review and hints for test one

kava

These are not necessarily the only things you'll  need to know, but if you must do triage at the last minute, study these... If you did the sections of the exercises assigned and understand the ideas, you will do well on the test.   remember that the only material covered here will be that which we covered in lab exercises.
 

General:

• You may use a regular calculator if you like, but won't really need one.

• Don't need protractor, colored pencils, etc. - all you need is a pencil and a little study.

• There won't be any large "busy-work" type problems as in the workbook (i.e., no large complicated graphs to draw...)

• There won't be much of any "trivia" on the quiz (as in "what country is divided at the 38° N. parallel?" question of chapter one)

• while studying or reviewing, be sure to look in the textbook (lecture text) for better figures, additional pictures, etc.

• If you get confused, always think of the most simple example, and work from there; i.e., if you need to figure out a location change in lat./long., draw a globe and mark your movement as you cross the equator, prime meridian, or whatever.   this also helpful when figuring out antipode and so on...

• If this does not help, look for clue in other parts of the test.   This does not mean I'll put them there on purpose, but it's sometimes necessary to explain something a little to ask a question properly, and this info might give you just the clue you need to solve another problem.   This is, after all, how real life works!

• If you don't quite understand a question, ask me!

Chapter 1:
 

• Refer also to ye olde firste quiz from a previous year for samples

• Terms- at the beginning of chapter and any others boldfaced or italicized: all

• be able to define, draw, and differentiate great vs. small circle

• know about parallel and meridian, longitude and latitude.

• be able to find the antipode of a location (remember: switch the horizons [N becomes S, E becomes W], the latitude stays the same [40 degrees N becomes 40 degrees S], and the longitude becomes 180 - the original longitude [33 degrees E becomes 147 degrees W]

• Know that there are 60 minutes in a degree, and 60 seconds in a minute.

• know where you'll be (lat/long/) if you move a certain distance in degrees from a given location

• remember that if you go, for example, from 60 degrees N and travel 90 degrees S, you will cross the equator, and end up at 30

• degrees S;  SO... know what happens to degrees  when you cross the equator.   Also know what happens when you go across the Prime Meridian or 180 degree meridians.

• Remember that there are 90 degrees between the equator and the north pole, 90 b/tw equator and S. pole, and 180 from the Prime Meridian to, well, 180 degrees (and that 180 degrees is neither E nor W.).   So there are, of course, 360 degrees completely around the globe in both directions (N. pole to S. Pole and back to N. Pole / Prime Meridian to 180 and back to Prime Meridian)  and 180 halfway (N. Pole to S. Pole)

• If given the table on page 28, be able to tell me how long it is from, say, 25 degrees N. to 45 degrees N. or 25 degrees W to 25 degrees E., etc.

• If I give you a halfway decent time zone map, be able to tell the difference b/tw two locations.  Also know that as there are 360 degrees around the globe and 24 hours in a day that there are also, theoretically 24 time zones of 15 degrees each (24 x 15 = 360), but that because of political borders time zones do not match these.

Chapter 4:

About topographic and contour maps:
Remember that i mentioned several times that the main goal is to be able to extract useful data from them.   his means that if you can read elevations on contour maps, temperatures on thermal maps, etc., you are doing ok.   unfortunately, you'll still have to do a bit of contour line (isopleth) drawing if i give you a small "map" with 12 or 15 elevations (temperatures, pressures).   nothin' as bad as that stuff in the workbook though!

Also:

• read over the "more about contour lines" on p. 63

• know the terms as we've encountered them (isotherm, isopleth, contour line, index contour, contour interval, benchmark, vertical exaggeration, etc.)

• know how to draw a profile from a topo map as in this chapter.

• know the similarities and differences between topographic/temperature/etc. maps and how/what they portray with isopleths.   is it possible to have both maps in one?

Chapter 5:

• refer also to the first quiz for samples

• Terms- at the beginning of chapter and any others boldfaced or italicized: all

• know especially the latitudes of Tropics of Cancer (Cuba-Castro-cigars-cancer...) and capricorn, the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, and what these mean in relation to the sun's angle, date, and location.   e.g.; the Tropic of Cancer is at 23.5 degrees. N, and it's the N. most point at which the sun will be directly overhead (on the Summer Solstice), and the Arctic Circle is at 66.5 degrees. N, and represents the point at which the sun will be below the horizon entirely for one or more days during the year.   See textbook page 52 and 54 for clear explanations.

• understand how to read the figure (5-3) on page 85.

• The analemma will appear, so know how to work it!

• remember the method to determine sun angle AND horizon as on page 89.   many forget to put horizon (N or S) on this during tests... don't forget!  Remember that if the SSP is north of your location the sun will, of course, be in the north sky for you, and vice-versa.

• remember what the longest and shortest days are called (summer and winter solstice) and, and what the name is of the equal day-night event (equinox).   Know where the subsolar point will be on each.

Chapter 6:
 

• Terms- at the beginning of chapter and any others boldfaced or italicized in chapter, as  usual.

• remember at which altitudes and in which order the thermal layers of the atmosphere occur (meso-, thermo- strato- and tropospheres).   understand why they become cooler/warmer with altitude change, in simple terms.

• remember how to convert temperatures from centigrade to Fahrenheit scales and back (page 99).  Remember, the top pair of formulae(!) in the chapter are to convert TEMPERATURE READINGS, as on a thermometer, and the bottom pair are to convert TEMPERATURE CHANGES, as in the air cooled 33 degrees from its original temperature.   remember the important numbers: 32 (the freezing point of water in Fahrenheit), 1.8 (a degree change in Fahrenheit is 1.8 degrees in centigrade), and the formulas become rather simple.   really.

• Understand the concept of continental and maritime climates, and tell where they are located relative to each other, and know the differences in temperature patterns for each.   know that these differences are because of the heating and cooling properties of land vs. water (the empty pan-full of water pan on the stovetop analogy)

• ditto for low- vs. high altitude climate locations.

• Don't worry about how to read a climograph.

• know how to read--not draw, read--the temperature map you made (or one like it).

• Understand wind chill.

Chapter 8:

Terms- at the beginning of chapter and any others boldfaced or italicized...

• this chapter will feature something about "the mountain diagram" (aka orographic lifting, etc.), as you might imagine.

• you're responsible for general ideas of this chapter, such as the terms on page 130 (minus stability and plus latent heat, albedo, lifting condensation level)

• know what relative humidity is, and how to calculate it if you have a chart as you filled in in the workbook, and the actual water vapor content of the air.

• know how to read the chart you made in the workbook (and which is given on page 132 of your textbook)

• know what the environmental lapse rate is (as opposed to the normal lapse rate)

• know the difference between dry and wet adiabatic rates, what they are, and why they are different (because of latent heat used/released in evaporation/condensation, you recall...)

• know the terms involved (like the condensation level, condensation, dewpoint, the MAR and DAR and when to apply them, why it's warmer at same elevation on leeward than windward side, what chinook winds/Fohn are, the rain shadow and where it occurs, etc...

good luck!
 

                You rose o' the wrong side to-day

                                   -Richard Brome

            modified Thursday Feb 15, 1:45pm