Review Guide for Semester I Exam
Directions: Use the notes on Climate, Physical Processes,
Human Environment Interaction, Weather, and Technology to complete this study
guide.
1. List four elements that cause regional
climate patterns.
Latitude, Wind Currents,
Water, Elevation
2. Most places near the equator have warm
climates.
3. Areas with higher elevation in a region are
usually colder.
4. What is savanna vegetation?
Tropical grassland located
in East Africa
5. What are the three characteristics of
climate?
Temperature, Precipitation
(rainfall), and Seasons
6. What climate zone receives the least amount
of precipitation?
Arid (desert)
7. What area of the world do monsoons usually
occur in?
South and Southeast Asia
8. What area of the world do typhoons usually
occur in?
Tropical storms in the
Pacific Ocean – East Asia, Southeast Asia
9. List the climates that usually occur in the
middle latitudes.
Mediterranean, Humid
Subtropical, Humid Continental, Marine West Coast
10. List the climates that usually occur in the
high latitudes.
Icecap, Subarctic, Tundra
11. List the climates that usually occur in the
low latitudes.
Tropical Wet, Tropical Wet
and Dry
12. What latitude zone are rainforests found in?
Low latitudes (near equator)
13. What latitude zone is taiga found in?
High latitudes (subarctic
climate zones)
14. What is tundra?
Cold grassland
15. What is the climate zone that has a rainy
season in summer and a dry season in winter called?
Tropical wet and dry
16. What is a monsoon and how does it help
people?
Seasonal wind pattern in
South and Southeast Asia/provides water for irrigation
17. A __________ is a twisting funnel shaped
cloud that forms over land.
Tornado
18. What is the definition of climate?
Condition of the atmosphere
over a long period of time
19. What is the definition of weather?
Condition of the atmosphere
over a short period of time
20. What is a polder?
Area of reclaimed land from
the sea
21. List three causes of deforestation.
Cutting down forests for
farming, expansion of cities, cutting down forest for timber to sell
22. Why is the Aral Sea shrinking?
Over irrigation of the
rivers that flow into it in order to grow cotton in Russia
23. What is desertification?
Expansion of arid conditions
into previously non-arid areas in which trees, shrubbery and grasses are
artificially or naturally killed off
24. Why do farmers practice terraced farming?
They need to grow food on
hillsides
25. How do volcanoes benefit humans?
The ash from volcanoes is
good for farming
26. List the forces that cause erosion.
Gravity, wind, water, ice
(glaciers)
27. What happened at Chernobyl?
It was a nuclear reactor
that had an explosion in 1996 in the former Soviet Union. It is now located in
Ukraine.
28. What type of pollution does Mexico City
suffer from?
Air pollution
29. List three ecological processes that have
shaped the earth's surface.
Flooding, erosion,
weathering
30. List three ways humans influence their
environment.
Agriculture, energy usage,
transportation
31. List three ways humans are influenced by
their environment.
Clothing, housing, types of
recreation, transportation patterns
32. List three forms of pollution.
Water, air, radioactive
pollution (Chernobyl)
33. The Aswan High Dam is on the __________
river.
Nile (Egypt)
34. List three examples of water diversion.
Dams, reservoirs, canals
35.
What causes air pollution?
Smokestack emissions from
factories or industries, burning fossil fuels in your car as gasoline or at
electric plants that burn coal for electricity, or farm and household chemicals
(crop dusting fields)
36.
What causes the majority of water pollution?
Contamination of lakes,
rivers, oceans by harmful, toxic chemicals or waste, garbage, chemical run-off
on agricultural fields from insecticides or fertilizers that flow with rain
into creeks, streams or rivers, or oil spills in the oceans
37.
What landforms help produce smog?
Mountains and valleys trap smog down in the valleys and the height
of the mountains keeps smog from blowing away in the wind
38.
What is the 1990 Clean Air Act?
Goals to clean up the air in
the United States
39.
What are natural forms of pollution?
Volcanic eruptions, forest
fires and grass fires
40.
What is urbanization?
An increase in the
population of cities and towns as opposed to rural areas.
41.
What is an urban environment?
An urban area is the region
surrounding a city. Most inhabitants of urban areas have nonagricultural jobs.
Urban areas are very developed, meaning there is a density of human structures
such as houses, commercial buildings, roads, bridges, and railways.
"Urban area" can
refer to towns, cities, and suburbs. An urban area includes the city itself, as
well as the surrounding areas.
42.
What is a rural environment?
Rural areas are the
opposite of urban areas. Rural areas, often called "the country,"
have low population density and large amounts of undeveloped land. Usually, the
difference between a rural area and an urban area is clear.
43. What are the suburbs or a suburban environment?
The meaning of a
suburban area is a residential or district located on the outskirts of the
city. It is bounded by major cities and characteristically made up of sole
family separated residences, with more green space and characterized by low
population density.
44. What is weathering? And what causes it?
Weathering is the
breaking down of rocks, soils and minerals as well as artificial materials
through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, biota and waters. Weathering
occurs in situ, or "with no movement", and thus should not be
confused with erosion, which involves the movement of rocks and minerals by
agents such as water, ice, snow, wind, waves and gravity.
Two important
classifications of weathering processes exist – physical and chemical
weathering; each sometimes involves a biological component. Mechanical or
physical weathering involves the breakdown of rocks and soils through direct
contact with atmospheric conditions, such as heat, water, ice and pressure. The
second classification, chemical weathering, involves the direct effect of
atmospheric chemicals or biologically produced chemicals (also known as
biological weathering) in the breakdown of rocks, soils and minerals.[1] While
physical weathering is accentuated in very cold or very dry environments,
chemical reactions are most intense where the climate is wet and hot. However,
both types of weathering occur together, and each tends to accelerate the
other.
45. What is erosion? What causes it?
Erosion is the
process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth's surface by processes
such as wind or water flow, and then transported and deposited in other
locations.