Download Science Chapter 4 Notes- Our Dynamic Earth

Science Chapter 4 Notes- Our Dynamic Earth
Lesson 1: Earth’s Landforms:
1. A landform is a physical feature on Earth’s surface.
2. Trenches, rift valleys, and abyssal plains are all features of the ocean floor.
3. You need to know the layers of the Earth: inner core, lower mantle, upper mantle, crust,
atmosphere, hydrosphere
4. The atmosphere consists of gases around and above Earth.
Lesson 2: Plate Tectonics
1. A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure and history of Earth.
2. The theory of plate tectonics explains how Earth’s continents move.
3. Continental drift is how scientists explain the discovery that the mountains on the east coast of
South America closely match the mountains on the west coast of Africa.
Lesson 3: Forces That Build the Land
1. A fault is a crack in the rock of the lithosphere.
2. The magnitude of an earthquake is a measure of the amount of energy released.
3. A tsunami is a giant wave caused by an earthquake under the ocean.
4. The Richter Scale measures the amount of energy released by an earthquake. The Mercalli
Scale measures the effects of an earthquake.
Lesson 4: Atmosphere and Weather
1. Insolation is the solar energy that reaches Earth’s surface.
2. The condition of the atmosphere at a specific time and place is the weather.
3. All weather occurs in Earth’s troposphere.
4. A valley breeze is created when sunlight warms the mountain slopes in the morning. As the
warm air rises, cool air from the valley moves up to take the place creating a valley breeze.
Lesson 5: Clouds and Precipitation
1. Cirrus clouds are wispy clouds that form at high altitudes.
2. An air mass is a large region of air that takes on the temperature and humidity from a section of
Earth’s surface.
3. A meeting place between air masses is called a front.
4. What kind of weather can be expected with a low-pressure system? Warm and humid air has
lower pressure than cold, dry air, so low-pressure systems usually are associated with warm and
rainy or stormy weather.