PHYS 204 Final Exam All Possible Questions and Answers
Fully Solved 100% Latest Update 2024/2025; Concordia
University
what 3 categories can all landscapes/environments on planet earth be divided into? -
As the Sun appears to move relative to the Earth throughout the year what happens to
the humidity of forests or the aridity of deserts (as the case may be)? - Answer
humidity or aridity moves with the Sun
what happens During June, July, and August, at tropical latitudes north of the Equator to
humidity/aridity? - Answer the humidity of the tropical forests at the equatorial low
intrudes to the north, causing more humid high-sun seasons.
what happens During December, January, and February at tropical latitudes north of the
Equator to humidity/aridity? - Answer the aridity of the hot deserts at the subtropical
high (at roughly thirty degrees north latitude) intrudes to the south, causing more arid
low-sun seasons.
Are High-sun season more humid or more arid in the tropical latitudes in both
hemisphere? - Answer more humid
Are low-sun seasons more humid or more arid in the tropical latitudes in both
hemispheres. - Answer more arid
What is the is the primary variable determining the characteristics of terrestrial
landscapes/environments? - Answer latitude
What effects are the secondary variables determining the characteristics of terrestrial
landscapes/environments? - Answer ocean-current effects, marine-versus-continental
effects, and orographic effects
what is a timberline or grass line? - Answer extreme latitude in each hemisphere or
elevation up a mountain beyond which bushes and shrubs can no longer grow
what is Geomorphology? - Answer study of how and why landscapes/environments
change
,what is a geomorphologist? - Answer someone who studies the evolution of
landscapes/environments
what is a geomorphic agent? - Answer anything that changes
landscapes/environments
Ex: wind.
what is the technical term for the action of wind as a geomorphic agent and who is it
named after? - Answer aeolian processes, named after Aeolus the Greek god of wind
what is the technical term for the action of gravity as a geomorphic agent? - Answer
mass wasting
what is the technical term for the PROCESS of Running water (rivers and streams) as a
geomorphic agent? - Answer fluvial processes
what is the technical term for the action of underground water as a geomorphic agent? -
Answer groundwater processes
what is the technical term for the action of glaciers (giant mass of ice) as a geomorphic
agent? - Answer glacial processes
what are the most important geomorphic agents? - Answer fluvial processes,
groundwater processes, glacial processes, aeolian processes, and mass wasting
Which is THE MOST important geomorphic agent? - Answer fluvial processes
(Nothing changes landscapes/environments more dramatically in a shorter amount of
time than rivers and streams)
what happens When any geomorphic agent changes a landscape/environment? -
Answer any geomorphic agent first degrades a landscape/environment into sediments,
then erodes these sediments to another location, then finally aggrades a new
landscape/environment from these sediments
what is degradation? - Answer the action of breaking down rocks into sediments
what is erosion? - Answer when the geomorphic agent moves these sediments from
one location to another
Answer terrestrial landscapes/environments, marine landscapes/environments, and
transitional landscapes/environments
, where are Terrestrial landscapes/environments? - Answer on the continents
where are Marine landscapes/environments ? - Answer at the bottom of the oceans
What are Transitional landscapes/environments? - Answer shores (where oceans
meet continents)
what are most of the landscapes/environments on planet Earth and why? - Answer
marine, since most of planet Earth is covered with oceans.
what is the air like at and near the equator? - Answer Humidity is high (aridity is low)
due to the equatorial low.
what is the air like at and near roughly thirty degrees latitude (in both hemispheres)? -
Answer Humidity is low (aridity is high) due to the subtropical highs
what is the air like at and near roughly sixty degrees latitude (in both hemispheres)? -
Answer Humidity is high (aridity is low) due to the subpolar lows
what is the air like at and near the poles? - Answer humidity is low (aridity is high)
due to the polar highs
Since it is hot and humid at and near the equatorial low, most terrestrial
landscapes/environments at and near the Equator are ___________? - Answer
tropical forests, such as the Amazon rainforest in northern South America, the Congo
rainforest in central Africa, and the Indonesian rainforests.
Since it is hot and arid at and near the subtropical highs, most terrestrial
landscapes/environments at and near thirty degrees latitude in both hemispheres are
________? - Answer hot deserts, such as the Basin and Range in southwestern
United States and northwestern Mexico, the Sahara in northern Africa, the Gobi in
China and Mongolia, the Patagonian desert in Argentina, the Kalahari in southern
Africa, and the Great Australian Desert in Australia.
Since it is cold and humid at and near the subpolar lows, most terrestrial
landscapes/environments at and near sixty degrees latitude in the northern hemisphere
are ______________? - Answer boreal forests (taigas), such as the Canadian boreal
forests and the Russian boreal forests.
