After decades of study based on thousands of years of data, the verdict is in: The earth is getting hotter. Considering average global temperatures since 1865, 20 out of 21 of the hottest years measured have occurred in the last 25 years! Most of these increases are due to carbon dioxide (CO2) which is known [...]

Click on the links below to view the PowerPoint presentations. 1. Introduction 2. Chapter -2 3. Chapter – 3 4. Chapter – 4 4. Chapter – 5

We begin with wind—Horizontal movement of air. Known as Chinook, Williwaw, Haboob, Mistral, Santa Ana, Zephyr Local winds land-sea breezes sea to land in day Reverses at night mountain- valley breezes – Santa Ana => High pressure of Great Basin Compression leads the air as it flows from high to low. Winds—Horizontal movement of air. [...]

Variation in temperature affects Culture decision-making + Resource consumption. Heat and temperature are Not Alike. Heat is energy that flows from 1 system to another when they are different. Temperature is measure of average kinetic energy (motion) of molecules. We feel temperature as sensible heat Mr. Fahrenheit   melt 32—212 F =180 units Mr. Celsius          0— [...]

Chapter 4- Atmosphere and Energy Balances We’ve begun to examine Atmosphere + Surface Energy Flow Short-wave/ long-wave transmission Insolation – in coming solar radiation- is the single energy input driving the earth’s atmosphere system. 1- Scattering –Question? Why is the Sky Blue? Rayleigh’s scattering- the shorter the wavelength-the greater h cattering. Short wavelengths of visible [...]

The so-called modern atmosphere may be the 4th kind in earth history. Evolved over 500 million years partially because of photosynthesis. The atmosphere is crucial to life on earth so very thin and fragile, 1/1millionth of the earth’s mass. ATMOSPHERE- a gaseous envelops surrounding a celestial body. Editing the sun’s rays, like a membrane selectively [...]

. Milky Way Galaxy The Solar System, Sun, and Earth – Nebular Hypothesis Solar System Formation and Structure . gravity . planetesimal hypothesis Dimensions and Distances . speed of light Earth’s Orbit . perihelion . aphelion . plane of the ecliptic Solar Energy: From Sun to Earth – Electromagnetic Spectrum and Plants . fusion Solar [...]

FOUR SPHERES Atmosphere- Solar energy interceptor, stratrospheric ozone, ionosphere, mix of gases into one –air. Hydrosphere – 73% of earth is water- precipitation- watersheds, rivers, oceans, groundwater, weather, extreme weather.  Lithosphere- the land, rocks, minerals. Earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics.  Biosphere- soils, ecosystems, species-interacting with all – the ecology.   OPEN or CLOSED SYSTEMS Systems affect [...]

 Geo meaning earth in Greek. Graphy meaning to write or carve. Geography is the science that deals with the descriptions, distribution and interactions of the diverse physical, biological and cultural features of the landscape.   Geography is the basis for all human interpretation of the landscape- all human-land relationships.   Geography is a wide field [...]

 Earth systems science   The Science of Geography                            . geography                            . spatial                            . location                            . region                            . human-Earth                                           relationships                            . movement                            . place         Geographic Analysis                            . spatial analysis                            . process                            . physical geography                            . scientific method           The Geographic Continuum   [...]