Chapter 1
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Define geography and physical geography
Systems, open systems and closed systems
Earth’s four “spheres”
Negative and positive feedbacks
System equilibrium
Latitude, longitude, geographic zones
Grate circle, equator, parallels, meridians, prime meridian
Map scales, elements of map, type of map projection
Remote sensing: active and passive
GIS: Uses
Chapter 2
1. The Solar System, Sun, and Earth
A light year, Galaxy, Our Solar System 11 light-hours across, Earth’s orbit
Theory of the Big Bang, Age of the earth, Nebula, Gravity
2. Solar Energy: From Sun to Earth
The source of solar energy (fusion), sun spot, solar wind, magnetosphere, Aurora,
Electromagnetic Spectrum of Radiant Energy, wave length, wave intensity,
Thermopause, Insolation, Solar constant, Subsolar point
3. The Seasons
a. Reasons for Seasons
Revolution, rotation, Tilt of Earth’s axis, ..etc.
b. Annual March of the Seasons
[Winter solstice - Subsolar point Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 S latitude);
Spring equinox –Subsolar point Equator;
Summer solstice –Subsolar point Tropic of Cancer (23.5 N latitude);
Fall equinox –Subsolar point Equator]
Chapter 3
1.
Atmospheric Composition, Temperature, and
Function:
Most abundant gases; Thermosphere, Mesophere,
Stratosphere, Troposphere ( 0 to 18 km;Home of the
biosphere; 90% of the total atmosphere mass); normal lapse
rate; environmental lapse rate; Ozonosphere; Atmospheric
pressure (1013.2 mb at the sea level).
1.
Variable Atmospheric Components:
Natural Sources and Factors That Affect Air Pollution;
Anthropogenic Pollution (human-caused); Temperature
Inversion ; The Clean Air Act.
Chapter 4
1. Energy Essentials: Transmission; Energy Inputs;
Radiation Outputs; Diffuse Radiation (Scattering); Refraction;
Reflection; Albedo; Cloud- albedo forcing; Cloud- greenhouse
forcing; Absorption; Heat Transfer.
2. Energy Balance in the Troposphere: The Greenhouse
Effect; Earth–Atmosphere Radiation Balance; Energy Budget by
Latitude and outcome.
3. Energy Balance at Earth’s Surface: Daily Radiation
Patterns; Simplified Surface Energy Balance (Net Radiation); The
daily temperature lag; The annual temperature lags; The urban
environment (heat island)
End of Chapter 5
1. What is Temperature ?
2. Temperature measurement: types of thermometer
3. The temperature scales: which one is internationally popular and
which one is preferred by scientists?
4. T controlling factors: Latitude, altitude, clouds, etc.
5. Why temperature decreases with increasing altitude? What’s the rate
of change? (normal lapse rate)
6. What’s a specific heat? Land and ocean, which one has a higher
specific heat?
7. Clouds influence T at night. Would a cloudy night be warmer than a
clear night? WHY?
8. Why does the sea surface T rarely rise above 31°C?
9. Why the land surface cools off more rapidly than water?
10. Marine-continental effects: Maritime and Continentality. Why cities
near the coastlines have milder annual T changes ?
11. Where are the location of least annual T ranges? Where are the
locations of largest annual T ranges?
12. What is a isotherm? What’s the thermal equator?
13. What does a Heat Index (HI) include?
Chapter 6
• Why do we care about Wind? Air Pressure and Its Measurement,
Atmospheric Pressure at sea level, Winds and Its Measurement,
How the Winds are named?
• What are the Driving Forces caused the circulation of winds
across the earth? Isobars, Wind speed and “steepness” of pressure
gradient, Coriolis force in northern and southern hemisphere,
•Geostrophic Wind : winds that flow parallel to isobars
• Atmospheric Patterns of Motion : Primary High-Pressure and LowPressure Areas
•Atmospheric Circulation and Wind Patterns
• Local Winds: Land-sea breezes, Mountain-valley breezes
• Regional Scale Winds -- Monsoonal Winds
• Oceanic Currents : Important driving force? Upwelling and
Downwelling, Thermohaline circulation
Chapter 07
The origin of water?
How does Water reach the Earth’s surface?
Unique Properties of Water , Three States of Water
The distribution of water on earth
Latent heat, Humidity, Relative Humidity, Relative humidity and
temperature, Vapor pressure and temperature, Saturation vapor
pressure, Dew point, Humidity measurement,
Atmospheric Stability, Stability, Air parcel, Unstable, Buoyancy force
How do we determine the degree of Stability or Instability?
