GY 101 Test 1 University of Alabama MD Islam

Earths 4 spheres

atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere

Biosphere

Consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere - INTERACT WITH ALL OTHER SPHERES

Map Distortion

a change in the shape, size, or position of a place when it is shown on a map

equator

An imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole - divides earth into 2 hemispheres

North and South Hemisphere

longitude

east and west hemisphere

latitude

Prime Meridian

0 degrees longitude

Northeast Hemisphere

+ +

southeast hemisphere

- +

southwest hemisphere

- -

northwest hemisphere

+ -

latitude

known as parallels, run in the east-west direction, measure distance north-south of the equator, never intersect, not equal length

longitude

known as meridians, run in a north-south direction, measure distance east or west of prime meridian, farthest apart at the equator and meet at poles, cross equator at right angles, equal length

maximum latitude

90 degrees north or south

maximum longitude

180 degrees

Tropic of Cancer

23.5 degrees North

Tropic of Capricorn

23.5 degrees south

equator degrees

0

Anartic Circle

66.5 degrees South

arctic circle

66.5 degrees North

North Pole

90 degrees north

South Pole

90 degrees south

great circle

line that equally divides the earth into the hemispheres (only latitude and equator can give us a great circle) all longitude can give us a

great circle route

Shortest route between any two places on the planet

small circle

continuous line that forms a circle smaller than the equator

world time zones

24

move east to west

lose an hour

move west to east

gain an hour

polarity

gives us seasons

June solstice

June 21-22, start of summer in Northern Hemispheres and start of winter in Southern Hemisphere - southern hemisphere farthest away from the sun

winter solstice

December 22 - Northern Hemisphere farthest away from the sun

fall equinox

September 22

spring equinox

march 20

equinox

both hemispheres are equally far from the sun

closed system

matter cannot go out or into the system - energy free to pass

open system

matter can go in and out of a system - energy is free to pass

positive relationship

increase in variables 1 and 2

negative relationship

increase in variable 1 and decrease in variable 2

graphic scale

consists of a bar line marked to show distance on Earth's surface

verbal scale

description of scale using words "one inch equal four miles"

representative fraction

The scale of a map represented as a ratio or fraction, such as 1:1,000,000

small scale

1:2,000,000 (whole map)

large scale

1:200 (tuscaloosa)

projection

to minimize distortion

cylindrical projection

a map projection that is made by moving the surface features of the globe onto a cylinder

conic projection

a map created by projecting an image of Earth onto a cone placed over part of an Earth model

azimuthal projection

A map projection in which the plane is the most developable surface

distortion on map

relative size of regions, the shape of regions, directions, distances remote sensing

photographic imaging system

real photo

non photographic imaging systems

radar

atmosphere uniform gas

oxygen, nitrogen, argon, some neon, helium, methane, krypton, hydrogen

uniform gases

oxygen, nitrogen, argon, neon, helium, hydrogen - anywhere on earth you go they are uniform

variable gas

water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone

atmosphere variable gas

water vapor, carbon dioxide, some carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide

exosphere

begins 398 and ends 5965

thermosphere

begins 50 ends 398

mesosphere

starts 31 ends 50

stratosphere

begins 10 ends 31

ozone layer

begins 12 ends 30

trophosphere

begins 0 ends 10

elements of weather and climate

temperature, moisture, pressure, wind

attenuation

depletion of solar energy

beam spreading

the way a light beam covers a larger area when it hits a surface at an angle

shortwave radiation

hot bodies

longwave radiation

cool bodies

absorption

the process or action by which one thing absorbs or is absorbed by another

reflection

The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a surface through which it cannot pass.

tranmission

to pass through air of some other median (like gas)

scattering

reflection of light in all directions

advection

horizontal movement of air

convection

vertical movement of air

conduction

of heat through a solid object

the gas law

when air is compressed its temperature will increase - when air expands its temperature will decrease

adiabatic processes

no heat is exchanged

loss of heat

dew forming on blades of grass (condesnation) and snowflake formation (deposition)

sensible heat

when an object is heated its temperature rises as heat is added (an increase in heat)

latent heat

heat loss or gained through a change in the state of water - the heat you need to change the state of matter

addition of heat

evaporation of water and melting ice

melting

cooling process for the environment (ice absorbs energy from the environment and melts)`

freezing

warming process

evaporation

cooling process for the environment for the (ice absorbs energy from the environment and melts)

condensation

Gas to liquid - warming

sublimation

solid to gas - cooling

deposition

gas to solid - cooling

solid

ice

liquid

water

gas

water vapor

incoming solar radiation

reflected by the atmosphere, clouds, surface and absorbed by clouds, and surface

surplus

extra

deficit

A deficiency or lack of something

reasons for unequal heating

latitudinal differences, length of the day, atmospheric obstructions

melting point

The temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid

boiling point

The temperature at which a liquid changes to a gas