Hydrologic Cycle, Geology, and Biomes: Key Concepts for Geography

What is sublimation in the context of the hydrologic cycle?

Sublimation is the process in which a solid changes directly into a gas without first becoming a liquid.

What is transpiration?

is the process by which water in plants evaporates through pores on leaves to capture CO2.

Define evapotranspiration.

is the process by which water leaves the natural landscape, combining evaporation and transpiration.

What is an estuary?

An estuary is a transitional area where flowing river water meets the ocean, characterized by both flowing and tidal waters.

What are the characteristics of estuaries?

Estuaries are not as salty as the sea and are very productive ecosystems.

What are the five drainage patterns?

1. Dendritic: branching like a tree. 2. Trellis: parallel with sharp corners. 3. Rectangular: parallel in two directions. 4. Radial: out from a center. 5. Braided: tangled due to deposition.

How do arches and sea caves form?

Arches and sea caves form by the erosion of less-resistant rock.

What are barrier islands?

Barrier islands are long, narrow islands composed of sand, parallel to the shore, with a lagoon between the island and the mainland.

What factors characterize fjords?

Fjords are often filled with ice during glaciation and flooded due to a net rise in sea level.

What powers the general circulation of the atmosphere?

Solar energy powers the system through insolation, ground warming, air rising, pressure changes, wind blowing, and water circulation.

What causes warmer temperatures during the day?

Warmer temperatures are due to direct sunlight, low altitude, land heating faster than water, and fewer clouds.

What are the three types of precipitation?

1. Convectional precipitation. 2. Orographic precipitation (includes windward wet and leeward dry). 3. Cyclonic or frontal precipitation.

What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone?

The Intertropical Convergence Zone is where the Hadley Cell rises, causing trade winds to converge and create doldrums.

What is vertical zonation in biomes?

Vertical zonation refers to vegetation zones defined by altitude, where temperature and precipitation change as elevation increases.

What are the characteristics of tropical rainforests?

Tropical rainforests have thin, acidic, nutrient-poor soil with 90% of nutrients tied up in living organisms and rapid decomposition.

How do tropical seasonal forests differ from tropical rainforests?

Tropical seasonal forests have wet and dry seasons, with drought-deciduous plants that lose leaves during dry periods.

What defines tropical savannas?

Tropical savannas are grasslands with sparse tree cover, experiencing dry seasons prone to fire and supporting migratory grazers.

What are the characteristics of deserts?

low moisture levels, infrequent precipitation, wide temperature fluctuations, and plants adapted for water conservation.

What defines temperate grasslands?

are communities of grasses with few trees due to inadequate rainfall and large temperature fluctuations.

What characterizes temperate shrubland (Mediterranean)?

has warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters, with evergreen shrubs and a high number of unique species.

What is the boreal forest?

is a broad band of mixed coniferous and deciduous trees between 50° and 60° N latitude.

What is the climate of tundra?

warm enough for plants but not for trees, with woody plants surviving without trunks.

What are the physical attributes of a landscape?

Natural landscape features including climate, soil, water supply, mineral resources, and terrain.

What are cultural attributes of a landscape?

features such as language, religion, agricultural patterns, food, music, tax rate, and population density.

What is cultural diffusion?

The spread of ideas, objects, inventions, and practices from one place to another, either through relocation or expansion.

What is globalization?

An increasingly linked world where international borders are less significant, characterized by faster transportation and almost-instantaneous communication.

What is the difference between latitude and longitude?

Latitude measures north-south position (0 to 90 degrees), while longitude measures east-west position (0 to 180 degrees).

What is a large-scale map?

A map that shows a small area with a high level of detail.

What is a small-scale map?

A map that shows a large area with a low level of detail.

What are formal regions?

Regions characterized by uniformity in one or a limited number of related physical or cultural features.

What are functional (nodal) regions?

Regions defined by a spatial system connected to a center.

What are perceptual (vernacular) regions?

Regions defined by mental maps and perceptions of the area.

What is a Geographic Information System (GIS)?

A system that combines computer hardware and software to store, analyze, and display geographic data in layers.

How is map scale represented?

Map scale can be shown as a ratio, graphic scale, or verbal description.

What are the properties of globe maps?

All meridians are equal in length, converge at the poles, and lines of latitude are parallel to the equator.

What is gerrymandering?

The practice of drawing legislative district boundaries to unfairly favor one political party over another.

What are the two main types of tectonic forces?

Diastrophism, which involves folding and breaking of plates, and volcanism, which transports heated material to the surface.

What is the rock cycle?

The cycle of creation, destruction, and metamorphosis of rocks, involving igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types.

What is the difference between extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks?

Extrusive rocks form from lava above ground and cool quickly, while intrusive rocks form from magma below ground and cool slowly.

What is subduction?

The process where one tectonic plate is forced under another, forming trenches and recycling material.

What is the Ring of Fire?

A region around the Pacific Ocean known for a high frequency of earthquakes and volcanoes.

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

Convergent (forced together), divergent (split apart), and transform (move sideways).

What is a hot spot in geology?

An area not connected to a plate boundary where volcanic activity occurs, forming chains of volcanoes.

What is the significance of the Great Rift Valley?

It is a tectonic feature where the African tectonic plate is pulling apart, associated with high mountains and deep lakes.

What is mechanical weathering?

The physical break-up of rocks into smaller pieces without changing their chemical composition.

What is chemical weathering?

The alteration of rocks through chemical reactions, leading to the selective removal of specific components.

What is erosion?

The process of particles being moved by wind, water, ice, and gravity.

What is deposition?

The process where eroded materials come to rest in a new location.