Clouds, Cloud Formation Processes, Fog , Types of fog
Chapter 08
What’s difference between weather and climate?
What is specific humidity?
What are the common air masses that affect the weather of north
America? How air masses are classified? Modification of airmasses.
What are the atmospheric lifting mechanisms?
What causes the rain shadow in the western US?
How do the midlatitute cyclonic storms form?
Life cycle of a midlatitude cyclone; Development stages of the midlatitute
cyclones
How do the tornados and other violent weather like hurricanes
form? What type of clouds are associated with tornados?
Classification of tropical cyclones
Chapter
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End
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precipitation
interception
infiltration
runoff
evaporation
transpiration
evapotranspiration
actual evapotranspiration
potential evapotranspiration
hydrologic cycle
water balance
soil water
hygroscopic water
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wilting point
field capacity
soil moisture storage
available water
zone of aeration
zone of saturation
groundwater
water table
aquifer
Overpumping
Drawdown
Cone of depression
Groundwater and Human
Activities
Water Use by Sector
Chapter 10: Global Climate Systems
• Climate and weather
• Earth’s Climate System and Its Classification
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Tropical Climates: rain forest, monsoon, savanna
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Mesothermal Climates: subtropical, marine west,
mediterranean
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Microthermal Climates: hot summer, mild summer,
subarctic
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Polar Climates: Tundra, Ice cap, polar marine
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Highland Climates: Elevations
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Dry Arid and Semiarid Climates: Deserts, steppes
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Global Climate Change
Chapter 11: The Dynamic Planet
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Geological Time Scale
Earth’s Structure and Internal Energy
– Core, Mantle, Inner core, Outer Core
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The Geologic Cycle
– Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic
– Minerals: organic, inorganic
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Plate Tectonics
– Continents drift, mid-ocean ridge, convergent, divergent
– Pacific ring of fires
Chapter 12: Tectonics, Earthquakes, and Volcanism
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Earth’s Topographic Regions
Crustal Formation Processes
Crustal Deformation Processes
– Folds (syncline, anticline), faults (normal, reverse, strike-slip)
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Orogenesis (Mountain Building)
Earthquakes
– Focus, epicenter, P and S waves
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Volcanism
– Magma, lava
Chapter 13
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Definition of weathering
Physical and chemical weathering
Important factors influencing weathering processes
Karst features, Necessary conditions for karst formation
Classes of Mass Movements
The causes of mass movements
Controlling factors for down slope transportation
Chapter 14
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Fluvial? Functions of Rivers? Major Rivers in the US? Longest
Rivers in the world?
Endogenic events and Exogenic events
Dynamic Equilibrium View of Landforms: the basic principle for
monitoring and modeling the change of landscapes
Fluvial erosion and deposition, Types of flows and fluvial transport,
Base level of streams, local and ultimate base levels
Drainage basins, density, patterns, drainage divides, watershed,
factors controlled drainage patterns
Stream discharge and stream gradients
Exotic streams; Natural processes along streams; Types of
Stream Channels
Floods and River Management; Hydrograph; Urban Flooding
Chapter 15
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Wind Erosion: Two principal wind-erosion processes: Deflation,
Abrasion, Desert pavement, yardang
Wind Transportation : suspension, saltation, surface creep, sand
movement and wind velocity
Wind Deposition: sand dune, loess deposit, sandy regions and loess
regions of the world
Desert landscape: desert fluvial processes, Alluvial Fan, arid regions
of the world, Process of expansion of desert lands
Chapter 16
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Oceans and seas of the world
Chemical Composition of Seawater: 7 elements account for 99% of
dissolved solids, Salinity, Average Salinity of seawater, salinity changes
with locations
Physical Structure of the Ocean: Mixing zone, Thermocline zone, Deep
cold zone
Coastal System Components: Littoral Zone, Shore line, Mean sea level
Coastal System Actions: Tides, Waves, seismic waves
Coastal System Outputs (produced by tides, currents, waves, wind,
changing sea level) ; Erosional Coastal features; Depositional Coastal
features; Coral Formations and distributions
What is Wetland? Two types of costal wetlands: salt marshes, mangroves
Human impacts on costal environments
End of Chapter 17
‰ What is a glacier? Why we are interested in glaciers?, Two general
groups of glaciers
‰ Glacial Processes: Glacial Formation (analogous to the formation of
metamorphic rock), Glacial Movement, Firn
‰ Erosional and depositional features produced by glacial ice, Glacial drift,
Moraine
‰ Periglacial Landscapes: Periglacial? Permafrost ? Ground Ice and Frozen
Ground; Humans and Periglacial Landscapes