PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY LAB – FINAL STUDY GUIDE

 

Be able to identify the location of these places or features on a map

 

White Mountains

Sierra Nevada

Mt Whitney (How Tall?)

Death Valley (How Low?)

Oldest Tree Species (Where dominant in California)

Tallest Tree Species (Where dominant in California, no we didn’t go there)

Biggest Tree Species (Where dominant in California, no we didn’t go there)

Bishop

Mono Lake

Lone Pine

 

Know these highlighted themes from the following labs

 

LAB A

What is Latitude? How is it measured?

What is Longitude? How is it measured?

Name and Label the 7 Parallels

Prime Meridian and International Date Line

Shape of Earth

 

LAB B

Rotation vs. Revolution

4 Important Dates that mark the Beginning of Seasons and the Names they are given

 

LAB C

Air moves from High to Low Pressure

Name and Label the Global Pressure Systems and Global Winds

 

LAB E

Basic understanding of what Greenhouse Effect is and Global Warming

 

LAB F

What is Dendrochronology?

 

LANDFORMS AND CONTOUR LINES FIELD LAB

Recognize landforms while looking at topographic maps

 

UPPER NEWPORT BAY FIELD LAB

What is an estuary?

Importance of estuaries and wetlands

Wetlands loss

 

CAMPING TRIP FIELD QUESTIONS

1.      During our weekend field trip, we talked about how diverse California’s physical landscape is.  Write about this diverse state as well as some of its highlights mentioned in class (oldest tress species, tallest point in contiguous US etc).

 

2.      Does the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains have similarities?  If so, what are those similarities?  Why does the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains look so different?  Be sure to elaborate on all information you know about the two ranges (altitude, location, characteristics, rock type, how range was formed etc.).

 

3.      What is a food chain and specifically what is the food chain in Mono Lake?

 

4.      How do tufa towers form at Mono Lake?

 

5.      What is the name of the two islands found within Mono Lake?  How did they form?

 

6.      How was Fossil Falls formed?  Are there visible fossils there or a water fall?  How were the potholes created at Fossil Falls?  Did you find any evidence of Native American at the site?

7.      Explain geothermal activity and the process occurring at Hot Creek hot springs.  Explain some of the highlights of this stop.

 

8.      What is the scientific name of Bristlecone pines?  How old is the oldest tree and what is it named?  What are the characteristics of Bristlecone Pine which enable these trees to endure the harsh environment of the White Mountains?  How do these trees live for so long?

9.      Using your text, explain the process of glaciation and specifically how alpine glaciers are formed.  Next, list and describe all of the effects and features created by glaciation that we stopped and looked at during our weekend trip or saw while driving (Cirques, Moraines, Cirque Lake or Tarn…and add Arete, Horn and Col even if we did not see these features)

 

INFO FROM THE FIELD

 

 

  • FOSSIL FALLS STOP
    • Red Hill (How formed, type of volcanoe
    • Fossil Falls (How formed, How potholes formed)
    • Petroglyph
    • Obsidian
  • HOT CREEK
    • Hot springs
    • Fumarole
  • Bristlecone Pine
    • How Old?
    • Harsh environment that Bristlecone survive in
    • How do Bristlecone survive?
  • Convict Lake
    • What is Convict Lake?
    • How did it get its name sake?
    • What type of rock is found in the mountain near Convict Lake?
  • Creosotebush
    • Originally from what continent?
    • What are its competitive advantages which helped it become the dominant species in the Mohave Desert?
    • How is it able to thrive in this harsh environment?
  • Mono Lake
    • Know questions above
  • Similarities and Difference between White Mountains and Sierra
    • Rock makeup of each mountain
    • Location of faults
    • Glaciation
    • Precipitation (Rainshadow, Leeward, Windward)