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Geosystems: An Introduction to Physical Geography, 9e (Christopherson)
Chapter 1 Essentials of Geography
1.1 Multiple Choice Questions
1) “Geography” literally means
A) place memorization.
B) the study of rocks.
C) map making.
D) to write (about) Earth.
2) The main methodology governing geographic inquiry
A) is behavioral analysis.
B) involves spatial analysis.
C) uses chronological organization.
D) is field work.
3) Which of the following comprise the fundamental duality in the field of geography?
A) physical versus human/cultural
B) physical versus economic
C) economic versus political
D) political versus environmental
4) A physical geographer would likely not study
A) the impact of Hurricane Sandy’s landfall along the U.S. East Coast.
B) the effects of the removal of dams on the Elwha River in Washington.
C) the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan in 2011.
D) The diffusion of various religions from the so-called Middle East.
5) Geography is described as
A) an Earth science.
B) a human science.
C) a physical science.
D) a spatial science.
6) The word spatial refers to
A) the nature and character of physical space.
B) items that relate specifically to society.
C) things that are unique and special.
D) eras of time.
7) Which is not true of geographers?
A) They are Earth systems scientists.
B) They are primarily concerned with place names.
C) They are concerned with spatial and temporal relationships.
D) They use spatial analysis.
8) Geography
A) is not a science.
B) does not use systems analysis.
C) does not consider process in explaining systems.
D) is derived from geo and graphein; literally, “to write Earth.”
9) Which of the following best describes the field of physical geography?
A) Understanding soil development.
B) Mapping of rock types.
C) The study of weather.
D) The spatial analysis of all the physical elements, processes, and systems that make up the
environment.
10) Relative to the five fundamental themes of geography, communication and diffusion refer to
A) location.
B) place.
C) human-Earth relationships.
D) movement.
E) regions.
11) Which of the following most accurately characterizes the goal of geography?
A) The production of maps.
B) Memorization of the names of places on world and regional maps.
C) Memorization of the imports and exports of a country.
D) Understanding distributions and movements across Earth.
12) The science of physical geography is based on the realization that
A) nature is homogenous and spatially undifferentiated.
B) knowledge of spatial distributions is of little value in understanding nature.
C) nature can best be described and understood as a set of interrelated components through
which matter and energy flow.
D) humans have no significant impact on the physical phenomena that occur in nature.
13) Which of the following terms characterizes the discipline of geography?
A) eclectic
B) integrative
C) unscientific
D) both eclectic and integrative
14) Relative to the five fundamental themes of geography, resource management and sustainable
growth refer to
A) location.
B) place.
C) human-Earth relationships.
D) movement.
E) regions.
15) Relative to the five fundamental themes of geography, latitude and longitude refer to
A) location.
B) place.
C) human-Earth relationships.
D) movement.
E) regions.
16) Relative to the five fundamental themes of geography, areas that display uniform
characteristics refer to
A) location.
B) place.
C) human-Earth relationships.
D) movement.
E) regions.
17) Relative to the five fundamental themes of geography, characteristics of a site refers to
A) location.
B) place.
C) human-Earth relationships.
D) movement.
E) regions.
18) Relative to the five fundamental themes of geography, the Cienega de Santa Clara, an
ecotourism destination on the Colorado River delta, is best described within which of the five
themes?
A) location
B) place
C) human-Earth relationships
D) movement
E) regions
19) Relative to the five fundamental themes of geography, your home address is best described
within which of the themes?
A) location
B) place
C) human-Earth relationships
D) movement
E) regions
20) Shale gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing falls within which of the five themes?
A) location
B) place
C) human-Earth relationships
D) movement
E) regions
21) Which of the following is true of models?
A) They complicate our understanding of Earth system science.
B) They perfectly replicate the real world, but at a different scale.
C) They are simplified, idealized representations of the real world.
D) They are never used in physical geography because of their inherent limitations.
22) Which of the following is the most strongly supported by experimental and observational
evidence?
A) speculation
B) hypothesis
C) educated guess
D) theory
23) Which of the following is not true of scientific theories?
A) They are based on several hypotheses.
B) They are broad in scope because they unify several known facts about the world.
C) They are based on natural laws (such as those pertaining to gravity, relativity, atomic theory,
etc.)
D) They are absolute truths and can never be proven wrong.
