Subjects to Know: Geography 1

Subjects to Know List: Geography 1: Physical Geography

This is designed as a study tool to help you better organize the mountain of material that is presented in this class.

Special thanks to Marek Cichanski, DeAnza Geology, for the idea for this study guide

Pages in my notes Pages in the text where this subject where this subject Subject can be found can be found

1 Definition of Geography

2 Elements of a map Latitude and longitude: What they are, how they are used to find 3 location on earth Equinoxes and solstices: Their dates and where the subsolar 4 point is located at each Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Equator, Arctic Circle, Antarctic circle and how each of these relates to the subsolar point and the circle of illumination at the equinoxes and 5 solstices. Relate the location of the subsolar point to the direction of a person's shadow at solar noon, given the latitude at which they 6 are located.

7 How longitude relates to time and time zones on earth Define the scientific method and apply it to an earth science 8 problem Define open systems and closed systems and give examples of 9 each, with their associated inputs and outputs

10 Contrast an exogenic system with an endogenic system

11 Trace the energy pathway through an exogenic system.

12 Define the four earth systems.

13 Explain the prodcts of the fusion of hydrogen gas in our sun. Examine the distribution of mass in our solar system and 14 descibe the orbit of the earth around the sun and its distance Relate axial parallelism, the subsolar point and the tilt of the 15 earth to the march of the seasons. Define remote sensing and give examples of how it is used in 16 Geography

17 Contrast active remote sensing with passive remote sensing Where is the majority of the atmosphere found? How big is the 18 atmosphere overall?

Physical Geography * Foothill College Allison Lenkeit Meezan Subjects to Know: Geography 1

19 Why is the atmosphere important?

20 Describe the atmosphere by composition.

21 Describe the atmosphere by temperature.

22 Describe the atmosphere by function. What are the three ways in which electromagnetic radiation 23 interacts with gasses and particles in the atmosphere?

24 Why is the sky blue?

25 What is albedo? Give an example of an object with a low albedo? Give an 26 example of an object with a high albedo. Describe the distribution net radiation over the surface of the 27 earth.

28 Define sensible heat

29 Define latent heat Explain how the absorption of latent heat energy is a cooling 30 effect. Give a real world example Explain how the release of latent heat energy is a heating effect. 31 Give a real world example.

32 Relate latent heat energy to the ocean/continent effect Explain how human actions and the built environment create 33 urban heat islands. Compare and contrast a real greenhouse and the 'greenhouse 34 effect' Discuss ways in which human actions cause atmospheric 35 pollutions. Examine possible solutions. Associate air temperature with pressure (low pressure vs. high 36 pressure) Assign direction of movement of air based on air pressure and 37 isobars Explain the effect that the coriolis force has on ocean circulation and relate it to generalized ocean temperatures off of the eastern 38 and western coasts of continents Define cyclone and anticyclone and assign their direction of 39 spin in each hemisphere.

40 Explain the source of energy for tropical cyclones Discuss the vertical circulation model of atmospheric circulation, including the Hadley cells, and relate these to the 41 trade winds and the westerlies

42 Explain the driving forces behind Land and Sea breezes

43 Explain the driving forces behind Valley and Mountain breezes

Physical Geography * Foothill College Allison Lenkeit Meezan Subjects to Know: Geography 1

44 Explain the driving force behind Katabatic winds. Relate ocean circulation to upwelling zones. Identify patterns of 45 upwelling zones.

Discuss the distribution of land vs water over the surface of the 46 earth. Relate this distribution to global temperature patterns.

47 Describe the distribution of water in the hydrosphere. Explain the water cycle, paying special attention to the following terms: evaporation, dew point, condensation, 48 precipitation, infiltration, runoff, storage Examine the importance of the polarity of the water molecule to 49 the functioning of natural systems.

50 Discuss water in its solid form

51 Discuss water in its liquid form

52 Discuss water in its gaseous form. Explain the energy necessary for phase transformation between 53 solid, liquid and gaseous water. Compare and contrast evapotranspiration and potential 54 evapotranspiration.

