Deck 1: Essentials of Geography

Question 1

The word spatial refers to

A)the nature and character of physical space.
B)items that relate specifically to society.
C)things that are unique and special.
D)travel outside Earth's atmosphere.
E)eras of time.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Theinductive method of reasoning used by Earth scientists to discern patterns in nature involves reasoning from

A)the complex to the simple.
B)the simple to the complex.
C)the specific to the general.
D)the general to the specific.
E)Earth scientists use th deductive method.

Answer 2

the specific to the general.

Question 3

Which of the following terms characterizes the discipline of geography?

A)exclusive
B)holistic
C)unscientific
D)subjective
E)exhaustive

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Geography is described as

A)an Earth science.
B)a human science.
C)a physical science.
D)a spatial science.
E)a hard science.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the field of physical geography?

A)understanding soil development
B)mapping of rock types to understand the spatial extent of petroleum deposits
C)studying weather
D)understanding how Earth processes interact to produce the phenomena observed in nature
E)applying the principal of superposition of time

Question 6

Which of the following is the most strongly supported by experimental and observational evidence?

A)speculation
B)hypothesis
C)educated guess
D)theory
E)supposition

Question 7

Which of the following is true of scientific theories?

A)they are based on several hypotheses.
B)they are broad in scope because they unify several known facts about the world.
C)they are based on natural laws (such as those pertaining to gravity,relativity,atomic theory,etc. )
D)all of the above.
E)none of the above.

Question 8

Relative to the fundamental themes of geography,your home address is best described within which of the five themes?

A)location
B)place
C)human-Earth relationships
D)movement
E)regions

Question 9

The wind-blown soot,hydrocarbons,and sulfur compounds from the oil-well fires that burned in Kuwait during 1991 fall within which of the five themes?

A)location
B)place
C)human-Earth relationships
D)movement
E)regions

Question 10

Relative to the fundamental themes of geography,the Taj Mahal in India and Ayers Rock in Australia are best described within which of the five themes?

A)location
B)place
C)human-Earth relationships
D)movement
E)regions

Question 11

Which of the following comprise the fundamental duality in the field of geography?

A)physical versus human
B)physical versus economic
C)economic versus political
D)political versus environmental
E)development versus human.

Question 12

Which of the following most accurately characterizes the goal of geography?

A)the production of maps
B)memorization of the names of places on world and regional maps
C)memorization of the imports and exports of a country
D)understanding why a particular place has unique characteristics
E)none of the above

Question 13

The key idea behind the scientific method is

A)the use of intuition in testing theories.
B)an appeal to supernatural explanations when natural explanations have not yet been found for a phenomenon.
C)the testing of ideas through controlled observations and experiments.
D)unbridled speculation about the world.
E)the systematic application of supposition.

Question 14

The science of physical geography is based on the realization that

A)nature is homogenous and spatially undifferentiated.
B)the knowledge of spatial distributions is of little value in understanding nature.
C)nature can best be described and understood as a set of interrelated components through which matter and energy flow.
D)humans have no significant impact on the physical phenomena that occur in nature.
E)past processes have no impact on present landscapes.

Question 15

Geography

A)is science fiction.
B)uses financial analysis.
C)is concerned only with describing systems.
D)is derived from geo and graphein literally,"to write Earth."
E)is based upon principals of systematic science.

Question 16

System analysis,the analytical technique used by modern geographers,was developed by

A)historians who wanted to understand the forces that shaped history.
B)scientists who were studying energy and temperature i.e. ,thermodynamics.
C)astronomers who were interested in developing models of the origin of the solar system.
D)botanists who were interested in studying plant growth and reproduction.
E)politicians who were interested in proper governance.

Question 17

Which is true of geographers?

A)they are Earth systems scientists.
B)they often use the scientific method.
C)they are concerned with spatial and temporal relationships.
D)none of the above is true.
E)all of the above are true.

Question 18

The main methodology governing geographic inquiry

A)is behavioral analysis.
B)involves spatial analysis.
C)uses chronological organization.
D)is field work.
E)is reasoning systematics.

