GEOGRAPHY 204

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

FALL, 2008

STUDY GUIDES

SECOND MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE

FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE

FIRST MIDTERM

The following topics and concepts will be covered on your first midterm on Wednesday, February 27th. This midterm will cover Chapters 1 through 3 to page 106. With the exception of finishing the section on Controls on Temperature from place to place, topics covered Monday's lecture will not be on the first midterm. They will be tested on the second midterm.

The midterm will consist of ten multiple choice questions, five short answer questions, and one short essay. I have sent you the four essay prompts for the exam essay, and I will chose one of these for the actual exam. Therefore I recommend that you prepare good outlines for how you would answer each essay question.

Topics and Concepts

The four spheres: atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, lithosphere

Systems

Closed, open, dynamic equilibrium, positive and negative feedback
(remember, "positive" doesn't mean "good"; "negative" doesn't mean "bad" when it comes to feedback.)
Examples of each of these concepts

Geographic Grid System

Parallels and Meridians, Longitude and Latitude, degrees, minutes, seconds
Equator, Prime Meridian, International Date Line, North and South Poles
Know the degrees and hemispheres for each of these so that you can draw and completely label a diagram of the Geographic Grid System (as in quiz 1). Include the special parallels & meridians.

Earth-Sun relationship

Axis of rotation, angle of inclination (tilt of axis), orbital plane, perihelion and aphelion
Seasons and daily (diurnal) cycles at different locations
Significance (and degrees) of Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circles,
Solstices and Equinoxes (what are they, when do they occur?)
Solar radiation (insolation) -- variations with latitude and seasons

Atmosphere

Structure and composition
decreasing air pressure with elevation (decreasing density)
how temperature varies with elevation
troposphere, tropopause, stratosphere, stratopause, mesosphere, mesopause, thermosphere
why does temperature drop with elevation in troposphere? why does it rise in stratosphere?
ozone layer, ionosphere
which gases make up atmosphere? In what proportions?
constant and variable gases, aerosols (dust, volcanic ash, pollutant particles, etc.)
ozone depletion, where and why? What are the consequences?

Energy balance of the earth

shortwave and longwave radiation (SW & LW)
visible light (SW), earth's emission of heat, infrared radiation (LW)
absorption (by ozone) and scattering of shortwave (solar) radiation
(Why is the sky blue? Why are sunrise and sunset red or orange?)
albedo (reflection of shortwave radiation)
conduction and convection of longwave radiation at earth's surface
longwave radiation from earth heating atmosphere
greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases (name them?)

Temperature

Difference between "heat" and "temperature", molecular kinetic energy

Controls on temperature from place to place

latitude -- seasonality, day length, earth-sun geometry
altitude -- decrease in air pressure (density)
cloudiness, fog (reflects SW; absorbs and reradiates LW)
continentality and marine effects -- land-water differences
specific heat of water compared with rock, soil (specific heat of land versus water)
ocean currents, carry heat from low latitudes to high latitudes
surface cover, vegetation (albedo of surfaces)

Temperature statistics -- means, temperature range (annual, seasonal, daily)
(e.g. where in the world is the seasonal temp. range highest? where is it lowest?

Study maps in text, also on Univ of Oregon web site http://geography.uoregon.edu/envchange/clim_animations/

Last updated 2/21/08