Geography 1111: Physical Geography Exam 1 Study Guide
Identify the following:
1. Sunspots
2. Electromagnetic spectrum
3. Wein’s Law
4. Insolation
5. Atmosphere
6. Heterosphere
7. Homosphere
8. Mesopause
9. Kinetic energy
10. Particulates
11. Anthropogenic
12. Transmission
13. Scattering (or diffuse radiation)
14. Rayleigh Principle
15. Refraction
16. Albedo
17. Greenhouse effect
18. Latent heat of evaporation
19. Sensible heat
20. Urban heat island
21. Normal lapse rate
22. Specific heat
23. Opaque
24. Air pressure
25. Pressure gradient force
26. Coriolis force
27. Friction force
28. ITCZ
29. Chinooks
30. Santa Ana winds
31. Katabatic winds
32. Gyres
33. Upwelling
34. Thermohaline circulation
35. ENSO events
36. Teleconnection
37. La Nina
38. What is Geography?
39. Explain how a physical geographer and a human geographer would study global warming
differently.
40. List and describe Earth’s 4 spheres
41. You are located at 25°W longitude and it is 8 am where you are. Your friend is located at
5°E longitude. What time is it where your friend is?
42. Name one positive and one negative feature of the Mercator map projection.
43. What is remote sensing? Give one example of how it is used to solve a real-world
problem.
44. Name and describe the 4 types of energy transmission.
45. Name the 4 seasons, give their dates, and the solar declination for each.
46. Explain why we have seasons.
47. What is spatial analysis?
48. What is the difference between an open system and a closed system? Which is the Earth?
Explain.
49. What are positive and negative feedback? Give examples of each.
50. Describe the shape of the Earth.
51. What is the difference between latitude and longitude?
52. What is gravity? Why is gravity important?
53. Explain why the tropics receive 2.5 times more insolation than polar regions.
54. What are the 5 reasons for seasons?
55. Explain why most of the atmosphere’s air molecules are located close to the Earth’s
surface?
56. Explain why temperatures increase in some atmospheric temperature layers and decrease
in others.
57. Explain the function of the ozone layer.
58. Give one example of a permanent gas and one example of a variable gas in the
atmosphere.
59. Explain why the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere varies seasonally.
60. Give one source of methane.
61. Name and explain the 3 natural factor affecting air pollution.
62. Explain how CFCs break down the ozone layer.
63. Illustrate the Earth’s energy budget. Use the following terms in your illustration:
reflection, shortwave radiation, longwave radiation, cloud, wind, pollutants, direct
radiation, diffuse radiation.
64. Give two examples of refraction.
65. Name the 4 greenhouse gases discussed in class.
66. Name two ways in which energy is moved from areas of an energy surplus to areas of an
energy deficit.
67. Name one area where
a. Sensible heating would dominate:
b. Latent heating would dominate:
c. Ground heating of the above air mass would dominate:
d. An area that would have low ground heating of the above air:
68. Why do urban areas tend to be warmer than the surrounding countryside?
69. Explain how each of the following influence the temperature of an area
a. Latitude
b. Cloud cover
c. Altitude
70. Explain the influence of clouds on surface temperatures during the day and at night.
71. Why would San Francisco, CA have a more moderate climate than Wichita, KS?
72. How does the Gulf Stream impact temperatures in northern Europe?
73. Explain why the interiors of Asia and North America have large seasonal variations in
temperature, but the interior of South America does not.
74. Why does pressure decrease with increasing altitude?
75. Illustrate the three-cell model of pressure cells. Include wind direction, name of winds,
and areas of high and low pressure. Also label 0°, 30°N, 30°S, 60°N, 60°S, 90°N, and
90°S.
76. Why are oceanic lows stronger during the winter than continental lows?
77. Name and explain one oscillation.
78. Illustrate the land-sea breeze at night and during the day.
79. Explain the influence of the ITCZ over the Asian monsoon during the winter and the
summer.
80. Explain how ENSO events are monitored.
81. Illustrate a normal year in the Pacific Ocean and an ENSO year in the Pacific Ocean.
82. Describe one impact of ENSO events.