation and warm the lower atmosphere.

What is eutrophication?

Nutrient enrichment causes algal growth, decomposition, oxygen depletion, and potentially aquatic die-offs.

What are the three major solid-waste solutions?

Landfills, incineration, recycling.

geography five major themes

location, place, movement, human environment interaction, region

geography five major themes: location

explains where something is. can be absolute or relative

geography five major themes: place

describes the physical and human characteristics that make a location unique

geography five major themes: human environment interaction

examines both how people are affected by their environment an how humans modify the environment

geography five major themes: movement

examines the movement of people, goods, culture, ideas

geography five major themes: region

identifies areas that share ccommon physical and/or human characteristics

What are the major elements found on maps?

Title — tells you what the map is about.

Legend/key — explains symbols and colors used on the map.

Scale — shows the relationship between map distance and actual distance.

North arrow/orientation — indicates direction.

Coordinates/grid — helps identify locations using latitude/longitude or another coordinate system.

Source/date — identifies where the information came from and when it was produced.

What is vegetation, and how is it related to the physical environment?

Vegetation is strongly influenced by moisture

A general pattern is:

More moisture → trees

Moderate moisture → grasslands

Little moisture → semi-desert/desert

Temperature also affects vegetation