24) The key idea behind the scientific method is
A) the use of intuition in testing theories.
B) an appeal to supernatural explanations when natural explanations have not yet been found for
a phenomenon.
C) the testing of ideas through controlled observations and experiments.
D) unbridled speculation about the world.
25) The scientific method is described by which of the following?
A) A single, definitive method for doing science.
B) The acceptance of supernatural explanations for phenomenon until science proves otherwise.
C) The development of hypotheses for testing and prediction.
D) Irreproducible results accepted as theory.
26) The capacity to change the motion of, or to do work on, matter is the definition of
A) energy.
B) plasma.
C) thermodynamics.
D) acceleration.
E) system.
27) Which of the following is an example of a closed system?
A) a forest
B) a river drainage basin
C) an automobile
D) the Earth (in terms of matter)
28) In terms of matter and resources, the Earth is essentially a(n) ________ system; In terms of
energy, the Earth is a(n) ________ system.
A) closed; closed
B) closed; open
C) open; open
D) open; closed
29) Which of the following is incorrect?
A) Earth represents a vast integrated system.
B) Earth represents an open system in terms of energy.
C) Earth represents a closed system in terms of matter.
D) New resources and matter are being added to Earth’s systems all the time.
30) Systems encountered in nature at Earth’s surface, such as a forest, are
A) open systems in terms of energy.
B) closed systems in terms of energy.
C) open systems in terms of matter.
D) both open systems in terms of energy and open systems in terms of matter.
E) both closed systems in terms of energy and open systems in terms of matter.
31) With respect to air, water, and material resources, which of the following is true?
A) A forest is a closed system.
B) A forest is an open system.
C) A forest is an open system in terms of air, but closed in terms of material resources.
D) A forest is an open system in terms of water, but closed in terms of energy resources.
32) What type of feedback maintains stability in a system; i.e., what type of feedback keeps a
system functioning properly?
A) positive
B) negative
C) neutral
33) If a system responds to a change in input by moving further away from its equilibrium
condition, what type of feedback has occurred?
A) positive
B) negative
C) neutral
D) Not enough information is given to indicate what type of feedback has occurred.
34) Which of the following is correctly matched?
A) threshold — balance of inputs and outputs
B) steady state equilibrium — small fluctuations about an average condition
C) dynamic equilibrium — large fluctuations that changes abruptly over time
D) tipping point —same as steady state equilibrium
35) Which of the following best describes the condition of steady-state equilibrium?
A) System inputs always exactly balance outputs so the system never changes.
B) System inputs and outputs fluctuate around a stable average so the system does not move far
from its average condition.
C) System inputs produce large, random fluctuations in output, forcing the system into a new
state of equilibrium.
D) Systems slowly adjust to long-term changes in input and output.
36) The carbon dioxide absorbed by plants is an example of an ________ to a forest and an
________ from the atmosphere.
A) input; input
B) input; output
C) output; output
D) output; input
37) A large flood in a river may cause abrupt shifts leading to the carving of a new channel. The
point at which this change occurs is a(n)
A) type of dynamic equilibrium condition.
B) type of metastable equilibrium.
C) threshold.
D) input.
38) As we burn fossil fuels and release carbon dioxide, the temperature of our planet and the
oceans will increase. When the oceans warm they will release more carbon dioxide, further
warming the planet and oceans. If this occurs rapidly and causes a sudden rise in temperature,
a(n) ________ has been crossed and that the planet has moved into a state of ________.
A) input level; equilibrium
B) input level; disequilibrium
C) threshold; equilibrium
D) threshold; disequilibrium
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39) If Earth warmed up, and more snow fell because of more water vapor in the atmosphere, and
that snow then reduced Earth’s temperature, which increased snow cover, then the initial increase
in snow fall would be ________ feedback, while the continued increase in snow fall would be
________ feedback.
A) positive; positive
B) positive; negative
C) negative; positive
D) negative; negative
40) According to the text, the three inorganic Earth realms are the
A) hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.
B) thermosphere, lithosphere, heterosphere.
C) atmosphere, geoid, and homosphere.
D) stratosphere, magnetosphere, and troposphere.
41) Which of the following statements regarding the development of models by scientists is not
true?
A) Adjusting the variables in a model simulates different conditions and allows predictions of
possible system operations.
B) A model is a simplication designed to help us understand complex processes.
