Physical Geography Study Guide: Part 2
Chapters 5 & 6, 7 & 8
Elemental Geosystems
Chapter 5 Overview
WEATHER - Why is Weather so Fascinating?
Weather & Water Basics
Water - An Important Part of Weather
Water on Earth
The Unique Properties of Water
Phase Changes & Latent Heat
Water in the Atmosphere
Humidity
Clouds & Fogs
The Atmosphere - Stable & Unstable Conditions
Lifting Mechanisms
Storms & Other Violent Weather
Mid-latitude Cyclonic Storm Patterns
Thunderstorms & Tornadoes
Hurricanes & Typhoons
Why is Weather so Fascinating?
Weather & Water Basics
1. Definitions
Weather, Climate & Meteorology
B. Water: Basic facts
71% of Earth's surface is covered by water
Water is found in three states solid liquid & gas
Energy is either absorbed or released when water changes from one state to another
These changes are called phase shifts
Water on Earth
C. The Source of Earth's Water: Outgassing
1. Changing locations of water
2. Distribution of Earth's water The Unique Properties of Water
2. Unique properties of water
Composition H20
Hydrogen bonding & surface tension
Capillary action
B. Describing water's phases:
Solid, Liquid & Gas
Heat properties of water
Phase Changes & Latent Heat
What is latent heat?
Phase shifts & heat storage
Latent heat in nature- Powering much of our weather
Water in the Atmosphere: Humidity
3. Water in the atmosphere
Defining & measuring humidity
Relative Humidity
Saturated air & Dew point temperature
Measuring relative humidity
Vapor pressure & specific humidity
b. Instruments for measuring
The Atmosphere - Stable & Unstable Conditions
4. Atmospheric Stability
A. What is atmospheric stability?
Decreasing temperatures & the adiabatic process
a. Normal & Environmental lapse rate
b. Dry adiabatic rate (DAR)
Moist adiabatic rate (MAR)
Diagramming stable & unstable atmospheric conditions
Sable Conditions: Clouds Do Not Form
Atmospheric temps decrease slower than the lapse rate
Elevation DAR: 5 F Atmospheric Temps.
Lapse rate = 3.5 F
Unstable Conditions: Clouds Form
Atmospheric temps decrease faster than the lapse rate
Elevation MAR: 2 F. Atmospheric Temps.
Lapse rate = 3.5 F
Water in the Atmosphere: Clouds & Fogs
5. Clouds & Fog
Moisture droplets & Condensation nuclei
Clouds: types & identification
CLOUDS are defined by ______________________ & __________________________
Name of Cloud
Description Drawings
High Clouds:
6 - 18 km above
ground
CIRRUS
CIRROSTRATUS
CIRROCUMULUS
Delicate: streaks or patches.
Transparent thin white sheet.
Layer of small white puffs.
Middle Clouds
2 - 6 km above ground
ALTOCUMULUS
ALTO STRATUS
White to grey; puffs, waves in patches & layers.
Uniform white or grey layer.
Low Clouds:
0 - 2 km above ground
STRATOCUMULUS
STRATUS
NIMBOSTRATUS
Layer of large rolls or merged puffs.
Uniform grey layer.
Uniform grey layer with precipitation.
Clouds with Vertical
Development:
0 - 3 km above ground
CUMULUS
CUMULONIMBUS
Detached heaps: sharp outlines & and flat bases.
Large puffy clouds: great height, smooth or flat tops,
thunder & lightening and precipitation.
Water in the Atmosphere: Clouds & Fogs
Fogs: types & formation processes
Advection, upslope, valley, evaporation & radiation fogs
The Atmosphere - Lifting Mechanisms
6. Atmospheric lifting mechanisms
A. Convectional lifting
Orographic lifting
Rainshadow
Frontal lifting
1. Cold & warm fronts
Storms & Other Violent Weather
Mid-latitude Cyclonic Storm Patterns
Midlatitude cyclonic systems
The lifecycle of a midlatitude cyclone
The four stages
CA's winter weather & midlatitude cyclones
Thunderstorms & Tornadoes
B. Thunderstorms
Thunder, lightening & hail
C. Tornadoes
Funnel clouds & water spouts
Hurricanes & Typhoons
D. Tropical cyclones: Hurricanes & typhoons
Chapter 6: Overview
WATER
The Hydrologic Cycle
Water on Earth's Surface
The Water Balance Concept
Surface Discharge & Soil Moisture
Water Underground-Aquifers
Water as a Resource & Water Issues
The Hydrologic Cycle
1. The hydrological cycle
A. Drawing the hydrologic cycle model
1. Evaporation & transpiration
2. Condensation & precipitation
3. Run-off, infiltration & percolation
Water on Earth's Surface: The Water Balance Concept
2. The Water balance concept
The water balance equation: (In Out = + or -)
PRECIP
2. POTET
3. DEFIC
4. SURPL
Water on Earth's Surface: Surface Discharge & Soil Moisture
3. Surface Discharge Rivers & Streams
Distribution of streams
Exotic streams & internal drainage
Water stored in soils
Soil moisture (STRGE)
Field capacity & gravitational water
Soil moisture recharge
Soil Moisture Utilization
Hygroscopic water
Water available for plants
Capillary water & wilting points
Water Underground-Aquifers
4. Our underground water resource
Getting the water into the ground
Permeable & impermeable ground
2. Porosity, zone of aeration & zone of saturation
B. Water in the ground
Aquifers, the water table & artesian wells
Aquiclude, confined & unconfined aquifers
Aquifer recharge areas
Using ground water
Drawdown & cone of depression
Important issues:
Overuse: the Ogallala
Pollution & groundwater
Water as a Resource: Water Issues
5. Water: a precious resource
A. How we use our water: Irrigation, industry, municipalities
Where it comes from: Surface or ground water
Quantity vs. quality:
Chapters 8 & 9: Overview
EARTH'S CHANGING LANDSCAPES: OUR DYNAMIC PLANET
Thinking Geologically: Understanding Time & Earth
Inside Earth: The Internal Structure & How We Know What's There
The Forces Shaping Earth's Surface: Three Processes at Work
Earth's Surface Structures:
Describing Surface Relief Features
The Tectonic Cycle
The Rock Cycle
Shaping The Continents:
