Earth science exam studying for grade 9

Geology

The study of earth's physical structure such as roast is the study of the earth's surface and it's interior.

Meteorology

The study of the atmosphere.

Astronomy

The study of the universe. They study the stars, the planets, and comics as well.

Oceanography

The study of the ocean. This includes rivers, oceans lakes, ponds, and much more.

Cartography

The study of maps

Map

Has length, width, but no depth

An ideal map attempts to simultaneously accomplish the following:

1.Shapes- Accurately represent shapes,

2.Distances- Accurately represent size and distances

3.Directions- Accurately represent directions

Earth's true shape is a……

Round, spherical, and disc-like… is a oblate spheroid

Oblate Spheroid

Slightly flattened at the poles and slightly bulged at the equator.

Polar Circumference

40,007 km

Equatorial Circumference

40,074 km

Equatorial and polar circumference are important because….

They are techniques used by a cartographer to create a map.

Map projection

A technique use a cartographer to create a map

Conformal map

Shape good, size bad..

Equal Area map

Size good, shape bad.

Latitude

Lines that turn east to west around the globe, and measure distances north or south of the equator..

Equator

An imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole

Parellels

Lines of latitude

Longitude

Lines that run North to South, from pole to pole, and measure distances east or west of the prime meridian.

Prime meridian

The meridian, designated at 0° longitude, which passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England.

Meridians

The names of lines for longitude.

What is the range of possible values for longitude?

0-180 degrees

Is there a set distance for 1 degree of longitude? Why or why not?

No, because the lines are not parellel

Map scale

The ratio of distance on a map relative to the actual distance on earth's surface.

A map scale may be expressed in 3 different ways:

1. Verbal- A spoken or written statement(ex. 1 cm=1 km)

2. Numeric- Expressed as a ratio or a fraction.(ex 1:24 or 1/24000)

3. Graphic- A line divided into segments of known length.

Topographic Map

A map that uses topographic contour lines to represent changes in elevation of the landscape.

Contour Line

A line connecting points of equal temperature.

Topographic Contour Line

A line connecting points of equal elevation

Isotherms

A line connecting points of equal temperature

Isobars

A line connecting points of equal pressure

Index Contour Lines

Every fifth contour line that is darkened and labeled with its correct elevation.

Contour Interval

The difference between ay two successive contour lines.

Depression Contour

Contour lines with small tick marks or "hachures" that indicate closed depressions.

Rules to interpret Depression Contours:

1. When traveling uphill, and you encounter a depression contour, the depression contour will have the same value as the regular downhill contour lines before it.

2. When traveling downhill and you encounter a depression contour, the depression contour will lower than the uphill contour lines before it by an amount equal to the contour interval.

Rule of the "V's"

When a topographic contour line crosses a stream valley it will form an "v", a the apex or point of the "v" will always point upstream to higher elevations.

Slope

The steepness of the land….

Formula to calculate slope:

= rise/run

topographic(longitudinal profile)

A side view of a section of earth's surface

Vertical Exaggeration

A comparison of the horizontal scale, the vertical scale, used to make a topographic profile.

Formula to calculate vertical exaggeration

= hs/vs(horizontal scale/vertical scale)

Meteorology

The study of the atmosphere with an emphasis or focus on weather forecasting.

Meteorelogist

A person who studies the weather forecasting

Weather

The state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place.

Climate

The long term or average weather conditions for a region.

Observation

Information acquired using your 5 senses

Inference

Conclusions drawn based upon observations and prior knowledge. Does not have to be testable.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation or interperetation that can be tested through further investigation. Typically expressed as an "if", and "then" statement.

Theory

A single unified explanation for a wide variety of observations.

Beaufort scale

a scale ranging from 0 to 12, that allows an individual to estimate current wind speed based on observations on land and at sea.

Windchill

Makes you feel cold and makes the temperature feel less than the posted temperature.

Thermometer

Measures temperature

Barometer

Measures air and atmospheric pressure.

Hygrometer

The general term for any instrument used to measure humidity(moisture in air).

Sling psychrometer

Is a specific type of hydrometer consisting of two thermometers( a wet bulb & a dry bulb) that allows one to determine relative humidity and dew point.

Wind Vane

Measures the wind direction(winds are named from where they come from)

Anemometer

Measures the wind speed

Rain Gauge

Tells us the total amount of rainfall and the rate of rainfall as well.

