Spring 2011: Exam #1 Possible Essay Questions These are the ...

Spring 2011: Exam #1 Possible Essay Questions
These are the possible questions for exam #1. I will ask you to answer four (4) questions
that I choose and you will choose any four additional questions to answer.
Chapter #1
1. What are the five fundamental themes of geography? Include one or more sentences
describing each.
2. What are the four traditions of geography? Describe each one.
3. In what two meanings and for what different purposes do geographers refer to location?
When geographers say "location matters," what aspect of location commands their
interest?
Chapter #2
4. In what different ways can map scale be presented? Convert the following map scales
into their verbal equivalents using an centimeter ruler and converting to kilometers.
o 1:1,000,000
o 1:63,360
o 1:12,000
o a map has a scale of 1:25,000. The distance between two points on that map is 3.5
inches. How many miles apart are they?
5. What is remote sensing? Describe the different types of sensors and how they are used.
6. Describe the development of remote sensing satellite systems.
7. Describe the field of GIS and its applications.
8. What is a map projection, what are the four main properties and how are these properties
related to each other?
9. What are the different types of maps and how are they used?
Chapter #3
10. (Chapter 3) What are the three classes or main groups of rocks and how are they formed?
11. (Chapter 3) Young volcanoes and the epicenters of earthquakes are often associated with
each other. Why?
12. (Chapter 3) With what earth movements are earthquakes associated? What are tsunami
and how do they develop?
13. (Chapter 3) What is the distinction between mechanical and chemical weathering? How
is weathering responsible for landform creation?

Chapter #4
14. (Chapter 4) What is relative humidity? How is it affected by changes in air temperature?
What is the dew point?
15. (Chapter 4) Draw and label a diagram of earth's global wind and pressure belts. Why do
the winds and pressure belts occur where and the way they do?
16. (Chapter 4) What determines the amount of insolation (energy) received at a given point
on the earth’s surface? Does all potentially receivable solar energy actually reach the
earth's surface? Why?
17. (Chapter 4) How is the atmosphere heated? What is the environmental lapse and what
does it indicate about the atmospheric heat source?
18. (Chapter 4) What is the relationship between atmospheric pressure and surface
temperature? What is a pressure gradient and of what concern is it in weather
forecasting?
19. (Chapter 4) In what way do land and water areas respond differently to equal insolation
(energy) inputs? How are these responses related to atmospheric temperatures and
pressures?
20. (Chapter 4) What are air masses? What is a front? Describe the development of a midlatitude
low pressure system showing how it relates to air masses and fronts.
21. (Chapter 4) Summarize the temperature and rainfall characteristics of four (4) the
following climates:
o Tropical Wet (Af)
o Tropical Wet & Dry (Aw)
o Desert (BW)
o Mediterranean (Cs)
o Humid Continental (Dfa)
o Subarctic (Dfc/d)
o Tundra (ET)
22. (Chapter 4) What causes the greenhouse effect? What impact might it have on the earth's
environment?