Deck 1: Introduction to Physical Geography

Question 1

Humans are considered part of the

A) atmosphere.
B) lithosphere.
C) hydrosphere.
D) biosphere.
E) none of these.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Geographers are studying the phenomenon whereby,as the global population increases,arable land is being converted into zones of economic development and residential housing.This development leads to more intensive farming of the agricultural soils still in use,increasing the risk of soil erosion and pollution.This study falls into which of the following categories?

A) deforestation
B) farmland loss
C) global climate change
D) natural hazards
E) none of these

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Birds would be placed in this sphere.

A) atmosphere
B) lithosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) biosphere
E) none of these

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Within the field of geography,most geographers consider themselves to be either a(n)

A) physical or human specialist.
B) marine or soil specialist.
C) field or data specialist.
D) regional or political specialist.
E) animal or human specialist.

Question 5

This sphere provides the habitat and nutrients for many life-forms as rocks and minerals.

A) atmosphere
B) lithosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) biosphere
E) none of these

Question 6

Geographers are analyzing data on where and when hurricanes strike,tornadoes form,flooding takes place,earthquakes happen,and the like.As the global population grows,many people are moving into areas affected by these events.This study falls into which of the following categories?

A) deforestation
B) farmland loss
C) global climate change
D) natural hazards
E) none of these

Question 7

In physical geography the processes we talk about are fundamentally products of the energy

A) that flows from the Sun to the Earth.
B) from the heat of the Earth's interior.
C) of plate tectonics.
D) from the greenhouse effect.
E) absorbed by the ozone layer.

Question 8

This sphere is composed of many critical components essential to life,such as oxygen,carbon,water,and nitrogen in vapor or gaseous form.

A) atmosphere
B) lithosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) biosphere
E) none of these

Question 9

In physical geography the term process broadly refers to

A) a series of actions that turn one thing into another thing.
B) a series of actions that can be measured and that produce a predictable end result.
C) the steps necessary to go from an initial condition to the final product.
D) the steps involved in changing a starting landscape into a different landscape.
E) the way a thing works.

Question 10

Geographers are studying the effects of the clearing of the tropical rainforests,which leads to soil erosion,loss of wildlife habitat,and species extinction.This study falls into which of the following categories?

A) deforestation
B) farmland loss
C) global climate change
D) natural hazards
E) none of these

Question 11

Geographers are analyzing data on the levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere from the past to the present.This study falls into which of the following categories?

A) deforestation
B) farmland loss
C) global climate change
D) natural hazards
E) none of these

Question 12

Which of the following is (are)not directly related to the flow of solar radiation?

A) circulation of the atmosphere
B) distribution of vegetation
C) movement of water in the air, in streams, and collection in lakes
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question 13

What term describes patterns or distributions of specific variables over physical space?

A) pedology
B) spatial analysis
C) geology
D) ecology
E) none of these.

Question 14

Physical geography contains the subfields of

A) climatology, scientology, geology, hydrology, and ecology.
B) climatology, biology, sociology, hydrology, and geology.
C) climatology, meteorology, geomorphology, hydrology, and soils.
D) biology, anthropology, sociology, hydrology, and soils.
E) biology, geomorphology, sociology, hydrology, and soils.

Question 15

A gaging station measures the

A) purity of the water in a stream.
B) quality of water in a stream.
C) number of fry in a stream.
D) amount of vegetation in a stream.
E) quantity of water in a stream.

Question 16

Spatial analysis is used by

A) physical geographers.
B) cultural geographers.
C) historical geographers.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 17

Who monitors the gaging stations in the United States?

A) U.S. Geological Survey
B) U.S. Forest Service
C) U.S. Department of the Transportation
D) U.S. Department of Parks and Recreation
E) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Question 18

Geography is

A) a recent scientific discipline studying the tectonic plates of the Earth and their movements over time.
B) the study of rocks and their formation and differentiation on the surface of the Earth.
C) the discipline of creating maps devoted to the features and structure of the Earth.
D) an ancient discipline examining the spatial attributes of the Earth's surface and how they differ from one place to another.
E) the classification and categorization of rock, sediment, and soils and their characteristic landforms.