Question 19

"Geography" literally means

A)place memorization.
B)the study of rocks.
C)map making.
D)to write (about)Earth.
E)location distribution.

Question 20

The scientific method is described by which of the following?

A)the application of complex theory
B)a relation to procedures developed by Galileo
C)the development of hypotheses for testing and prediction
D)educated guesswork
E)probability theory and estimation

Question 21

If increased levels of carbon dioxide lead to further increases in temperature by promoting the release of even more carbon dioxide from the oceans,this means that ________ feedback has occurred and that the planet is ________.

A)positive in equilibrium
B)positive out of equilibrium
C)negative in equilibrium
D)negative out of equilibrium

Question 22

If a system responds to a change in input by moving further away from its equilibrium condition,what type of feedback has occurred?

A)positive
B)negative
C)neutral
D)not enough information is given to indicate what type of feedback has occurred.

Question 23

The case of harlequin frogs is an example of

A)slow changes that occur once a tipping point is reached.
B)linear response in a system.
C)powerful synergy between pathogen transmission and climate change.
D)negative feedback.
E)static equilibrium.

Question 24

The carbon dioxide that is being added to the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels is an example of an ________ to the atmosphere and an ________ from the lithosphere.

A)input input
B)input output
C)output output
D)output input

Question 25

A non-rechargeable battery can best be described as a/an ________ energy system and a/an ________ material system.

A)closed closed
B)closed open
C)open open
D)open closed

Question 26

As we burn fossil fuels and release carbon dioxide,the temperature of our planet and the oceans will increase.When the oceans warm they will release more carbon dioxide,further warming the planet and oceans.If this occurs rapidly and causes a sudden rise in temperature,a(n)________ has been crossed and that the planet has moved into a state of ________.

A)input level equilibrium
B)input level disequilibrium
C)threshold equilibrium
D)threshold disequilibrium

Question 27

Which of the following best describes the condition of steady-state equilibrium?

A)system inputs always exactly balance outputs so the system never changes.
B)system inputs and outputs fluctuate around a stable average so the system does not move far from its average condition.
C)system inputs produce large,random fluctuations in output,forcing the system into a new state of equilibrium.
D)systems slowly adjust to long-term changes in input and output.
E)system inputs and outputs do not change and the average remains the same over time.

Question 28

If a storm causes more sediment (dirt)to flow into a river than the river can carry,the sediment will be deposited in the channel.This will make the channel narrower than it was originally.However,as the channel's width decreases,the river's velocity will increase,and this will eventually cause the newly deposited sediment to be eroded.As a result,the original width of the river,as well as normal flow velocities,will be reestablished.In this example,the width of the river channel and the processes controlling it can be considered an example of

A)dynamic equilibrium.
B)positive feedback.
C)negative feedback and steady-state equilibrium.
D)chaos
E)steady-state feedback

Question 29

What type of feedback maintains stability in a system i.e. ,what type of feedback keeps a system functioning properly?

A)positive
B)negative
C)neutral

Question 30

Which of the following is correctly matched?

A)equilibrium imbalance of inputs and outputs
B)steady state equilibrium large fluctuations about an average condition
C)dynamic equilibrium small fluctuations about an average condition that changes gradually over time
D)dynamic equilibrium large fluctuations that lead to a new normal.
E)steady state equilibrium no change over time.

Question 31

With respect to air,water,and material resources,which of the following is true?

A)a leaf is a closed system.
B)a leaf is an open system.
C)a leaf is an open system in terms of air,but closed in terms of material resources.
D)a leaf is an open system in terms of water,but closed in terms of energy resources.
E)a leaf does not represent a system.

Question 32

The increase in meltponds in Arctic regions is an example of

A)positive feedback,because the melt ponds absorb more solar energy than the ice did.
B)positive feedback,as the melt ice freezes it increases the area of ice.
C)negative feedback,because the ponds reflect more sunlight than ice and therefore absorb less energy.
D)negative feedback,as the ice melts the water freezes,increasing the amount of ice.

