Class notes/lecture Flashcards
(36 cards)
Latitude
Position N/S of the equator 90 degrees S to 90 degrees N
Where is Syracuse (Latitude)?
43 degrees N
Longitude
180 degrees W to 180 degrees E/0-360
Prime Meridian
0 degrees
Western Hemisphere
180 degrees W to 0
Eastern Hemisphere
0 to 180 degrees E
Earths rotation
West to East
Where does the Sun rise and set?
Rises in the east and sets in the west
How many Earth rotations in a day?
1
How often does Earth orbit around the sun?
Once per year
Eccentricity
How circular an orbit is
Is Earth closer to a low eccentricity or a higher eccentricity?
Low
Obliquity
Tilt of the earth
Seasons are caused by how direct the sun is to each hemisphere and?
Tilt and Rotation
Eccentricity cycles between low and lower eccentricity how often?
About once per 100,000 years
How long is the obliquity cycle?
41,000 year cycle
Precession
Direction of Earth’s axis of rotation
How long is the precession cycle?
26,000 years
As obliquity, eccentricity, and precission change, what else changes?
Earth’s Temperature
Orbital changes cause what?
Ice Ages
When did the last Ice Age end?
10,000-20,000 years ago
What else are orbital changes called?
Milankovitch cycles
Earths atmosphere is how thick (tall)?
60-80 miles
Composition of the Atmosphere
78% Nitrogen, 20% Oxygen, 0.1-1% water vapor
