Geography Overview: Introduction to Geography, Weather & Latitude/Longitude

A set of practice flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on geography as a discipline, its branches, Earth’s spheres, weather/climate basics, and latitude/longitude concepts.

What is geography as defined in the notes?

A broad discipline that looks at both human and physical phenomena, shaping the world's environment and places; it is a spatial science.

What are the two main branches of geography?

Human geography and physical geography.

What is a spatial science?

The study of how things vary over space.

What are the key questions that geographers ask?

Where, why, how, and so what.

Which U.S. region is known as Tornado Alley?

The central United States, especially Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.

What two mountain ranges in the United States are mentioned as influencing weather patterns?

The Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains.

How is geography different from geology, according to the notes?

Geography is broad and includes human and physical aspects; geologists focus on the lithosphere and use more specialized math and science, so they are not the same profession.

What are the four Earth spheres studied in this course?

Atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere.

What is the atmosphere and why is it important?

The mixture of gases surrounding Earth; it contains the ozone layer and greenhouse gases that help regulate Earth's temperature.

What is the hydrosphere?

All water on Earth (oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater, glaciers); about 70% of Earth's surface is water.

What is the cryosphere?

Frozen water components (glaciers, snow cover, permafrost); often treated as a subdomain of the hydrosphere.

What is the biosphere?

All plants, animals, and soil on Earth.

What is the lithosphere?

The ground surface and below; the rocky outer shell of the Earth.

What is the rain shadow effect?

Wet windward sides and dry leeward sides of mountains; deserts often occur on the leeward side.

How does proximity to the ocean affect climate, and why?

Coastal areas have milder temperatures because water has a high specific heat and heats/cools slowly.

What are the tools of geography mentioned?

Cartography, remote sensing, GIS ( computerized mapping ), and statistics.

What is latitude?

The angular distance north or south of the equator; lines run east-west; 0 at the equator; 0–90 degrees north or south.

What is longitude?

The angular distance east or west of the prime meridian; lines run north-south; 0–180 degrees east or west.

What is the prime meridian and where is it located?

0 degrees longitude, running through Greenwich, England.

What is the International Date Line?

The 180-degree meridian where the calendar date changes; longitude lines connect there.

In a coordinate pair, which comes first and why?

Latitude comes first (north/south), then longitude (east/west).

What is angular distance in latitude/longitude, and how is it calculated when crossing the equator?

Angular distance is the degrees between two locations; if you cross the equator, you add the degrees from each side to get the total distance in degrees.

How many miles roughly equal one degree of latitude?

Approximately 69 miles per degree of latitude.

In the Amoeba Island example, what are the coordinates of Phyto Head (latitude first, then longitude)?

0 degrees latitude (on the equator) and 3 degrees east longitude.

What is a practical tip for handling longitude when solving problems?

Longitude can go from 0 to 180 west and 0 to 180 east; after 180, you switch from west to east and continue counting, forming a circle around the globe.

What caution is given about calling a geologist a geographer?

Geographers and geologists are distinct professions; do not mix up terms.