EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE
Geographic Grid, Earth-Sun Relations, Mapping, Atmosphere, Global Energy Budget, Temperature, Heat
and Energy
Be able to define and give an example for the following:
Geographic Grid
Shape of Earth – Ellipsoid/oblate spheroid
Great Circle/Small Circle
Meridians/Longitude
Parallels/Latitude
Tropic of Cancer - Tropic of Capricorn
Arctic Circle - Antarctic Circle
Earth’s Rotation and Revolution: Perihelion, Aphelion, Summer/Winter Solstices, Vernal/Fall Equinox
Tilt of Earth’s axis and Seasons on Earth
Representations of the Earth (Maps and Projections)
Define a Map
Map Essentials
Scale: Verbal, Graphic/Bar, Representative Fraction - Small scale vs. large scale maps
Topographic Maps – “rules”
Township and Range System (USA)
Define ‘Map Projections’
Map Projection Distortions: Area, Shape, Distance, Direction
Map Projection Types
Planar Projection – Gnomonic projection; Polar projection (Purpose and benefits)
Cylindrical Projection – Mercator projection (Purpose and benefits)
Conic Projection – Albers Equal Area Conic projection {Lambert) (Purpose and benefit)
Atmosphere
Origin
Chemical Composition and percentages of gases
Greenhouse Gases: CH4, CO2, N2O, CFCs, O3, H2Ov
Sources, problems, solutions
Atmospheric Pressure: sea level measures (metric and English)
Layers of Atmosphere
Individual layers and boundaries, elevations, processes within each layer, lapse rates
Energy Balance
Incoming solar radiation balanced against outgoing Earth radiation
Global warming concerns
Albedo
Amount of sunlight energy reflected into space
High albedo indicates much of solar radiation reflected = slow heating
Temperature, Heat and Energy
Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy
Internal Energy (PE = KE)
1st Law of Thermodynamics – Conservation of Energy Law (Newton’s theory)
Define the following terms:
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Temperature
Heat
Heat capacity
Condensation
Specific Heat
Latent Heat
Evaporation
Sublimation
Specific Heat:
Relation of specific heat of water to other substances
Latent Heat (hidden heat)
Relation to evaporation, condensation, sublimation processes in atmosphere
Heat Transportation Processes in Atmosphere
Conduction: molecule-to-molecule transfer of energy
Convection: transfer of energy through currents in a fluid (liquid/air)
Radiation: energy traveling in waves that release energy upon contact
Electromagnetic Spectrum – shortwave, high energy: longwave, Lower energy
Lambda (length of wave from crest to crest)
(Wien’s Law) max = constant/T (See Lecture notes!)
Lambda Max for Sun (max) (0.5m – “Blue” in Visible Light)
Lambda Max for Earth (max) (10m – Far infrared “heat”)
Wavelength measurement: Micrometer (m= 10-6 meter)
Stephen-Boltzmanns’ Law of Radiation: E ~T4 {See lecture notes!)
Higher temperature of object = shorter wavelengths and higher
radiation energy
Solar Constant –at top of atmosphere
Seasonal and Daily Temperature Measurements
Daily lag time: Day and night temperatures
Coldest time of day
Warmest time of day
Seasonal lag time
Daily/Diurnal Range of Temperature
Greatest range/lowest range occurrences
Mean daily temperature: definition and measurement
Annual range of temperatures: Greatest range/lowest range occurrences
Mean annual temperature: definition and measurement
Temperature Controls: Tilt of Axis
Latitude
Land vs. Water location
Ocean Currents
Elevation
SAMPLE TEST FOR EXAM 1
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
1.
During the June solstice:
a) the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun;
b) the Earth is farther from the Sun than it is during December;
c) the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun;
d) all of the above;
2.
One Earth orbit around the Sun is called a:
a) polarity
b) day
c) revolution
d) rotation
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3. The Earth transfers heat in all of the following ways except for:
a) conduction
b) convection
c) radiation
d) all of the above
4. On March 20, there will be _______ hours of daylight at Santa Monica:
a) 6
b) 12
c) 10
d) 8
5. The diameter of the Earth is approximately __________________ miles at the equator:
a) 7926
b) 6,540
c) 10,300
d) 14,650
6. The minimum distance between Earth and the Sun occurs each year during the month of ____________ and is called
______________.
a) December, aphelion
b) January, perihelion
c) June, aphelion
d) June, perihelion
7. In the Earth’s latitudinal energy budget, a deficit of energy is received between the latitudes:
a) 0o – 300 N
b) 23 ½0 S – 23 ½0 N
c) 280 N – 330 S
d) 280 N and North Pole, and 330 S and the South Pole
8. The Sun radiates most of its energy in the ______________ portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
a) gamma ray
b) infrared
c) ultraviolet and visible ray
d) x-ray
9. The vertical rays of the Sun (at noon) migrate annually (in degrees) between latitudes:
a) 23 ½0 S – 23 ½0 N
b) 180 N – 180 S
c) 300N – 300 S
d) 660 N – 660 S
10. In general, winters are colder and summers are warmer at Santa Monica when compared to Lancaster.
a) True
b) False
ANSWERS:
1–d;
2-c;
3-d;
4-b;
5-a;
6-b;
7-d;
8-c;
9-a;
10-b
POSSIBLE ESSAY QUESTIONS EXAM 1
1.
Name and define the Greenhouse Gases. Include in your discussion: sources, both natural and humaninduced sources, which gases are increasing and why, and possible environmental consequences relating
to the increase in quantity of the gases in the atmosphere.
2. A city located near a large body of water will generally have a milder climate than a city located inland.
Describe the factors that account for this difference. Include in your discussion: heat exchange
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processes, water-land interactions, mixing of solar energy and water, possible pressure system
interactions, and any other process(es) directly related to this climatic difference.
3. Global temperatures vary from place to place. Describe the controls on temperature, including
latitudinal influences, the differential heating and cooling of land and water, ocean current influences,
and elevation. Include in your discussion any influences due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis.
4. Describe the heat transportation mechanisms in the atmosphere. Include in your essay a discussion on
the effectiveness of each mechanism, where in the atmosphere each mechanism has its greatest
influence, and how the mechanism’s effectiveness can be measured.
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