level: Week 1
Questions and Answers List
what is geography, basic terms and concepts
level questions: Week 1
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is Physical Geography? | Studying the relationships among geographic areas, natural systems, society, cultural activities, and the interdependence of all the above through space (spatial) |
| What is Geography? | Geo- "Earth" Graphein - "to write" = to write something about Earth |
| Endogenic system participates in which processes? | Internal processes that produce flows of heat and material from below the Earth's crust |
| what is GIS? | a computer based, data processing tool for gathering, manipulating and analyzing geographic information |
| What are the layers of a map? | topographic base, parcels, zoning, floodprints, wetlands,land cover, soil, survey control, composite of all layers |
| name the latitudinal geographical zones | Arctic (66.5 - North Pole), Subarctic ( 55 - 66.5), Midlatitude (35-55), Subtropical ( 23.5-35), Equatorial and tropical (23.5 N- 23.5S), Subtropical (23.5 S-35S), Midlatitude ( 35S-55S), Subantarctic (55S- 66.5S), Antarctic (66.5S- South pole) |
| Which "-sphere" acts as an effiecient filter, absorbing harmful radiation? | Atmosphere |
| Which "-sphere" effects the weather system ranging from climate patterns to our water resources? | Hydrosphere |
| This system involves external processes that set into motion air, water, and ice all powered by solar energy. | Exogenic |
| Which "-sphere" is the interface between two vast open systems? | Lithosphere |
| how does energy enter the biosphere? | conversion of solar energy by photosynthesis |
| What makes up an ecosystem? | soil, plants, animals and the physical environment |
| What type of feedback information discourages response in the system? | negative feedback |
| which type of feed back can be compared to snowballing? | Positive feedback |
| describe the arctic sea ice-albedo positive feedback | Temperatures rising- sea ice melts (exposing dark ocean surface)- albedo decreases- oceans absorb more heat- repeat... |
| Describe Lattitude | horizontal parallels that are described as being a certain degree north or south of the equator |
| Describe Longitude | vertical meridians that are described as east or west or the prime meridian |
| Where is the Prime meridian? | Greenwich, London |
| what does GIS stand for? | geographical information systems |
| what type of information does remote sensing gather? | Earth's systems from great distances without the need for physical contact |
| Which type of sensor uses Electro Magnetic Radiation (EMR)? | remote sensing |
| what is the difference between passive remote sensing and active remote sensing? | passive: records wavelengths of energy radiated from a surface, particularly visible light( the sun) and infrared Active: direct a beam of energy at a surface and analyze the energy reflected back (RADAR/LiDAR) |