Question 33

Systems encountered in nature at Earth's surface,such as the soil in a floodplain,are

A)open systems in terms of matter and energy.
B)closed systems in terms of matter and energy.
C)open systems in terms of matter only.
D)closed systems in terms of energy only.
E)there are no systems at Earth's surface

Question 34

The capacity to change the motion of,or to do work on,matter is the definition of

A)energy.
B)plasma.
C)thermodynamics.
D)acceleration.
E)system.

Question 35

If we burn fossil fuels,which release carbon dioxide and warm the atmosphere,as the oceans warm they will release more carbon dioxide,which warms the atmosphere.This is an example of ________ feedback.If the increased atmospheric carbon dioxide causes increased plant growth which removes carbon dioxide and cools the atmosphere,this is an example of ________ feedback.

A)positive positive
B)positive negative
C)negative negative
D)negative positive

Question 36

If the human population keeps growing rapidly,there could be a rapid shift from there being enough food to large scale food shortages and starvation.The point at which this change occurs is a(n)

A)type of dynamic equilibrium condition.
B)type of metastable equilibrium.
C)threshold.
D)input.

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of a system?

A)a leaf
B)a river drainage basin
C)a midlatitude cyclonic storm
D)All of these are examples of systems.
E)None of these are examples of systems.

Question 38

Which of the following is correct?

A)Earth represents a vast integrated system.
B)Earth represents a closed system in terms of energy.
C)Earth represents an open system in terms of matter.
D)new resources and matter are being added to Earth's systems all the time.
E)Earth 's systems are in static equilibrium.

Question 39

If Earth warmed up,and more snow fell because of more water vapour in the atmosphere,and that snow then reduced Earth's temperature,which increased snow cover,then the initial increase in snow fall would be ________ feed back,while the continued increase in snow fall would be ________ feed back.

A)positive positive
B)positive negative
C)negative positive
D)negative negative

Question 40

Around the Grand Canyon the predators of deer were largely exterminated by people.The deer population grew rapidly as a result of the lack of predators until the deer exhausted their food supply.This led to a massive die-off (known as a population crash)and hundreds of deer died of starvation.The point at which the food supply no longer supported the large deer population can best be considered a

A)model.
B)metastable equilibrium condition.
C)threshold.
D)dynamic equilibrium condition.
E)average or mean condition.

Question 41

Isaac Newton reasoned that Earth was not perfectly spherical because of

A)centrifugal force created by Earth's more rapid rotation at the equator.
B)centrifugal force created by Earth's more rapid rotation at the poles.
C)gravitational force created by Earth's more rapid rotation at the equator.
D)gravitational force created by Earth's more rapid rotation at the poles.
E)the curvature of the horizon from ships at sea.

Question 42

An angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian from the centre of Earth is termed

A)longitude.
B)latitude.
C)zenith.
D)Greenwich distance.
E)azimuth.

Question 43

The realization that Earth was a sphere

A)did not occur in Europe until the first voyages of Columbus.
B)had to wait until the modern era (1800s).
C)was first made by Pythagoras,580-500 B.C.
D)was made by Isaac Newton.
E)meant that maps could not be produced accurately.

Question 44

If an observer determines that the North Star (Polaris)is located 30° above the horizon,then the observer is located at

A)70° north latitude.
B)60° north latitude.
C)30° north latitude.
D)60° north longitude.
E)30° north longitude.

Question 45

Which of the following statements regarding the development of models by scientists is true?

A)all models cannot incorporate all the relevant factors affecting a phenomenon because some factors are either unknown or cannot be accurately represented.
B)complex systems involve so many variables that the interactions among them cannot be fully understood and incorporated into models.
C)most scientists believe that because systems cannot be modelled with 100 percent accuracy,models can never be perfect representations of reality.
D)a model is better than the assumptions and accuracy of information upon which it is based.
E)models work exactly as the real world systems they represent.

Question 46

The science that specifically attempts to determine Earth's shape and size by surveys and mathematical means is called

A)geography.
B)geology.
C)cartography.
D)astronomy.
E)geodesy.

Question 47

An angular distance measured north or south of the equator from the centre of Earth is termed

A)longitude.
B)latitude.
C)zenith.
D)Greenwich distance.
E)tangent.

