PHYSICAL
GEOGRAPHY 101
Spring 2012
Instructor:
Romy Christov
AT THE BOOKSTORE:
1. Textbook:
“Physical Geography”,
McKnight’s, Darrel Hess
Second California ed.
2. Nystrom World Atlas.
2000
U.S.A.
20% of
Americans
aged 18 to 24
could NOT find
the United
States on a
map without
labels!
Jay Leno asked how Mt. Rushmore was
created. Over 60% said erosion.
What is geography?
• Geo = ?
• graphy =?
• Where is something
located? Why is it
there? ….
• Physical Geography
encompasses the
processes &
features that make
up Earth, including
human activities
where they
interface with the
physical
environment.
• It is closely related
to many other
sciences.
What can you
see about the
world from
this map?
Population
is like any
other natural
resource, it
is not evenly
distributed.
Why are some
regions
empty and
others very
populated?
Human geography characteristics?
What about physical geography impacts?
Vancouver, BC
Physical and human
geography
characteristics of
Canyon lands
National Park, Utah.
Geomorphology is the
study of landforms.
“Geo”= Earth
“morphology”= shape
The Human
Footprint
• Technology,
tools and
methods
• Maps, images,
data, etc.
• Today: digital,
computerassisted
operations
• Geographer is
essential to the
processes of
analysis and
problem
solving
• Complex
computergenerated
model of Earth,
based on data
gathered from
satellites.
• Spatial distributionthe extent of the
area where feature
exists
• Spatial pattern- the
arrangement of
features in spaceare they regular or
random, clustered
together or widely
spaced?
• This view of North
America by night
*** distribution :
Where features are
located or where
they are absent?
*** pattern :
• What is their
arrangement?
Look at the
contrast
between
North and
South Korea
Numbers and Measurement Systems
book page 5/6
• English System
• Distance: inch, foot,
yard, mile
• Volume: quart, gallon
• Weight: ounce, pound
• Temperature: F
• International system
or” metric system”
• Centimeter (cm), meter
(m), kilometer (km)
• Liter (g)
• Gram, kilogram (kg)
• Celsius (C)
= major divisions of the
earth system
The Environmental spheres
Air
p. 6/7
Hydrosphere
Water
The Earth system is a dynamic system (ever changing)- the
seasons, ocean tides, earthquakes, volcanoes, floods.
Biosphere
Lithosphere
Land
Green
stuff
Slumping is an example of an ever changing, dynamic earth.
We will study slopes and mass movements
Global warming
appears again in
chapter 4
Tornadoes
are in
chapter 7
HUMAN- ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION: the effects of human activities on
the environment, as well as the impacts of environmental processes on
humans, have become topics of increasing concern.
Winds, air currents, air circulation---
5
The 2010 Haitian earthquake
Size and shape of Earth- page 9
• Our planet is a sphere200 B.C. Eratosthenes
• Oblate spheroid
• Diameter at the equator7927 mi, from pole to
pole- 7900mi
• The highest point- Mt.
Everest in the
Himalayas (29,035ft)
• The lowest pointMariana Trench of the
Pacific ocean- 36,200ft
deep)
• Where it is located?
Great circles- page 11
• An imaginary circle through
the center of Earth:
1. It divides Earth into equal
halves= hemispheres
2. It is a circumference of
Earth – 1 degree of latitude=
69 mi or 111km
(40,000km/360 deg.=111km;
25,000mi/360 deg=69 mi)
3. It marks the shortest routes
between locations on Earth
(with a string)
4. Circle of illumination
What other circles (latitudes) are important?
p.11 Great Circle
Great Circle
small circle
Only one latitude
line= parallel is a
Great Circle. Which
one is it?
All longitude lines=
meridians are half
Great Circles.
Book, page 12
N. Pole
Prime Meridian
Arctic Circle
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
Which one is a low or high latitude?
Which one is equatorial, Subtropical or Polar?
Antarctic Circle
S. Pole
35
The angular distance in degrees
N/S of the equator
atitude
Ongitude
The angular distance E/W of the
prime meridian
What are the
coordinates
of Mansfield?
C-6
What
community
is found at
F-3?
Cleveland
35
LA has the same co-ordinates as Norco. How come?
To the whole degree, LA and Norco are both 34ºN 118ºW.
LA is 34º 03’N 118º 14’W. Norco is 33º 57’N 117º 33’W. same
LA is 34.05ºN 117.23ºW. Norco is 33.95ºN 117.55ºW.