55 Relate evaporation to humidity and dew point Examine the relationship between relative humidity and air 56 temperature.

57 Describe how clouds and rain form. Discuss the distribution of fresh water sources in California and how humans have engineered the availability of fresh water 58 sources. Compare and contrast the use of surface water and ground water 59 by agriculture, industry and domestic sources.

60 Define weather and climate Examine the sources of the following airmasses and give real world examples of each affects North America: mP, mT, mE, 61 cP, cT. Compare and contrast atmospheric lifiting mechanisms of cold 62 and warm fronts Explain orographic lifting, orographic precipitation and the 63 rainshadow effect Discuss effects on climate including latitude, elevation, 64 continenality and local geography

65 Apply principles of climate to Modelland (discussed in lecture)

66 Compare and contrast the five major types of climate on earth.

67 Interpret a climatogram.

Physical Geography * Foothill College Allison Lenkeit Meezan Subjects to Know: Geography 1

Weeks 6-12

Pages in my notes Pages in the text where this subject where this subject Subject can be found can be found Describe the structure of the earth's interrior including the: core, 68 mantle, athenosphere and crust. Explain how old the earth is and how we have arrived at this 69 conclusion. Outline key dates in the earth's history including the oldest crustal rocks, first oxygen in the atmosphere and the formation of the ozone layer, the first fish, first land plants and first 70 mammals.

71 Compare and contrast oceanic and continental plates Discuss the three types of plate boundaries and provide 72 examples of each. Describe the types of plate collisions that have resulted in such features as the Himalayan mountains, the Andes, Iceland and 73 Hawaii Examine the tectonic settings in which igneous, sedimentary and 74 metamorphic rocks are formed. Compare and contrast igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic 75 rocks Compare and contrast and give examples of: volcanoes where plates collide, volcanoes where plates diverge and hot spot 76 volcanoes. Outline the major hazards that people who live near to 77 volcanoes face.

78 Discuss the principle of isostacy.

79 Examine the three types of faults Compare and contrast the Richter scale and the Mercalli scale as 80 methods to measure earthquakes. Define physical weathering and define and give examples of frost action, crystalization, hydration and pressure release 81 jointing. Define chemical weathering and define and give examples of 82 hydrolysis, oxidation and carbonation and solution.

83 Explain how each weathering process is exogenic in nature.

84 Describe how soil is formed

85 Define eolian processes Examine the role of desert pavement in preserving ecosystems 86 in dry environments. Compare and contrast the water content and speed of various 87 types of landslides

Physical Geography * Foothill College Allison Lenkeit Meezan Subjects to Know: Geography 1

88 Explain how karst topography is formed

89 Examine the physical features that result from a karst landscape.

90 Identify locaitons that have experienced glacial weathering. Discuss macroscopic and microscopic effects of glacial 91 weathering.

92 Outline the ways in which rivers transport materials. Examine the importance of rivers in terms of human settlement, 93 agriculture and transportation. Relate the flow discharge of a stream to its channel width, depth 94 and velocity.

95 Examine the effects of a flood on the river's suspended load. Discuss the importance of flood plains and how people have 96 worked to control river floods.

97 Define the geographic unit of a watershed and its importance. Compare and contrast the physical appearance of an active 98 margin with a passive margin . Discuss the seven most common dissolved minerals in sea 99 water. Describe how the ocean became salty and how salts continue to 100 be added to ocean water. Explain how ocean upwelling is related to western 101 intensification. Define the biosphere and explain how it interacts with the 102 atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.

103 Examine how climate is related to soil formation and fertility. Relate soil fertility to human population density and economic 104 prosperity.

105 Define ecosystem

106 Discuss the potential limiting factors in an ecosystem.

107 Examine the effect of removing one member from a food web. Discuss the effect of bioaccumulation of pollutants on a food 108 web.

Physical Geography * Foothill College Allison Lenkeit Meezan