Sonde

A packet of instruments….

Atmosphere

The blanket of gases surrounding earth.

Troposphere

Expands from earth's surface to about 8-18 km above earth's surface. Approximately 99% of the water in the atmosphere is contained here.(Temperature decreases with altitude and gets cooler.)

Air

Refers to the moisture of gases found in the lower most atmosphere(troposphere). Is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 0.4% carbon dioxide.

Stratosphere

Ranges from 18km-50km from earth's surface. The temperatures in here increase with increasing altitude.

Ozonosphere(Ozone Layer)

A layer of earth's atmosphere expanding from 10-50km from earth's surface where there are higher concentrations of the gases(ozone)O^3, then in other areas of he atmosphere….Natural protective layer. Protects from ultraviolet energy….

Mesosphere

Spans from 50-80km above earth's surface, temperature decreases with higher altitude.

Thermosphere

Spans from 80km-500km above earth's surface. Temperature increases with higher altitude.

ODS(ozone depleting substances)

Ozone gets depleted from these substances which then causes it to break and. Form repetitively, which is why the ozone layer is why it is.

Greenhouse effect

Process by which gases in earth's atmosphere such as water vapor and carbon dioxide trap the suns energy creating conditions warm enough to support life on earth.

Climate Change

The long term weather patterns, such as temperature, precipitation, and storms.

Global Warming

The long term increase in average global temperatures caused by an enhanced greenhouse effect as a result of human activities:the burning of fossil fuels.

Insolation

Heat coming from the sun

Angle of insolation

The angle at which the suns rays strikes the earth's surface.

Radiation

The transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves.(IR, UV, visible light). That does not require a medium to travel through.

Conduction

Transfer of heat by touching/contact.

Convection

The vertical transfer of heat by currents

Advection

A horizontal transfer of heat by wind.

Briefly summarize the effects of advection on regional temperatures:

The stronger the winds, the greater the advection which causes the atmosphere more uniformally, creating less variation in temperature.

Albedo

Refers to the reflectiveness of a surface.

Briefly summarize the effect of surface texture(roughness) and presence of water as illustrated:

The rougher the surface, the lower the albedo, the more wavelengths that are absorbed, the more warmer the surface is.

Solid

Have a definite shape and volume | atoms remain/vibrate in place.

Liquid

Have a definite volume and takes up the shape of its container!!! | atoms can move freely inside the container…relative to one another and make contact..

Gas

No definite volume or shape | particles can speed out and move freely from one another.

In which state of matter, solid, liquid, or gas do the atoms have the greatest kinetic energy(motion)?

In a gas…this is because the atoms move faster and more freely…

Melting

The change from a solid to a liquid/surrounding then gets cooled. Melting is a cooling process to the surrounding atmosphere because heat energy is being taken from the atmosphere to speed up the particles.

Freezing

Warming process to the surrounding atmosphere as the particles slow down to freeze

Evaporation

A cooling process because heat energy is taken from the surrounding atmosphere to speed the process up to warm the liquid.

Condensation

Change from a gas to a liquid which is a warming process because the gas is getting cooler and the particles are slowing down.

calorie

The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by degree C.

Calorie

(A food calorie)= 1 kilo calorie/ 1000 calories.

Heat of fusion

The amount of heat required to melt a parcel of ice.** heat of fusion is approximately 80 calories per gram.**

Heat of vaporization

The amount of heat required to evaporate liquid water540 calories/gram

Humidity

A general term referring to the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere…

Capacity

The total amount of water vapor the air can hold at a specific temperature(measured in a number of grams per kilogram of air)

Specific Humidity

The actual amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere.(expressed in g/kg of air)

Relative Humidity

A comparison of the actual amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere (SH) to the total amount of water vapor it can hold at the urgent temperature(capacity)!

Formula to calculate relative humidity

= SH(specific humidity)/Cap(capacity)x 100 written in percentage

Undersaturated

When the relative humidity comes out to be less than 100% RH<100% SH is less than capacity

Saturated

RH=100% SH is equal to capacity

Dew point

The temperature at which the air reaches saturation(RH=100), condensation can occur(clouds, fog, frost, precipitation)

Condensation Nuclei

Any particular matter upon which water vapor can condense..

Oversaturated

RH>100% SH is greater than capacity!!!