Name: ___________________________

Student #: _________________

The UNIVERSITY of NEWCASTLE

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

GEOGRAPHY 210
METHODS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

END-OF-SEMSTER EXAMINATION
SEMESTER ONE 1998

NOTES:
1.
You are permitted to use a calculator and to consult ONE DOUBLE-SIDED A4 sheet
of paper containing your own exam preparation notes.
2.

This exam is worth 30% of your assessment for Geography 210.

3.

There are ten (10) questions. Answer ALL questions. All questions are worth 10% of
the total examination mark.

Question 1:
4. There are many field survey techniques. In Geography 210, you were introduced to five:
chain survey, compass traverse, spirit levelling, barometric levelling and GPS survey.
Which method can be used with a measuring tape only (i.e. absolutely nothing else except
personnel, pen and notebook)? (Please circle the correct or most correct answer) (3
MARKS)
5.
6.
7.
8.

GPS survey
chain survey
spirit level traverse
compass traverse

9. The elevation of an unknown point (h2) in the landscape can be determined with the use
of a single barometer provided that the elevation of a reference point (h1) is known,
weather conditions are stable, the time is recorded at each measurement and you have a
thermometer with which to measure station temperatures. The formula for determining
this unknown elevation is:

t
P
h2 18,336.5 log10 ( 1 ) 1 m h1
P2
250

where:

- h1 is the known elevation;

- h2 is the unknown elevation;
- P1 and P2 are the air pressures at a specific time for the
known and unknown points respectively;
- tm is the mean air temperature in degrees C.

A geomorphologist derived the following data:

Elevation at known point (h1):
Air pressure at known point (P1):

556 m
777.1 mm Hg

Air pressure at unknown point (P2):

Mean temperature (tm):
What is the unknown elevation (h2)?
(show working)

756.4 mm Hg

12.5 degrees C
________________ (7 MARKS)

Question 2:
Complete the Height of Collimation and Elevation columns in the spirit levelling booking
sheet below. (NB: you are NOT meant to end up with the ~same elevation at the final
observation.) (10 MARKS)

Magnetic Top Bottom

bearing stadia stadia
(degrees) (m)
(m)

From

To

Distance
(m)

Middle stadia (m)

InterBack- mediate Foresight
sight
sight
14.0
0.180

IS 1

TBM 1

226

0.250

0.110

IS 1

319

2.170

2.150

2.0

2.160

IS 1

315

4.120

4.000

12.0

4.060

IS 1

CP 1

314

4.400

4.100

30.0

IS 2

CP 1

109

0.400

0.360

4.0

IS 2

289

1.760

1.750

1.0

IS 2

CP 2

296

2.770

2.670

10.0

IS 3

CP 2

301

0.610

0.630

2.0

IS 3

TBM 2

304

2.470

2.410

6.0

Height of
collimation
(m)

Elevation
(m)
974.105

4.250
0.380
1.755
2.720
0.620
2.440

Question 3:
10. If you were asked to survey a large underground space (e.g. a large cave or mine), which
of the following methods would be absolutely useless? (Circle the correct or most correct
answer) (3 MARKS)
11. GPS survey
12. chain survey
13. spirit level traverse
14. compass traverse
15.

Map projections are used to transform information from the surface of the Earth (a
three-dimensional ~spherical object) onto a map sheet (a two-dimensional plane
surface). However, this transformation produces geometric distortions, the nature and
magnitude of which depend upon the type of projection used. Name three such
distortions:

___________________

____________________

__________________

(3 MARKS)
16.

In considering the transformation from a sphere to a plane surface, what is the scale factor?
(4 MARKS)
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Question 4:
17.

The following grid reference is a set of full UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator)
coordinates:
54KWG315522
The last six numbers (underlined) are the standard six-digit easting-northing
coordinates covered in Geography 101. One problem with this simple six-digit
referencing system is that the same coordinates crop up in many different parts of the
world. However, full UTM coordinates of the type shown above are unique - they can
only represent one point on the Earths surface. In the diagram below, fill in (using your
pen or pencil) the 100 000 metre square grid zone containing the above point. (5
MARKS)

18.

A biogeographer was interested in determining the height (h) of a huge mountain ash tree (AA`) visible in a large-scale aerial photograph using the properties of radial displacement (see
figure below). The flying height of the camera (H) above the terrain was 1.23 km, the radial
distance (r) measured from the top of the tree to the aerial photos principal point was 9.5 cm,
whilst the displacement distance (d) of the tree (i.e. the distance A-A` measured on the photo)
was 8 mm. The relevant formula is:
h

Hd
r

What is the height (h) of the mountain ash specimen? ______________

(Generous hint: standardise the units of measurement) (5 MARKS)

Question 5:

19. In the context of remote sensing, what is an atmospheric window?

(4 MARKS)
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20.

Provide two reasons why the date of photography is important when interpreting aerial
photographs: (2 MARKS)
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21.

If the focal length (f) of an aerial photographic camera is 153.25 mm, the aircraft flying
height (H) is 4350 m above sea level and the average terrain elevation (h) 1220 m
above sea level, what is the photo scale? (NB: Show your working)
(4 MARKS)

________________

Question 6:
22.

In the context of electromagnetic energy and its interaction with an object on the
Earths surface, what is the difference between reflectance, transmission and
absorption? Which of the three is of greatest interest to remote sensing?
(5
MARKS)

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23.

The graph below shows a set of spectral reflectance curves. How does remote sensing take
advantage of such information? (5 MARKS)

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Question 7:
24.

What is the difference between spectral resolution, spatial resolution and radiometric
resolution? (7 MARKS)

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25.

With regards to thermal infrared energy, which of the following statements is correct:
(circle the correct or most correct one) (3 MARKS)

26. It consists of emitted as opposed to reflected energy and, compared to visible and
near-infrared energy, it is naturally abundant and therefore easily detected by remote
sensing devices.
27. It consists of reflected as opposed to emitted energy and, compared to visible and
near-infrared energy, it is naturally abundant and therefore easily detected by remote
sensing devices.
28. It consists of reflected as opposed to emitted energy and, compared to visible and
near-infrared energy, it is naturally available in low quantities and is therefore difficult
to detect by remote sensing devices.
29. It consists of emitted as opposed to reflected energy and, compared to visible and
near-infrared energy, it is naturally available in low quantities and is therefore difficult
to detect by remote sensing devices.
Question 8:

The diagram below portrays the principles of one of three common supervised approaches
to remote sensing image classification. Which approach is it and how does it work? (10
MARKS)

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Question 9:
30.

Microwave remote sensing has a range of resource management and exploration

applications. There are two main types of microwave sensor: passive and active. What
is the difference? (4 MARKS)

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31.

In geographic information systems, each item of information has both a geographic and
an attribute (or descriptive) component. Define these components. Use examples if it
helps to illustrate your answer. (6 MARKS)

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Question 10:
Geographic information systems are usually either raster- or vector-based. How are points,
lines and areas represented in each type of system? What is one advantage of vector-based
systems? (10 MARKS)
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