GEOG 1010 (Physical Geography)

geomorphology

the study of landforms and how the interactions of Earth’s processes and surface materials contribute to landform development and modification

biogeography

the study of plant and animal distributions of the present and past and how they may change in the future

spatial discipline

type of study dealing with locational space

region

an area identified by certain characteristics it contains that makes it distinctive and separates it from other areas

regional geography

the study of the characteristics of a region or of multiple regions

cartography

the science of mapmaking

scientific method

answering questions (hypotheses) by collecting evidence, objectively analyzing the evidence, and proposing answers based on what the evidence supports

system

group of interacting and interdependent units that together form an organized whole

Earth system

set of interrelated components, variables, processes, and subsystems (e.g., atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere), which interact and function together to make up Earth

subsystem

separate system operating within the boundaries of a larger Earth system

atmosphere

blanket of air, composed of various gases, that envelops Earth

lithosphere

a general term for the solid (rock) part of the Earth system, in contrast to the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere

biosphere

the life forms—human, animal, or plant—of Earth that form one of the major Earth subsystems

hydrosphere

major Earth subsystem consisting of the waters of Earth, including oceans, ice, freshwater bodies, groundwater, and water within the atmosphere and biomass

atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere

What are Earth’s four major subsystems?

absolute location

location of an object on the basis of mathematical coordinates on an Earth grid

relative location

a description of an object’s location, relative to the position of some other object or feature

Spatial distribution

location and extent of an area or areas where a feature exists

spatial pattern

arrangement of a feature as it is distributed through Earth space

spatial interaction

process whereby different phenomena are linked or interconnected, and, as a result, impact one another through Earth space

environment

surroundings, whether of people or of any other living organism; includes physical, social, and cultural conditions that affect the development of that organism

ecology

science that studies the interactions between organisms and their environment

ecosystem

community of organisms functioning together through interdependent relationships with the environment that they occupy

true

True or false? Natural regions can change in size and shape over time in response to environmental changes.

false

True or false? Boundaries separating different natural or environmental regions tend to be sharp.

natural hazard

any natural process that has a detrimental impact on humans and the built environment

environmental degradation

processes or results, usually related to human activities that are detrimental to an environment

pollution

the presence or introduction of a harmful substance into the environment

natural resources

any element, material, or organism existing in nature that may be useful to humans

environmental overshoot

a situation where the rate of resource use is unsustainable, given the existing supply or renewability of that resource

environmental sustainability

interacting with the environment in ways that will “. . . provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future.” (EPA)

model

simplified representation of a more complex reality that is useful for analysis and prediction

pictorial and graphic models

representation of a portion of Earth’s surface by means of maps, photographs, graphs, or diagrams

physical model

three-dimensional representation of all or a portion of Earth’s surface

mathematical and statistical models

quantitative representation of an area or Earth system using statistical data

computer-generated models

a computer-developed representation of a feature, process, or an environmental system

conceptual models

image in a person’s mind of an Earth feature or landscape as derived from personal experiences

mental map

conceptual model or mental image of an area or a location in map form that people develop in their minds

systems analysis

determining the parts of a system, the processes involved, and studying how changes in interactions among those parts and processes may affect the system and its operation

open system

system in which energy and materials can freely cross its boundaries

closed system

system in which no substantial amount of materials can cross its boundaries

equilibrium

state of balance between the interconnected components of a system, an organized whole

dynamic equilibrium

constantly changing relationship among the variables of a system, which produces a balance between the amounts of energy and/or materials that enter a system and the amounts that leave

feedback

sequence of changes in the elements of a system, which ultimately affects the element that was initially altered to begin the sequence

negative feedback

reaction to initial change in a system that counteracts the initial change and leads to dynamic equilibrium in the system

positive feedback

reaction to initial change in a system that reinforces the initial change and leads to imbalance in the system

threshold

a limiting condition that if it is exceeded (or not met) will cause a dramatic, often irreversible change in the system

resilience

the ability for a system to tolerate change

feedback loop

path of change as its effects move through the variables of a system until the effects impact the variable originally experiencing change

reference map

a map that shows a wide variety of general information, useful as a reference for looking up locations, place names, and other geographic characteristics of an area

thematic maps

a map designed to present information or data about a specific theme, as in a population distribution map, a map of climate or vegetation

think geographically

giving some thought to recognizing geographic patterns, understanding why they exist, and considering their significance