Therefore, LA and Norco have unique and separate positions.
.M
.P
.C
Cairo
29ºN 31ºE
Paris
49ºN 3º E
Montreal
45.5ºN 76ºW
90 N
South Pole 90 S
£ 20 000 prize for
a chronometer
accurate to ½ a
degree of
longitude for a
six week voyage
won in
1765
John Harrison- clockmaker
John Harrison’s prizewinning time-keeper
#4
D A V A
S O B E L
Cutty
Sark
Greenwich
Royal Naval
College
Queen Anne’s House
Captain’s had two chronometers, one was
LOCAL TIME
the other GMT
Changed
every day
WHEN?
NEVER
TOUCHED
p. 21
360 deg./ 24 hrs
How many
degrees of
longitude
does the
Earth rotate
in 24 hours?
24 x 15 =
360º
How many
time
zones are
there?
24
Time Zones
p.22
HST
Hawaii
AST
Alaska
PST
Pacific
Book p. 22/23
MST
Mountain
CST
Central
EST
Eastern
AST
Atlantic
Time Zones p. 22
1884 Washington Conference
Norco & LA are in P.S.T. What time zone # are we? _________
If it is 13:05, July 4 in______ in LA, what time is it in:
Time Zone #
Rules
Find:
1. Time zone numbers
2. Time difference
If + + or - -} subtract them
If + - } add the numbers
3. Direction
If East- add the hours
If West- subtract the hours
Time
Day
1. Paris
2. Tokyo
PM
Norco & LA
Paris
13:05
Going E,
Norco & LA
13:05
Going E,
Tokyo
Time Zones
3
Norco & LA are in P.S.T.,
What time zone # are we? _+8______
If it is 13:05, July 4 in_+8 __ in LA, what time is it in:
Rules
Find:
1. Time zone numbers
2. Time difference
If + + or - -} subtract them
If + - } add the numbers
3. Direction
If East- add the hours
If West- subtract the hours
1. Paris
Time Zone #
-1
2. Tokyo
Time
Day
22:05
-9
7\4 did NOT cross 24:00
06:05
7\5 did cross midnight
PM
Norco & LA
+8
Paris
13:05
+9
-1
22:05
22:05
13:05
Going E, Add _____
9
hours
Norco & LA
+8
13:05
+17
30:05
-24:00
13:05
Going E, Add _____
17 hours
06:05
Tokyo
-9
06:05
7/5
Kobe Quake
05:46
1/17/95
p.23
12:46
1/16/95
N
p.23
Kobe Quake
Going East
W
05:46
1/17/95 S
E
12:46
1/16/95
Going West
Rule for
Crossing the
Dateline is
opposite to
Time.
W
ADD
E
SUBTRACT
There are twenty-four standard time zones, each with a central meridian of every 15° longitude. Twelve time zones to the west of
the Prime Meridian receive a plus [+] sign. Twelve time zones to the east of the Prime Meridian receive a negative [-] sign. Within
each time zone, the time is the same. LA has the same time as San Francisco since both cities are in +8, Pacific Standard Time.
Since the sun rises in the east, therefore when going east, one adds an hour per time zone. Going west, one ____?_____an hour
per time zone. Military or 24-hour time is used to avoid a.m. or p.m. Thus 1501 means 3:01 p.m. To go from p.m. to military
time in the hours between noon and midnight, add 12 hours. To find p.m. from military time, subtract 12 hours. Military time is four
digits so an zero is put in front of 7:01 a.m. to become 0701. What is the p.m. time for 2103? There are two steps to finding time.
Table 1 — short forms TZ# = time zone number; TZR = time zone range
FROM
City
TO
Time
Date/Day
TZ
#
City
TZ#
a San
Francisco
1301
6/22/05
+8
Moscow,
Russia
-3
b Perth,
Australia
0901
6/22/05
-8
Kinshasa,
Congo
-1
c Mexico City
1501
Monday
+6
Beijing,
China
-8
d Cape town,
S.A.
2301
Tuesday
-2
New Orleans
+6
e Halifax, N.S.
0531
6/22/05
+4
Honolulu, HI
+10
f LA, CA
1301
6/22/05
+8
Calcutta,
India
-5 1/2
g Rio de
Janeiro
1431
6/22/05
+3
Sydney,
Australia
-10
h Lima, Peru
1401
Thurs.
