BYU GEO101 Exam 1 – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
| What is Geography? |
answer
| The study of space and place. The study of the WHY of the WHERE |
question
| What do geographers study? |
answer
| - Where things are located on the earth's crust - Why things are located in certain places - How places differ from one another - How people interact with the environment |
question
| Two principle branches of Geography |
answer
| Physical and Human |
question
| Physical Geography focuses on... |
answer
| Climates, landforms, vegetation, soils, and water. Forecast weather, manage land and water resources, and analyze and plan for forests, rangelands and wetlands. |
question
| Human Geography focuses on... |
answer
| how people and their activities are distributed in space and how they use space on earth's surface. Urban and regional planning, transportation and tourism. |
question
| Earth's Four Spheres |
answer
| - Atmosphere - Biospere - Hydrosphere - Lithosphere |
question
| Hydrosphere |
answer
| Water realm of the earth + Ocean, rivers, etc - Drought, flood |
question
| Lithosphere |
answer
| Solid mineral realm, crust plus uppermost part of earth's mantle + rock, soil - volcanic activity, earthquakes |
question
| Biosphere |
answer
Plants and animals + organic materials that contribute to healthy earth - endangered species, habitat loss, deforestation - framentation of species rapidly diminishes numbers |
question
| Atmosphere |
answer
| Envelope of gases that encircle the earth + oxygen - Global warming, inversion |
question
| What is the name of the earth's shape? |
answer
| Oblate spheroid |
question
| Diameter of the earth |
answer
| Pole to pole 7,900 Equator 7927 |
question
| First person to use word Geography |
answer
| Erasthenes. -devised latitude and longitude -calculated earth's tilt relative to sun (23.5 degrees) -devised leap year - calculated earth's circumference |
question
| Latitude |
answer
| Like the lines of a ladder. Measures north-south from the equator. Also called parallels about 69 miles per degree Goes to 90 degrees |
question
| Longitude |
answer
| Measures east-west. Prime Meridian is 0 degrees Also called meridians. Up to 180 degrees |
question
| Seven Parallels |
answer
| Equator Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn Arctic Circle Anarctic Circle North Pole South Pole |
question
| Equator |
answer
| Starting point for measuring lattitude Exactly midway between the poles |
question
| Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn "The Tropics" |
answer
| -23.5 degrees north and south from the equator -North of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun will never be directly over your head -Vertical rays of the sun are between the Tropics because the sun is high all year round |
question
| Meridians |
answer
| Prime meridian and International Dateline. They go from pole to pole Int'l dateline opposite the prime meridian |
question
| Location of Prime Meridian |
answer
| Greenwich, England |
question
| How long is a calendar day? |
answer
| 48 hours |
question
| Great Circle |
answer
| Any line that divides the planet into two equal halves -Equator -Circle of illumination -Prime meridian if combined with int'l dateline |
question
| Rotation of the Earth |
answer
| The earth makes one rotation on its axis every 24 hours (it rotates eastward on its axis) |
question
| Revolution of the Earth |
answer
| Earth makes one revolution around the sun every 364.25 days |
question
| Equinox |
answer
| March 21, September 21 -Suns rays are on the equator -12 hour day and 12 hour night over the whole earth. |
question
| Solstice |
answer
| June 21, December 21 |
question
| Analemma |
answer
| Graph that shows vertical rays for every day of the year (similar to figure 8) |
question
| Earth's orbit is more _________ than ________ |
answer
| oval, circular |
question
| Aphelion |
answer
| Point where planet is farthest from the sun. July 4th - 94.5 million miles from the sun Ang layo |
question
| Perihelion |
answer
| Point when earth is closest to the sun -Jan 3rd, 91.5 million miles |
question
| Time zones |
answer
| Every time zone is 15 degrees wide (at equator) Earth rotates 15 degrees every hour The middle of every zone is based on 15 degrees longitude |
question
| Antipode |
answer
| Opposite. Reverse the latitude - north becomes south Subtract longitude from 180 |
question
| Rays of the sun on equator |
answer
| March 21 and September 21 |
question
| Bishop Rock Lighthouse |
answer
| Lighthouse that was built after Scilly Island crash. Captian Chavel |
question
| Harrison's Chronometer |
answer
| Harrison is the clockmeter who invented the chronometer. Based on 15 degrees per longitude. |
question
| Types of maps |
answer
| -General Reference -drawn to scale -projections -Isolines (countour intervals) -Remote sensing and GIS |
question
| What is included in a general reference map? |
answer
