Test 1 Physical Geography

Physical Geography

The study of Earth's physical features and processes.

Exogenic Forces

External forces that continuously wear down relief and elevations and fill up basins and depressions.

Endogenic Forces

Internal forces that continuously elevate or build up parts of Earth's surface.

Earth's Spheres

The major interacting parts of Earth's physical system.

Sphere Interactions

Interactions that occur between Earth's major spheres.

Latitude

Used to refer to precise points on Earth's surface and tells whether a location is in the northern or southern hemisphere.

Longitude

Used to refer to precise points on Earth's surface and tells whether a location is in the eastern or western hemisphere.

Degrees East (°E)

The designation used for longitude east of the Prime Meridian.

Degrees West (°W)

The designation used for longitude west of the Prime Meridian.

Longitude Range

Longitude ranges from 0° to 180°.

Prime Meridian

The special line of longitude located at 0°.

International Date Line

The special line of longitude located at 180°.

Meridians

Lines of longitude.

Same Longitude

Every city, town, village, etc. along a meridian has the same longitude.

Degrees North (°N)

The designation used for latitude north of the Equator.

Degrees South (°S)

The designation used for latitude south of the Equator.

Latitude Range

Latitude ranges from 0° to 90°.

Parallels

Lines of latitude.

Same Latitude

Every location along a parallel has the same latitude.

Equatorial

Within a few degrees of the Equator.

Tropical

Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Subtropical

Areas slightly poleward of the tropics.

Low Latitude

Generally between the Equator and 30°N and 30°S.

Midlatitude

Generally between 30° and 60° N and S.

High Latitude

Latitudes greater than 60°N or 60°S.

Polar

Within a few degrees of the North or South Pole.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A satellite-based navigation system used to determine precise geographic location.

Remote Sensing

Collection of images, information, or data about a location from a distance using satellites or aircraft.

Active Remote Sensing

Remote sensing that actively sends out energy or a signal to collect information.

Passive Remote Sensing

Remote sensing that collects naturally occurring energy or radiation.

LiDAR

Light Detection and Ranging; an active remote-sensing technology that emits discrete pulses of laser light from visible to near-infrared wavelengths.

Light Detection and Ranging

What the abbreviation LiDAR stands for.

Thematic Map

A map focused on a particular type of information or theme, such as election results by county.

Choropleth Map

A map in which each feature or area is filled in based on some value.

Isoline Map

A map that uses lines to represent continuous data across an area.

Topographic Map

A map that shows the elevation of the land surface with a series of contours.

Topography

The shape or characteristics of the land surface.

Relief

The difference in height between the high point and low point in a landscape.

Low Relief

A relatively flat area.

High Relief

A rugged area.

Contour

An isoline that connects points of equal elevation.

Contour Line

A line connecting points of equal elevation.

Index Contour

Every fourth or fifth contour that is darker and labeled.

Contour Interval

The difference in elevation between two contours.

Contour Spacing

The distance between contour lines, which indicates the steepness of the land.

Steep Slope

An area where contour lines are closely spaced.

Gentle Slope

An area where contour lines are farther apart.

Closed Contour

A contour that forms a closed shape and can represent a hill or mountain.

Hill

Represented by closed contours.

Mountain

Can be represented by closed contours.

Valley

A landform where a contour bends upstream in a "V" shape when it crosses a stream valley.

Ridge

A landform where a contour forms a "V" pointing downhill.

Spur

A landform where a contour forms a "V" pointing downhill.

Basin

A low area that may be represented by a closed, hatched contour.

Depression

A low area that may be represented by a closed, hatched contour.

Contour Structure

The arrangement of contour lines; generally, contours should not cross or touch.

Fluvial Processes

The study of flowing water as a land-shaping process, together with the study of the resulting landforms.

Exogenic Geomorphic Processes

The most important external geomorphic processes; erosion and deposition by streams sculpt Earth's landscape into an array of features.

Surface Runoff

Liquid water flowing over the surface of Earth, also known as overland flow.

Overland Flow

Another term for surface runoff.

Stream

Any body of water that has a current and flows downhill within a channel, driven by the force of gravity.

River

Generally considered the largest type of stream.

Interfluve

The higher land above the valley sides that separates adjacent valleys.

Drainage Basin

An area defined by topographic high points that diverts all runoff to a single major outlet.

Drainage Divide

The ridge between two adjacent drainage basins and the boundary between water flowing into different drainage basins.

Continental Divide

The drainage divide that separates drainages flowing east and south to the Gulf of Mexico from those flowing west to the Pacific Ocean.

Stream Discharge

The amount of water flowing in a given amount of time.

Cubic Meters per Second

The unit used to measure stream discharge.

Hydrograph

A graph used to visualize stream discharge.

Flood

Occurs when more water enters the stream system than can be held within the channel.

Floodplain

A relatively flat area alongside a river channel that is inundated during elevated discharge.

Flood Stage

The amount of discharge required for a stream to overtop its banks.

Slow Flood

A flood that may occur due to a prolonged period of excessive rainfall or snowmelt and shows a gradual rise and gradual decrease in discharge.

Flash Flood

A fast flood that is evident on a hydrograph by a sharp increase followed by a sharp decrease in discharge.

Ice Jam

An obstruction that blocks the flow of a stream.

Urbanization

Development that increases runoff because of a decrease in permeable surface area.

Backwater Flooding

Flooding that occurs when water becomes trapped because drainage is restricted.

Steele Bayou Control Structure

A structure that serves as the single drainage point for the entire Mississippi Delta.

Stream Erosion

The process in which streams erode bedrock and loose material, mostly derived from adjacent slopes.

Sediment Deposition

Occurs when a stream can no longer carry material, such as when the current slows or sediment supply exceeds the stream's capacity.

Stream Capacity

The maximum amount or largest size of sediment load that a stream can carry at a particular flow velocity.

Stream Load

The amount of sediment carried by a stream, including material chemically dissolved in solution.

Suspended Load

Clay, silt, and sand carried suspended within the moving water column.

Saltation

The process in which sand grains roll along the bottom or are picked up and carried downstream by bouncing along the stream bed.

Traction

The process in which larger cobbles and boulders move by rolling and sliding along the streambed.

Stream Competence

The size of the largest particles that can be transported by a stream.

Delta

A fan- or triangle-shaped accumulation of sediment formed where a river enters a standing body of water.

Equator

0° Latitude.

Bed Load

Sand and gravel that move along the channel bottom by sliding, rolling, or bouncing.

Deposition

The settling or accumulation of sediment when stream velocity becomes too low to transport it.

Discharge

The volume or amount of water flowing through a channel cross-section per unit of time.

Stream Gradient

The slope or steepness of a stream channel.

Headwaters

The upper tributaries and origin region where a stream begins.

Mouth

The location where a stream ends by entering another body of water.

Downstream

The direction of stream flow from higher elevations toward lower elevations.

Base Level

The lowest elevation below which a stream cannot flow or erode its bed.

Sinuosity

The degree or amount to which a channel curves over a given length.

Meander

A sweeping curve or bend in a stream channel.

Cut Bank

An erosional feature formed on the outer, faster-moving side of a meander.

Point Bar

A depositional feature formed on the inner, slower-moving side of a meander.