Question 48

The diameter of Earth is largest when measured around the

A)poles.
B)equator.
C)subtropics.
D)prime meridian.
E)tropic of cancer.

Question 49

Living systems are considered

A)biotic.
B)inorganic.
C)part of the lithosphere.
D)abiotic.
E)lithified

Question 50

The oblateness of Earth occurs at the

A)poles.
B)equator.
C)subtropics.
D)prime meridian.
E)international date line.

Question 51

A value for Earth's circumference was first calculated by

A)Columbus.
B)Pythagoras.
C)modern satellite measurements.
D)a librarian at Alexandria named Eratosthenes.
E)da Vinci.

Question 52

Which of the following is true of models?

A)they are concrete representations of the world.
B)they are unrealistic representations of the world.
C)they are simplified representations of the world.
D)they cannot be used to measure real world phenomena.
E)because they are small,they cannot accurately reflect reality.

Question 53

A parallel of latitude

A)is used to measure distances east and west of the equator.
B)is used to measure distances north or south of the equator.
C)measures longitude.
D)is a line which passes through both poles.
E)is called a meridian.

Question 54

Which of the following is easily determined using the position of the Sun or stars?

A)longitude
B)latitude
C)altitude

Question 55

Who made a significant,early contribution to cartography by adding a grid and orienting the map with north at the top? He also divided the circumference of Earth into 360°,with each degree comprising 60 minutes,and each minute comprising 60 seconds.

A)Pythagoras-in the sixth century B.C.
B)Sir Isaac Newton-in the seventeenth century A.D.
C)Magellan-in the sixteenth century A.D.
D)Ptolemy-in the second century A.D.
E)Eratosthenes -in the second century B.C.

Question 56

Which of the following is true of the biosphere?

A)it is never referred to as the ecosphere.
B)it exists on other planets in the solar system.
C)it is not connected to the overlapping inorganic spheres.
D)it extends from the floor of the oceans to 8 km into the atmosphere.
E)it is also known as the cryosphere.

Question 57

Which of the following is true of the biosphere?

A)life processes generally are not shaped by the abiotic spheres.
B)life processes generally are shaped by the abiotic spheres.
C)it is not connected to the overlapping inorganic spheres.
D)it only occurs in the hydrosphere.
E)it is connected only to the atmosphere.

Question 58

Which of the following statements about Earth is correct?

A)it is elongated.
B)Earth is the second largest planet in the solar system.
C)the equatorial diameter is 42 km greater than the polar diameter.
D)Earth is perfectly spherical.
E)it is a prolate spheroid.

Question 59

The individual who first determined the circumference of Earth did so using which of the following?

A)geometry
B)geology
C)geodesy
D)cartography
E)cryology

Question 60

According to the text,the three inorganic Earth realms are the

A)thermosphere,lithosphere,heterosphere.
B)hydrosphere,lithosphere,and atmosphere.
C)atmosphere,geoid,and homosphere.
D)stratosphere,magnetosphere,and troposphere.
E)biosphere,lithosphere,and atmosphere.

Question 61

The letters P.M.stand for

A)prior majolica.
B)previous morning.
C)post meridiem.
D)possible meridian.

Question 62

A line connecting all points along the same longitudinal angle is called a

A)meridian.
B)parallel.
C)prime latitudinal angle.
D)great circle.
E)small circle.

Question 63

Which of the following is true of the prime meridian?

A)it is used to determine latitude using lines that run east and west.
B)it was first used in the 1500s at the time of initial circumnavigation voyages.
C)it was not established until 1884 and is centered on an observatory near London.
D)it is that place on Earth where the days officially change.
E)it is the first line north of the equator.

Question 64

Which of the following is true of meridians?

A)they cross parallels at right angles.
B)all meridians are the same length.
C)they are used to measure east-west angular distances.
D)meridians extend for half the circumference of Earth.
E)can be seen on Earths surface in desert environments.

