Deck 1: Essentials of Geography

Question 1

What does "Geography" literally mean?

A)Place memorization.
B)The study of rocks.
C)Map making.
D)To write (about)Earth.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

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)Regions.
D)Human-Earth relationships.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What does the word spatial refer to?

A)The nature and character of physical space.
B)Items that relate specifically to society.
C)Things that are unique and special.
D)Eras of time.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is the main methodology governing geographic inquiry?

A)Behavioural analysis.
B)Spatial analysis.
C)Chronological organization.
D)Field work.

Question 5

What realization is the science of physical geography based on?

A)Nature is homogeneous and spatially undifferentiated.
B)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.

Question 6

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 distributions and movements across Earth.

Question 7

Which of the five fundamental themes of geography does the phrase 'areas that display uniform characteristics' refer to?

A)Location.
B)Place.
C)Human-Earth relationships.
D)Regions.

Question 8

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

A)Understanding soil development as a response to the breakdown of organic matter by decomposers.
B)Mapping the rock types in the Canadian Shield.
C)The study of weather,including stability and humidity.
D)The spatial analysis of all the physical elements,processes,and systems that make up the environment.

Question 9

Which of the following terms characterizes the discipline of geography?

A)Esoteric.
B)Integrative.
C)Unscientific.
D)Aesthetic.

Question 10

Which of the five fundamental themes of geography does the phrase 'latitude and longitude' refer to?

A)Location.
B)Regions.
C)Human-Earth relationships.
D)Movement.

Question 11

Shale gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing falls within which of the five themes?

A)Location.
B)Regions.
C)Human-Earth relationships.
D)Movement.

Question 12

Which of the five fundamental themes of geography best describes Parc des Hautes-Gorges,an ecotourism destination in Quebec?

A)Location.
B)Place.
C)Human-Earth relationships.
D)Movement.

Question 13

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

A)Physical versus human/cultural.
B)Physical versus economic.
C)Economic versus political.
D)Political versus environmental.

Question 14

Which of the five fundamental themes of geography does the phrase 'communication and diffusion' refer to?

A)Location.
B)Place.
C)Human-Earth relationships.
D)Movement.

Question 15

Geography can best be described as what type of science?

A)An Earth science.
B)A human science.
C)A physical science.
D)A spatial science.

Question 16

Which of the following would a physical geographer likely study?

A)The economic impact transportation restructuring in the lower mainland of British Columbia.
B)The socio-political effects of the changes to forestry conservation legislation.
C)The 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan in 2011.
D)The diffusion of various religions from the so-called Middle East.

Question 17

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

A)Location.
B)Place.
C)Human-Earth relationships.
D)Movement.

Question 18

Which of the five fundamental themes of geography does the phrase 'resource management and sustainable growth' refer to?

A)Location.
B)Place.
C)Human-Earth relationships.
D)Movement.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the concerns of geographers?

A)They are solid Earth systems scientists.
B)They are primarily concerned with place names.
C)They are concerned with spatial and temporal relationships.
D)They concerned with two-dimensional numerical analysis.

Question 20

Which of the five fundamental themes of geography does the phrase 'characteristics of a site' refer to?

A)Location.
B)Place.
C)Human-Earth relationships.
D)Movement.

Question 21

Which of the following best describes the Earth system?

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.

Question 22

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

A)Speculation.
B)Hypothesis.
C)Educated guess.
D)Theory.

Question 23

The scientific method is described by which of the following?

A)A single,definitive method for doing science.
B)The acceptance of supernatural explanations for phenomenon until science proves otherwise.
C)The development of hypotheses for testing and prediction.
D)Irreproducible results accepted as theory.

Question 24

Which of the following is true of models?

A)They complicate our understanding of Earth system science.
B)They perfectly replicate the real world,but at a different scale.
C)They are simplified,idealized representations of the real world.
D)They are never used in physical geography because of their inherent limitations.

Question 25

Which of the following is an example of a closed system?

A)Forests.
B)A river drainage basin.
C)An automobile.
D)Earth (in terms of matter).

Question 26

What is the key idea behind the scientific method?

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.

Question 27

Consider 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 then increased snow cover.Which of the following pairs of words best define first the initial increase in snow fall,and second,the continued increase in snow fall?

A)Positive; positive.
B)Positive; negative.
C)Negative; positive.
D)Negative; negative.

Question 28

What type of system is Earth with respect to: matter and resources; energy?

A)Closed; closed.
B)Closed; open.
C)Open; open.
D)Open; closed.

Question 29

Which of the following is true with respect to air,water,and material resources?

A)A forest is a closed system.
B)A forest is an open system.
C)A forest is an open system in terms of air,but closed in terms of material resources.
D)A forest is an open system in terms of water,but closed in terms of energy resources.

Question 30

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.

Question 31

How are systems encountered in nature at Earth's surface,such as a forest,best described?

