BS BOTANY 2nd SEMESTER of variability; a synthesis of the

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY succession of weather events we have

learned to expect at any given location
KEY DEFINITIONS
Climatic controls Features of the
Air mass Very large parcel of air (more Earth’s surface—such as the
than 1,600 km [1,000 mi] across) in the distribution of land and water bodies,
troposphere whose density, ocean currents, and highlands—that
temperature, and humidity is relatively shape the climate of a locale by
uniform in the horizontal dimension. influencing its temperature and
Air masses can retain their properties moisture regimes.
for a week or more and routinely
migrate for hundreds of kilometers as Climate change refers to long-term
distinct entities alterations in global or regional patterns
of temperature, precipitation, wind
Aphelion Point in the Earth’s orbit that patterns, and other aspects of Earth's
occurs every July 4, where the distance climate system.
to the Sun is at its maximum (ca. 152.5
million km [94.8 million mi]) Cloud Visible mass of suspended,
minute water droplets and/ or ice
Atmospheric circulation refers to the crystals.
large-scale movement of air within the
Earth's atmosphere. It is driven by Cold currents Global-scale ocean
various factors, including solar currents that flow toward the equator
radiation, Earth's rotation, and the Condensation Process by which a
distribution of heat across the planet's substance is transformed from the
surface. gaseous to the liquid state.
Biological weathering Disintegration Continental drift Notion hypothesized
of rock minerals via biological means. by Alfred Wegener concerning the
Bacteria and lichens that allow faster fragmentation of Pangaea and the slow
chemical weathering, along with the movement of the modern continents
physical breakage of rocks by plant away from that supercontinent.
roots and burrowing animals are all
examples Crust The outer, thin layer of Earth that
forms the upper part of the lithosphere
Cartography Science, art, and
technology of mapmaking and map use Cyclone A cyclone is a rotating weather
system characterized by a low-pressure
Chemical weathering Disintegration of center and rotating winds. Air tends to
rock minerals via chemical means. In converge towards this low-pressure
any rock made up of a combination of center, which sets the stage for the
minerals, the chemical breakdown of cyclonic circulation. As air converges
one set of mineral grains leads to the toward the low-pressure center, the
decomposition of the whole mass. Coriolis effect (caused by the Earth's
Climate Long-term conditions of rotation) imparts a rotation to the air. In
aggregate weather over a region, usually the Northern Hemisphere, cyclones
summarized by averages and measures rotate counterclockwise, while in the
Southern Hemisphere, they rotate erosion removal of Earth materials
clockwise. This rotation gives cyclones from a site by gravity, water, wind, or
their distinctive swirling pattern. glacial ice
deposition accumulation of Earth Evaporation Also known as
materials at a new site after being vaporization, the process by which
moved by gravity, water, wind, or glacial water changes from the liquid to the
ice. gaseous (water vapor) state.
Desert: A desert is a barren or arid land Evapotranspiration Combined
characterized by a lack of vegetation processes by which water (1)
and limited rainfall. Deserts typically evaporates from the land surface and
have extreme temperatures, ranging (2) passes into the atmosphere through
from scorching hot during the day to the leaf pores of plants (transpiration).
cold at night. Examples of well-known
Evolution A change in the
deserts include the Sahara
characteristics of a population that
desert climate climate where the is heritable (passed on from one
amount of precipitation received is generation to the next)
less than one-half of the potential ET
Fall (autumnal) equinox In Northern
(Evapotranspiration)
Hemisphere terminology, equinox that
Drought Below-average availability of occurs when the Sun’s noontime rays
water in a given area over a period strike the equator vertically around
lasting at least several months. September 23.
Dune Accumulation of sand that is Fault Fracture in crustal rock involving
shaped by wind action. the displacement of rock on one side of
the fracture with respect to rock on the
Earthquake Shaking of Earth’s crust;
other side.
usually caused by fault motion that
suddenly releases stresses that have flood stream or river water exceeding
been building up slowly. the amount that can be contained within
its channel.
Epicenter Point on the Earth’s surface
directly above the focus (point of origin) Focus (earthquake) Place of origin of
of an earthquake. an earthquake, which can be near the
surface or deep below ground
Equator Parallel of latitude running
around the exact middle of the globe, Fog Cloud layer in direct contact with
defined as 0° latitude. the Earth’s surface.
