GEOGRAPHY

Short notes
1st Term
 INTRODUCTION TO MAP
A map is a diagram that gives us information about a place at
a particular time.

The art of a map is called cartography.

A person who creates a map is a cartographer.

Essentials of a Map
 Title
 Key
 Scale
 North direction
 Frame/margin/border

3 ways of expressing scale

 Statement Scale
E.g. two centimeters represent one kilometer.

 Representative fraction(R.F)
E.g. 1:5000 or 1/5000

 Linear scale
E.g. 1 cm to 2.5 km

0 2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5

How to show relief on maps

1. Spot Height
Is the dot which is shown on the map with the number
of height of that place.
 2. Trigonometrical station
Is the way of showing height of a place by putting a dot
in a triangle e.g. . 520

3. Color shading
Colors are used to show general height of a place e .g.
pale brown-is to show highland.

4. Contours
Are the lines drawn on a map. They join places which
have the same height above sea level. The vertical
distance between two contours is vertical interval.

How to recognize gradient of a slope

Contours patterns are used to recognize steepness of a
slope. *close spaced contours show sleep slope and wide
spaced contours show gentle slope.

Gradient (GR) = Vertical interval (V.I)

Horizontal interval (H.I)

VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES

 Volcano
Is a crack or hole in the earth’s surface that allows magma,
ash, Gas or steam to escape to the surface.

 Magma
Molten rock under the earth’s surface.
 Lava
Molten rock on the surface of the earth.

 Crater
A giant hole left by a volcanic eruption.

 Magma chamber
An underground storage of magma.

 Vent
A long tube or pipe that allows magma to escape to the
surface.

Two types of volcanoes

1. Strato volcanoes
Are volcanoes which often erupt with great violence causing
much death and destruction.

2. Shield volcanoes
Are volcanoes which are less violent and destructive.

STRATO VOLCANOES SHIELD VOLCANOES

Steep slope Gentle slope
Has vicious lava Has less vicious lava
Occurs in area with high Occurs in area with less
pressure pressure

Classification of volcanoes by frequency of eruption

 Active
Which has erupted recently.
 Dormat
Temporarily inactive but not completely extinct.

 Extinct
Never likely to erupt again.

Benefits of volcanoes
 Minerals
 Attracts tourists
 Acts as good fertilizer for soils

TECTONIC PLATES
What are tectonic plates?

Types of plates
 Continental plate
 Oceanic plate

Two categories of plates

 Major plate
 Minor plates

Types of plate boundaries

 Convergent
Where plates move towards each other.

 Divergent
Where plates move apart.
 Conservative
Where plates slide past each other.

Earthquakes and related terms

 Earthquake
A sense of vibrations or movement in the earth’s crust.

 Intraplate earthquakes
An earthquake found in the center of a plate.

 Magnitude
How strong an earthquake is, measured by richter scale.

 Focus
The location of which an earthquake originates.

 Epicenter
The location on the surface directly above the focus.

 Aftershock
The earthquake that happens after the main earthquake.

Effects of an earthquake
 Loss of life
 Destruction of property
 Damage of infrastructure
 Spread diseases
 People are left homeless
Intensity: measures the strength of shaking produced by the
earthquake at a certain location
magnitude: is the energy that is released at the source of the
earthquakes

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

What is weather?
Is the hour to hour or day to day state of the atmosphere of a
place.

*Meteorology is the study of weather

What is climate?
Is the average weather condition of a place taken over a long
period of time.

WEATHER CLIMATE
Recorded over a short period Recorded over a long period
of time of time
Covers a small area Covers a large area

Elements of weather
1. Temperature
2. Precipitation
3. Wind
4. Pressure
5. Clouds
6. Humidity
7. Visibility

Temperature
Is the degree of hotness or coldness of a body atmosphere.
Measured by thermometer.

Temperature Recording
Daily range temperature
Maximum temperature+ minimum temperature for one day

Mean daily temperature

Is maximum temperature + minimum temperature of the
day divide by 2

Mean monthly temperature

Is the total of the average daily temperature divided by the
number of days in the month.

Annual range of temperature

Is the warmest month- the coldest month.