Fully Solved 100% Latest Update 2024/2025; Concordia
University
what 3 categories can all landscapes/environments on planet earth be divided into? -
As the Sun appears to move relative to the Earth throughout the year what happens to
the humidity of forests or the aridity of deserts (as the case may be)? - Answer
humidity or aridity moves with the Sun
what happens During June, July, and August, at tropical latitudes north of the Equator to
humidity/aridity? - Answer the humidity of the tropical forests at the equatorial low
intrudes to the north, causing more humid high-sun seasons.
what happens During December, January, and February at tropical latitudes north of the
Equator to humidity/aridity? - Answer the aridity of the hot deserts at the subtropical
high (at roughly thirty degrees north latitude) intrudes to the south, causing more arid
low-sun seasons.
Are High-sun season more humid or more arid in the tropical latitudes in both
hemisphere? - Answer more humid
Are low-sun seasons more humid or more arid in the tropical latitudes in both
hemispheres. - Answer more arid
What is the is the primary variable determining the characteristics of terrestrial
landscapes/environments? - Answer latitude
What effects are the secondary variables determining the characteristics of terrestrial
landscapes/environments? - Answer ocean-current effects, marine-versus-continental
effects, and orographic effects
what is a timberline or grass line? - Answer extreme latitude in each hemisphere or
elevation up a mountain beyond which bushes and shrubs can no longer grow
what is Geomorphology? - Answer study of how and why landscapes/environments
change
,what is a geomorphologist? - Answer someone who studies the evolution of
landscapes/environments
what is a geomorphic agent? - Answer anything that changes
landscapes/environments
Ex: wind.
what is the technical term for the action of wind as a geomorphic agent and who is it
named after? - Answer aeolian processes, named after Aeolus the Greek god of wind
what is the technical term for the action of gravity as a geomorphic agent? - Answer
mass wasting
what is the technical term for the PROCESS of Running water (rivers and streams) as a
geomorphic agent? - Answer fluvial processes
what is the technical term for the action of underground water as a geomorphic agent? -
Answer groundwater processes
what is the technical term for the action of glaciers (giant mass of ice) as a geomorphic
agent? - Answer glacial processes
what are the most important geomorphic agents? - Answer fluvial processes,
groundwater processes, glacial processes, aeolian processes, and mass wasting
Which is THE MOST important geomorphic agent? - Answer fluvial processes
(Nothing changes landscapes/environments more dramatically in a shorter amount of
time than rivers and streams)
what happens When any geomorphic agent changes a landscape/environment? -
Answer any geomorphic agent first degrades a landscape/environment into sediments,
then erodes these sediments to another location, then finally aggrades a new
landscape/environment from these sediments
what is degradation? - Answer the action of breaking down rocks into sediments
what is erosion? - Answer when the geomorphic agent moves these sediments from
one location to another
Answer terrestrial landscapes/environments, marine landscapes/environments, and
transitional landscapes/environments
, where are Terrestrial landscapes/environments? - Answer on the continents
where are Marine landscapes/environments ? - Answer at the bottom of the oceans
What are Transitional landscapes/environments? - Answer shores (where oceans
meet continents)
what are most of the landscapes/environments on planet Earth and why? - Answer
marine, since most of planet Earth is covered with oceans.
what is the air like at and near the equator? - Answer Humidity is high (aridity is low)
due to the equatorial low.
what is the air like at and near roughly thirty degrees latitude (in both hemispheres)? -
Answer Humidity is low (aridity is high) due to the subtropical highs
what is the air like at and near roughly sixty degrees latitude (in both hemispheres)? -
Answer Humidity is high (aridity is low) due to the subpolar lows
what is the air like at and near the poles? - Answer humidity is low (aridity is high)
due to the polar highs
Since it is hot and humid at and near the equatorial low, most terrestrial
landscapes/environments at and near the Equator are ___________? - Answer
tropical forests, such as the Amazon rainforest in northern South America, the Congo
rainforest in central Africa, and the Indonesian rainforests.
Since it is hot and arid at and near the subtropical highs, most terrestrial
landscapes/environments at and near thirty degrees latitude in both hemispheres are
________? - Answer hot deserts, such as the Basin and Range in southwestern
United States and northwestern Mexico, the Sahara in northern Africa, the Gobi in
China and Mongolia, the Patagonian desert in Argentina, the Kalahari in southern
Africa, and the Great Australian Desert in Australia.
Since it is cold and humid at and near the subpolar lows, most terrestrial
landscapes/environments at and near sixty degrees latitude in the northern hemisphere
are ______________? - Answer boreal forests (taigas), such as the Canadian boreal
forests and the Russian boreal forests.
