Subjects to Know: Geography 1
Subjects to Know List: Geography 1: Physical Geography
This is designed as a study tool to help you better organize the mountain of material that is
presented in this class.
Special thanks to Marek Cichanski, DeAnza Geology, for the idea for this study guide
Subject
Pages in my notes Pages in the text
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can be found
can be found
1 Definition of Geography
2 Elements of a map
Latitude and longitude: What they are, how they are used to find
3 location on earth
Equinoxes and solstices: Their dates and where the subsolar
4 point is located at each
Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Equator, Arctic Circle,
Antarctic circle and how each of these relates to the subsolar
point and the circle of illumination at the equinoxes and
5 solstices.
Relate the location of the subsolar point to the direction of a
person's shadow at solar noon, given the latitude at which they
6 are located.
7 How longitude relates to time and time zones on earth
Define the scientific method and apply it to an earth science
8 problem
Define open systems and closed systems and give examples of
9 each, with their associated inputs and outputs
10 Contrast an exogenic system with an endogenic system
11 Trace the energy pathway through an exogenic system.
12 Define the four earth systems.
13 Explain the prodcts of the fusion of hydrogen gas in our sun.
Examine the distribution of mass in our solar system and
14 descibe the orbit of the earth around the sun and its distance
Relate axial parallelism, the subsolar point and the tilt of the
15 earth to the march of the seasons.
Define remote sensing and give examples of how it is used in
16 Geography
17 Contrast active remote sensing with passive remote sensing
Where is the majority of the atmosphere found? How big is the
18 atmosphere overall?
Physical Geography * Foothill College
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Subjects to Know: Geography 1
19 Why is the atmosphere important?
20 Describe the atmosphere by composition.
21 Describe the atmosphere by temperature.
22 Describe the atmosphere by function.
What are the three ways in which electromagnetic radiation
23 interacts with gasses and particles in the atmosphere?
24 Why is the sky blue?
25 What is albedo?
Give an example of an object with a low albedo? Give an
26 example of an object with a high albedo.
Describe the distribution net radiation over the surface of the
27 earth.
28 Define sensible heat
29 Define latent heat
Explain how the absorption of latent heat energy is a cooling
30 effect. Give a real world example
Explain how the release of latent heat energy is a heating effect.
31 Give a real world example.
32 Relate latent heat energy to the ocean/continent effect
Explain how human actions and the built environment create
33 urban heat islands.
Compare and contrast a real greenhouse and the 'greenhouse
34 effect'
Discuss ways in which human actions cause atmospheric
35 pollutions. Examine possible solutions.
Associate air temperature with pressure (low pressure vs. high
36 pressure)
Assign direction of movement of air based on air pressure and
37 isobars
Explain the effect that the coriolis force has on ocean circulation
and relate it to generalized ocean temperatures off of the eastern
38 and western coasts of continents
Define cyclone and anticyclone and assign their direction of
39 spin in each hemisphere.
40 Explain the source of energy for tropical cyclones
Discuss the vertical circulation model of atmospheric
circulation, including the Hadley cells, and relate these to the
41 trade winds and the westerlies
42 Explain the driving forces behind Land and Sea breezes
43 Explain the driving forces behind Valley and Mountain breezes
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Subjects to Know: Geography 1
44 Explain the driving force behind Katabatic winds.
Relate ocean circulation to upwelling zones. Identify patterns of
45 upwelling zones.
Discuss the distribution of land vs water over the surface of the
46 earth. Relate this distribution to global temperature patterns.
47 Describe the distribution of water in the hydrosphere.
Explain the water cycle, paying special attention to the
following terms: evaporation, dew point, condensation,
48 precipitation, infiltration, runoff, storage
Examine the importance of the polarity of the water molecule to
49 the functioning of natural systems.
50 Discuss water in its solid form
51 Discuss water in its liquid form
52 Discuss water in its gaseous form.
Explain the energy necessary for phase transformation between
53 solid, liquid and gaseous water.