Equinox two times each year galaxy a large collection of stars; a
(approximately March 21 and typical galaxy contains millions to
September 22) when the Sun’s hundreds of billions of stars.
noontime rays strike the Earth
Geography Literally means Earth
vertically at the equator. all over Earth,
description. As a modern
day and night are of equal length
academic discipline, it is concerned with
the explanation of the physical and
human characteristics of the Earth’s Hail Precipitation consisting of large ice
surface. “Why are things located where pellets that do not melt before reaching
they are?” is the central question that the surface.
geographical scholarship seeks to
hemisphere half of a sphere; for
answer.
example, the northern or southern
geomorphic agent a medium that half of Earth divided by the equator or
erodes, transports, and deposits Earth the eastern and western half divided by
materials; includes water, wind, and two meridians, the 0 and 180 meridians.
glacial ice.
humidity amount of water vapor in an
Geologic timescale Standard timetable air mass at a given time.
of Earth history used by scientists;
hydrologic cycle circulation of water
sequential organization of geologic time
within the Earth system, from
units (including eons, eras, periods,
evaporation to condensation,
epochs, and ages).
precipitation, storage, and
Geographic Information Systems re-evaporation back into the
(GIS) is a computer-based technology atmosphere.
that combines geographic data
Ice Age period of Earth history when
(information about locations on the
large areas of Earth’s land surface
Earth's surface) with associated
were covered with massive continental
attributes or attributes (such as
ice sheets and other kinds of
population, land use, elevation, etc.).
glaciers.
Global Positioning System (GPS) It is a
Igneous rocks Rocks that formed
satellite-based navigation system that
directly from the cooling of
provides precise location and time
molten magma; igneous is Latin for
information anywhere on or near the
“formed from fire
Earth's surface
inner core the solid, innermost portion
Glacier a large mass of ice, formed on
of Earth’s core, probably of iron and
land, which exhibits motion through
nickel, that forms the center of Earth.
flow of the ice.
International Date Line line roughly
Global warming A general term that
along the 180 meridian, where each day
refers to an observed temperature
begins and ends; it is always a day later
increase over the past 150 years.
west of the line than
greenhouse effect warming of the east of the line
atmosphere that occurs because
Koppen system climate classification
Sun’s heat radiation is trapped by
based on monthly and annual averages
atmospheric gases like Co2.
of temperature and precipitation.
Groundwater Water contained within
landform a terrain feature, such as a
the lithosphere. This water, hidden
mountain, valley, and plateau.
below the ground, accounts for about 25
percent of the world’s freshwater
 landslide an easy term for any mass the land, it cools, leading to the
wasting i.e downslope movement of condensation of water vapor and the
rock. formation of clouds. This process results
in heavy rainfall, often accompanied by
Leap year Occurs every fourth year,
thunderstorms.
when a full day (February 29) is added
to the calendar. natural hazards any natural process
that has a harmful impact on humans
lithosphere (planetary structure)
and the built environment. E.g. floods,
rigid outer layer of Earth consisting of
earthquakes, etc.
the crust and uppermost mantle.
navigation the science of location and
lithospheric plate Earth’s crust is
finding one’s way, position, or direction
broken into several of these large
regions (plates) also called a tectonic North Star (Polaris) the star that is
plate. very near to being directly above Earth's
north pole of rotation (90 degree N ).
magma molten (melted) rock matter
located beneath Earth’s surface Nonrenewable resource One that with
continued use will ultimately be
mantle middle layer of Earth’s interior
consumed (metallic ores and petroleum
that separates the crust from the outer
are good examples)
core.
Oceanic Current These are large-scale
mass wasting gravity-induced
movements of water that circulate in the
downslope movement of Earth material.
oceans, driven by a combination of
factors such as wind, temperature,
meteorology study of the patterns and density differences, and the shape of the
causes associated with short-term ocean basins.
changes in the elements of the
ozone gas molecule consisting of three
atmosphere. On land atoms of oxygen (O3); forms a layer in
mineral naturally occurring inorganic the upper atmosphere that screens out
substance with a specific chemical ultraviolet radiation harmful at Earth’s
composition and crystalline structure. surface.
ozone layer part of the stratosphere
On sea Monsoon A monsoon (derived from
mawsim, the Arabic word for season) is
that surrounds Earth, with
concentrations of ozone that help to
surface a seasonal reversal of onshore and shield the surface from harmful
offshore winds from regional
shortwave energy from the sun, such as
landmasses as a result of seasonal
ultraviolet light.
pressure changes, which are themselves
created by differential heating of land Pangaea Primeval supercontinent,
and water. During the summer months, hypothesized by Alfred Wegener, that
a monsoon occurs when warm, moist air broke apart and formed the continents
from the ocean (called Sea breeze) is and oceans as we know them today
drawn towards the landmass due to the
Pedology Soil science; study of soils
temperature difference between the
land and the sea. As the air rises over
Perihelion Point in the Earth’s orbit, revolution motion of Earth along its
which occurs every January 3, where the orbital path around the sun. One
distance to the Sun is minimized (about complete revolution determines an
147.5 million km [91.7 million mi]). Earth year.
