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GEO 201 Final Exam Study Hints
Discuss the negative impact of humans on our Planet Earth. What have we done to our water, air, soil, and biosphere? What must we do to avoid a looming ecological catastrophe? What is meant by sustainable development?
GEO 201 Final Sp 09 Summary
Chapter One: Introduction History of Geography Greek origins Voyages of Discovery Modern geographers Fields of Geography Earth science tradition Culture-environment tradition Area analysis tradition or the regional concept Locational tradition Key Concepts The key concepts of geography as a spatial science are location, distance and direction. Each of these terms may be absolute or relative. Other concepts include scale, size, place. Spatial attributes may be physical and cultural. Places and sites have spatial interactions with each other. Interactions depend on accessibility (or remoteness), connectivity, spatial differentiation, and spatial diffusion. Regions may be formal or (uniform) regions, functional (or nodal) regions, perceptual regions, popular regions, and vernacular regions. Chapter Two: Maps Map Projections Area, Shape, Distance, Direction, Scale, Legend, Map Symbols Meridians of Longitude and Parallels of Latitude Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic Circle, Prime Meridian at Greenwich, England; Greenwich Mean Time; One hour per 15 degrees east or west of prime meridian; East add an hour; West subtract an hour from GMT. International Date Line. The Land Ordinance of 1785 established a township and range system (grid of 6 sq. miles) Rhumb line Mercator Projection Great Circle Contour lines; Isoline; Isohyets, isotherms, and isobars Geographic Information System (GIS) A circle has 360 degrees; 1 degree has 60 minutes; one minute has 60 seconds Types of Maps Topographic Maps (terrain) Thematic Maps and Data Representation Choropleth Maps Area Cartogram Flow line Maps Geographic Information Technologies Remote Sensing Global Positioning System (GPS) Geographic Data Base Chapter Three: Physical Geography: Formation of Landforms Geologic Time Earth is 4.6 billion years old Earth’s Core, Mantle, Crust Magnetic Field Asthenosphere is partially molten rock at the top of the mantle Lithosphere is the rock layer making up the crust of the earth Movement of the Continents Alfred Wegener’s Theory of Continental Drift Plate Tectonics Lithospheric plates move. Subduction Faults separate different lithospheric plates Tectonic Forces Diastrophism due to great weight of these plates Folding, warping, twisting, breaking, or compressing rock Earthquakes:
whenever movement occurs along a fault Richter Scale Tsunami Volcanism: Molten material rises to the surface. Often near fault lines, but also at “hot spots.” Strato or composite volcano—violent eruption Shield volcano—slow oozing of lava. Converging and diverging plate boundaries. Gradational Forces Weathering: mechanical and chemical Mass movement: mudslides, talus at bottom Erosional Agents: Running Water, Wind, Ocean waves Landforms: Stream Landscapes; floodplains; alluvium; groundwater; Karst topography; glaciers; permafrost; Rock Cycle Igneous Rocks; Magma below surface; lava above surface Extrusive Igneous rock forms from lave Intrusive Igneous rock forms from magma Sedimentary Rocks Metamorphic Rocks Chapter Four: Physical Geography: Weather and Climate Our planet Earth rotates around the Sun once every 365 ¼ days or one solar year. (One year on earth is 365.26 days long.) We are tilted 23.5 degrees away from the perpendicular. This tilt gives us our seasons. The Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours. (actually it is 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds long.) This gives us our night and day. We have one Moon rotating around the earth every 28 days. The rotation of the Earth and the gravity of the Moon give us our tides. Temperature on Earth depends largely on how much solar radiation is received by a given location on earth. This is called insolation. The tropics, north and south of the equator, receive the most insolation. During the winter, depending on the hemisphere, land north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle receive no sunlight at all. The temperature at a given location is a primary factor determining weather and climate. The Seasons September 21: Equinox
March 21: Equinox
North Pole Atmosphere Atmosphere Lapse Rate (3.5 degrees Fahrenheit per 1000 feet) or (6.4 degrees Celsius per 1000 Meters) Insolation is the amount of sunlight that reaches a certain place on earth Reflection and Reradiation Most of the surface of the Earth is made up of water (71%). Water heats slower than land. Evaporation of water and temperature differences create both wind and precipitation. Air Pressure, Wind, Precipitation, and Temperature: Weather and Climate Weather is the daily description of temperature, air pressure, and precipitation. Climate is the yearly aggregation of daily weather. The atmosphere is the region above the land surface. Air Pressure Pressure Gradient Force Convection System Land and Sea Breezes Mountain and Valley Breezes Coriolis Effect Frictional Effect Global Air Circulation Patterns Jet Streams Equatorial low pressure When air ascends, as at the equator, low pressure results. Hot temperatures heat up water, precipitate it, and make it rise. At the equator it rains daily
Subtropical high pressure When air descends, at 30 degrees N and S, high pressure results Polar air masses move away from poles to warmer areas. Ocean Currents Moisture in the Atmosphere Storms Climate Regions Climate Change
Chapter Five: Natural Resources Natural Resources: Renewable Nonrenewable Perpetual Potentially Renewable Fossil Fuels Metallic and non-metallic minerals
Industrialization Globalization Non-Renewable Energy Resources Fossil Fuels: Oil Coal Natural Gas Oil Shale and Tar Sands Nuclear Energy: Fission and Fusion Renewable Energy Resources Biomass Fuels: Wood and Waste Hydropower Solar Power Geothermal Wind power Non Fuel Mineral Resources Land Resources Soils Wetlands Forest Resources Resource Management Sustainable development Conservation Carrying Capacity Energy Usage in US and Elsewhere Plans for Future Chapter Six: Population Geography Demographic Transition Zero Population Growth Crude Birth Rate Fertility Rate Crude Death Rate Infant Mortality Rate Rate of Natural Increase and Doubling Time Democraphic Equation equals net rate of natural increase plus net rate of migration Migration patterns: in migration and out migration Population Pyramid Population Density Ecumene: World Population Patterns Population Momentum Overpopulation? Chapter Seven: Cultural Geography Cultural Landscape Cultural Diversity Subsystems of Culture Culture Change
Diffusion Culture traits Language Pidgin and Creole Languages Toponymy Lingua franca Religion Universalizing religions Ethnic religions Traditional or tribal religions Major Religions Islam Hinduism Ethnicity Gender Chapter Nine: Political Geography State Nation Nation State
Chapter Ten: Economic Geography Categories of Economic Activities Types of Economic systems Stages of Economic Development Agriculture Von Thuenen Model for agricultural location Industry Location of Industry Agglomeration Footloose industries
Chapter Eleven: An Urban World Worldwide Urbanization Origin and Evolution of Cities Central cities Suburbs Metropolitan Areas Megalopolis Population density Residential segregation patterns Social status, family status, ethnicity Rank size rule Gentrification Homelessn Site Selection Economic Base Central Market Central Place Theory Systems of Cities Inside the City Urban
Planning Social Areas of Cities Family Status Global urban Diversity
Chapter Twelve: Human Impact on the Enviornment Ecosystem Water Air and Climate Landforms Plants and Animals Solid Waste Disposal Pollution Temperature Inversion
Chapter Thirteen: Area Analysis Tradition or Regional Approach Review of approaches to geography All other approaches utilize a
regional approach Regions Formal Regions: areas of cultural or physical uniformity Air masses Functional Regions Perceptual or Popular or Vernacular Regions Regions in the Earth Science Tradition
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