Earth Layers
What are the 4 earth layers?
1. Inner core
2. Outer Core
3. Mantle
4. Crust
Define Physical Processes
They are a naturally occurring event that shifts/changes Earth surface
Define a landform region
This is a region that has its own unique landscape, climate, biodiversity, human activity and natural resources that has been formed from one or more physical process.
What are the different types of rocks?
1. Igneous rock
2. Sedimentary rock
3. Metamorphic rock
What is the difference between weather vs climate?
Weather: short-term atmospheric conditions that describe a day's current weather conditions
- Rainy, sunny, warm, cold, thunderstorm, ect
Climate: long-term atmospheric trends that are predictable (ex: in Canada we have hot summers and cold winters.
(Tropical, polar, seasonal conditions)
What is the difference between the Inner Core vs Outer Core?
Inner Core: Deepest layer, in the middle of the Earth
- Solid metals
- Composed of iron, nickel, cobalt (the heaviest, densest elements)
- Very high temperature (4000 ° to 6500 ° C)
Outer Core:Layer between inner core and mantle
- Composed of iron and nickel
- Liquid state (moving liquid metal)
- Creates Earth’s magnetism (north & south poles)
What are the types of tectonic boundaries & what do they do?
1. Convergent boundaries: 2 plates pushing into each other (colliding)
- usually occurs at coastlines where land and oceans meet
- create subduction zones
2. Divergent boundary: 2 plates pushing away from one another.
- creates valleys, and depressions
3. Transform boundary: 2 plates sliding against each other
- create splits in the crust
Which 2 rocks created the Canadian Shield?
Igneous and Metamorphic
- This provides lots of minerals for Canada (gold, copper, zinc, nickel, etc)
What are the 2 different types of Igneous rocks + how are they formed?
Formed: in magma/lava from volcanism or erosion
1. Extrusive: formed in lava above the crust
2. Intrusive: forms in magma below the crust
What is LOWERN used for?
Used to describe and identify the climate of a region
What is the difference between the mantle and the crust?
Mantle: Thickest layer between the outer core and the crust
- Made of iron, silicon, and magnesium
- Both Solid and liquid
- Convection current occurs in this layer, near the surface
- Upper Mantle (Asthenosphere), Lower Mantle (Mesosphere)
Crust: Thin outermost layer of the Earth
- Solid and brittle
Lightest layer
- Made of several “plates” that float on the mantle
What is Glaciation?
It is the formation, movement and melting of ice sheets. Glaciers perform many physical processes as they weather, erode and deposit sediments while they melt over time.
What are some of Canada's Highland regions (hint* mountains)
1. Appalachian Mountains (Eastern Canada)
2. Rocky Mountains (Western Canada)
3. Innuitian Mountains
How would you describe sedimentary rock/ how are they formed?
It is a loose, solid rock made of pieces from pre-existing rocks
Formed from erosion, weathering, heat & pressure (lithification)
How do you calculate a temperature range?
The lowest temperature in the location is subtracted by the highest temperature
What makes the tectonic plates shift?
The movement of the crust from the convection current in the mantle
What is the difference between Erosion & Weathering & Deposition?
Erosion: The movement of rock particles by wind/water
Weathering: Breaking down rocks into smaller pieces by wind, water, or chemicals
Deposition: Sedimentary rocks move to a new location, piling up and creating a new layer of rock by wind or water
What are some of Canada's Lowlands?
1.Interior Plains
2. Great Lakes/St.Lawrence Lowlands
3. The Frontenac Axis (granite that is a part of the Canadian shield)
4. Arctic & Hudson Bay Lowlands
How are Metamorphic rocks formed?
With heat and pressure in the mantle.
- they change shape and mineral composition as well from the intense conditions
What are the 6 Climate factors and explain what they mean?
Latitude: describes the amount of sunlight the location gets (making the area warming/colder)
- At the equator it would be hottest than at the poles
Ocean Currents: move warm and cold currents around the planet, shifting the temperatures as they travel
Wind Direction: impacts the climate as each wind current takes on different characteristics (cold,hot,dry,etc) as they travel they bring along the conditions
Elevation: the higher the elevation the colder it is as you are moving away from the crust. This represents the heigh above sea level
Relief: Represents how mountains impact precipitation. Windward side is the side rich with biodiversity and receives all of the rain. Leeward side is a desert as all of the rain has been used on the windward side.
Near Water:if you are located close to a large body of water, you will experience milder winters than places far from water. Locations close to water will be cooler in the summer as the water holds the cold temperature from winter.
Describe the convection current
This is a heated element in the mantle that moves in circular motions.
- as the elements decompose, they lose energy and create heat
- that heat rises to the top of the mantle, in the process of rising it cools down and falls back down to the bottom (and the cycle repeats!)
What are some building up vs building down physical processes?
Building up:
- Plate tectonics, volcanoes, glaciers, rivers & wind (deposition)
Wearing down:
- Glaciers, rivers, wind, water & ice
(wind,water & ice as they break rocks into smaller pieces through weathering and transport them elsewhere with erosion)
What are the different types of landforms within Canada?
- Western Cordillera (Around BC/Yukon)
- Interior Plains (Alberta, Saskatchewan, NW territories)
- Arctic & Hudson Bay Lowlands (Manitoba, NW territories, Ontario, Nunavut, Quebec)
- Canadian Shield (Quebec)
- Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Lowlands (Toronto)
- Appalachian Mountains (NB/NS/PEI)
- Innuitian Mountain (Nunavut)
Explain the rock cycle
Magma melts, forming igneous rocks
- The Igneous rock combined with heat and pressure forms a metamorphic rock
or
- Ihe Igneous rock weathers and becomes a Sedimentary rock
the sedimentary rock compacts and cements, combined with heat and pressure form a metamorphic rock
- Ihe Metamorphic rock weathers and erodes to form a Sedimentary rock
or
melts to form magma
(and the cycle repeats!)
What is the LOWERN factors of Vancouver, BC?
Near water - Pacific ocean
Relief - Rocky mountains
Ocean current - North Pacific Ocean currents
Elevation - Rocky mountains