Compare and contrast evapotranspiration and potential
54 evapotranspiration.
55 Relate evaporation to humidity and dew point
Examine the relationship between relative humidity and air
56 temperature.
57 Describe how clouds and rain form.
Discuss the distribution of fresh water sources in California and
how humans have engineered the availability of fresh water
58 sources.
Compare and contrast the use of surface water and ground water
59 by agriculture, industry and domestic sources.
60 Define weather and climate
Examine the sources of the following airmasses and give real
world examples of each affects North America: mP, mT, mE,
61 cP, cT.
Compare and contrast atmospheric lifiting mechanisms of cold
62 and warm fronts
Explain orographic lifting, orographic precipitation and the
63 rainshadow effect
Discuss effects on climate including latitude, elevation,
64 continenality and local geography
65 Apply principles of climate to Modelland (discussed in lecture)
66 Compare and contrast the five major types of climate on earth.
67 Interpret a climatogram.
Physical Geography * Foothill College
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Subjects to Know: Geography 1
Weeks 6-12
Subject
Describe the structure of the earth's interrior including the: core,
68 mantle, athenosphere and crust.
Explain how old the earth is and how we have arrived at this
69 conclusion.
Outline key dates in the earth's history including the oldest
crustal rocks, first oxygen in the atmosphere and the formation
of the ozone layer, the first fish, first land plants and first
70 mammals.
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71 Compare and contrast oceanic and continental plates
Discuss the three types of plate boundaries and provide
72 examples of each.
Describe the types of plate collisions that have resulted in such
features as the Himalayan mountains, the Andes, Iceland and
73 Hawaii
Examine the tectonic settings in which igneous, sedimentary and
74 metamorphic rocks are formed.
Compare and contrast igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic
75 rocks
Compare and contrast and give examples of: volcanoes where
plates collide, volcanoes where plates diverge and hot spot
76 volcanoes.
Outline the major hazards that people who live near to
77 volcanoes face.
78 Discuss the principle of isostacy.
79 Examine the three types of faults
Compare and contrast the Richter scale and the Mercalli scale as
80 methods to measure earthquakes.
Define physical weathering and define and give examples of
frost action, crystalization, hydration and pressure release
81 jointing.
Define chemical weathering and define and give examples of
82 hydrolysis, oxidation and carbonation and solution.
83 Explain how each weathering process is exogenic in nature.
84 Describe how soil is formed
85 Define eolian processes
Examine the role of desert pavement in preserving ecosystems
86 in dry environments.
Compare and contrast the water content and speed of various
87 types of landslides
Physical Geography * Foothill College
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Subjects to Know: Geography 1
88 Explain how karst topography is formed
89 Examine the physical features that result from a karst landscape.
90 Identify locaitons that have experienced glacial weathering.
Discuss macroscopic and microscopic effects of glacial
91 weathering.
92 Outline the ways in which rivers transport materials.
Examine the importance of rivers in terms of human settlement,
93 agriculture and transportation.
Relate the flow discharge of a stream to its channel width, depth
94 and velocity.
95 Examine the effects of a flood on the river's suspended load.
Discuss the importance of flood plains and how people have
96 worked to control river floods.
97 Define the geographic unit of a watershed and its importance.
Compare and contrast the physical appearance of an active
98 margin with a passive margin .
Discuss the seven most common dissolved minerals in sea
99 water.
Describe how the ocean became salty and how salts continue to
100 be added to ocean water.
Explain how ocean upwelling is related to western
101 intensification.
Define the biosphere and explain how it interacts with the
102 atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.
103 Examine how climate is related to soil formation and fertility.
Relate soil fertility to human population density and economic
104 prosperity.
105 Define ecosystem
106 Discuss the potential limiting factors in an ecosystem.
107 Examine the effect of removing one member from a food web.
Discuss the effect of bioaccumulation of pollutants on a food
108 web.
Physical Geography * Foothill College
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