PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
EXAM REVIEW
1.
What is Geography?
 Definition
 Categories
2. Five Themes of Geography
3. Big Bang Theory
 Scientific explanation of the creation of the universe
4. Solar System
 Planets
 Comparison to Earth
5. Layers of the Earth
 Crust
 Mantle
 Core
6. Geologic History of the Earth
 Precambrian
 Paleozoic
 Mesozoic
 Cenozoic
7. Spheres of the Earth
 Lithosphere
 Hydrosphere
 Atmosphere
 Biosphere
8. Continental Drift
 Alfred Wegener
 4 items of proof
 Not accepted at time of development
9. Plate Tectonics
 J. Tuzo Wilson
 Plates move about by convection currents in the mantle of the earth
10. Earthquakes
 Occur due to plate tectonics
 The most costly natural disaster
 Measurement of earthquakes
o Seismograph and the Richter Scale
11. Landform Types
 Six types brought about by plate tectonics
 Vary according to elevation and relief
12. Isostatic Movement
 Rebounding of the earth’s crust after a weight has been removed
13. Folding
 Earth’s crust is pushed up
14. Faulting
 Rock either fractures or pulls apart
o Subduction
o Extension
o Collision
o Strike Slip
15. Volcanoes
 Three Main areas
 Types of Volcanoes
 Vesuvian
 Hawaiian
 Benefits/Negatives
16. Rocks
 Igneous
o Fire formed rock
 Sedimentary
o Deposits of broken materials that accumulates
 Metamorphic
o Rock’s structure is changed by pressure, heat and moisture
17. Rock Cycle
 Fig. 6.8 (p. 89)
18. Mining
 Must determine if a mineral is worth mining
 Extraction of Minerals
o Strip Mining
o Open Pit Mining
o Underground Mining
 Oil and Gas
 Athabasca Oil Sands
19. Gradation
 Three processes:
o Weathering
 Mechanical
 Chemical
o Transport
o Deposition
20. Mass Wasting
 The energy that is exerted by gravity on a load
21. River Landscapes
 Three ways that rivers transport materials:
o Solution
o Suspension
o Saltation
22. Wind Landscapes
 Most often found in desert and steppe regions
 Various types of Sand Dunes (Fig. 8.7)
23. Coastal Landscapes
 Wind and water come together
24. Glaciers
 Formation
 Types
o Continental
o Alpine
 Erosional Features
 Depositional Features
25. The Hydrologic Cycle
 Precipitation
 Surface Runoff
 Groundwater
 Evaporation
 Transpiration
 Condensation
26. Types of Clouds
 Cumulus
 Stratus
 Cirrus
27. Oceans
 Cover 2/3 of the planet
 Many different layers within the ocean with different characteristics
28. Waves
 Caused by the movement of energy through water
29. Tsunamis
 Giant waves
 Caused by major tectonic forces on the sea floor
 Tsunami development
30. Ocean Currents
 Creation of ocean currents is dependent upon numerous factors
31. El Nino
 Occurs every 3 -7 years
 Change in global climatic patterns
32. La Nina
33. Tides
 Spring Tide
 Neap Tide
34. River Patterns
 Types of Drainage Patterns
o Dendritic
o Trellis
o Parallel
o Radial
o Deranged
35. Stages in River Development
 Youth
 Maturity
 Old Age
36. Lakes
 NAFTA
37. Wetlands
 Bogs
 Marshes
 Swamps
 Fens
38. Water Pollution
 Physical
 Biological
 Chemical
39. Water Articles
 UN Highlights World Water Crisis
 World Has Enough Water for all, Experts Say
 Ban Sale of Water for Profit
 Preventing the Export of Bulk Water/Plan to sell L.Superior water
 Ottawa must act to protect our Water/Protect Canada’s water
40. Climate vs. Weather
41. Climate Controls
a. Insolation
b. Elevation
c. Influence of Large Bodies of Water
d. Ocean Currents
42. Climate Graph and Statistics
43. Microclimates
44. Air Masses
 Bodies of air that develop over large areas
 Take on the characteristics of where they are formed
45. Fronts


Warm Front
Cold Front
46. Cyclonic Storms
 Have three components
47. The Jet Stream
 Storms seem to follow a set pathway
48. Violent Storms
a. Thunderstorms
i. Most common
b. Frontal Depressions
i. Stalls over one place for an extended period of time
ii. Ice Storm of 1998
c. Hurricanes
i. By far the most destructive of violent storms
ii. Occur in late summer or early fall, seawater is warm
iii. Coriolis effect starts the system rotating
iv. Hurricane Development
1. Tropical Depression
2. Tropical Storm
3. Category of Hurricanes
v. Technology used
vi. Damage – Developed vs. Developing
d. Tornadoes
i. Mid-latitude storms
ii. Form over land during spring and early summer
iii. Technology used
iv. Conditions for formation
1. Strong convection currents
2. Cold front must move into the area
v. Most prone areas
e. Blizzards
i. Severe mid-latitude winter storms
49. Acid Deposition
50. Activities that cause Acid Deposition
a. Smelting
b. Power Plants
c. Cars
51. Climate Change
52. Global Warming
53. Greenhouse Effect
54. Greenhouse Gases
a. Carbon Dioxide
b. Methane
c. CFC’s
55. Ozone Depletion
56. Consequences of Global Warming for Canada
57. Understanding the Kyoto Protocol