GEOG 203 Physical Geography Dr. A.J.

. Shriar STUDY GUIDE - FINAL EXAM CHAPTERS 1-6 OF STRAHLER The following is a list of key topics we covered in relation to the first six chapters of the textbook, including the Introduction chapter. As noted in class, about 25 of the 70 questions on the final exam will relate to these topics. The remaining 45 questions will relate to material from chapters 7-9 (see below). Branches and types of Geography The four great realms/spheres The shape of the earth Earths rotation and its effects The geographic grid (latitude/longitude and how theyre measured) The global time system, including time zones, international date line (fixed), midnight line/mid-day line (both vary as the earth rotates) Earths revolution around the sun on the plane of the ecliptic The four seasons and their relationship to the tilt of the earths axis The suns declination over the course of the year Electromagnetic radiation (shortwave and longwave) Insolation and factors influencing it Solar position in the sky (daily and seasonal variation) The circle of illumination Calculating mid-day sun angle at any latitude World latitude zones Sensible heat and latent heat Conduction and convection of sensible heat Absorption and release of latent heat Albedo Counterradiation and the greenhouse effect Causes of surface temperature change Net radiation (positive or negative; surplus or deficit) Daily cycle of air temperature Urban versus rural air temperatures and reasons for the differences Temperature structure of the atmosphere and environmental lapse rate Temperature inversions High mountain environments influences on temperature dynamics, etc. Annual cycle of air temperature Maritime vs. continental conditions (effects on temperature dynamics, and why)

Influences on world patterns of air temperature States of water The hydrosphere and the hydrological cycle Watersheds/river basins Humidity (specific vs. relative) Humidity relationship with temperature Adiabatic heating and cooling Adiabatic lapse rates (dry and wet) Dew point temperature and the lifting condensation level Cloud forms/classification Radiation fog Advection fog and types of Precipitation formation and types Precipitation mechanisms (orographic, convective/convectional, frontal/cyclonic) Atmospheric instability and thunderstorms Atmospheric pressure Winds Pressure gradients High pressure cells (anticyclones) Low pressure cells (depressions/cyclones) Coriolis effect and other influences on air flow Hadley cells Main pressure belts/systems and wind patterns The monsoons Winds aloft and Rossby waves Jet streams Surface ocean currents and gyres Deep sea currents El Nio phenomenon and characteristics Weather vs. climate Weather systems - definition Air masses and their classification Frontal activity and types of fronts Wave cyclones Tornadoes Tropical/equatorial weather systems and features Easterly waves Weak equatorial lows Tropical cyclones/hurricanes and their intensity (factors) Storm surges

CHAPTERS 7 9 OF STRAHLER Chapter 7 Global Climates Key influences on temperature and precipitation variation Principal high rainfall regions of the world Principal dry regions Koppen climate classification system basic features Strahler climate classification system (main one in textbook) Key features of, and influences on, each of the 13 climate types within the three main groups (low latitude, mid-latitude, and high latitude) General location of each climate type (where found)

Chapter 8 Biogeographic Processes Key terms/definitions (biogeography, ecosystem, ecology, biomes, aquatic/terrestrial ecosystems) Energy flow in ecosystems (food chain/food web) Key actors in the food chain (primary producers, consumers, decomposers) Photosynthesis and respiration Energy loss in the food web (through respiration) Comparing ecosystems in terms of biomass and net primary productivity (NPP) Factors influencing NPP Biogeochemical cycles, e.g. carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle (general features and importance) Storage vs. active pools within biogeochemical cycles Ecological biogeography and key terms habitat, niche, community, bioclimatic frontier Climatic factors influencing plant and animal distribution (i.e. location of bioclimatic frontiers) Geomorphic and other factors influencing plant and animal distribution Interactions among species (negative, neutral, positive/symbiosis) and examples Ecological succession and landscape disturbance Human disturbance/influence on ecosystems through time

Chapter 9 Global Biogeography Plant life forms The forest biome and five types (formation classes) of forest key features of each and where found (in which climatic zones/categories)

Savanna biome key features and where found Grassland biome a formation classes (tall grass prairie and short grass prairie/steppe) Desert Tundra types and characteristics Transects showing ecosystem/biome variation, e.g. equator to tropic of cancer (in Africa); tropic of cancer to arctic circle (Europe); Nevada to Ohio (at 40 degrees N. Latitude)