Physical Geo Final

• 14.7 lbs per square inch

• 29.92 inches (mercurial barometer)

• 1013.2 mb ( aneroid barometer)

- Equatorial low
- subtropical highs
- subpolar lows
- polar highs

Dew, fog, clouds, rain/drizzle

Dew: moisture that forms as a result of water changing from a vapor to a liquid

Fog: cloud of small water droplets, near the ground, reduces visibility
Clouds: visible acclimations of tiny water droplets or ice crystals in earths atmosphere

Rain: water falling from the sky, liquid precipitation

Frost, snow, ice crystal clouds (cirrus)

- Frost: water vapor that becomes solid. Ice crystals

- Snow: accumulation of packed ice crystals

- Ice Crystal Clouds (cirrus): Made from water crystals, wispy, thin, proceed a warm front

Sublimation, gas, deposition, solid

Sublimation - heat absorbed (solid to gas)

Gas - heat absorbed, then released

Deposition - heat released

Solid - heat released, then absorbed

Sublimation takes the most energy

- Pressure Gradient (Steepness):
the difference between high and low pressure (a big difference results in FAST wind and a small difference results in SLOW wind)

- Friction:
goes against wind speed which slows the wind down

Pressure Gradient ( orientation ):

• surface arrangement of the pressure centers

Coriolis Force:

• Deflection in the course of a moving object, especially gasses and fluids, brought about by the rotation of the earth

•  Strength of the Coriolis force increases with increasing latitude

• Nonexistent at the equator; full in force at the poles

subtropical regions known for calm winds and little precipitation. Subtropical Highs are located here.

• adding or subtracting water vapor

• change temperature

• High winds

• Torrential rains 

• Large Waves

• Storm Surge

1. Latitude (pressure belts) 

• High pressure belts

• ( N+S subtropical highs) (N+S polar highs) = fair weather little precipitation  

2. Continentality

• Oceans are primary source of atmospheric water vapor, closer to oceanic water vapor source 

3. Ocean Currents

• Warm ocean currents flow along east coasts = wetter

• Cold ocean current flow along west coasts = dryer

4. Mountains

• found in high mountain regions

• Windwards side (facing the wind) = wetter

• leeward side (facing away from wind) = dryer

 windward side is in the shadow of the leeward side

• Temperature goes down

• Pressure goes down 

• Volume expands 

• Relative humidity goes up

• Temperature goes up 

• Pressure goes up 

• Volume contrates 

• Relative humidity goes down

Windwards side: (facing the wind) = wetter

Leeward side: (facing away from wind) = dryer

The Age of the Earth, estimated to be around 4.6 billion years.

A timeline that divides Earth’s history into different periods and epochs based on major geological and biological events.

• Core: (inner and outer) 4400 miles thick

• Mantle: largest portion of the earths interior (about 1800 miles thick)

• Crust: 2.5-40 miles thick; thinnest under the ocean (oceanic crust) and thickest under the continents (continental crust)

the part of the crust and upper rigid mantle that compress tectonic plates; also refers to the entire solid earth

the plastic layer of the upper mantle that underlies the lithosphere. Its rock is dense but very hot and therefore weak and easily deformed

• Igneous: formed by the cooling of molten rock ex. Granite, basalt, and pumice

• Sedimentary: formed by sediments (particles of rock shells and vegetative material) ex. Limestone, sandstone, and coal

• metamorphic: Changed shape; most igneous and sedimentary rocks have metamorphic counterparts. Ex. Gnice, schist

Proposed the idea of Pangea and the Continental Drift Theory

Theory proposed by Alfred Wegener that suggests the continents were once joined together as a supercontinent called Pangea.

Massive Slabs of solid rock that make up Earth’s lithosphere and move due to convection currents in the mantle.

The boundaries between tectonic plates, including rifts, plate collisions, and transform faults.

The coastlines of the Pacific Ocean characterized by numerous volcanoes and earthquake activity

ground shaking energy released by sudden movement of the earth’s crust. Usually the result of displacement along a fault.

rates the earthquakes on the order of magnitude

the underground center of motion

the point on the earth’s surface directly above the focus

The study of landforms

forces that build up landforms (endogenetic)

solid state

bending of rock called stratum

breaking of rock

molten state - movement of magma from Earth’s interior to or near the surface

(magma) movement of molten rock beneath the earth’s surface

(lava) movement of molten rock above the earth’s surface

Forces which wear down exogenetic forces (forces from outside the earth)

the wearing down of rock material

Breaking down (chemical and physical weathering)

Removal (water, wind, and ice all cause erosion)

Depositing (beaches, deltas (Mississippi delta), and dunes)

Davis: Father of Geography; geomorphologist; developed the Geomorphic cycle

Landforms go through a series of of stages of development

(youthful landforms, mature landforms, old age landforms)

Precipitation is low. Two types: arid (most dry) and semiarid (receives enough precipitation to support grasslands)

Continental, or humid subtropical - cold winters and hot summers

A graphical representation of climate data, showing the average monthly temperature and precipitation for a specific location

Number of climates existing in a proximity - found in mountainous areas