Download Chapter 2 Physical Geography: A Living Planet

Chapter 2
Physical Geography: A
Living Planet
I. The Earth Inside and
Out
• a. The earth is
• the only living
planet…
i. Continents –
landmasses above
water on earth
Continental Drift
• The Earth consists of plates that float
• The theory of continental drift explains
the formation of the continents
e. Inside the Earth
i. Core – center of
the earth (iron and
nickel)1.Inner
2.outer
ii. Mantle – several
layers surrounding
the core
iii. Crust – thin layer
of rock at the
earth’s surface
Outside the Earth
Solar System
Consists of the sun and 8
known planets, Comets,
Asteroids as well as other
celestial bodies that orbit the
sun.
f. Biosphere
• The part of the earth
where plants and
animals live
(atmosphere, lithosphere
and hydrosphere)
THE CRUST
•Thin rocky
surface of
the earth
i.
Atmosphere- a layer of gases
surrounding the earth (contains oxygen,
protects us from radiation, weather
occurs here)
ii. Lithosphere- Solid rock portion of the
Earth ( includes crust & uppermost
mantle, ocean floor, etc.)
iii. Hydrosphere- Made up of the water
elements of the Earth (oceans, seas,
lakes, etc.)
STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH
* The earth consists of plates that float….
* The Theory of Continental Drift explains the
location of the continents. (Alfred Wegner)
II. Bodies of Water and
Landforms
• a. Water
covers 71% of
the earth’s
surface…
b. Hydrologic Cycle
The water on
earth is
continuously
circulated
between the
atmosphere,
the oceans,
and the earth
III. Internal Forces
Shaping the Earth
a.The earth’s crust consists of
number of tectonic plates
• b. tectonic
plates enormous
moving pieces
of the earth’s
lithosphere
• (p. 37)
FAULT LINES
• Fault –
fracture in
the earth’s
crust where
plates
move past
each other
e.Volcanoes – point in the
earth’s surface where magma
and/or gases escape
i.Lava – magma
that has reached
the earth’s surface
EARTHQUAKES
When tectonic
plates move
against or
alongside one
another they will
stretch until they
snap back into
place causing an
earthquake
i.Seismograph – a
device that
measures the
size of the waves
created by and
earthquake
ii.Epicenter
• Point directly above the focus
of an earthquake on the
earth’s surface
iii.Richter Scale – uses
information collected by
seismographs to determine
the strength of an earthquake
iv.Tsunami
• A giant wave in the
ocean caused by an
underwater earthquake
or earthquake near the
coast
The Ring of Fire
• The most
active
volcano and
earthquake
zone on
earth
iii. Weathering and erosion help
form soil
1.Soil Factors:
–Parent Material
–Relief
–Organisms
–Climate
–Time
IV.External Forces Shaping
the Earth
a. Weathering and erosion alter
the surface of the earth
i. Weathering – physical and
chemical processes that
change the characteristics of
rock on or near the earth’s
surface
ii. Erosion
Occurs when weathered
material is moved by the
action of wind, water, ice
and gravity
iv. Sediment - Small pieces of
rock created by weathering
(mud, sand or silt)
v. Mechanical Weathering –
processes that break rock into
smaller pieces (doesn’t change
the composition of rock, but the
size)
example: road construction
vi. Chemical Weathering –
occurs when rock is changed
into a new substance as a
result of interaction between
elements in the air or water and
minerals
(example – iron rusting)
• 2. Water,
wind, and
glaciers
cause
erosion…
V. Distribution of Physical Features
on Earth:
• i. How do plate
tectonics, soil
building & climate
affect the location
& distribution of
physical features?
• a. For the Ring of Fire, the location is
due to being where the crust of the
earth is very thin. This is the primary
factor, plate tectonics, not climate.
• b. For the Great Plains, climate &
type of soil are the primary factors in
the location of this region.
• c. The climate of the Great Plains is
Humid Continental, Semiarid and
Humid Subtropical.
• The type of soil is a major factor,
in the Ring of Fire .Volcanic soil
can be very fertile, as well as the
soil in the Great Plains.
• D. Tropical Rainforest are located
between the 23 ½ N Tropic of
Cancer & 23 ½ Tropic of
Capricorn, causes these areas to
be quite warm and to have a lot of
rain.