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A LIVING PLANET Ch. 2 Intro to Geography THE EARTH INSIDE OUT The Solar System Earth is the 3 rd planet from the Sun in the Milky Way galaxy There are 8-9 planets and many other celestial bodies that orbit the Sun Dwarf planets, comets, asteroids The Structure of the Earth 3 layers of Earth Core Inner core is solid Outer core is liquid Mantle Crust Miles thick Outside the crust is 4 layers Atmosphere Lithosphere Hydrosphere biosphere Continental Drift Earth was once a supercontinent – Pangaea The supercontinent divided and slowly drifted away from each other Many millions of years ago They crashed and split apart several times before they came to there current positions INTERNAL FORCES SHAPING THE EARTH Plate Tectonics There are dozens of plates on the Earth’s surface that move Plates move in 1 of 4 ways Spread or move apart Divergent boundary Subduction; diving under another plate Convergent boundary Collision; crash Convergent boundary Sliding past each other Transform Creates folds and faults Earthquakes Plates slips by each other Seismograph detect earthquakes Earthquakes generally occur at plate boundaries, but can occur at any location Earthquakes are measured on the Reichter Scale Earthquakes can cause tsunamis Volcanoes Found along plate boundaries Lava, gases, ash, dust, and rocks erupt out of volcanoes Inactive and active volcanoes Ring of Fire Found in the Pacific Ocean 8 plates meet in this location Volcanoes and earthquakes are frequent here EXTERNAL FORCES SHAPING THE EARTH Weathering Process, both physical and chemical processes that change the characteristics of rock on or near the earth’s surface. Occurs slowly Erosion Weathered material is moved by the action of wind, water, ice, or gravity Building Soil Weathering and erosion are part of the process of froming soil. CLIMATE AND VEGETATION Ch. 3 Intro to Geography SEASONS AND WEATHER The Earth is tilted at a 23 ½ degree angle in relation to the sun. The Earth’s revolution and tilt allow different parts of the earth to receive direct rays of the sun for more hours at certain times in the year. This causes the changing seasons on the earth. Seasons Solstice – day on which the sun’s rays shine directly overhead at noon Summer – Northern Hemisphere is the longest day of the year Winter – Shortest day of the year Equinox – the days and nights all over the world are equal in length. Mark the beginning of spring and fall. Diagram p. 49 Weather The condition of the atmosphere at a particular location and time. Climate Term for weather conditions at a particular location over a long period of time. Precipitation Rain Snow Hail Sleet Weather Extremes Hurricanes or Typhoons Tornadoes Blizzards Droughts Floods CLIMATE Factors af fecting climate Wind currents Help to distribute the sun’s heat from one part of the world to another through the upward motion of the air in the atmosphere. Ocean currents Move in large circular systems with warm water flowing to the poles and cold water flows toward the Equator. Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift currents help keep the continent of Europe at a moderate climate. Zones of Latitude 3 general zones Low or tropical – either side of the equator Middle or temperate – between the tropics and polar High or polar – North and south pole Elevation Rises in altitude or elevation drops the temperature Topography Landforms affect climate Changes in Climate Changes in temperature and precipitation Some are natural others are the result of human activities. El Nino/La Nina Natural change in climate El Nino brings more rain to the Americas La Nina brings more drought like conditions Global Climate Change – p. 58 Global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect Some say this is just part of earth’s natural cycle https://youtu.be/NXMarwAusY4 - Inconvenient Truth (2006) Global warming cartoon explanation – An Inconvenient Truth (2006) https://youtu.be/OqVyRa1iuMc The Melting of Greenland – An Inconvenient Truth (2006) https://youtu.be/02NRKzemXYE Ocean water level https://youtu.be/dPOT5TRRL3E WORLD CLIMATE REGIONS There are 5 general climate regions. Within the 5 regions there are variations that geographers divide into smaller zones. Tropical Wet Wet and Dry Dry Semiarid Desert Mid-latitude Mediterranean Marine west coast Humid subtropical Humid continental High-latitude Subarctic Tundra Ice Cap Highland SOILS AND VEGETATION Soil Regions Soil is a thin layer of weathered rock, humus, air, and water Food supplies depends on how good the soil of an area is Certain factors determine type of vegetation that can grow in a particular area. P. 65 – Table Vegetation Regions These are the natural environments that provide the stage for human activities, like farming, raising livestock, and producing timber. Soil, temperature, and moisture influence the type of vegetation that thrives naturally in a region. Ecosystems are supported by vegetation patterns Independent community of plants and animals Ecosystem of a region is referred to as a biome Biomes can be divided into forest, grassland, desert, and tundra Forestland Categorized by the types of tress they support Broadleaf Deciduous trees – maple, oak, birch, and cottonwood Rainforest have an abundant amount of broadleaf trees Needleleaf Coniferous trees – pine, fir, and cedar Mixed forest region have both broad and needle leaf trees Grasslands Flat regions dotted with a few trees Called savannas in tropical areas Steppe/prairie in the Northern Hemisphere Pampas in the Southern Hemisphere Desert and Tundra Tundra Plants that hug the ground – mosses Desert Plants that can conserve water and withstand heat – cacti (cactus), sagebrush Human Impact Building dams Irrigation systems Planting food Slashing and burning