Review Exam 1

Study of the processes that shape the Earth's surface, the animals and plants that inhabit it, and the spatial patterns they exhibit

Examination of spatial interactions, patterns, and variations over area and/or space

1. Recognize the problem/ Make an observation (factual data; measurable); pose a question
2. Collect data; make more observations
3. Develop idea(s) to explain -> Hypothesis
4. Test Hyptohesis
5. Validate or refute the hypothesis

Open Systems
Not self-contained; inputs of energy and or matter are received while outputs of energy and or matter flow out ex: cup of tea, boiling water in pot uncovered

Closed Systems
Self-contained; shut off from the surrounding environment; rarely found in nature; earth is technically a closed system with respect to air, water, and mineral, resources

Negative feedback - Stability; discourages change

The cloud cover increases with increasing water vapor, but the cloud cover serves to reduce incoming solar radiation which leads to cooling. The stimulus is counteracted by the response.)

Positive feedback - Encourages change; stimulates system changes

EX: Polar ice reflects light from the sun. As this ice begins to melt, less sunlight gets reflected into space. It is instead absorbed into the oceans and land, raising the overall temperature, and fueling further melting

Latitudes are lines that go up just like latters; How far north or south; Prime merdian is the middle line in lattiude

Longtitudes and long across left to right; how far east or west; equator is middle line for longitude

A map is a generalized view of an area, as seen from above & reduced in size

Must have the following: title, date, legend, scale, and direction

Parallels run from east to west and never intersect with each other whereas meridians run from north to south and intersect at the north and south poles

Physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature; big nebula of dust that slowly combines to make gases and planets

Uses contour lines, which are lines of equal elevation, to show the shape of earth's surface

Also show other geogrpahic features such as roads, rivers, lakes, and more

Sunspots, Solar Flairs, Solar Wind

Scales can change size: a small scale map will show large areas but with little detail, while a large scale map will show smatter areas but with more detail

Dark spots on the Sun's surface, Tempeatures coolar than other parts,

Caused by magnetic storms due to the interacton of suns surface and magnetic field

Reach maximum activity every 11 years due to the flipping magnetic field

Magnetic field lines near sunspots often tangle, cross, and reorginize --->
leads to brief, bright eruptions/ explostions of hot energy gases

Distortions always occur

Sun constantly emits coulds of elctircallty charged particals. Takes 3 days to reach earth

Earth’s Magnetosphere, 2 magnetic metals move past eachother which creates a magnetic field; protects us from radiation poisoning

The range of all types of EM radiation

Describes the balance between the radiant energy that reaches Earth from the sun and the energy that flows from Earth back out to space

Insolation - Incident Solar radiation

Tropics recieve more concentrated insolation due to the earth's cruvature

Tropics receive 2.5x more than the poles

Revolution, Rotation, Tilt of the earths axis, axial parallelism, sphericity

As altitude increases, the amount of gas molecules in the air decreases—the air becomes less dense than air nearer to sea level. This is what meteorologists and mountaineers mean by "thin air."

Heterosphere - Outermost atmosphere (80km)

Homosphere - Innter atmosphere (80 km inward), gasses evenly blended N typically oems from volcanic sources and the O comes from photosynthesis

Only exception is the ozon layer (18-50km) which has water vapor, pollutants, and other trace gasses

Volcanoes
Forest fires
Plants
Decaying Plants
Soil
Ocean

Carbon monoxide - cars
Photochemical smog - From UV radiation in auto exhaust
Industrial smog and sulfur oxides - Coal burning industries, differrnt cars
Particulates - Haze, smoke, dust, soot, pollen

US federal law regulating air emissions from stationary and mobile sources

Was made to address public health

Was successful in significant reductions in air pollution and higher quality of life

A measure of the average kinetic energy (motion) of individual molecules of matter
hot = fast moving
cold = slow-moving

Flow of kinetic energy between molecules from on body to another

Flows from high to low

Sensible - What you feel, temperature is a measure of molecule vibration

Latent - Heat due to change in state (liquid->gas)
Melting, evaporation, sublimation = absorbs heat
Freezing, condenstation, depostion = releases heat

Radiation - Electromagnetic Waves

Conduction - Molecule to molecule diffusion

Convection - Mixing and ciruclation

Advection - Directional mass movment

Transmission - Passage of energy thorugh atmosphere and water

Scattering - Changing direciton (reflection)

Clouds, atmosphere and surface reflection, reflect or scatter 31% back to space

About half of the incoming energy passes thorugh the atmosphere and is abosrbed. This heat is radiated back towards space

Earth’s energy budget describes the balance between the radiant energy that reaches Earth from the sun and the energy that flows from Earth back out to space

Inputs = UV, visible, near infrared (shotwave)

Outputs = Thermal infrared (longwave)

Thermistors measure the electrical resistnace of a semiucondutor

This electrical resistance is then converted to temp

Temperature at which a thermodynamic system has the lowest energy

The farther away you get from the earth, the thinner the atmosphere gets. The total heat content of a system is directly related to the amount of matter present, so it is cooler at higher elevations

100C

0C

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Isotherm - line of constant value (temperature)
Thermal Equator – isotherm w/ highest mean temperature

As wind speed increases, the body cools at a faster rate causing skin temperature to drop (evaporation)

Frostbite – body tissue that froze
Usually starts with fingers, toes, nose, and ear lobes

Hypothermia – body's temperature drops too low
Uncontrollable shivering, disorientation, and incoherence are signs
of this issue and medical attention should be found immediately

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