Systems in geography Flashcards
(185 cards)
1
Q
physical geography includes
A
physical and life sciences
2
Q
human/cultural geography includes
A
human and cultural sciences
3
Q
describe the continuum of geography
A
the two divisions of geography are at each end with the middle holding the synthesis of the physical environment with the human/cultural environment
4
Q
what are the three divisions of physical geography
A
biogeography, climatology, geomorphology
5
Q
geomorphology
A
the study of landforms and landform evolution.
6
Q
climatology
A
the study of the atmosphere and weather patterns over time.
7
Q
biogeography
A
examines spatial patterns of biological diversity
8
Q
geomatics
A
the measurement, analysis and management of data relating to the earth and the built environment.
9
Q
what elements are a part of geomatics
A
- remote sensing
- GPS
- GIS
10
Q
what is important about environments that are cold
A
as they thaw, all the ancient decay and frozen matter are thawing as well = producing lots of CO2 = impacting climate change
11
Q
why is the study of Earth and its environment more crucial than ever now
A
natural world is changing
12
Q
what has happened with the human life expectancy doubling
A
increases population = increases impact on environment
13
Q
how does physical geography examine processes and events happening at specific times and locations
A
spatial perspective
14
Q
how does physical geography use spatial perspective
A
to examine processes and events happening at specific locations and times
15
Q
what has become an overriding focus of the study of Earth systems
A
climate change
16
Q
what is the best way to fight climate change
A
in a way that is harmonious to our current way of life
17
Q
how do physical geographers study the environment
A
by analyzing air, water, land and living systems
18
Q
what is geography all about
A
understanding systems and their impact
19
Q
how is the science of geography unified
A
by its method
20
Q
is the science of geography unified more by its method or specific body of knowledge
A
method
21
Q
what method unifies the science of geography
A
spatial analysis
22
Q
what do we want to understand about systems
A
their predictability
23
Q
what is process in geography
A
the set of actions or mechanisms that operate in some special order
24
Q
what is a central concept of geographical analysis
A
process
25
geographical analysis
The process of analyzing data to identify geographic relationships, patterns, and trends.
26
what is physical geography
spatial analysis of all the physical elements, processes and systems that make up the environment
27
what is important in physical geography
scale
28
how do humans struggle with scale
how to understand and interact with scales that are very small or very big
29
example of how humans struggle with scale
very hard to pick up a single grain of sand AND it's very hard to pick up a grain of sand the size of a car
30
what does physical geography encompass
the field of Earth systems science
31
earth systems science
area of study that seeks to understand Earth as a complete entity
32
what does the spherical view of earth mean
the interactions of systems on earth (biosphere, atmosphere...)
33
what does the process of science consists of
1. observing
2. questioning
3. testing
4. understanding elements of natural world
34
what is the roadmap to science
scientific process
35
scientific method
traditional recipe, organized steps that lead toward concrete, objectives and conclusions
36
the scientific methodology is ______
timeless
37
what is the end result of the scientific method
a conclusion that is reproducible by other scientists and that can be tested repeatedly/shown as true or false
38
what is important about drawing over a photograph
drawing forces us to see details we may have missed while taking a photo
39
where is there positive feedback in the scientific method
from the theory formulation back to observations of nature
40
where is there negative feedback in the scientific method
from predictions back to observations
41
what do scientists who study the physical environment begin with
clues they see in nature
42
variables
conditions that change in an experiment or model
43
what do scientists often seek to reduce when forming a hypothesis
the number of variables
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hypothesis
tentative explanation for the phenomena observed
45
what is a hypothesis educated from
what we see/observe
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how do scientists test hypotheses
experimental studies in laboratories or natural settings
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inversions
when cold air is more dense than hot air
48
what leads a hypothesis to become a theory
when results support it, there is repeated testing and verification
49
what is a part of the scientific method
reporting research
50
peer review
reviewed by other experts in the field
51
is scientific progress slow or fast
very slow
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why is scientific progress slow
research is very rigorously tested and reviewed
53
scientific theory
explanation made on the basis of SEVERAL extensively tested hypotheses
54
True or False
scientific theories are NEVER reevaluated or expanded according to new evidence?
