Physical Geography - Quiz 1

01/22/2026

Oblate Spheroid

Mathematical name given to the shape of the Earth

7,900 miles

The distance of the Polar Diameter

24,800 miles

The distance of the Polar Circumference

7,927 miles

The distance of the Equatorial Diameter

24,900 miles

The distance of the Equatorial Circumference

Latitude

the angle measured north and south of the Equator

Longitude

the angle measured eat and west of the Prime Meridian

Parallel

line connecting all points at the same latitude

0°

Line of Latitude for the Equator

Lat. 23°30’N

Line of Latitude for the Tropic of Cancer

Lat. 23°30’S

Line of Latitude for the Tropic of Capricorn

Lat. 66°30’N

Line of Latitude for the Arctic Circle

Lat. 66°30’S

Line of Latitude for the Antarctic Circle

Lat. 90°00’N

Line of Latitude for the North Pole

Lat. 90°00’S

Line of Latitude for the South Pole

Meridians

lines extending from pole to pole

Prime Meridian

0° reference point for longitude (runs through Greenwich, England)

180° Meridian

Other side of the Prime Meridian

Lat. 39°50’N, Long. 89°40’W

Coordinates of Springfield (Lat., Long.)

The sun’s energy

Shows the greatest geographic variation across Earth’s surface

Earth’s Revolution

earth’s elliptical orbit around the sun in a counterclockwise direction resulting in 365.25 days a year

Perihelion

Day when the Earth is closest to the sun

January 3rd

What date does the Perihelion take place

91.5 million miles

What distance is the Earth from the Sun during the Perihelion

Aphelion

Day when the Earth is furthest from the sun

July 4th

What date does the Aphelion take place

94.5 million miles

What distance is the Earth from the Sun during the Aphelion

Earth’s Rotation

Earth’s counterclockwise movement around it’s axis from West to East

East

What direction has an earlier sunrise between West and East

Angular Rate of Rotation

one complete turn of a circle with respect to the sun

Linear Rate of Rotation

speed of motion at various latitiudes

Circumference of Latitude / 24

Equation to identify the Linear Rate of Rotation for a line of latitude

1037.6 mph

Linear Rate of Rotation for the Equator

Diurnal changes in light and darkness

The most important effect in regard to the Earth’s rotation

Circle of Illumination

divides the Earth between a light and dark half

Seasonality

seasonal change between the sun’s position above the horizon

Insolation

incoming solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface

Declination

latitude where vertical rays are located

Sun’s Angle or Altitude

the angle between the sun and horizon

90° Sun Angle

what angle results in insolation being maximized

47° latitude

How many degrees do vertical rays migrate (Tropic of Cancer to Tropic of Capricorn)

• Inclinations (or tilt) or the Earth’s Axis

• Parallelism

What are the 2 reasons for the seasons

23.5° from vertical

What is the inclination of the Earth’s axis

Parallelism

What is the term for earth’s rotation axis always being parallel to its orientation as it revolves around the sun

The North Star (Polaris)

What celestial body does the north end of the Earth’s axis always point towards