Geographic Thinking Concepts
What are the four Geographical thinking concepts?
Spatial Sig, Geographic perspective, Patterns and Trends, Interrelationships
Name the three types of plate boundaries.
Divergent
Convergent
Transform
Define weather vs. climate.
Weather: daily conditions.
Climate: long-term patterns (30+ years)
Explain how interactions between Earth’s 4 spheres can cause a natural disaster (example: volcanic eruption).
4 spheres causing disaster example:
Volcano:
geosphere (magma)
atmosphere (ash)
biosphere (life killed)
hydrosphere (acid rain)
What are 3 questions geographers ask?
Three questions geographers ask:
Where is it? (Location)
Why is it there? (Spatial significance)
What is the impact? (Interrelationships)
What does the "O" in (TBOLDS) TODALS+A stand for and why is it important?
Orientation ; because it shows which way is north, so you know the correct directions and can accurately understand where places are located.
What is subduction and at which boundary does it occur? Give an example
Subduction is when one plate slides under another, occurring at convergent boundaries. For example, the oceanic plate sliding under a continental plate. (ex. North American plate and Juan de Fuca)
What does the R stand for in LOWERN and how does it impact precipitation?
The R in LOWERN is Relief. Relief refers to the shape and height of the land, especially mountains and elevation changes.
Relief impacts precipitation because mountains cause air to rise and release moisture on one side, while creating dry conditions on the other side.
What are all the layers of the earth named in order from inner to outer.
Inner Core
Outer Core
Lower Mantle
Upper Mantle (includes the asthenosphere)
Crust (oceanic or continental)
Who are stakeholders in a geographic decision? Give one example from the polar bear tourism article.
Stakeholders = people/groups affected by an issue.
Example → Mayor, residents of churhill
Compare pattern and trend. Include a clear example of each.
A pattern is how something is arranged on the landscape (e.g., cities near water).
A trend is how something changes over time (e.g., rising temperatures over years).
What are the effects of glaciation? list all 6 specific effects.
Erosional Effects (Glaciers carving the land)
1. Changes to drainage 2. Removal of materials
Depositional Effects (Glaciers dropping sediment)
BY ICE: Moraines AND Till plains
BY MELTWATER: by moving water AND by still water
Name the two types of trees (coniferous and deciduous) , what is the different and state one example of each.
Two tree types:
Coniferous: needles, cones, stay green, adapted to cold. (Evergreen)
Deciduous: broad leaves, shed annually, need warmth. (Maple)
Identify which era saw the formation of the Canadian Shield and describe why this landform is significant today.
Canadian Shield formed during the Precambrian.
Significance → minerals, forests, lakes; foundation of Canada’s landmass.
What are the four geographic perspectives?
The different ways people view an issue (social, economic, environmental, political).
List the four types of interrelationships and give an example of each one.
Four types of interrelationships:
Natural–Natural → e.g., Wind shaping sand dunes
Natural–Human → e.g., Farming changing soil
Human–Human → e.g., Trade between countries
Human–Environment → e.g., Pollution affecting wildlife
Explain the evidence one would give to support Wegener’s Continental Drift Theory and how the Plate Tectonics Theory addressed it.
1. Fit of the Continents
The coastlines of continents—especially South America and Africa—fit together like puzzle pieces.
This suggests they were once joined in a supercontinent (Pangaea) and later drifted apart.
2. Fossil Evidence
Identical fossils of plants and animals are found on continents now separated by oceans.
Mesosaurus (freshwater reptile) fossils appear in both South America and Africa.
Glossopteris (fern plant) fossils are found across South America, Africa, Antarctica, India, and Australia.
These organisms could not have crossed entire oceans, suggesting the continents were once connected.
3. Rock and Mountain Evidence
Mountain ranges and rock layers match across continents:
The Appalachian Mountains in North America align with the Caledonian Mountains in Europe and parts of Scandinavia.