| Major lakes, cities, airports |
question
| What is a type of thematic map? |
answer
| -Political map -bird migration map -it's a map that tells a story or history of something |
question
| What are the types of scale maps? |
answer
| -Large scale, shows small area with lots of detail -Small scale, shows large area with a little detail |
question
| What the two types of map projections? |
answer
| Conformal Equivalence |
question
| Conformal map projection |
answer
| Has meridian and parallels crossing each other at right angle, just like on a globe. The farther you get away from the equator, the greater the distortion of the land area. |
question
| Equivalence map projection |
answer
| Depicts accurate size of land masses, but the shape is distorted |
question
| Cylndrical map projection |
answer
| similar to conformal - imagine cylinder of paper wrapped around an illuminated globe, only touching at the equator. |
question
| Plane map projection |
answer
| flat paper plate, touching earth at one point.Usually the view from the arctic or antartic. The perimeter curves away, so the edges are distorted. |
question
| Conic map projection |
answer
| flat paper, shape into cone, draw earth, lay flat. Most common state map. Curves at top and bottom reflect cone shape |
question
| Interrupted map projection |
answer
| similar to orange peel peeled in one piece. Maintain the shape and mass. Areas of distortion are in the ocean and cut out. Looks like you cut up a globe and then laid it flat. |
question
| isoline |
answer
| Contour lines, which connect points of equal value, like elevation |
question
| We use this instead of sextants |
answer
| GPS. Global positioning systems. Three points can determine location within a few yeards. Uses satellites |
question
| Remote sensing |
answer
| Any recording device that does not come in contact with the earth. Can determine temp of the ocean |
question
| GIS |
answer
| 0 Library of information that allows user to collect, retrieve, reorganize, and display geographic data from the real world. 0 Layers showing zoning, flood planes, wetlands, land cover, soils, survey control |
question
| The Hydrologic cycle |
answer
| sun > Evaporation from water > transipration from plants > condensation > precipitation > Transporation/advection (clouds move from over water to over mountains > inflitration into the earth > Runoff - oversaturated earth |
question
| Hydrosphere |
answer
| water realm of the earth. Oceans have 97.2% of earths water Glaciers 2% Groundwater .5% Lakes and rivers comprise .2% |
question
| Oceans by size |
answer
| 1 - Pacific 64 mil sq mile 2 - Atlantic 32 mil sq mile 3 - Indian 28 mil sq mile 4 - Arctic 5 mil sq mile |
question
| Longest Rivers |
answer
| 1. Nile 2. Amazon 3. Mississippi-Missouri 4. Yangtze 5. Ob |
question
| Largest Lakes |
answer
| 1. Caspian Sea 2. Lake Superior 3. Lake Victoria 4. Lake Huron 5. Lake Michigan |
question
| Local lakes/dams on Colorado River |
answer
| Lake Mead and Lake Powell. |
question
| How much water does Lake Powell lose to absorption and evaporation? |
answer
| 600,000 acre feet per year. |
question
| How much water do US golf courses consume? |
answer
| Two billion gallons every day. |
question
| A nation that destroys its _____ destroys itslef. |
answer
| Soil. Teddy Roosevelt |
question
| Soil is part of earth's __________. |
answer
| Lithosphere. Earth's crust and uppermost part of mantle. |
question
| Average depths of soil on continental surfaces. |
answer
| Six inches. |
question
| What is the study of soil called? |
answer
| pedology |
question
| What is soil mainly composed of? |
answer
| weathered particles of rock and organic material |
question
| Soil Profile |
answer
| O > A > E > B > C > R |
question
| O Horizon |
answer
| Organic layer of soil. Plant material. Not all soils have O horizon. |
question
| A Horizon |
answer
| Organic material, dark color "Topsoil" most plants germinate here |
question
| E Horizon |
answer
| Very fine soil and minerals |
question
| B Horizon |
answer
| Materials from E & A have been washed down into and collect. "Subsoil" |
question
| C Horizon |
answer
| Partially weathered or decayed, broken up bedrock, no nutrients |
question
| R Horizon |
answer
| Rock. Solid Rock. Once exposed, weathering will eventually turn it into A or O. |
question
| Regolith |
answer
| Horizons O - C. (no rock horizon) |
question
| Which soil horizons are considered part of the soil? |
answer
| O - B. |
question
| Five soil-forming factors |
answer
| 1. Parent Material 2. Climate 3. Time 4. Topography 5. Biology |
question
| Parent material in forming soil |
answer
| The parent rock determines the quality of soil it become (after weathering). Ex. Quartz produces low calcium soil, grazing animals will have weak bones. |
question
| How does climate affect soil formation? |
answer
| Rock breaks down more quickly in a warm humid dry environment than in a cool, dry, area. Tropical soils are very deep before you reach bedrock. |
