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Support Pack | Grade 11

CAPS

Geography
The atmosphere – geographical skills
and techniques

This support pack for the The atmosphere – geographical skills and
techniques module in the Geography Grade 11 CAPS curriculum
provides valuable revision activities. All activities have the answers
provided. Learners can work through these individually at home or
these could form the basis of a catch-up class or online lesson. You
have permission to print or photocopy this document or distribute it
electronically via email or WhatsApp.
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 The atmosphere – geographical skills and techniques

QUESTION 1 QUESTION 4
Choose the correct underlined word/words for each Explain the difference between tone and texture in an
statement. Write down the question number and the orthophoto map, or a photograph. [10]
underlined word/words only.
1. Weather generally changes on a daily/annual/ QUESTION 5
decadal/millennial basis. 1. Why is correction needed for distortion on aerial
2. GIS stands for Geographical Information Series/ photographs and orthophoto maps?
Geographical Inertia Series/Geographical 2. What is meant by orientation with regard to maps
Information System/Geology and photographs?
Inside Stars. 3. Whereas a topographical map has a standard
3. Orthophoto maps are typically drawn scale of 1:50 000, what is the typical scale of an
to a scale of 1:10 000/1:20 000/ orthophoto map? Is this a larger or a smaller scale
1:50 000/1:100 000. than a topographical map?
4. Meteorology is essentially the chemistry of the 4. Whereas the contour interval on a topographical
atmosphere/the make-up of the atmosphere/ map is typically 20 metres, what is it on an
the data of the atmosphere/the physics of the orthophoto map? Which has the better resolution
atmosphere. in terms of altitude?
5. With a vertical aerial photo 1/5/50/100 points are 5. Are a photograph and a satellite image the same
directly below the camera lens. (5×2) thing? Explain.  [8]
[10]
QUESTION 2 QUESTION 6
1. Define the following terms: 1. What is a Geographical Information System and
a) imagery what is the common abbreviation?
b) orthophoto map 2. The following may be overlaid on a GIS in terms
c) aerial photograph of weather forecasting. Pick the odd one out:
d) vertical aerial photograph • isobars
2. What are the essential differences between • temperature conditions
climatology and meteorology? • topographical contours
3. Weather forecasting is undertaken by a • industrial output
meteorologist with training in which subject?[12] • cloud formation and types
3. Define:
QUESTION 3 a) geostationary
Choose whether the statement is True or False. Write b) EUMETSAT and Meteosat
down the question number and ‘T’ or ‘F’ only. c) variable
1. Climatology and meteorology are the same thing. d) spatio-temporal. [12]
2. The electromagnetic spectrum includes the visible
spectrum. QUESTION 7
3. The electromagnetic spectrum includes radio Define the following terms:
waves. 1. scale
4. A camera is a remote sensing device. 2. distortion
5. Satellites never orbit the Earth at heights greater 3. resolution
than 100 kilometres. (5×1) 4. spectrum
[5] 5. isobar(5×2)
[10]

