Term
| What is geography? regional geography? systematic geography? |
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Definition
| Geography is the study of the evolving character & organisation of the Earth's surface. Regional geography is concerned with how the Earth's surface is differentiated into unique places. Systematic geography is concerned with the processes that differentiate these places in time & space. |
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Term
| How does human geography differ from physical geography? |
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Definition
| Human geography deals w/ social, economic and behavioural processes that differentiate places; whereas, physical geography examines the natural processes occurring at the Earth's surface that provide the physical setting for human activities. |
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Term
| Identify & define three important fields of science within physical geography |
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Definition
Three important fields of science within physical geography are Geomorphology, Coastal & Marine Geography & Biogeography.
Geomorphology is the science of Earth surface processes and landforms. C&M geography combines the study of shores & coastlines w/ their application to coastal development & marine resource utilisation. Biogeography is the study of the distributions of organisms at the varying spatial & temporal scales, as well as the processes that influence these distribution patterns. |
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Term
| Explain how a systems approach shows that a stream flow is actually powered by the Sun. |
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Definition
| Using the systems approach, we see the flow of water in a river channel as matter in motion, powered by gravity. But, we also see it as part of a system where rain falls on the uplands, providing water above sea level so that gravity can do its work. In turn, rainfall occurs because solar energy has evaporated water from the oceans and moist land surfaces, releasing it to the atmosphere. So stream flow is really powered by the Sun. |
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Term
| Identify & describe two interacting components of global change. |
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Definition
| Both natural and human processes interact as components of global change. Natural processes can be slow and subtle, as when crustal plates move over geologic time to create continents and ocean basins. At other times, the changes are rapid, as when hurricane winds flatten vast areas of forests or even tracts of houses and homes. Environmental change is now also produced by human activity. The human race has populated our planet so thoroughly that few places remain free of some form of human impact. |
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Term
| How is global climate change influenced by human activity? |
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Definition
| As human activities continue to release gases that block heat radiation from leaving the Earth, the greenhouse effect intensifies. These gases are acting to raise the Earth surface temperature. |
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Term
| Identify and describe three tools that geographers use to acquire and display spatial data |
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Definition
| Maps (cartography), GISs and remote sensing are three tools that geographers use to acquire and display spatial data. A map is a paper representation of space, showing point, line or area data. Geographic information systems are spatial databases which rely on computers for analysis, manipulation and display of spatial data. Remote sensing is a geographic technique used to acquire spatial information in which aircraft or spacecraft provide images of the Earth's surface. |
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Term
| Why are current research efforts focused on the carbon cycle? |
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Definition
| Biogeographers and ecologists are now focusing in detail on the global carbon cycle in order to better understand the pathways and magnitudes of carbon flow. They hope that this understanding will suggest alternative actions that can reduce the rate of CO2 build up without penalising economic growth. |
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Term
| Why is loss of biodiversity a concern of biogeographers and ecologists? |
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Definition
| One important reason for preserving as many natural species as possible is that, over time, species have evolved natural biochemical defense mechanisms against diseases and predators. These defense mechanisms involve bioactive compounds that can sometimes be very useful, ranging from natural pesticides that increase crop yields to medicines that fight human cancer. Another important reason for maintaining biodiversity is that complex ecosystems with many species tend to be more stable and respond better to environmental change. |
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Term
| How does human activity degrade environmental quality? Provide a few examples. |
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Definition
| In addition to CO2 release, fuel burning can release gases that are hazardous to health, especially when they react to form toxic compounds such as ozone and nitric acid in photochemical smog. Water pollution from fertiliser runoff, toxic wastes of industrial production, and acid mine drainage can severely degrade water quality. |
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Term
| How do extreme events effect human activity? Is human activity influencing the size or occurrence rate of extreme events? |
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Definition
Extreme events such as floods, fires, hurricanes and earthquakes can have great and long lasting impacts on both human and natural systems.
As our planet warms in response to changes in the greenhouse effect, global climate modelers predict that weather extremes will become more severe and more frequent. Droughts and consequent wildfires and crop failures will happen more often, as will spells of rain and flood runoff. The answer to whether human activity is responsible for the increased occurrence of extreme events is not yet clear, however significant evidence points in that direction. |
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