Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY- MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE 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: diurnal, annual – shape of orbit, direction of orbit, number of days in year Tilt of Earth’s axis and relation to Seasons Maps and Projections Define a Map Map Essentials Scale: Verbal, Graphic/Bar, Representative Fraction Small scale vs. large-scale maps Define ‘Map Projections’ Map Projection Problems: Area, Shape, Distance, Direction Map Projection Types: describe types, give examples, advantages and disadvantages of each – which are equal shape, which are equal area, which are neither equal shape nor equal area Planar Projection – Gnomonic projection; Polar projection Purpose and benefit Cylindrical Projection – Mercator projection Purpose and benefit Conic Projection – Albers Equal Area Conic projection Purpose and benefit Atmosphere Origin Chemical Composition and percentages of gases Greenhouse Gases: CH4, CO2, N2O, CFCs, O3, H2Ov: Sources, problems, solutions – Can you explain, define and identify a greenhouse gas? Atmospheric Pressure: sea level measures (metric and English) Layers of Atmosphere: Individual layers and boundaries, elevations, types of activities within each layer, lapse rates, temperature differences, which layer produces atmospheric ozone, which layer produces all weather Energy Balance Incoming solar radiation balanced against outgoing Earth radiation Global warming concerns Albedo Temperature, Heat and Energy Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy: Internal Energy (PE = KE) 1st Law of Thermodynamics – Conservation of Energy Law Define, explain, and give examples the following terms: Temperature Specific Heat Heat Latent Heat Heat capacity Evaporation Condensation Sublimation Specific Heat: Relation of specific heat of water to other substances – What effect does water’s high specific heat have on coastal locations? Latent Heat (hidden heat): Relation to evaporation, condensation, sublimation processes in atmosphere – how does latent heat relate to storms and cloud building in the atmosphere Heat Transportation Processes in Atmosphere – where does each operate in the atmosphere, which is most effective at transporting energy, how does each transport energy (1) Conduction: molecule-to-molecule transfer of energy Midterm Study guide Winter 2008 1 (2) Convection: transfer of energy through currents in a fluid (liquid/air) (3) Radiation: energy traveling in waves that release energy upon contact Electromagnetic Spectrum – shortwave, high energy: longwave, Low energy Lambda (length of wave from crest to crest) Seasonal and Daily Temperature Measurements Daily lag time: Day and night temperatures Coldest time of day AND Warmest time of day Seasonal lag time Daily/Diurnal Range of Temperature: Greatest range/lowest range occurrences Mean daily temperature Mean annual temperature Annual range of temperatures: Greatest range/lowest range occurrences Temperature Controls: Latitude Land (continental) vs. Water (maritime) location Elevation Albedo How do each of these ‘work’ to control temperature? Ocean Currents Atmospheric Pressure What is atmospheric pressure? What are typical measurements of air pressure? How is air pressure measured? What are typical values for sea level air pressure? Pressure Charts: Constant Surface Chart vs. Constant Pressure Chart Can you diagram Northern and Southern Hemisphere air flow around Highs and Lows? What is cyclonic and anticyclonic air flow? How does airflow around Highs and Lows vary from Northern to Southern Hemisphere? Global Circulation: Thermal and Dynamic Highs/Lows: Developmental differences Anticyclonic flow Cyclonic Flow Location: Northeast /Southeast Trades Westerlies Polar Easterlies How developed? Location of belts of Low Pressure? High pressure around the globe? Forces affecting Wind movement Pressure Gradient Force Coriolis Force Friction Geostrophic Wind Development: How does this wind develop? What’s the relationship of PGF and CF and this wind? What are theSemi-permanent Highs and Lows in Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean? Location and types El Nino-Southern Oscillation Interrelationships – development – conditions – consequences - research Pacific Ocean Currents – name and identify warm/cold Atlantic Ocean Currents –name and identify warm/cold Jet Streams: What are they? What is their effect on developing surface Highs and Lows? Where are they forming? Local, regional & global-scale winds: Can you define, explain and diagram the following winds? Sea Breeze/Land breeze Monsoons Santa Ana Winds Humidity What is the hydrologic cycle? Absolute Humidity Specific Humidity Relative Humidity Dew Point Temperature What is vapor pressure? Actual vapor pressure (AVP)? Saturated vapor Pressure (SVP)? What is a Rainshadow desert – what is it relationship to lapse rates? Lapse Rates - Normal - Inverse – Isothermal Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate – Wet Adiabatic Lapse Rate Environmental Lapse Rate Stability: Stable Air Unstable Air Conditionally Unstable Air Convective Instability Give examples - (Diagrams of stability) Relationship between stability and DALR, WALR and ELR? Cloud development: Four Mechanisms for uplift Condensation nuclei – Types and locations Cloud droplet to Rain droplet...mechanisms involved Midterm Study guide Winter 2008 2 (collision/coalescence, cloud thickness, electrical charge, liquid water content, uplift/updrafts) Four major classes of clouds Types of clouds within each class Clouds with vertical development Relationship between cloud development and stability Precipitation: types: Rain (Virga), Snow, Hail, Freezing Rain, Sleet Vertical temperature profiles for each precipitation type, define characteristics and formation for each type Air Masses and Fronts cT, cP, mP, mT, cA, eT (mE) – give descriptions and source regions Identify characteristics of source regions Fronts: Cold front, warm front, stationary front, occluded front: identify each and give weather for each (including cloud formation, precipitation) – Can you identify a cold front, a warm front, a stationary front and an occluded front on a weather map? Mid-latitude cyclones: identify, describe characteristics and formation, and relationship to storms in Northern hemisphere Thunderstorms, Tornadoes and Hurricanes Air mass vs. Severe: describe differences and similarities, including formation processes for each, lifecycles: Cumulus Stage (event), Mature Stage, Dissipating Stage Characteristics of Severe: microburst, wind shear, hail, thunder, lightning, roll cloud, gust fronts, updrafts downdrafts, mammatus clouds, Can you explain, define and identify a severe thunderstorms lifecycle and all the characteristics? Tornadoes: development, mesocyclone, vortex, mammatus clouds, overshooting top, wall cloud, funnel cloud Location in USA: “Tornado Alley” Air masses and atmospheric conditions involved in forming T-Storms to spawn tornadoes Hurricanes: description of characteristics, formation processes, dissipation processes, global location, Atmospheric conditions necessary, development/stages Internal structure of a hurricane: eye, eye wall clouds, storm surge, air pressure changes, wind Speeds, wind direction Movement across oceans- speed, direction, ‘guiding’ forces (winds, for example) Major differences between hurricanes and mid-latitude cyclones: identify and describe each difference Midterm Study guide Winter 2008 3