Our Earth and its features
What are the three layers the Earth is made up of?
Core
Mantle
Crust
What happens on June 21st?
North Pole is tilted towards sun
Northern Hemisphere is receiving direct rays of the sun
Appears directly overhead of line of latitude called Tropic of Cancer
Summer Solstice-beginning of summer, day of the year that has the most hours of sunlight
Name the 7 continents of the world
Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Antarctica
What are the three different types of water
Saltwater, freshwater, groundwater
A place where two tectonic plates grind against each other
Fault
Describe the Hydrosphere
71% of Earth’s surface is water
Hydrosphere is the subsystem that consists of Earth’s water
Water is found in Oceans, seas, lakes, ponds, rivers, groundwater, and ice
Only 3% of Earth’s water is freshwater
What happens on December 21/22?
December 21/22
North Pole is tilted away from the sun
Sun’s direct rays strike line of latitude called Tropic of Capricorn
Winter Solstice-beginning of winter for NH and summer for SH
Days are short in NH, but long in SH
Describe plate movements. How do they function and what is their purpose
Movement changes Earth’s surface features
Takes millions of years to move enough to create landforms
Some form when plates are crushed together
What are the 5 salt water oceans?
Pacific
Atlantic
Indian
Southern
Artic
A flat area that rises above the surrounding land
Plateau
Describe the Lithosphere
29% of Earth’s surface is land
Land makes up the part of earth called lithosphere
Landforms=shapes that occur on Earth’s surface
Plains, plateaus, mountains, and ocean basins
What happens around September 23 and March 21
Sun’s rays are directly overhead at the equator
Equinoxes
Day and night of both hemispheres are equal length
12 hour daytime, 12 hour night time
What is the Ring of Fire? How was it made?
Overtime-plates were forced under edges of the plates surrounding Pacific Ocean
Created a long, narrow band or volcanoes called Ring of Fire
Stretches more than 24,000 miles around Pacific Ocean
What are the 4 different types of bodies of water we discussed in class?
Bays, Gulfs, Rivers, Deltas
A large expanse of land that can be flat or have a gentle roll
Plain
Describe the atmosphere
The air we breathe
Thin layer of gas that envelop Earth
78% nitrogen 21% oxygen and small amount of other gases
Atmosphere is thickest at Earth’s surface and gets thinner higher up
98% is found within 16 miles of Earth’s surface
Outer Space begins 100 miles above Earth, where atmosphere ends
Name 3/6 climate zones and their functions
Tropical Areas= hot, rainy, dense forests
Desert= dry, can be cold or hot
Humid temp= all types of weather with changing seasons
Cold Temp= short summer season but are generally cold and windy
Polar climates= very cold with ice and snow covering the ground year long
High Mountain= found only at top of high mountain ranges such as the Rockies, Alps, and the Himalaya, atmosphere cools with increasing elevation
What is weathering
Landforms are created when materials such as rocks and soil build up on Earth’s surface, others take shape as rocks and soil break down and wear away over time
What is a rain shadow?
An area that receives reduced rainfall because it is on the side of a mountain facing away from the ocean
A narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas
Isthmus
Describe the biosphere
Made up of all that is living on/close to the surface
All people, animals, and plants live in biosphere
Name 3/6 climate zones and their functions
Tropical Areas= hot, rainy, dense forests
Desert= dry, can be cold or hot
Humid temp= all types of weather with changing seasons
Cold Temp= short summer season but are generally cold and windy
Polar climates= very cold with ice and snow covering the ground year long
High Mountain= found only at top of high mountain ranges such as the Rockies, Alps, and the Himalaya, atmosphere cools with increasing elevation
What is erosion
A process that works with weathering to change surface features
Rain and moving water can erode the hardest stone over time
Material is broken down by weathering, it can easily be carried away by the action of erosion
Describe the steps of the water cycle from beginning to end
Evaporation
Condensation
Rain water (Precipitation)
A process by which an area turns into a desert
Desalinization