Plate tectonics a theory that study the Richter Scale a numerical scale, first
processes by which lithospheric plates developed in the
move over the asthenosphere, and the 1930s, that measures earthquake
many consequences that follow from magnitude;
plate motion, including mountain uplift,
rock a solid, natural aggregate of one or
faulting, and volcanism.
more minerals of organic or inorganic
plateau an extensive, flat-topped nature.
landform or region characterized by
Rotation Spinning of a planet on its
relatively high elevation
axis, the imaginary line passing through
Precipitation Any liquid water or ice its center and both poles. It takes the
that falls to the Earth’s surface through Earth one calendar day to complete one
the atmosphere (rain, snow, sleet, and full rotation.
hail)
sand dune mound or hill of sand-sized
Pressure (atmospheric) Weight of a sediment deposited and shaped
column of air per unit area at a given by the wind.
location, determined by the acceleration
sandstorm strong winds blowing sand
of gravity and the mass of atmosphere
along the ground surface.
at that location.
Saturated air Air that is holding all the
Prime meridian North–south line on
water vapor molecules it can possibly
the Earth grid, passing through the
contain at a given temperature. Further
Royal Observatory at Greenwich,
cooling produces condensation of excess
London, defined as having a longitude of
water vapor
0 degrees.
sea breeze air flow by day from the sea
Rain Precipitation consisting of large
toward the land; caused by the
liquid water droplets
movement of air toward a zone of lower
region area identified by certain pressure associated with higher
characteristics it contains that makes it daytime temperatures over the land
distinctive and separates it from
Seismograph Device that measures and
surrounding areas.
records the seismic waves produced by
remote sensing collection of earthquakes and Earth vibrations.
information about the environment
Smog Poor-quality surface-level air. The
from a distance, usually from aircraft or
word is derived from the contraction of
spacecraft—for example, photography,
“smoke” and “fog.
radar, and infrared.
solar system the system of the sun and
Renewable resource One that can
the planets, their satellites, comets,
regenerate as it is used.
meteoroids, and other objects revolving vertically (on June 22, the day of the
around the sun. Northern Hemisphere summer solstice).
(4)
Spring (season) Northern Hemisphere
Tropic of Capricorn Most southerly
season that begins at the spring (vernal)
latitude (23.5°S) where the Sun’s
equinox around March 21 and ends at
noontime rays strike the Earth’s surface
the summer solstice on June 22. The
vertically (on December 22, the day of
Southern Hemisphere spring begins at
the Northern Hemisphere winter
the equinox that occurs around
solstice).
September 23 and ends at the solstice
on December 22. Variable gases Atmospheric gases
present in differing quantities at
storm local atmospheric disturbance
different times and places; three are
often associated with rain, hail, snow,
essential to human well-being: carbon
sleet, lightning, or strong winds
dioxide, water vapor, and ozone
Subduction Process that takes place
Volcano Vent (opening) in the Earth’s
when two lithospheric plates converge
surface through which magma, solid
and one plunges below the other one.
rock, debris, and gases are erupted. This
Subduction zone Area in which the ejected material usually assumes the
process of subduction is taking place; shape of a conical hill or mountain.
common setting for earthquakes and
Warm currents Global-scale ocean
volcanic activity.
currents that travel from the tropics
Summer In Northern Hemisphere toward the poles
terminology, the season that begins on
Weather Immediate and short-term
the day of the summer solstice (June 22)
conditions of the atmosphere that
and ends on the day of the fall
impinge on daily human activities.
(autumnal) equinox (around September
23) Weathering Chemical alteration and
physical disintegration of Earth
Tectonics Study of the movements and
materials by the action of air, water, and
deformation of Earth’s crust
organisms;
Thunderstorm Local storm dominated
Winter In Northern Hemisphere
by thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and
terminology, the season that begins on
sometimes hail.
the day of the winter solstice (December
Topography Natural and artificial 22) and ends on the day of the spring
features found at the surface (vernal) equinox (around March 21)
of an area.
Transpiration Passage of water into
the atmosphere through the leaf pores
of plants.
Tropic of Cancer Most northerly
latitude (23.5°N) where the Sun’s
noontime rays strike the Earth’s surface