A)As open systems in terms of energy.
B)As closed systems in terms of energy.
C)As open systems in terms of matter.
D)As open systems in terms of energy and as open systems in terms of matter.

Question 32

Which of the following is correctly matched?

A)Threshold-balance of inputs and outputs.
B)Steady state equilibrium-small fluctuations about an average condition.
C)Dynamic equilibrium-large fluctuations that changes abruptly over time.
D)Tipping point-same as steady state equilibrium.

Question 33

Which of the following is true of scientific theories?

A)They are based on a single hypothesis.
B)They are narrow 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)They are absolute truths and can never be proven wrong.

Question 34

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

A)Hydrosphere,lithosphere,and atmosphere.
B)Thermosphere,lithosphere,heterosphere.
C)Atmosphere,geoid,and homosphere.
D)Stratosphere,magnetosphere,and troposphere.

Question 35

A large flood in a river may cause abrupt shifts leading to the carving of a new channel.Which of the following best defines the point at which this change occurs?

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

Question 36

Which of the following pairs of words best describes the relationship between carbon dioxide absorbed by plants to: 1)a forest; and,2)the atmosphere?

A)1)input; 2)input.
B)1)input; 2)output.
C)1)output; 2)output.
D)1)output; 2)input.

Question 37

What is defined as the capacity to change the motion of,or to do work on,matter?

A)Energy.
B)Plasma.
C)Thermodynamics.
D)Acceleration.

Question 38

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 39

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 40

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,which of the following lists what has been crossed and into what state has the planet moved?

A)Input level; equilibrium.
B)Input level; disequilibrium.
C)Threshold; equilibrium.
D)Threshold; disequilibrium.

Question 41

Around the Great Lakes Basin 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.What can the point at which the food supply no longer supported the large deer population best be considered?

A)Model.
B)Metastable equilibrium condition.
C)Threshold.
D)Dynamic equilibrium condition.

Question 42

Who made a significant,early contribution to cartography by adding a grid and orienting the map with north at the top? When was this accomplished?

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

Question 43

In which area does the oblateness of Earth occur?

A)At the poles.
B)Along the equator.
C)In the subtropics.
D)Along the prime meridian.

Question 44

What are predator/prey relationships an example of,and why?

A)Positive feedback,because more predation leads to higher prey populations as they increase reproduction to insure survival.
B)Positive feedback,as more prey discourages further predation allowing prey populations to flourish.
C)Negative feedback,because prey populations tend to achieve a balance with the number of predators.
D)Negative feedback,because the prey cause the predators to die.

Question 45

Which of the following is true of the biosphere?

A)It can be referred to as the lithosphere.
B)It exists on other planets in the solar system.
C)It is isolated from the overlapping inorganic spheres.
D)It extends from the floor of the oceans to 8 km into the atmosphere.

Question 46

Consider that increased levels of carbon dioxide lead to further increases in temperature by promoting the release of even more carbon dioxide from the oceans.What type of feedback is this,and what system state does it mean the planet is in?

A)Positive; in equilibrium.
B)Positive; out of equilibrium.
C)Negative; in equilibrium.
D)Negative; out of equilibrium.

Question 47

What is the length of a degree of longitude at the equator and at the poles?

A)111 km; 111 km.
B)0 km; 111 km.
C)111 km; 0 km.
D)0 km; 56 km.
E)56 km; 0 km.

Question 48

Which of the following statements best describes scientific models?

A)Adjustment of the variables in a model simulates different conditions preventing predictions of possible system operations.
B)A model is a simplification designed to help us understand complex processes.
C)Any system can eventually be modeled with 100 percent accuracy.Thus,models can be perfect representations of reality.
D)A model is an order of magnitude better than the assumptions and accuracy of information upon which it is based.

Question 49

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

A)Geodesy.
B)Geology.
C)Cartography.
D)Astronomy.

Question 50

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.

Question 51

Which of the following is true of the biosphere?

A)Life processes generally are completely independent from the abiotic spheres.
B)Life processes generally are shaped by the abiotic spheres.
C)The biosphere is isolated from the overlapping inorganic spheres.
D)The biosphere only occurs within the hydrosphere.

Question 52

What is defined as an angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian from the center of Earth?

A)Longitude.
B)Latitude.
C)Zenith.
D)Greenwich distance.

Question 53

When was the first realization that Earth was a sphere?

A)At the time of the first voyages of Columbus.
B)During the modern era (1800s).
C)Between 580-500 B.C.by Pythagoras.
D)In the spring of 1674 by Isaac Newton.

Question 54

Which of the following best describes living systems?

A)Biotic.
B)Inorganic.
C)Part of the lithosphere.
D)Abiotic.

Question 55

As arctic temperatures rise,summer sea ice and glacial melt accelerates; lighter color surfaces are thereby replaced with darker-colored surfaces leading to more absorption and surface heating.What type of feedback is this an example of?

