Term
click below
click below
Term
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Physical Geography (
flashcards for Physical Geography (Chapters 1–3)
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Absolute Location | The exact position of a place on Earth using latitude and longitude. |
Biomes | Large regions of the Earth with similar climates, plants, and animals (e.g., deserts, forests, tundras). |
Climate | The long-term pattern of weather in a particular area, including temperature, precipitation, and wind. |
El Niño | A periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean that affects global weather patterns, often causing heavy rains or droughts. |
Elevation | The height of a landform above sea level. |
Equator | An imaginary line circling Earth at 0° latitude, dividing it into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. |
Formal Region | A region defined by a common characteristic, such as a political boundary or a shared climate (e.g., Texas, the Sahara Desert). |
Functional Region | A region centered around a hub or focal point connected by movement or function (e.g., a subway system, a city and its suburbs). |
Perceptual Region | A region defined by people’s feelings and attitudes rather than objective data (e.g., "the South" or "the Midwest"). |
Leeward | The side of a mountain facing away from the wind; usually dry due to lack of moisture. |
Orographic Effect | The change in atmospheric conditions caused by a mountain, leading to precipitation on the windward side and dryness on the leeward side. |
Place | A specific point on Earth distinguished by its physical and human characteristics. |
Rainshadow | A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain caused by the orographic effect blocking rain. |
Region | An area with one or more common features that make it different from surrounding areas. |
Relative Location | The position of a place in relation to other places (e.g., “north of Houston”). |
Weather | The short-term atmospheric conditions in an area, including temperature, precipitation, and wind. |
Windward | The side of a mountain facing the wind; receives more precipitation due to moist air rising and cooling. |
La Niña | A climate pattern with cooler Pacific waters that brings dry weather to some areas and heavy rain to others. |
Great Circle Route | an imaginary line that follows the curve of the earth and represents the shortest distance between two points |
Map projection | a formula used to represent the curved surface of the Earth on the flat surface of a map |
Planar projection | a map created by projecting an image of the Earth onto a geometric plane |
Cylindrical projection | a map created by projecting Earth's image onto a cylinder |
Conic projection | a map created by projecting an image of the Earth onto a cone placed over part of an Earth model |
Thematic map | map that emphasizes a single idea or a particular kind of information about an area |