+5
Montreal,
Quebec
+5
TZR
E
+
W
Time
Date/Day
Homework
Name________________________________
Map 1
.A
.B
.C
1.
On Map 1 above, locate, name and label the following:
a. The Equator
b. The Tropic of Cancer, 23.5ºN
c. Mexico City, 19N 99W
d. The island of Sumatra, 0º 100ºE
e. Chicago, 41ºN 87ºW
2. What are the correct positions for A and B?
A____________________________
B____________________________
C____________________________
####12
2
ATITUDE
Homework
Direction Drawn
East – West lines
Direction measured
an angle
N
ONGITUDE
an angle in degrees E or W of the PM
Other Name
Important Lines
0º
23.5º N
?
?
?
Important for
Earth/Sun relationships
Basic climate zones
Objective boundaries
_________ zones
Number
90º N and S
180º E and W
Distance
111 km./degree.
69 mi./degree
Varies. Widest at Equator
Narrowest at Pole
Unit
One degree [º]
One degree [º]
Subunits
1º = 60 minutes [60’]
15’ =0.25º, 30’ = 0.5º, 45’=0.
Great Circles
One only = the Equator
all longitude lines are ½ great circles
How measured
Sextant = angle to the sun
Chronometers, clocks
What do we
measure?
?
?
Tropic of Capricorn
Arctic Circle
Antarctic Circle
0º
?
?
International Date Line
POSITION is the
exact latitude
and longitude of
a place.
Objective boundaries
LA ( Cerritos) is
º
____ºN ____Wº
Ch. 1 EARTH IN SPACE
AND SOLAR ENERGY
p. 7, 14
Astronomy
Rotation
Revolution
Equinoxes
Solstices
Aphelion
Perihelion
Sun Angles
Direct/Indirect sun
Migration of direct
sun
Latitudinal zones
The Universe
• Populated with billions of
galaxies:
• Milky Way Galaxy, a
flattened, disk- shaped
mass estimated to contain
nearly 200 billion stars,
dust, and gases.
• Vast distances:
- A light year= 6 trillion mi
(the distance the light travels
in 1 year)
V of light= 186,000 mi/sec
Galaxy
The Solar System- originated between 4.5- 5 bill years ago
Located on a remote edge of the Milky Way Galaxy
The Sun- in the center of the S. system
Planets- celestial bodies
Satellites- about 130, orbit the planets
Asteroids- very small planets (diameterless than 500 mi)
Planets- celestial bodies that revolve around a star and reflect
the star’s light rather than producing their own.
They rotate or spin on their own axes, and revolve around the
Sun.
Our Solar System, p.7
1-4- terrestrial planets- small, composed of rock & metal;
5-8-giant (Jovian), gas planets with solid cores, no solid surface
(balls of gas and liquid); 9- ?
Pluto- a large body captured from the Kuiper Belt (a diskshaped region of small ice bodies that lies past the orbit of
Neptune), 2008.
1997, The Comet Hale- Bopp
Comets:
- a head ( solid fragments held together
by ice)
- a tail (millions of miles long, composed
of gases)
Meteors- small, stone like or
metallic bodies.
When enter the atmosphere,
burn and often appear as a
streak of light, or “shooting
star”. A meteor that survives
and strikes the surface=
meteorite
7/24/94
The surface of Mars
The atmosphere is dominantly carbon dioxide. If life existed
on Mars, it was at a time when water was more abundantly
available on the surface (evidence of rain and rivers).
Comparison of Atmospheric Conditions of Mars, Venus,
Earth, and a Hypothetical Earth Without Life*
Composition of
the Atmosphere
Mars
Carbon Dioxide [%] 95.0
Venus
98.0
Earth
Without
Life
Earth as it
is NOW!
9.8
0.037
Nitrogen [%]
2.7
1.9
1.9
78.1
Oxygen [%]
Temperature [ºC]
0.13
-53
Trace
Trace
477
240 - 340
20.1
13.0
*from Eugene P. Odum, Ecology. 1989, page 61. Data from Lovelock, 1979.
Sun’s surface temperature is about 6000 deg.C , (11, 000 deg.F)
What is the main point of the above table?
The Sun
Earth receives about ½ billionth of the radiation
• The only self- luminous
body, the source of almost all
the light and heat for the
surfaces of the celestial
bodies.
• The energy comes from
fusion (thermonuclear)
reactions in its interior.
