GEOG 1112 Exam 1 Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards created from the GEOG 1112 Exam 1 Study Guide.

Closed System (Matter)

A system where energy may enter or exit, but matter is not added or removed; Earth functions as a closed system regarding matter.

Positive Feedback Loop

A process where an initial perturbation or change is amplified, such as warming melting Arctic sea ice, reducing albedo, and causing further heat absorption.

Radio Waves

The bandwidth of the electromagnetic spectrum that possesses the longest wavelength.

Visible Light

The region of the electromagnetic spectrum in which the Sun radiates most of its energy.

Insolation Latitudinal Effect

The variation in solar energy absorption across latitudes, making polar regions cooler than tropical regions because solar energy is spread over a larger surface area and scattered by more atmosphere.

Equinox

Calendar dates, such as March 21, when all locations on Earth experience exactly $12\,\text{hours}$ of daylight and $12\,\text{hours}$ of darkness.

Stratosphere

Atmospheric layer where air temperature increases with altitude due to the absorption of ultraviolet radiation by stratospheric ozone.

Ionosphere

Layer of Earth's atmosphere that principally absorbs gamma rays and X-rays while interacting with the solar wind.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Human-produced chemical molecules principally responsible for the depletion of stratospheric ozone.

UV Index

A scale designed to forecast the risk of overexposure to solar ultraviolet radiation.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere where almost all weather phenomena occur.

Lapse Rate

The rate at which an atmospheric variable, such as temperature or density, changes with increasing altitude.

Specific Heat

The amount of heat required to change a material's temperature; land has a lower specific heat than water, causing land to heat and cool much faster.

Greenhouse Effect

The natural atmospheric process by which radiated thermal energy is absorbed and re-emitted, maintaining temperatures suitable for life on Earth.

Atmospheric Residence Time

The length of time a substance remains in the atmosphere; explains why methane receives less long-term focus than carbon dioxide despite high potency, and why global temperatures would continue rising for years if fossil fuel burning ceased immediately.

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

An equatorial low-pressure zone defined by the convergence and uplift of warm, moist surface air.

Prevailing Westerlies

Surface winds predominantly found in the midlatitudes flowing from west to east.

Gulf Stream

A warm surface ocean current in the North Atlantic that moves heat toward Europe.

Coriolis Force

The apparent deflection of moving objects caused by Earth's rotation; its absence at the equator prevents tropical cyclones from forming directly on the equator.

Milankovitch Cycles

Periodic shifts in Earth's orbit and rotational orientation that serve as primary drivers for long-term climate fluctuations.

Eccentricity

The variation in the shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun from nearly circular to elliptical on a cycle of approximately $100{,}000\,\text{years}$.

Obliquity

The change in the tilt angle of Earth's rotational axis on a cycle of approximately $41{,}000\,\text{years}$.

Precession

The axial wobble or change in the orientation of Earth's rotational axis occurring on a cycle of approximately $23{,}000\,\text{years}$.

Anthropogenic Forcing

Human-induced influences on climate, which climate models must include alongside natural forcings to accurately match observed global warming trends.

Younger Dryas

A paleoclimate event during which a massive influx of freshwater from melting ice sheets disrupted deep-water formation, causing the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) to collapse.