False
55
what is the danger of hypotheses in science
scientists looking for what they WANT to see in the results but not the actual results
56
a hypothesis has to be _______
statistically testable
57
what is often better
hypothesis or research objectives
research objectives
58
True or false:
Earth is made up of recycled and recycling atoms
TRUE
59
how is the earth made up of recycled atoms
it has undergone many transformations
60
how old is the earth
4.567 billion years old
61
earth is ______ dimensional
three
62
True or False
most of the action of Earth is clearly visible on the surface
FALSE
63
where is most of the action of earth done
hidden from view= above or below us
64
what modifies the surface of earth
geomorphology
65
True or False
rocks are proxies and record keepers of earth's history
TRUE
66
what are proxies and keep record of earth's history
rocks
67
True or false
earth systems, rock, ocean, cyro, bio are not complex NOR are they interconnected
FALSE
68
what does earth's history encompass
long periods of stability punctuated by sudden and irreversible events
69
True or false
Earth's surface and life continues to change
TRUE
70
does time greatly limit our perspective in geography
YES
71
how is physical geography UNLIKE experimental science
time greatly limits our perspective in geography
72
what is the Earth known as
blue marble
73
Earth's average distance from the sun is
150 000 000 km
74
Perihelion
the point in the orbit of a planet or other astronomical body, at which it is closest to the sun
75
when is Earth's perihelion
January 3rd
76
Aphelion
the point of the Earth's orbit that is farthest away from the Sun
77
when is Earth's aphelion
July 4th
78
Earth is __ min and ___ second from the sun
8 min 20 sec
79
what does it mean if the earth is 8 minutes and 20 seconds from the sun
the distance light has to travel to reach earth
80
Plane of Earth's orbit is the
plane of the ecliptic
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plane of the ecliptic
the imaginary plane containing the Earth's orbit around the sun
82
Earth is known as the ____ planet
Goldilocks planet
83
Why is earth known as the Goldilocks planet?
Its temp is just right
Venus - too hot
Mars - too cold
84
what does NASA's Kelper Mission look for
planets in the habitable zone
85
habitable zone
the area around a star where liquid water could pool on the surface
86
what is the smallest planet orbiting in the habitable zone
Kelper 452b
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how many Goldilock planets should there be
lots
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how were we able to estimate the number of Goldilock planets
Drake equation
89
Drake equation states that in our galaxy there should be
10 advanced civilizations with estimates of 50 to 135 billion galaxies in the universe
90
what is important in an advanced civilization
1. need water in all 3 states
2. need planets with the same size for gravitational pull
91
ecosystem sources
things humans/animals get from nature for FREE
92
what makes Earth special
it has everything we need to survive
93
geography is also known as
earth systems science
94
physical geography deals with the
interactions of systems
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what supports all life
sun
96
humans pose what kind of threat to interactions
speeds them up
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interactions have been happening for thousands of years with
certain speeds
98
what are the central concerns of physical geography
issues of the growing influence of humans on Earth systems
99
true or false
more people are alive today than every and they are unevenly distributed
true
100
where is virtually all population growth
in less developed counrties
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less developed countries make up _____ of the total population
81% (5.75 billion)
102
what has caused population discrepancies around the world
access to education, food and water
103
True or false
the word system is never used in our daily lives
FALSE
104
system analysis
techniques in science that began with studies of energy and temperature
105
what is an important analytical tool
systems methodology
106
system
set of ordered, interrelated components and their attributes linked by flows of energy and matter
107
true or false
systems are distinct from the surrounding environment outside the system
TRUE
108
true or false
a system cannot comprise of any number of subsystems
FALSE- it can
109
within Earth's systems, what is transformed from one type to another
energy
110
what are retrieved and stored in Earth's systems
matter and energy
111
matter
mass that assumes a physical shape and occupies space
112
energy
the capacity to change the motion of or to do work on matter
113
three types of systems
1. deterministic system
2. stochastic system
3. chaotic system
114
chaotic system
system associated with deterministic events that are NOT predictable
115
what type of system does this describe?
outcome events occur along a bounded attractor
chaotic system
116
what are examples of chaotic systems
pendulum or planetary orbit
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weather systems belong to what kind of system
chaotic system
118
what makes weather systems hard to predict
small errors in the beginning become larger ones later on
119
what type of system does this describe?
used to cover the idea of random and chance
stochastic system
120
stochastic system
systems where the output is governed by a probability distribution
121
true or false
in a stochastic system, systems cab have deterministic and stochastic variables
TRUE
122
examples of stochastic systems
coin flip and radioactive decay
123
what type of system does this describe?