Question 65

The most extreme northern and southern parallels to experience perpendicular rays of the Sun at local noon are located at

A)90° north and south.
B)23.5° north and south.
C)45° north and south.
D)66.5° north and south.
E)no parallels experience perpendicular rays of the Sun.

Question 66

The basis for defining the length of a day is the fact that

A)Earth rotates east to west.
B)Earth moves through 365.25 days a year in its orbit about the Sun.
C)Earth rotates on its axis in 24 hours i.e. ,it rotates 15° of longitude per hour.
D)Earth does not rotate rather,it revolves.
E)Earth rotates west to east.

Question 67

The letters A.M.and P.M.refer to the time at which

A)the Sun's rays first appear above the eastern horizon at dawn.
B)the Sun's rays first disappear below the western horizon at dusk.
C)the Sun is directly overhead at noon.
D)the Sun crosses the equator moving north on the first day of spring.
E)the Sun is at its farthest extent south during winter.

Question 68

Which of the following is true of the length (as measured in kilometers)of a degree of latitude?

A)it is consistent at all latitudes.
B)it is longer near the equator than near the poles.
C)it is shorter near the equator than near the poles.
D)it is shorter near the prime meridian than near the international dateline.
E)it decreases by 15 minutes for each degree north of the equator.

Question 69

Areas located above ________ latitude experience 24 hours of daylight for six months of the year and 24 hours of night for six months of the year.

A)10°
B)23.5°
C)66.5°
D)80°
E)30°

Question 70

Which of the following is true regarding the 0° prime meridian?

A)the key to measuring angular distances east and west of the prime meridian was the development of accurate compasses.
B)the prime meridian passes through Paris,France.
C)the prime meridian was determined by Galileo in the early 1600s.
D)there was no way of determining this meridian at sea until as late as AD 1760.
E)international agreement regarding the location of the prime meridian was not resolved until the 1980s when a treaty was completed.

Question 71

If you were standing at 20° north latitude you would be within which latitudinal geographic zone?

A)tropical
B)midlatitude
C)equatorial
D)subarctic
E)subtropical

Question 72

How far north you live from the equator is measured as your ________,whereas an imaginary line marking all those places at that same distance north of the equator is called a ________.

A)longitude meridian
B)meridian longitude
C)latitude parallel
D)parallel latitude
E)location place

Question 73

Latitude

A)is the angular distance measured north or south of the equator.
B)is the angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian.
C)is the basis for establishing meridians.
D)is portrayed on a globe as lines that cross the equator at right angles.
E)maintains a constant length from pole to pole.

Question 74

If you were standing at 60° north latitude you would be within which latitudinal geographic zone?

A)subantarctic
B)midlatitude
C)antarctic
D)subarctic
E)subtropical

Question 75

If City A is located west of City B,the time at City A is ________ than that at City B because Earth rotates from ________ when viewed from above the North Pole.

A)earlier west to east(i.e.,counterclockwise)
B)earlier east to west (i.e.,clockwise)
C)later west to east (i.e.,counterclockwise)
D)later east to west (i.e.,clockwise)

Question 76

GPS units are

A)accurate within 10 m.
B)a metric version of longitude and latitude.
C) th of a Greenwich Precision Second.
D)not available to the public they are only available to the military.
E)can be used to measure the speed of objects travelling outside Earth's atmosphere.

Question 77

Global Positioning System (GPS)units

A)recently found that the summit of Mt.Everest is 8850 m above sea level.
B)are accurate to 150 m.
C)are not used by the military and surveyors.
D)can be used for crops to germinate.
E)allow automobiles to drive themselves.

Question 78

Longitude is

A)an angular distance measured north or south of the equator.
B)used to calibrate clocks.
C)the basis for establishing parallels.
D)an angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian.
E)determined by Sun altitude above the horizon.

Question 79

The meridian opposite Earth's prime meridian (0° longitude)is called

A)secondary meridian.
B)the anti-meridian.
C)the equator.
D)the International Date Line.
E)the martial meridian.

Question 80

The letters A.M.stand for

A)after midnight.
B)after morning.
C)ante majolica.
D)ante meridiem.
E)after meridian.