Folding & Faulting
Orogensis & Volcanic Activities
Thinking Geologically: Understanding Time & Earth
1. Thinking Geologically.......
A. Geologic time
B. The geologic time scale:
1. Important concepts & assumptions
a. Sequence Superposition
b. Relative time Absolute age
C. How the Earth was formed: Geologic Theories:
1. Uniformitarianism: "The present is the Key to the Past"
2. Catastrophism/Catastrophic Events
Inside Earth: The Internal Structure & How We Know What's There
2. Earth's Internal Structures & Endogenic Energy Sources
A. What we know: Earth in cross section
1. Three Concentric Layers:
2. Internal differentiation & heat transfer
a. Convection cycles
B. How we know what's there:
1. Seismic waves
a. Density, heat & wave direction
a. P waves & S waves
2. Discontinuities
a. The Moho & Gutenburg
3. Earth's magnetism
a. Magnetic Earth
Magnetic reversals & Traces in molten rocks!
C. Earth's Internal Structure: Crust to Core!
1. Earth's Core
a. Inner core
b. Outer core
2. Earth's Mantle
a. Lower mantle
b. Upper mantle & asthenosphere
Earth's Lithosphere & Crust
a. Continental Crust & isostacy
b. Oceanic crust
The Forces Shaping Earth's Surface: Three Processes at Work
Three principle formation processes or cycles at work:
A. Tectonic cycle
1. Powered by:
B. Rock cycle
1. Powered by:
C. Hydrologic cycle
1. Powered by:
Earth's Surface Structures: Describing Surface Relief Features
4. The Earth's Surface Relief Features (Ch. 9)
A. Terms:
Relief & topography
2. Hyposometry (hypos = __height__)
Crustal orders of relief
First order of relief
Second order of relief
Third order of relief
Earth's Generalized Topographic Regions
1. Plains 4. High table-lands
2. Mountains 5. Individual Mountains
3. Hills 6. Depressions
Earth's Surface Structures: The Rock Cycle
5. Moving matter at the surface of the Earth: The Rock Cycle
A. Definitions:
1. Mineral
2. Rock
B. Chemical composition of basic rock types
1. Elements in Crust (List by % of Earth's crust)
2. Silicates:
3. Oxides:
4. Carbonates:
Earth's Surface Structures: The Rock Cycle cont
C.. Three basic types of rock:
Igneous Rocks
a. Extrusive
b. Intrusive
1. Plutons & Batholith
2. Sedimentary Rocks
a. Lithification & Stratigraphy
b. Clastic or Chemical
1. Organic
a. Limestone & Coal
2. Inorganic evaporites
3. Metamorphic Rocks
a. Heat
Pressure
Earth's Surface Structures: The Tectonic Cycle
6. Building the Surface of Earth: The Tectonic Cycle:
What Is Plate Tectonics?
Convection Cells at work
Earth's Surface Structures: The Tectonic Cycle cont.
Plate boundaries: Three types
Divergent Boundaries: Spreading sea-floors & mid oceanic ridges
Convergent boundaries: 3 types
Ocean/continent: Subduction & oceanic trenches
Ocean/ocean: Oceanic trenches & submarine volcanoes
Continent/continent: Folding & uplifted mountains
Transform boundaries: grinding past, faulting
A brief history of drifting continents
Some evidence
Paleo-magnetism
Continental Shields (Craton)
Building the Continental Crust
Terranes (not terrain)
3. Pangea Past & The Future Earth
Shaping The Continents: Folding & Faulting
Rearranging the Crust: The Forces At Work
The Physics of Stress
Compression
Tension
Shearing
Folding in the Crust:
Anticlines & Synclines
Basins & Domes
Faulting: The Causes
Fault zones & their locations
a. Plate Boundaries
Types of Faults
Tension Faults: Normal, Tilted Block, Horst & Grabben
Compression Faults: Reverse & Thrust Faults
Sheer: Strike & Slip Faults
D. Faulting: Earthquakes
Tectonic earthquakes
2. Measuring Earthquakes
Seismograph & the Richter scale
Elastic-rebound theory
E. Humans & Earthquakes
1. SF area
2. S. Cal area
Be prepared!
Shaping The Continents: Orogensis & Volcanic Activities
Orogensis: What is it?
A. Types of orogenies:
Ocean-continent collisions
Ring of Fire
Continent-continent collisions
Ocean-ocean collisions
The Appalachian Mountains
Mountains under Construction
North America: Rockies & the Sierras
2. Eurasia: Alps & the Himalayas
South America: The Andes
Volcanism:
A. Terms:
Volcano
Crater
Geothermal energy
Lava
Tephra
Cinder cone
Caldera
Locations of volcanic activity
Subduction zones
Spreading seafloors
Hot Spots
Shaping The Continents: Volcanic Activities Cont.
Types of volcanic activity
Effusive eruptions
Shield volcanoes
Plateau basalts
Explosive eruptions
Composite volcanoes
3. Other types of volcanic landscapes