the outcome is the result of known relations between dependent and independent variables
deterministic system
124
deterministic system
describes a system whose temporal or spatial evolution can be predicted exactly
125
examples of a deterministic system
dominos
126
what type of system do climate systems reflect
deterministic system
127
systems are linked by
flows of matter and energy
128
open system
systems that are NOT self-contained
129
when is Earth considered an open system
with respect to energy
130
when is Earth considered a closed system
with respect to matter
131
why are earth's systems dynamic
the tremendous infusion of radiant energy from the sun
132
what happens to energy as it passes through the outermost edge of Earth's atmosphere
it is transformed into various forms of energy
133
what sets the fluid atmosphere and ocean in motion
the transformation of energy into different forms as it passes through outermost edge of the atmosphere
134
closed systems
system that is shut off from the surrounding environment so that it is self-contained
135
what must to done if we want a sustainable global economy
recycling efforts
136
is photosynthesis open or closed system
closed system
137
how do forests affect humans
1. output of carbon storage
2. soil stabilization
3. food and resources
138
what are the direct impacts of humans on forests
1. logging for wood
2. burning to make way for agriculture
3. clearing for development
139
example of a closed system
thermostat
140
examples of open systems
Ocean, forest,
141
positive feedback example
Planet heating up
142
negative feedback example
in a forest, healthy trees produce roots that stabilize hilltops and limit erosion
143
why are trees produce roots that stabilize hilltops and limit erosion NEGATIVE feedback
if the trees are damaged, then the hillside would become unstable and susceptible to landslides
144
What feedback are predators and prey relations and WHY
negative feedback - if the predator population drops then prey populations increase and create instability in the ecosystem. These two populations find a balance.
145
how is the planet heating up an example of POSITIVE feedback
as the planet heats up, glaciers melt and are replaced with darker land. darker land absorbs more energy which causes the planet to heat up MORE
146
positive feedback
increases the response or stimulates the processes in the system
147
is this negative or positive feedback
input and output drive the system further towards an extreme
Positive
148
what type of feedback is considered unstable
positive
149
negative feedback
slows down the processes in the system
150
is this negative or positive feedback
input and output neutralize each other's effect = stabilizing the system
negative feedback
151
what type of feedback is considered stable
negative
152
Albedo effect
the ability of surfaces to reflect sunlight (heat from the sun)
153
a low albedo
Dark surfaces absorb the rays from the sun (low albedo).
154
high albedo
Light-coloured surfaces return a large part of the sunrays back to the atmosphere (high albedo)
155
what is important when thinking of system feedback
the speed at which these things are happening
156
what is essential for life, without it = no life
carbon in the atmosphere
157
how does carbon naturally remerge into the atmosphere
1. volcanic eruptions
2. natural decay
3. cellular respiration
158
what is the importance of the fossil record
rocks hold the secretes of ancient Earth and how it has changed
159
model
simplified, idealized representation of part of the real world
160
three types of models
1. conceptual
2. physical
3. numerical
161
conceptual model
the most generalized and focuses on HOW processes interact within a system
162
physical model
a scale down or up of a physical system
163
numerical model
more specific and usually based on data collected from labs or field
164
what type of model is this?
transitions between states of water
Conceptual model
165
what type of model is this?
globe or atom model
physical model
166
what type of model is this?
climate and how climate changes
numerical model
167
what is the benefit of simplified models
makes systems easier to understand and simulate
168
are the four systems of Earth's surface open or closed
OPEN
169
do the four earth systems interact
YES
170
what are the three abiotic systems
atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere
171
the biotic sphere is the
biosphere
172
atmosphere
a thin, gaseous veil surrounding Earth or held to the planet by the force of gravity
173
hydrosphere
where Earth's water exists in the atmosphere, surface and in the crust near the surface
174
the portion of the hydrosphere that is frozen is the
cryosphere
175
three main areas of the cryosphere
sea ice, glaciers and permafrost
176
lithosphere
earth's crust and a portion of the upper mantle directly below the crust
177
what sphere does the action happen
lithosphere
178
biosphere
intricate, interconnected web that links all organisms with their physical environment
179
is this model conceptual, or mathematical
conceptual
180
Is this steady-state equilibrium or dynamic equilibrium
steady state
181
steady-state equilibrium
rates of input/output are equal AND the amounts of energy and matter in storage are constant
182
dynamic equilibrium
steady-state system demonstrates a changing trend over time
183
what does a threshold or tipping point mean for a system
where it can no longer maintain its character and lurches to a new level
184
steady-state condition
energy and matter system that remains balanced over time in which conditions are constant or recur
185
IS this dynamic or steady-state equilibrium
dynamic