question
| How does time affect soil formation? |
answer
| New soils lack nutrients. Intermediate-aged soils are more fertile. Old soil is leached of nutrients. It can take 1,000 years to generate an inch of soil. Tropical areas - an inch every few decades. |
question
| How does topography affect soil formation? |
answer
| Flat areas have deep soils, mountain sides have shallow soils* (slopes loses soils as it gradually migrates downward.) |
question
| How does biology affect soil formation? |
answer
| Burrowing activities are beneficial, allowing oxygen and water down into the ground and bedrock |
question
| Soil properties |
answer
| Color Texture Chemistry |
question
| Soil colors |
answer
| Red-iron yellow-aluminum or sulphur dark brown-lots of organic material white-salt |
question
| Soil textures |
answer
| Sand - largest soil - intermediate silt - smallest |
question
| Which soil types do not retain water? |
answer
| Sand and silt. Clay retain water, and is very thick. |
question
| What is loam? |
answer
| Has substantial amounts of sand, silt and clay. Best for agriculture because it is well-drained. |
question
| The chemistry of soil |
answer
| Clay particles are flat. Negative charge. Roots absorb ion, becomes nutrient. |
question
| Mollisols |
answer
| Most fertile and productive soil order. Dominant natural vegetation is grass. |
question
| Mollisols examples |
answer
| Great plains of USA, Pampas region of Argentina. |
question
| Andisols |
answer
| Ash produces this very fertile soil. |
question
| Andisols example |
answer
| Island of Java. |
question
| Entisols |
answer
| Materials are transported in by water. Newly forming soils. not very fertile. |
question
| Entisols example |
answer
| Nile river flood plains |
question
| Aridisols |
answer
| Arid areas. Almost white because of salt deposits. |
question
| Aridisols example |
answer
| Nevada, Arizona, Mesopotamia |
question
| Spodisols |
answer
| Leached and Acidic. Pine needles make it worse. Bluberries need acidic soils. |
question
| Oxisols |
answer
| Tropical rainforest environments. No nutrients on top, leached. Terrible for farming. Slash and burn agriculture to create ash. |
question
| Lithosphere |
answer
| Soil, the mineral realm of the earth |
question
| Topography |
answer
| surface features of the earth |
question
| Landform |
answer
| topographic features. Cliffs, beach, sandbar, ocean floor, volcanoes, etc. |
question
| Geomorphology |
answer
| Study of Landforms |
question
| Two kinds of relief |
answer
| Elevation differences. High relief - mountain Low relief - plains |
question
| Contour lines |
answer
| shows elevation difference on a map. |
question
| Uniformitarianism |
answer
| "The present is the key to the past." Observation of events taking place today shows us what has been happening for millions of years. Valid, but incomplete. |
question
| Hutton |
answer
| Originator of uniformitarianism |
question
| Lyell |
answer
| Populized Huttons idea of uniformitarianism |
question
| Processes that produce landforms |
answer
| Volcano eruptions; fluvials (running water); Eolion (wind); Glaciation (movement transforms and pulverizes rock); weathering; mass wasting; coastal process |
question
| Aquiclude |
answer
| A solid, impermeable area underlying or overlying an aquifer |
question
| Aquifer |
answer
| An underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. |
question
| Groundwater |
answer
| Water located beneath the earth's surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. |
question
| Runoff |
answer
| The flow of water, from rain, snow melt, or other sources, over land |
question
| Loam |
answer
| Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration (about 40-40-20% concentration respectively).[ |
question
| Artesian Well |
answer
| A well drilled through impermeable strata to reach water capable of rising to the surface by internal hydrostatic pressure |
question
| Clay |
answer
| A general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter |
question
| Moho |
answer
| The boudary between the crust and the mantle, where earths rocks become much denser |
question
| Geomorphology |
answer
| The study of landforms |
question
| Two kinds of relief |
answer
| High Relief - Mountains Low Relief - Plains |
question
| Asthenosphere |
answer
| 200 to 50 miles below the earth's crust |
question
| Mineral |
answer
| A naturally occurring substance that is solid and stable at room temperature, representable by a chemical formula |
question
| Crust |
answer
| The crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle |
question
| Silicates |
answer
| Oxygen and silicon |
question
| Oxides |
answer
| oxygen plus other element |
question
| Sulfates |
answer
| Sulfur plus another element |
question
| Halides |
answer
| derives from salty minerals |
question
| Native elements |
answer
| non-compound elements like gold |