S T U DY & M A S T E R T h e a t m o s p h e r e – g e o g r a p h i c a l s k i l l s a n d t e c h n i q u e s 1
 QUESTION 8
Give the opposite, or opposite term, for each of the
following as they are used in remote sensing and GIS:
1. low-angle oblique
2. variable
3. vertical
Answers
QUESTION 1
1. daily ✓✓
2. Geographical Information System ✓✓
3. 1:10 000 ✓✓
4. the physics of the atmosphere ✓✓
5. 1 point ✓✓ (5×2)
[10]
QUESTION 2
1. a) imagery: that which is remotely sensed, such
as a photograph, or a satellite image ✓✓
b) orthophoto map: a combination of a vertical
aerial photograph and a topographic map; it
combines the best of both; it shows contour
lines, usually at an interval of 5 metres ✓✓
c) aerial photograph: a photograph taken
from above ground level, usually from an
aircraft, or a tower, or even from a satellite or
spacecraft; it may be oblique, or vertical ✓✓
d) vertical aerial photograph: see answer (c);
vertical aerial photographs are, by definition,
taken from directly above a point on the
ground ✓✓
2. Climatology is the study of climate. Climatology
tends to deal with long-term data, and issues
like changing climates. Meteorology is the study
of weather (continuously changing atmospheric
conditions). It is essentially the physics of the
atmosphere. Weather forecasting is part of
meteorology. ✓✓✓
3. physics ✓ [12]
QUESTION 3
1. F ✓ 4. T ✓
2. T ✓ 5. F ✓
3. T ✓ (5×1)
[5]
2 S T U DY & M A S T E R S U P P O R T PA C K
4. low resolution
5. geostationary(5×1)
[5]
[Total: 72 marks]
QUESTION 4
Tone refers to the colour of features on a map or
photograph. ✓ Usually, features in the real world
are indicated by their real colour on a map. ✓ For
example, vegetation is shown in green, water is shown
in blue. ✓ In black and white photographs, tone is
reflected by different shades of grey. The less light
an object reflects, the darker it will appear on the
photograph. ✓Therefore, water masses are reflected
in a very dark shade of grey on black and white
photographs. The texture or feel and appearance of
features on a map or photograph can be described
as smooth or rough. ✓ For example, a road may
appear smooth, and a forest rough. ✓ A smooth
texture is consistent throughout the image, whereas a
rough texture is coarse and contrasting. ✓ Texture is
dependent on the scale of the photo. ✓ On large-scale
photos, features could appear to have a consistent
texture. ✓ But as the scale becomes smaller, the texture
could appear more contrasting. ✓ [10]
QUESTION 5
1. so that scale is correct on all parts of the map ✓
2. lining up the map or photograph, either with
regard to the reality on the ground, or to ensure (if
working with a map and a photograph) that they
are both pointing in the same direction in relation
to one another ✓✓
3. 1:10 000, and this is a larger scale than 1:50 000 ✓
4. 5 metres; the orthophoto map has a higher
altitudinal resolution than the topographical
map ✓✓
5. No. A photograph is a picture taken by a
camera, using the visible light part of the
electromagnetic spectrum. A satellite image is a
remotely sensed image, with a sensor designed
to sense, for example, the infrared portion of the
spectrum. ✓✓ [8]
QUESTION 6
1. It is a computer software package designed to
overlay spatio-temporal data (information) and
to identify patterns and to analyse the data and
come up with answers based on the data and
spatio-temporal questions that are designed by the
operator. The abbreviation is GIS. ✓✓✓✓
2. industrial output ✓
3. a) geostationary: stationary with regard to a
fixed point; the satellite is always above the
same position on the Earth’s surface, even
though the Earth is rotating ✓✓
b) EUMETSAT: the European Organisation for
the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
Meteosat: Meteorological Satellite ✓✓
c) variable: something that changes ✓
d) spatio-temporal: space (spatio) and time
(temporal); geographers work with data
in constantly changing space and time
scenarios. ✓✓
QUESTION 7
1. scale: the ratio between distance on a map or
photograph, and distance in reality ✓✓
2. distortion: where scale differs from the edges of a
map or photograph and the centre ✓✓
3. resolution: the amount of detail on a map or
photograph: high resolution = lots of detail; low
resolution = less detail ✓✓
4. spectrum: the range of data or measurements or
things, from one extreme to the other ✓✓
5. isobar: a line on a map or orthophoto map joining
points of equal atmospheric pressure ✓✓ (5×2)
[10]
QUESTION 8
1. low-angle oblique – high-angle oblique ✓
2. variable – constant ✓
3. vertical – horizontal ✓
4. low resolution – high resolution ✓
5. geostationary – Earth orbiting ✓ (5×1)
[12] [5]
[Total: 72 marks]

S T U DY & M A S T E R T h e a t m o s p h e r e – g e o g r a p h i c a l s k i l l s a n d t e c h n i q u e s 3