oblate spheroid

Earth’s shape—a slightly flattened sphere

great circle

circle in any direction formed by dividing Earth into two equal hemispheres; the plane passes through the center of the globe. A route following a great circle that passes through two places marks shortest distance between those locations

hemisphere

half of a sphere; for example, the northern or southern half of Earth divided by the equator or the eastern and western half divided by two meridians, the 0° and 180° meridians

small circle

any circle that is not a full circumference of the globe. The plane does not pass through the center of the globe

navigation

the science of location and finding one’s way, position, or direction

coordinate system

a precise system of grid lines used to describe locations

equator

great circle of Earth midway between the poles; the zero degree parallel of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

latitude

angular distance (distance measured in degrees) north or south of the equator

sextant

navigation instrument used to determine latitude by star and sun positions

prime meridian

half of a great circle that connects the North and South Poles and marks zero degrees longitude. By international agreement, it passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England

longitude

angular distance (distance measured in degrees) east or west of the prime meridian

decimal degrees

angular degrees with fractions expressed as tenths, hundredths, etc., rather than as the 60-based traditional subdivisions of minutes and seconds

the geographic grid

lines of latitude and longitude in a grid on a globe or map

parallels

circle on the globe connecting all points of equal latitude

meridians

a line of longitude that forms half of a great circle on the globe and connects all points of equal longitude; all meridians connect the North and South Poles

time zones

Earth is divided into 24 zones to coordinate time with Earth’s rotation

solar noon

the time of day when the sun angle is at a maximum above the horizon (zenith)

international date line

line roughly along the 180 meridian, where each day begins and ends; it is always a day later west of the line than east of the line

The Township and Range System

the United States Public Land Survey System used to locate and subdivide land areas, mainly in the Midwestern and Western United States

U.S. Public Lands Survey System

a method for locating and dividing land, used in much of the Midwest and Western United States. This system divides land into 6- by 6-mile-square townships consisting of 36 sections of land (each 1 sq mi) that can be further subdivided into halves, quarter sections, and quarter-quarter-sections

principal meridians

one of many lines running N–S (meridians of longitude) designated by the U.S. Public Land Survey System for locating plots of land north or south of these meridians

base lines

east-west lines of division in the U.S. Public Lands Survey System

township

a square plot of land 6 miles on a side, further subdivided into 36 sections, laid out within the U.S. Public Lands Survey System

section

a square parcel of land with an area of 1 square mile as defined by the U.S. Public Lands Survey System

36

How many sections are in a township?

Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS)

the general term for satellite-based location systems, no matter which country developed them

Global Positioning System (GPS)

United States system that uses satellite data to locate positions and travel routes anywhere on Earth

map projection

any presentation of the spherical Earth on a flat surface

planar projection

map projection in which grid lines are transferred onto a plane or flat surface; most often used to show the polar regions, with the pole centrally located on the circular map, displaying one hemisphere

conic projection

map projection achieved by transferring a spherical area (typically the geographic grid) onto a cone

cylindrical projection

map projection achieved by transferring a spherical area (typically the geographic grid) onto a cylinder

Mercator projection

mathematically produced, conformal map projection showing true compass bearings as straight lines

conformal maps

a map using a projection that maintains the true shape of small areas on Earth’s surface

equal-area maps

a map created with a projection that preserves correct proportional sizes for any given areas of Earth’s surface

Azimuthal projections

a projection that preserves the true direction from the map center to any other point on the map

Gnomonic projections

planar projection with greatly distorted land and water areas; valuable for navigation because all great circles on the projection appear as straight lines

compromise projections

maps that compromise true shape and true area in order to display both fairly well

Mercator projection

What type of map projection is this?

equal-area projection

What type of map projection is this?

Azimuthal projection

What type of map projection is this?

Gnomonic projection

What type of map projection is this?

compromise projection

What type of map projection is this?

Interrupted projection

What type of map projection is this?

legend

key to symbols used on a map

map scale

ratio between a distance as measured on Earth and the same distance as measured on a map, globe, or other representation of Earth

verbal scale

stating the scale of a map using words such as “one inch represents one mile.”

graphic scale

a ruler-like device placed on maps for making direct measurements in ground distances

representative fraction (RF) scale

a map scale presented as a fraction or ratio between the size of a unit on the map to the size of the same unit on the ground, as in 1/24,000 or 1:100,000