• Size- about 130 mill Earths
could fit inside the sun.
Surface temperature- 10,000- 11,000 deg. F
5500-6100 deg. C
• A plane flying at 500mi/h
would take 21 years to reach
the sun (150 mill km or 93 mill
mi)- distance Sun- Earth
p.14
Rotation or Revolution
Rotation is eastbound or
counterclockwise at N. Pole
Surface of the Sun
14
All points on the globe take 24h to
make one complete rotation (360 deg.)
Velocity?
84
p.16, Circle of illumination
Rotation defines the
zones of daylight and
the movements of the
atmosphere and
oceans
Earth revolves around the Sun in elliptical orbit at an average
distance from the sun of about 150 mill km (93 mill mi)
One revolution determines the length of 1 year= 365 1/4 days
The cause of seasons
is the nearness to the
Sun!
TRUE or FALSE
50km ( 93 mill miles) p. 16
The average distance from the Sun is about 150 mill
3.28%
variation
Distance from the sun is not
the cause of seasons.
Mar 20
Vernal
Equinox
Perihelion
January 3
Summer
Solstice
Winter
Solstice
July 4
Aphelion
Sep 22
Autumnal
Equinox
Angle of inclination
16
p.17 Parallelism- axis
remains parallel to its former
position
What causes variations in insolation (= solar energy
received by Earth) ?
• 1. The amount of daylightcontrols the duration of solar
radiation
• 2. The angle of the solar
rays- directly affects the
intensity of the solar radiation
received.
1 and 2 affect the amount of
insolation available at any
place on Earth’s surface.
Lines on Earth delimiting Solar Energy
p. 19
Autumnal Equinox
Vernal Equinox
Direct Sun
p. 18-19
Summer Solstice
Winter Solstice
Direct
Sun
1.When is this?
2. Where is DS?
During what earth-sun event is
this?
When direct [vertical] sun hits the
Tropic of Cancer?
ROTATION AND REVOLUTION, book page 14-16
Name _______________________________________________
1. How long does one rotation take?
1.
19. What is the tilt of earth from vertical?
19.
º
2. In what direction does the earth turn?
2.
20. What is the tilt of the earth from
horizontal?
20.
º
3. Therefore, the sun rises in the what?
3.
21. What hemisphere has more daylight
during the summer solstice?
21.
4. Looking down at the North Pole, what is
the direction of rotation?
4.
22. What is the length of the day in Northern
hemisphere on June 21st?
22.
5. What is the angular velocity per hour?
5.
23. Where is vertical [direct] sun on 6/21?
23.
6. Yes or No
24. When is winter solstice in Northern
Hemisphere?
24.
7.
25. What hemisphere has more daylight
during the winter solstice?
25.
26. Where is vertical [direct] sun on 12/21?
26.
27. Where is vertical sun on 3/21 and 9/22?
27.
28. What is equal in an equinox?
28.
6. Can we feel the speed of rotation?
7. Rotation accounts for what?
circle
Alternating
&
8. What is the name of the great circle [line]
separating day from night
8.
9. What is the average distance of revolution?
9.
10. When is the earth closest to the sun?
10.
11. What season are we in during this date?
11.
12. What is the Greek word for this event?
12.
13. When is the earth furthest from the sun?
13.
14. What season are we in during #13 date?
14
15. What is the term for this furthest pass?
15.
16. What is the distance difference between
the two dates {#11 and 13]?
13.
17. Distance from the sun has what
relationship to seasons?
17. ALL or
NONE
18. How long does one revolution take?
circle
18.
million km
Sun Angle and Number
of Daylight Hours for
Los Angeles, 34º N
million km
Summer Solstice: book page 18
Using the diagram to the right, draw in and label the following as they would appear on the Summer Solstice.
Shade in the dark side as night.
a.North and South Pole
b.Equator
c.Tropic of Cancer
d.Tropic of Capricorn
e.Arctic Circle
f.Antarctic Circle
g.Circle of Illumination
h.The land of midnight sun (LMS)
i.The land of noontime darkness (LND)
j.Direct (Vertical) Sun at noon
Answer the following:
1.Date:
2.Season:……………..in the N. Hemisphere………………in the S. H:
3.Day length:
-In the N. Hemisphere....................
-In the S. Hemisphere…………….
-Between 66.5 N & 90 N…………
-Between 66.5 S & 90 S………….
-On the Equator…………………..