C) Most scientists believe that any system can eventually be modeled with 100 percent accuracy.
Thus, models can be perfect representations of reality.
D) A model is only as good as the assumptions and accuracy of information upon which it is
based.
42) Living systems are considered
A) biotic.
B) inorganic.
C) part of the lithosphere.
D) abiotic.
43) Which of the following is true of the biosphere?
A) It is never referred to as the ecosphere.
B) It exists on other planets in the solar system.
C) It is not connected to the overlapping inorganic spheres.
D) It extends from the floor of the oceans to 8 km (5 mi.) into the atmosphere.
44) Which of the following is true of the biosphere?
A) Life processes generally are not shaped by the abiotic spheres.
B) Life processes generally are shaped to the abiotic spheres.
C) It is not connected to the overlapping inorganic spheres.
D) It only occurs in the hydrosphere.
45) As arctic temperatures rise, summer sea ice and glacial melt accelerates; lighter color
surfaces are thereby replaced with darker-colored surfaces leading to more absorption and
surface heating. This is an example of a(n) ________ feedback.
A) negative
B) positive
C) reverse
D) dynamic
46) Predator/prey relationships are an example of
A) positive feedback, because more predation leads to higher prey populations as they increase
reproduction to insure survival.
B) positive feedback, as more prey discourages further predation allowing prey populations to
flourish.
C) negative feedback, because prey populations tend to achieve a balance with the number of
predators.
D) negative feedback, because more wolves equal fewer elk and people tend to like elks more
than wolves.
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47) If increased levels of carbon dioxide lead to further increases in temperature by promoting
the release of even more carbon dioxide from the oceans, this means a ________ feedback has
occurred and that the planet is ________.
A) positive; in equilibrium
B) positive; out of equilibrium
C) negative; in equilibrium
D) negative; out of equilibrium
48) Around the Grand Canyon the predators of deer were largely exterminated by people. The
deer population grew rapidly as a result of the lack of predators until the deer exhausted their
food supply. This led to a massive die-off (known as a population crash) and hundreds of deer
died of starvation. The point at which the food supply no longer supported the large deer
population can best be considered a
A) model.
B) metastable equilibrium condition.
C) threshold.
D) dynamic equilibrium condition.
49) The realization that Earth was a sphere
A) did not occur in Europe until the first voyages of Columbus.
B) had to wait until the modern era (1800s).
C) was first made by Pythagoras, 580-500 B.C.
D) was made by Isaac Newton.
50) Which of the following statements about Earth is correct?
A) It is elongated.
B) Earth is the second largest planet in the solar system.
C) The equatorial diameter is 42 km (26 mi.) greater than the polar diameter.
D) Earth is perfectly spherical.
51) The oblateness of Earth occurs at the
A) poles.
B) equator.
C) subtropics.
D) prime meridian.
52) The diameter of Earth is largest when measured around the
A) poles.
B) equator.
C) subtropics.
D) prime meridian.
53) Isaac Newton reasoned that Earth was not perfectly spherical because of
A) centrifugal force created by Earth’s more rapid rotation at the equator.
B) centrifugal force created by Earth’s more rapid rotation at the poles.
C) gravitational force created by Earth’s more rapid rotation at the equator.
D) gravitational force created by Earth’s more rapid rotation at the poles.
54) The science that specifically attempts to determine Earth’s shape and size by surveys and
mathematical means is called
A) geography.
B) geology.
C) cartography.
D) astronomy.
E) geodesy.
55) Who made a significant, early contribution to cartography by adding a grid and orienting the
map with north at the top? He also divided the circumference of Earth into 360°, with each
degree comprising 60 minutes, and each minute comprising 60 seconds.
A) Pythagoras—in the sixth century B.C.
B) Sir Isaac Newton—in the seventeenth century A.D.
C) Magellan—in the sixteenth century A.D.
D) Ptolemy—in the second century A.D.
56) Which of the following is easily determined using the position of the Sun or stars?
A) longitude
B) latitude
C) altitude
D) mean sea level
57) A parallel of latitude
A) is used to measure distances east and west of the equator.
B) measures longitude.
C) is called a meridian.
D) is used to measure distances north or south of the equator.
E) is a line which passes through both poles.
58) An angular distance measured north or south of the equator from the center of Earth is
termed
A) longitude.
B) latitude.
C) zenith.
D) Greenwich distance.