Vocabulary
A large, continuous mass of land
Continent
The name given to the middle layer of the Earth
Mantle
The largest form of ice masses
Ice sheets
The name for water inside Earth's crust
Groundwater
The number of continents located on Earth
The average weather conditions in a region or area over a long period of time
Climate
The Earth's tilted axis
The two sources of sudden change on Earth's surface
Earthquakes and volcanoes
The place where most freshwater is located
Frozen in ice caps OR underground
The characteristic that is often used to describe landforms
Elevation
A long, narrow band of volcanoes that stretches for more than 24,000 miles around the Pacific Ocean
Ring of Fire
Name two of Earth's four major physical systems.
Hydrosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere
A landform that is created when two tectonic plates come together
Mountains or trenches
The percent of the Earth that is freshwater
3%
The reason why the Sun's heat circles around the globe
Air and water currents
The process by which materials from Earth's surface are moved elsewhere by water, wind, or ice
Erosion
The composition of the inner core of Earth
Solid metal
Name three of the forces that can weather Earth's surface.
Wind, rain, chemicals, plants, moving ice, and flowing water
A flat landform that rises above the surrounding area
Plateau
The name of the deepest point in the ocean
Mariana Trench
A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas
Isthmus
The name given to the side of the mountain that faces away from the ocean (Hint: NOT rain shadow)
Leeward side of the mountain
The single greatest changing force on the Earth, especially in the last century or so
Human activity
Name the four types of bodies of freshwater.
Streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds
The name of the German scientist who first identified climate zones
Wladimir Koppen