Question 19

The term Geography translates as

A) place on Earth.
B) written history.
C) written universe.
D) Earth description.
E) none of these.

Question 20

This sphere encompasses that part of the Earth where water,in all its forms,flows and is stored.

A) atmosphere
B) lithosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) biosphere
E) none of these

Question 21

Fish and sea life belong to which of the Earth's spheres?

A) atmosphere
B) biosphere
C) hydrosphere
D) lithosphere
E) none of these

Question 22

Physical geography overlaps with the field of meteorology.

Question 23

What is the biggest misconception concerning the definition of geography?

A) Most define it as a specialized science.
B) Most define it as a physical science concerned with the Earth as a system.
C) Most define it as just locating things on a map.
D) Most define it as a science interested in evaluating people.
E) none of these.

Question 24

Select all of the following that are examples of the appropriate use of spatial analysis.

A) examining the spatial distribution of language, religion, history, and climate in the Middle East to explain why different people may align themselves politically with others
B) examining spatial patterns in the movement of buoys near piers to help predict where rip currents are more likely to form
C) examining the spatial distribution of wind speed, water depth, and wave height in Lake Michigan to explain the current population distribution of Michigan
D) graphing lake elevation from 1964 to 1986

Question 25

Systems theory is MOST closely related to which of the following statements?

A) It is a way to understand the inputs and outputs of complex systems..
B) It is a theory that successfully predicts the future in all cases.
C) It is a way to show the randomness of nature.
D) All of these.
E) None of these.

Question 26

Physical geography overlaps with the scientific study of soils.

Question 27

Physical geography overlaps with the field of ecology.

Question 28

Which of the following are examples of how physical geographers use the scientific method?

A) collecting water samples from a number of streams and conducting chemical analyses on them to test the hypothesis that water in streams in the region is acidic
B) mapping the distribution of a particular soil type across the United States
C) collecting land-cover data from a series of aerial images and examining the change in different types of land cover through time to test the hypothesis that the amount of agricultural area in a particular region has decreased over time.
D) all of these
E) a and c only

Question 29

There are more rivers in the western United States than in the eastern part of the country

Question 30

Physical geography can be described as the spatial analysis of the physical components and natural processes that combine to form the environment.

Question 31

Which of the following is an example of natural processes directly related to the flow of solar radiation?

A) the circulation of the atmosphere
B) the movement of water in the air, in streams, and collection in lakes
C) the distribution of vegetation
D) the formation of soils
E) all of these

Question 32

Physical geography overlaps with the scientific study of climatology.

Question 33

Physical geography can be described as the spatial analysis of naturally occurring events or human responses that can be measured.

Question 34

A process is a naturally occurring series of events or reactions that combine to form the environment in a nonmeasurable way.

Question 35

Physical geography overlaps with the field of biology.

Question 36

Select the two questions that are of greatest fundamental interest to geographers.

A) Where?
B) How?
C) Who?
D) Why?
E) When?

Question 37

What term broadly refers to a series of actions that can be measured and that produce a predictable result?

A) system
B) step theory
C) principles
D) process
E) none of these.

Question 38

There are three great spheres-the atmosphere,lithosphere,and hydrosphere-and where they overlap you will find life.

Question 39

Geography is just the study and definition of the location of countries,capital cities,rivers,and oceans.

Question 40

Geography is an academic discipline with numerous specialized subfields.

Question 41

Of the Earth's four spheres,how would you describe the lithosphere?

Question 42

The lithosphere is the living portion of the Earth.

Question 43

How are physical geography and deforestation related?

Question 44

The hydrosphere is the part of the Earth where water,in all of its forms,flows and is stored.

Question 45

Among many other things,physical geographers study the loss of farmland and trends in population growth and location.

Question 46

What is a process?

Question 47

Of the Earth's four spheres,how would you describe the hydrosphere?

Question 48

How are physical geography and natural hazards related?

Question 49

The atmosphere is the thin gaseous shell that flows around the Earth.

Question 50

The two questions that are fundamental to most geographers are where and why.

Question 51

Of the Earth's four spheres,how would you describe the biosphere?

Question 52

The two questions that are fundamental to most geographers are where and how.

Question 53

What is spatial analysis?

Question 54

Of the Earth's four spheres,how would you describe the atmosphere?