Unit 1
Objectives and Study Guide
The first unit exam covers material from "Structure
and Composition of the Atmosphere" through "Atmospheric and Oceanic
Circulation". Questions from any assigned videos viewed during this unit
are included on the exam.
Study tips:
For the conceptual portion (textbook reading):
- Essentials of Geography
- Know the the various steps in geographic inquiry.
- Describe the various kind of maps and imagery used by geographers to
study the earth. (See Reading "Essentials of Geography - Aerial
Photographs and remote sensing")
- Describe the influence of map scale on the amount of detail
portrayed on a map. (See Reading "Essentials of Geography - Map Scale")
- Describe the kinds of maps and what they are used for. (See Reading
"Essentials of Geography - Maps")
- Compare and contrast the types of statistics used in geography. (See Reading "Essentials
of Geography - statistics")
- The Earth System
- Know the difference between an open and closed system
and provide an example of each.
- Know the difference between a great and small circle.
- Know the difference between positive and negative
feedbacks.
- Know the difference between endogenous and exogenous
sources of energy.
- Structure and Composition or the atmosphere
- Know how the atmosphere is subdivided and the
characteristics of the troposphere, tropopause, and
stratosphere.
- Know the permanent and variable gases and their
significance to environmental processes.
- Energy and Radiation
- Know what controls variations in sun angle.
- Know the controls over and geographical variations in
the components of the radiation balance at the surface of
the Earth (e.g., what controls radiation emission,
absorption and reflection, geographical variations in the
net radiation and insolation).
- Know the controls over, and geographical variations in,
the components of the energy balance at the surface of the
Earth (e.g, controls over positive and negative H, LE
G; geographical variations of LE, H).
- Air Temperature
- Know the controls over air temperature (daily
variations, seasonal variations) at a place (e.g., land-sea
contrast, air mass movement.
- Know cause of the geographical variations in air
temperature (latitudinal and how continentality affects
temperature).
- Atmospheric and Oceanic
Circulation
- Know the controls over wind direction and speed (e.g.,
pressure gradient, Coriolis, and surface friction).
- Know how air circulates around highs and lows in the
Northern and Southern hemispheres.
- Know the various local and regional scale winds
(e.g., land-sea breeze, mountain-valley, monsoon) and how they
form.
- Know the global scale patterns of wind and pressure -
very important for unit 1 and unit 2 exams.
For the lab portion you should be able to:
- Compute the zenith and noon sun angles for any latitude on June 22, Dec. 22, March 21,
Sept. 23. (See Lab 1)
- Compute net radiation from a set of radiation balance data. (See Lab 2 Part 1)
- Interpret radiation data (See
Lab 2 Part 1)
- Determine climate conditions from energy balance data. (See Lab 2 Part 2)
- Use radiation balance data to infer sensible heat fluxes. (See Lab 2 Part 1)
- Describe the how temperature ranges vary from west to east across a midlatitude
continent. (See Lab 3 Part 2)
- Compute latitudinal temperature gradients (See Lab 3 Part
3)
- Describe the relationship between pressure gradient and wind speed. (See Lab
4 Part 2)
- Interpret the strength of a pressure gradient from a weather map. (See introduction to
Lab 4 and See Lab
4 Part 2)
- Determine wind speed and direction from a weather map. (See introduction to Lab
4 and See Lab
4 Part 2)
Note: You should know all
formulas for computing:
- Zenith angle, noon sun angle, net radiation, and latitudinal temperature gradient.
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