chapter 1 Flashcards
physical geography
physical geography use spatial perspective to examine processes and events happening at specific locations, analyze air, water, land, and living systems
open and closed systems,
open system is when inputs of energy and matter flow into the system, and outputs of energy and matter flow from the system, like the earth and the sun, close system is when its shut off from the surrounding environment so that it is self-contained, like the earth and the its material resources,
Explain earths reference grid; latitude and longitude and latitudinal geographic zones and time
time, 360 degrees (360°), each degree is 60 minutes (60’), each minutes is 60 seconds (60”), latitude, parallel to the equator, longitude, perpendicular to the equator so parallel to the meridian, latitudinal geographic zones, equatorial, tropical, subtropical, midlatitude, subarctic, subantarctic, arctic, antarctic
Describe modern geoscience techniques - the global positioning systems (GPS) remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS)
GPS, relies on satellites in orbit to provide precise location and elevation, like remote sensing utilizes spacecraft, aircraft, and ground-based sensors to provide visual data that enhance our understanding of earth, GIS, is a means for storing and processing large amounts of spacial data as separate layers of geographic information, user friendly
Location
the exact location of a people, places, and things
Region
area
Human - Earth relationships
resources utilization and exploitation, impact of environmental modification and artificial landscape creation
Movement
migration, communication, and the interaction of people and processes across space
Place
tangible and intangible characteristics that make each location unique
Spatial analysis
examination of spacial interactions, patterns, and variations over area and or space
Process
actions and changes that occur in some special order
Earth systems science
interacting set of physical, chemical, and biological systems that produce the processes of a whole- earth system
Sustainability science
sustainable development related to functioning earth systems
System
any ordered, interrelated set of materials or items existing separate from the environment or within a boundary, link by flows of energy and matter, link together
Feedback loop
a portion of system output is returned as an information input, causing changes that guide further system operation
Steady-state equilibrium
the rates of inputs and outputs in the system are equal and the amounts of energy and matter in storage within the system are constant
Threshold
tipping point, no longer maintain is character, lurches to a new operational level, may not be compatible with previous conditions anymore
Geodesy
science that determines earths shape and size through surveys, mathematical means, and remote sensing
Geoid
the earth shape, not a perfect sphere
Photogrammetry
the science of obtaining accurate measurements from aerial photos and remote sensing; used to create and improve surface maps
Equal area
a trait of a map projection; indicates the equivalence of all areas on the surface of the map, although shape is distorted
True shape
a map property showing the correct configuration of coastlines
Rhumb line
constant line which intersects all meridians at the same angle, is straight on a mercator projection, for a plane, it would be the shortest distance between two points
Spatial
nature and character of physical space, a place where we are speak about something
