GEOS 200 Exam 1

geo = "earth" and graphein = "to write"
a method, holistic, eclectic

spatial analysis, Earth systems science

location - absolute, relative
Region
Human - Earth relationships
Movement
Place

natural systems
geographic areas
society
cultural activities
and the interdependence of these over space

spatial analysis of all the physical elements and processes that make up the environment (e.g. biogeography, climatology, geomorphology, hydrogeography)

Behavioral geography, economic geography, historical geography, marketing, medical, political)

interrelated set of entities, linked by flows of energy and matter, as distinct from the surrounding environment as the system

dynamic - matter and energy are stored and retrieved
Energy is transformed from one type to another

mass that has a physical shape and occupies space

the capacity to change the motion of matter

Energy/matter flow in and out of the system (as inputs or outputs)

Get energy from the sun and energy travels from Earth to space

System that is self-contained, or shut off from the surrounding environment (rarely found in nature)

In terms of physical matter and resources (not energy), Earth could be a closed system

Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere, Biosphere

bulges at equator, flat at poles

Librarian in Alexandria, Egypt
On June 21, travelers reported that sun shone directly into well in Syene (Aswan)
Sun never overhead in Alexandria, always a shadow

24,902 mi

7,926 mi

Angular distance N or S of the equator, measured from the center of the Earth

Divides two poles in half
Degree of 0

90 degrees N at N Pole to 90 degrees S at S Pole

imaginary line connecting all points of the same latitude - parallels run parallel to the equator

reference to fixed celestial objects such as the Sun or starts

North Star
Almost directly overhead at N Pole
Tail of Little Dipper

angular distance E or W of a point on the earth's surface, measured from the center of the earth

Lines of longitude that run N and S at right angles to parallels

Runs through Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England

38N, 86W

69 miles

69 miles

35 miles

0 miles

any circle the size of the earth's circumference that passes through the center of the earth
shortest distance between two points is along great circle route

Most countries had their own prime meridians
US lived by local "railroad time"

Washington, DC
Greenwich Mean time established as world standard

360 degrees every 24 hrs = 15 degrees per hour

7.5 degrees on either side

one clock indicates time at home port, second clock is reset each day at noon. difference shows longitude difference

1760 John Harrison invented marine chronometer

International Date Line - when this line is crossed the calendar changes a day
Increase westward, decrease eastward

ratio of map units to ground units

process of transforming spherical Earth to flat map

one unit on the map represents 24,000 units on the ground

the larger the scale is

less detail (large denominator in fraction)

must be converted to a flat surface

distance
direction
area
shape
proximity

- must make a decision about whether to preserve area or shape
- involve the development of a grid, graticule on a flat surface
- grid represents lines of longitude and latitude

Cylindrical
conic
planar
oval

longs/lats are a form of
common data exchange format

Gerardus Mercator, 1569
straight line is a line of constant direction
invented Rhumb Line - mathematical creation

beam of energy is directed at a surface and the energy that is reflected back is analyzed (e.g. radar)

record energy that is radiated from a surface, usually visible light and infrared (e.g. satellite imagery)

Combine spatial and attribute data
Every entity in every database is geographically referenced
Maps contain: physical and cultural features
layers added to create composite overlay

gas in atmosphere that keeps heat from escaping

automobile pollution

African bees
Snakehead Fish
Pythons in Everglades

1600kmph

90 degress W, yet we're in Eastern time zone (75 degrees W)

trailing edge of Milky Way
disk-shaped mass of nearly 400 billion stars

solar system condensed from a large, slowly rotating cloud of dust and gas

dates back to 4.6 billion years ago

mutual attracting force exerted by mass on all other objects

Suns condense from nebular clouds

186,282mps

distance that light travels in a year
6 trillion miles

93,000,000 mi

Earth closest to Sun at January - 91.5 mi miles

Earth furthest from Sun at July - 94.5 million miles

Sun produces thermonuclear energy
Atoms of hydrogen are forced together under intense heat and pressure
Pairs of hydrogen are fused and enormous quantities of energy are released
Principal outlets - radiant energy and solar wind

electromagnetic waves

solar energy that reaches the Earth
INtercepted SOLAr RadiaTION

average value of insolation received at thermopause - 1372

wavelength - distance from the crest of one wave length to the next crest
micrometers

