Download Earth`s Physical Geography

Earth’s Physical
Geography
Chapter 2
Lesson 1 Objectives
• Learn about Earth’s movement in relation
to the sun.
• Explore seasons and latitude.
Earth and the Sun
• Earth, the sun, the planets, and
the stars in the sky are part of a
galaxy, or family of stars.
•
Our galaxy is the Milky Way
• Earth orbits around the sun.
– The path one body makes as it
circles around another.
• It takes 365 ¼ days to complete
one revolution.
– A circular motion.
Understanding Days and Nights
• The Earth also turns
around an axis.
– An imaginary line
running through Earth
between the North and
South poles.
– Each rotation, or
complete turn, takes
about 24 hours.
Time Zones
• The Earth is divided
into 24 times zones.
– Time zones are one
hour apart.
• The sun rises in the
east, so the day
starts earlier in the
east.
Seasons and Latitude
• Spring equinox
– March 21
– Sun is directly over the
Equator
• Summer solstice
– June 21
– Sun directly over the
Tropic of Cancer
• Autumnal equinox
– September 23
– Sun directly over the
Equator
• Winter solstice
– December 21
– Sun directly over the
Tropic of Capricorn
The Revolution of Earth
Latitudes
• Low latitudes
– Areas between the Tropic of
Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn
• Middle latitudes
– Areas between the low
latitudes and high latitudes
– Also called temperate zones
• High latitudes
– Areas above the Arctic Circle
and below the Antarctic Circle
– Also called polar zones
Lesson 1 Objectives
• Learn about Earth’s movement in relation
to the sun.
• Explore seasons and latitude.
• ASSIGNMENT!!!
Lesson 2 Objectives
• Learn about the planet Earth.
• Explore the forces inside Earth.
• Explore the forces on Earth’s surface.
What Is Earth Made Of?
• The Core
– A sphere of very hot metal at the
center of Earth
• The Mantle
– A thick, hot, rocky layer around
the core
• The Crust
– The thin layer of rock and
minerals that surrounds the
mantle
Water and Air
• Air
– Oxygen to people and
animals
– Carbon dioxide to plants
• Water
– Covers 70% of the Earth’s
surface
• 97% of water is salt water
• 3% is fresh water
Forces Inside Earth
• Volcanoes
– Intense heat causes rock to rise
toward the surface
– Magma
• Soft, nearly molten rock
• Earthquakes
– When two plates push together,
the crust cracks and splinters
from the pressure
– Plates
• Huge blocks of Earth’s crust
Forces on Earth’s Surface
• Weathering
– A process that breaks rocks
down into tiny pieces
– Caused by water, ice, and
living things
• Erosion
– The removal of small pieces
of rock
– Caused by water, ice, and
wind
Lesson 2 Objectives
• Learn about the planet Earth.
• Explore the forces inside Earth.
• Explore the forces on Earth’s surface.
• ASSIGNMENT!!!
Lesson 3 Objectives
• Learn about weather and climate.
• Explore latitude, landforms, and
precipitation.
• Discover how oceans affect climate.
Weather or Climate?
• Weather
• Climate
– Condition of the air
and sky from day to
day
– The average weather
over many years
– What people see from
day to day
– What usually happens
from year to year
Weather
• Weather is mainly measure by two things:
– Precipitation
• Water that falls to the ground as rain, sleet, hail, or
snow
– Temperature
• How hot or cold the air is
Why Climates Vary
• Climate depends on location
– Places in the low latitudes have hot climates because
they get direct sunlight.
– Places in the high latitudes have cold climates
because their sunlight is indirect.
– Mountains also affect climates.
Oceans and Currents
Cooling and Warming Effects
• Water takes longer to heat or cool than land.
• In summer, a region near an ocean or lake will
be cool than an inland area.
• In the winter, places near lakes and oceans are
warmer than inland areas
Raging Storms
• Tropical cyclones
– Intense wind and rain
storms that form over
oceans in the tropics
• Hurricanes
– Tropical storms that form
over the Atlantic Ocean
• Tornadoes
• Blizzards
Lesson 3 Objectives
• Learn about weather and climate.
• Explore latitude, landforms, and
precipitation.
• Discover how oceans affect climate.
• ASSIGNMENT!!!
Lesson 4 Objectives
• Investigate the relationship between
climate and vegetation.
• Explore Earth’s vegetation regions.
• Study vertical climate zones.
Climate and Vegetation
• Five broad types of climates:
– Tropical
– Dry
– Temperate marine
– Temperate continental
– Polar
• Based on vegetation
– Plants that grow in a region
Climates
• Tropical
– Tropical wet – year-round
rainfall
– Tropical dry – one rainy
season, one dry season
• Dry
– Very hot summers, mild
winters, very little rain
• Temperate Continental
– Summers are hot, winters
can be very cold
• Temperate Marine
– Mediterranean
– Marine west coast
– Humid subtropical
• Polar
– Cold all year long
– Tundra – an area near the
Arctic Circle with cold
climate and low-lying
vegetation
Earth’s Vegetation Regions
• Tropical Rain Forest
• Deciduous Forest
• Tropical Savanna
• Coniferous and Mixed
Forest
• Desert
• Desert Scrub
• Mediterranean Vegetation
• Temperate Grassland
• Tundra
• Highland
• Ice Cap and Pack Ice
Vertical Climate Zones
• Mountains have vertical
climate zones
– Climate and vegetation
depend on elevation.
– The higher you go, the
colder it gets.
– The higher you go, the
less vegetation you see.
Lesson 4 Objectives
• Investigate the relationship between
climate and vegetation.
• Explore Earth’s vegetation regions.
• Study vertical climate zones.
• ASSIGNMENT!!!