GPS & GIS
This system uses satellites to determine precise locations on Earth and is commonly used for navigation
GPS
The type of map that shows political boundaries and capital cities
Political Map
The gradual wearing away of Earth’s surface by water, ice, or wind is called what?
Erosion
A large, flat area of land with low elevation is typically called this.
What is a plain?
The long-term pattern of temperature and precipitation in a region is called what?
What is climate?
A computerized system that stores, analyzes, and displays geographically referenced information in layers to show relationships; commonly used by planners and scientists
GIS
A map feature that shows the relationship between distance on the map and distance on the ground (often shown as a ratio or bar).
Map Scale
Name the process by which tectonic plates move and cause earthquakes or mountain-building
tectonic forces or plate tectonics
Define a mountain and name one tectonic or erosional process that can create mountains.
A mountain; created by tectonic uplift or volcanic activity (or built by folding/faulting)
Explain how the tilt of Earth on its axis affects seasonal changes in climate for a location at mid-latitudes.
Earth’s axial tilt changes solar angle and day length, causing seasonal temperature and daylight variation at mid-latitudes
Describe one major educational or economic impact of the Internet, GPS, or GIS on how people find, analyze, or use geographic information.
new jobs and industries in geospatial analysis; and improved ability to visualize global trends and share geographic information via the Internet
You are given a map showing elevation and another showing rainfall. Describe how comparing these two maps could help you infer a geographic relationship
Example: Higher elevations may correspond with higher rainfall or geographic precipitation; comparative analysis can reveal correlations or causal links
Explain how erosion and soil-building processes work together to affect an agricultural region’s long-term productivity.
Soil formed from weathered rock provides nutrients while erosion can remove topsoil; together they determine fertility—explain balance and human mitigation like terracing or cover crops.
Describe how islands can form through volcanic activity or changes in sea level (explain one mechanism)
Volcanic islands form from volcanic eruptions building above sea level; islands also form from rising sea level isolating highland areas or coral growth (atolls)
Distinguish difference between weather and climate
Weather = short-term atmospheric conditions (today’s rain); Climate = long-term patterns over decades (region is generally wet/dry).
When evaluating a GIS dataset, name two criteria you would use to determine its validity and utility for a research project.
metadata/source authority (who collected the data and when) and spatial resolution/accuracy (scale and positional precision)
Explain how an aerial photograph can be used to detect recent human changes to a landscape that a map might not show.
Aerial photos show recent land use, construction, vegetation health, and flood damage; verify dates and resolution.
Describe how El Niño alters ocean and atmosphere conditions and one regional impact it can have on weather patterns.
El Niño: warm central/eastern Pacific sea surface temps, altered jet streams; regional impact: increased rainfall in Peru, drought in Australia/Indonesia.
Explain what a rain-shadow effect is and how it influences the distribution of biomes on either side of a mountain range.
Rain-shadow: moist air rises on windward side, cools and releases rain; leeward side receives dry air, creating arid conditions—affects vegetation and biome distribution
Describe how a persistent change in ocean currents (for example, a shift in the Humboldt Current) could alter coastal climate and marine ecosystems
A weakened Humboldt Current could warm coastal waters, reducing upwelling, decreasing marine productivity, and altering precipitation—impacting fisheries and coastal climates
A field team collects GPS waypoints and adds them to a GIS. Explain one strength and one limitation of using GPS+GIS compared to using only traditional paper maps for a hazard-response plan.
Strength — precise, up-to-date location data and the ability to layer real-time information in a GIS; Limitation — GPS signal errors or gaps (indoors/under canopy), device power/coverage issues, and potential privacy or data-quality concerns
Given two maps of the same region from different years, list three specific steps you would take to analyze change over time and one type of question this analysis could answer.
Steps: align map projections/scales, identify consistent landmarks, digitize changes or note differences in land use, quantify area change. Question example: Has urban area expanded into prime farmland?
Choose a recent volcanic eruption or earthquake (real or hypothetical). Explain how that event would affect the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere (one effect for each sphere).
Lithosphere: surface rupture/landslides; Atmosphere: ash and aerosols can cool climate; Hydrosphere: ash fallout contaminates water; Biosphere: habitat loss and mortality, long-term ecosystem change.
Soil is formed from weathered rock, organic matter, air, and water. Describe two factors that speed up soil building and one factor that slows it down.
Speeds: warm/wet climate increases biological activity and chemical weathering; presence of parent rock that weathers easily. Slows: cold/dry climate or steep slopes that prevent soil accumulation.
Given monthly temperature and precipitation data for a region, name two methods you would use to determine whether the region fits the definition of a particular biome (for example, temperate grassland vs. desert), and explain the reasoning.
Methods: compute climate averages (monthly/annual means), compare totals to biome thresholds (e.g., precipitation limits for deserts); use temperature range and precipitation seasonality to match biome definitions.