Hot bodies radiate

Cool bodies radiate

~ 4 micrometers

Ultraviolet, visible and shortwave infrared portions of the spectrum

long - thermal infrared

balance between incoming shortwave and outgoing long-wave radiation
positive and high in tropics
Middle & High latitudes = negative
Sahara Desert is anomaly

Consist of clouds of electrically charged particles
grow stronger in sunspots

caused by magnetic storms
activity cycles of 11 years

responsible for auroras
(borealis and australis)
absorbed energy is reradiated as light energy of varying colors
magnetosphere protects Earth from solar winds (deflects to poles)

Revolution
Rotation
Tilt of Earth's axis
Axial parallelism

Earth revolves around the Sun in a counterclockwise direction
Voyage takes 365.24 days

Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours in a counterclockwise direction
West to East rotation accounts for Sun's daily journey

circle of illumination

23.5 degrees

Axis maintains alignment during orbit around sun
North Pole points toward north star

Dec 21 or 22
Subsolar point at Tropic of Capricorn
North pole = 0 hrs of daylight

March 20 - 21
Subsolar point at equator
equal day and night
sun setting in south pole

June 20 - 21
Subsolar point at Tropic of Cancer
North pole = 24 hrs of daylight

Sept. 22 - 23
Subsolar point at equator
equal day and night
sun setting in north pole

extends ~ 300 miles above Earth's surface
odorless, tasteless, colorless, formless

exosphere = ' outer sphere'

weight of pressure is pulled downward under pull of gravity
Air is compressed and denser near Earth's surface
thins rapidly with increasing altitude

1013.2 millibars

29.92 (barometer)

composition, temperature, function

Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere

supports life
Surface to 11 mi
90% of total atmosphere
water vapor, clouds, air pollution, life forms

average cooling rate = 3.5F per 1000 feet

11 to 31 mi
Temp. increase with altitude

30 to 50 mi
coldest portion of atmosphere = mesopause

50-300 mi
Temp. rise rapidly due to vibration of molecules
Density of molecules so low that little actual heat is produced

outer atmosphere
50 mi outwards
gases not evenly mixed
layers of gases sorted by gravity due to atomic weight

inner atmosphere
surface to 50 mi
density varies, but blend of gases is uniform
ozone is exception - 12-31 mi

78% nitrogen
21% in oxygen
1% argon
<1% carbon dioxide

2 zones that protect us from incoming solar radiation and charged particles:
Ionosphere
Ozonosphere

Extends throughout thermosphere and mesosphere
Absorbs cosmic rays, gamma rays, X-rays, and some UV rays

part of stratosphere
O3 absorbs UV energy and converts it to heat energy (infrared radiation)
Filters most harmful UV radiation
ozone at stratosphere is good radiation, at ground level = pollution

"holes" over arctic and antarctic
loss is due to "anthropogenic" factors --> chlorine atoms from CFCs

chlorofluorocarbons like in refrigerants and propellants in aerosol sprays

decomposes more than 100,000 ozone molecules
can reside in atmosphere for 40-100 years

thin icy clouds in stratosphere are catalysts for releases of chlorine

troposphere contains natural and human-caused variable gases, particles, and other elements
natural sources, anthropogenic pollution, Clean Air Act

produce greater quantity of pollutant than human-made sources
Volcanoes, forest fires, Plants, decaying plants, soil, ocean

Winds - move pollutants from one area to another
Local and Regional landscapes - surrounding hills/mtns can form barriers to air movement and can trap pollutants
Temperature inversion - air trapped by warmer layer above and pollutants remain close to earth - do not mix with upper levels