A)Negative.
B)Positive.
C)Reverse.
D)Dynamic

Question 56

Why did Isaac Newton reason that Earth was not perfectly spherical?

A)Centrifugal force created by Earth's more rapid rotation expanded it at the equator.
B)Centrifugal force created by Earth's more rapid rotation flattened it at the poles.
C)Gravitational force created by Earth's more rapid rotation flattened it at the equator.
D)Gravitational force created by Earth's more rapid rotation expanded it at the poles.

Question 57

What is defined as an angular distance measured north or south of the equator from the center of Earth?

A)Longitude.
B)Latitude.
C)Zenith.
D)Greenwich distance.

Question 58

Which of the following best describes a parallel of latitude?

A)It is used to measure distances east and west of the equator.
B)It is used to measure the declination of the sun.
C)It is used to measure elevation above mean sea level.
D)It is used to measure distances north or south of the equator.

Question 59

Where on Earth is the largest diameter measured?

A)Around the poles.
B)Along the equator.
C)In the subtropics.
D)Along the prime meridian.

Question 60

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

A)Longitude.
B)Latitude.
C)Altitude.
D)Mean sea level.

Question 61

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

A)It is mostly constant 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.

Question 62

If you began a trip at 60° west,20° north and traveled 120° farther west and 50° south,what would your new position be?

A)The International Dateline at 70° north latitude.
B)The International Dateline at 30° south latitude.
C)The Greenwich meridian at 70° north latitude.
D)The Greenwich meridian at 30° south latitude.

Question 63

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

A)Subantarctic.
B)Midlatitude.
C)Antarctic.
D)Subarctic.

Question 64

What do the letters PM stand for?

A)Prior majolica.
B)Previous morning.
C)Post meridiem.
D)Possible meridian.

Question 65

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

A)Tropical.
B)Midlatitude.
C)Equatorial.
D)Subarctic.

Question 66

How is Latitude defined?

A)It is the angular distance measured north or south of the equator.
B)It is the angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian.
C)It is the basis for establishing meridians.
D)It is the apex of the lines that cross the equator at right angles.

Question 67

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

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

Question 68

What is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)?

A)It is the same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
B)It is the time that established 24 standard meridians around the globe at equal intervals from the prime meridian.
C)It replaced Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)and became the legal reference for official time in all countries.
D)It is two-hours ahead of Zulu time,indicating the single moment when all locations on the planet are on the same calendar day.

Question 69

If City A is located 35° west of City B,how does the time at City A compare to the time at City B?

A)City A is earlier than City B.
B)City A is later than City B.
C)City A is the same time as City B.
D)City A is earlier during daylights saving only than City B.

Question 70

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.

Question 71

What is used to conveniently determine longitude at sea?

A)A clock without a pendulum (i.e.a marine chronometer).
B)A digital compass.
C)Magnetic compasses.
D)Sextants.

Question 72

What is the basis for defining the length of a day?

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.

Question 73

What is the difference in Sun time between two places located 30° in longitude apart from one another?

A)30 seconds.
B)30 minutes.
C)one hour.
D)two hours.

Question 74

What is the name of the meridian opposite of Earth's prime meridian (0° longitude)?

A)Secondary meridian.
B)The anti-meridian.
C)The equator.
D)The International Date Line.

Question 75

What is the name of the location measuring how far north you live from the equator as compared to the name of the imaginary line marking all those places at that same distance north of the equator?

A)Longitude; meridian.
B)Meridian; longitude.
C)Latitude; parallel.
D)Parallel; latitude.

Question 76

Which of the following best defines longitude?

A)An angular distance measured north or south of the equator.
B)An angular distance measured east or west of a prime meridian.
C)The basis for establishing parallels.
D)The angle determined by Sun altitude above the horizon.

Question 77

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

A)There was no way of determining this meridian at sea until as late as AD 1760.
B)The prime meridian passes through Paris,France.
C)International agreement regarding the location of the prime meridian was not resolved until the 1980s when a treaty was signed.
D)The key to measuring angular distances east and west of the prime meridian was the development of accurate compasses.

Question 78

Which of the following is true of meridians?

A)They cross parallels at acute angles.
B)They are lines that run in an east-west direction.
C)They are imaginary lines of the same length.
D)They are used to measure north-south angular distances.

Question 79

If a clock on a ship indicates that it is 2:00 PM in its home port,while another clock on the ship indicates that it is 12:00 noon at the ship's present location,what is the difference in longitude between the ship's position and its home port?

A)The ship is 2° east of its home port.
B)The ship is 2° west of its home port.
C)The ship is 30° east of its home port.
D)The ship is 30° west of its home port.

Question 80

What do the letters AM stand for?

A)After midnight.
B)After morning.
C)Ante majolica.
D)Ante meridiem.