Rocks of the same age and type appear on coastlines that would match if the continents were joined.
Wegener’s shortcoming:
He could not explain how continents moved. Plate tectonics solved it: Convection currents in the mantle move plates.
Describe how glacial deposition created landforms such as moraines and till plains.
Glacial deposition drops sediments → forming moraines, till plains, drumlins, eskers, etc.
Explain the rock cycle by describing how each type (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) is formed and why the order of sedimentary formation is significant.
Igneous: cooled magma/lava
Sedimentary: compaction & cementation (order matters: weathering → erosion → deposition → compaction → cementation)
Metamorphic: heat & pressure change rock
Using the Battle for Waterloo, identify the key stakeholders and the central issue.
Issue: development vs environmental protection
Stakeholders: developers, residents, environmental groups, government, farmers
Using the Three Sisters (corn, beans, squash), explain how interrelationships, stakeholders, and geographic perspective all connect in analyzing agricultural sustainability
Interrelationships: Beans enrich soil → corn uses nitrogen → squash shades soil.
Stakeholders: Farmers, Indigenous communities, food producers.
Geographic perspective: Environmental, economic, Indigenous knowledge. Shows sustainable land use and cultural significance.
Describe each plate boundary process and identify one landform and one natural hazard for each.
Divergent: Plates pull apart → rift valley, mid-ocean ridge → volcanic activity
Convergent: Plates collide → mountains, trenches → earthquakes & volcanoes
Transform: Plates slide → faults (San Andreas) → earthquakes
Explain how to identify using a climograph: average annual temperature, total precipitation, temperature range, and whether the climate is maritime or continental.
Include how two LOWERN factors impact the results.
Avg annual temperature = mean of monthly temps
Temp range = warmest – coldest
Total precipitation = add monthly totals
Maritime if most precipitation is in winter; continental if in summer
TWO LOWERN factors impact: latitude, near water, elevation, etc.
What is “The Big One” in British Columbia?
This future megathrust earthquake, expected along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, could reach a magnitude of 8.5–9.0 and cause massive shaking, tsunamis, and infrastructure collapse across coastal British Columbia. Scientists predict it will occur when the Juan de Fuca plate suddenly releases after centuries of pressure buildup.
S – Social Impacts
Loss of life and injuries due to collapsing buildings, landslides, and tsunamis.
Displacement of people as homes become unsafe or destroyed.
Breakdown of essential services (hospitals overwhelmed, loss of clean water, power outages).
Mental health impacts such as trauma, stress, and long-term anxiety.
Disruption to education as schools are damaged or used as emergency shelters.
E – Economic Impacts
Billions of dollars in infrastructure damage (bridges, highways, buildings).
Long-term rebuilding costs for homes, businesses, and public facilities.
Shut-down of major industries, including shipping in Vancouver ports.
Job losses as businesses close or relocate.
Insurance costs skyrocketing and major financial strain on the government.
E – Environmental Impacts
Landslides that alter the landscape and destroy ecosystems.
Coastal flooding and tsunamis damaging shorelines, wetlands, and marine habitats.
Soil liquefaction (ground behaves like liquid), destroying vegetation.
Contamination from ruptured pipelines, sewage lines, and industrial spills.
Permanent changes to the coastline due to uplift or subsidence.
P – Political Impacts
Emergency response challenges requiring coordination between all levels of government.
Pressure on government to rebuild quickly and improve building codes.
Changes in policies related to disaster preparedness, zoning, and coastal development.
Long-term political debate about funding infrastructure upgrades and earthquake readiness.
In the Polar Bear Tourism issue, explain how humans impact nature (interrelationships), why the location is spatially significant, and use SEEP perspectives to analyze who is affected.
Polar Bear Tourism:
Humans disrupt habitat, attract bears, waste, noise
Spatial significance: Churchill, MB = migration path and denning area
SEEP:
Social: jobs
Economic: tourism revenue
Environmental: habitat stress
Political: regulations for conservation