Mean annual temperature

Is the total of the monthly temperature divided by 12

2 types of thermometer
 Minimum and maximum thermometer
 six’s thermometer
Precipitation
Is the water or ice particles that falls from the atmosphere
surface to earth’s surface.

These are found in 4 types

 Rainfall
 Hail
 Snow
 Sleet

Types of rainfall
 Relief rainfall
Moist air cools. Moist air is forced to rise over mountains
then clouds form and condensation occurs.
Precipitation(rain)
Note: This type of rainfall falls in mountain areas.
In relief the warm moist air is forced to rise over mountains
Precipitation is measured by rain gauge

1. Convectional current
Ground is heated and air is warmed and rises. Clouds form
(condensation) then Precipitation occurs.
2. Frontal/cyclonic rainfall
Warm air meets cold air and rises over cold air then Warm
air cools. Clouds form(condensation) then Precipitation
occurs. In frontal rainfall a mass of air meets cold air over
the colder heavier air
How to calculate rainfall
Monthly total(amount)of rainfall
= Total amount in a month
Number of days

Annual total rainfall

This means add all amount of rainfall in a year.
Temperature can be calculated daily, monthly, annually.

Wind
Is air in motion moving from high pressure to low pressure.

Wind direction: Is measured by a wind vane.

Wind speed: Is measured by an anemometer.

There are 2 types of winds

 International wind:
Blows over a very large area. These winds are permanent
and have a defined direction.

Types of international winds

• Trade winds- blows from Northeast in the northern
hemisphere and from southeast in the southern
hemisphere.
• Westerly winds- blows from south west in the northern
hemisphere and from north west in the southern
hemisphere
• Polar winds- flow from polar regions

 Local wind:
Doesn’t cover a very large area.
Sea breeze: wind blowing from sea towards land
Land breeze: wind blowing from land towards sea
Monsoon winds(seasonal winds )

Factors influencing speed and direction of wind

 Rotation of the earth
 Physical features

Measurements of winds
1. Wind direction
Measured by Wind vane and has the points of the compass
fixed and sited so that they point in the correct direction.

2. Wind speed
Wind speed is measured by an anemometer

Air Pressure
The weight of the atmosphere.

Depression
When air rises, pressure falls. And areas with low pressure
is called depression. depression usually give very poor
weather.
Features of depressions
• Low pressure
• Rising air which leads to
- Cloud formation
 - Storms
- Rainfall

Cyclones
All areas with low pressure centers are called cyclones.
-These are temporary pressure disturbance.

There are two types of cyclones;

 Tropical cyclones(0-20 N&S of equator).
E.g. Tornado & hurricane in U.S.A

 Depressions (50-60 N&S of equator)

- Depression is formed when warm air moves toward the
cold air.

Anticyclones
Areas with high are called Anticyclones. Usually give a good
weather.

Features of an anticyclones;
• high pressure
• sinking air leads to:
- so few or no clouds.
- Fine settled weather.
- Light winds.

Differences between depressions and tropical cyclones

DEPRESSIONS TROPICAL CYCLONES
1 Formed when warm air moves Formed when the ground is
 towards cold air
2 at latitude 50-60 N&S of equator
3 cyclonic rainfall
4 Have strong winds but
not as strong as tropical
cyclones.
intensively heated
At latitude 10-20N&S of
equator
convectional rainfall
Have very strong winds
compared to depressions

Similarities between tropical cyclones and depressions

 Both bring unsettled weather
 Both are accompanied with strong wind
 Both are in N&S of equator
 Both causes destruction

Differences between Cyclones (Tropical cyclones &

depressions and Anti-cyclones)

CYCLONES ANTI-CYCLONES
Have low pressure have high pressure
Have rising air have sinking air
bring cloud formation so few or no clouds
Have strong winds Have light winds
Wind blows anti-clockwise wind blows clockwise
Pressure is measured by barometer

3 types of barometer
 Mercury barometer
 Aneroid barometer
 Barograph

Rain is measured by rain gauge

Temperature is measured by thermometer
Pressure is measured by barometer
Wind speed is measured by anemometer
Wind direction is measured by wind vane