lecture 1 Flashcards
2 main global systems:
climate system and Geosphere
alluvial fan
triangle shaped deposit of gravel, sand and smaller pieces of sediment
what is a system?
a collection of objects or units that have a clear structural organisation and together perform a function
3 types of system:
open, closed, isolated
what is an open system?
a system in which both mass and energy is exchanged
what is a closed system?
a system in which only energy is exchanged, not mass
what is an isolated system?
a system in which nothing is exchanged
example of a closed system
the earth
example of an open system
glacier
what is steady state?
refers to a balanced system e.g. a glacier that stays the same size - more of a concept than an actuality
key cycles:
hydrological, rock, plate tectonic
what does cycle turnover mean?
how long it takes before the cycle begins again/reaches the start point
quaternary period:
last 2.5 million years
major themes:
scale (time and spatial), energy, cycles
