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Plains are large, flat areas of land that have only small changes in elevation.
Often have thick, fertile soils
Coastal plains are found near the ocean.
Kansas is on an interior plain called the Great Plains.
APP
ALA
CH
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PLA
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OZARK PLATEAU
A plateau is a large, flat area of land that is higher than the surrounding land.
Edges rise steeply from land around them.
A mountain is a high, natural place on Earth.
Elevation can vary greatly between mountains.
There are 4 main types:FoldedUpwarpedFault-blockVolcanic
Formed from forces inside Earth that have pushed layers of land together, like a throw rug pushed against a wall.
The Appalachian Mountains are an example.
Blocks of Earth’s crust are pushed up by forces inside Earth.
Examples: Adirondacks in New York, Southern Rockies, and the Black Hills of S. Dakota.
Made of huge, tilted blocks of rock separated from surrounding rock by faults.
Examples: Grand Tetons of Wyoming and Sierra Nevada of California
Form when molten material reaches the surface of Earth through a weak area in the crust.
Molten material can gradually build up into a mountain shape.
Examples: Mount Rainier in Washington, Mount Shasta in California, Mauna Loa in Hawaii
A canyon is a deep valley with very steep sides—often carved from Earth by a river.
Grand Canyon, Arizona is an example of a very large canyon.
A mesa is a land formation with a flat area on top and steep walls - usually occurring in dry areas.
Smaller than a plateau. This one is in Arizona.
Sea Level is the average height, or elevation of where the sea surface meets the land.
A valley is a low place between mountains.
A glacier is a slow-moving river of ice.There are valley glaciers and continental
glaciers. Some glaciers even float in the ocean.
To pinpoint a location on Earth, mapmakers use a series of gridlines—or coordinates.
These coordinates are made up of: Lines of latitude—lines that run around the
Earth, parallel to the equator.Lines of longitude—lines that run from
pole to pole. The lines are divided by degrees.There are 360 degrees in a circle (Earth).Each degree is divided into 60 minutes.Each minute is divided into 60 seconds.
Used to measure distances north and south in degrees
The equator divides the earth into a northern and southern half or hemisphere.
Lines of latitude start at the equator and go north to the north pole (¼ of the way around the earth) to 90 degrees.
Lines also go south of the equator to the south pole (also ¼ of the way around the earth) to 90 degrees.
90°N
0°
90°S
Begins at the prime meridian (0 degrees), which cuts pole-to-pole through Greenwich, England
Points west of Greenwich are measured from 0 to 180 degrees to the other side of Earth going west.
Points east of Greenwich are measured from 0 to 180 degrees to the other side of Earth going east.
There are 360 degrees in a circle, so both halves add up to 360.
0°
The prime meridian does not circle Earth. It goes from pole-to-pole through Greenwich England, but does not go from pole-to-pole on the other side.
The other side of the earth is 180 degrees.The equator DOES circle Earth—all the way around
its “belly.”The lines of latitude measure north and south and
are like rungs of a ladder (lat-itude, lad-der).
The earth is like a big clock. But it’s a 24-hour clock, not a 12-hour clock!
That’s because each day takes 24 HOURS.There are 24 time zones around the world, which
divide the earth into a clock.The International Date Line is where the Earth-clock
starts each new day, and the rest of the world follows.The IDL is really close to the 180 degree line of
longitude.Time zones are not perfectly arranged. People have
adjusted them somewhat to suit themselves. Go figure!
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Dire
ctio
n of
Ear
th’s
Rot
atio
nThe 24 hour spot is one hour ahead of the next spot west, since
Earth rotates to the
east.
Maps help you tell where you are and where you are going.
Map projections are made when points and lines on a globe’s surface are transferred onto paper. All flat maps have some type of distortion.
There are 3 types of map projectionsMercator ProjectionRobinson ProjectionConic Projection
Used mainly on shipsAdvantages of using this kind of map:
Shows correct shapes of continents.Disadvantages:
Areas of continents are distorted.Lines of longitude appear parallel (when they
really aren’t). This makes the poles appear larger.
Greenland looks larger than S. America (which it is not).
Shows accurate continent shapes and more land areas
Lines of latitude are parallel (as they should be).
Lines of longitude are curved (as they should be).
Less distortion near poles.
Road maps and weather maps are conic projections.
Used to produce maps of small areasMade by projecting points and lines
from a globe onto a cone.
Show the changes in elevation of Earth’s surface.Used by land developers, hikers, and farmers to see
how they need to work with the rise and fall of the land
Use connected lines to show changes in elevation.The closer the lines, the steeper the slopes.Lines cannot cross one another because one
continuous line is always at the same elevation.
Map Scale—the relationship between the distances on the map and real distances on Earth’s surface
Map Legend—explains what the symbols used on the map mean.
Compass or compass rose—shows the directions on the map. North is usually toward the top.
Legend
Scale
CompassRose
Show cross sections of Earth so we can visualize what is under the surfaceGeologists determine what
is below the
surface by
drilling into
rock and soil
to get core
samples
Google Earth is a good example of a 3-D map.
Satellites circle Earth collecting imagery and other datafor weatherfor climate changefor spyingfor geologic changesfor mapmaking
Stands for Global Positioning SystemUses at least 3 satellites (out of 24) to
triangulate your location.Triangulation involves pinpointing the
exact location of where the 3 satellites’ data (or more) intersect one another.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/38-how-gps-works-video.htm
This formation is called a “tor.”
Weathering is a process that breaks down rock into smaller pieces.
Two different types of weathering:MechanicalChemical
Mechanical weathering occurs when rocks are broken apart by physical processes.Something has to hit, grind, or crack rock.Those things can be
Plants and animalsIce WedgingChuck Norris
Plant roots are very strong and can push rocks apart.
Animals dig and burrow, loosening sediments and bringing them to the surface to weather more.
Tiny living organisms also help break down rock.
Ice wedging occurs in climates where water enters cracks and freezes.Water expands when it freezes, pushing rock apart.This process repeats itself, the crack widens, and
the rock eventually breaks apart.
As rocks break apart into smaller pieces, more surfaces are exposed to weathering.
The inside of the rock is now also exposed to weathering, so weathering will occur faster.
Chemical weathering occurs when chemicals break down rock or change the rock into different minerals.
These chemicals can come fromNatural acidsPlant acidsOxygen
Water can chemically react with carbon dioxide and create a weak acid called “carbonic acid”—the same acid found in many soft drinks.
This acid reacts with rock that contains calcite, like limestone, and dissolves it.
Other rocks are also affected.
Caves form when acidic groundwater dissolves underground limestone.Stalactites can form
on cave ceilings from dripping dissolved rock.
Stalagmites can form on the floor when the drips hit
Plant roots and decaying plants give off acids that can dissolve rock.
Plants thrive on the broken down rock (new soil) and take the nutrients into their roots.
Oxidation is the process of oxygen chemically combining with other matter to change it.
Rust is caused by oxidation—oxygen combining with iron.Many rocks contain
iron and will turn
reddish through
oxidation. The
reddish material
is softer and
eventually crumbles
—like rust.
Climate is the pattern of weather in an area over many years.
Warm, wet climates cause weathering to happen more quickly.Chemical reactions happen faster with
water and heat. Cold, dry climates slow weathering down.
Soft rocks break down easier in wet climates.LimestoneMarble
Hard rocks don’t allow water to soak in as much, so they are harder to weather in wet climates.GraniteBasalt
Five things affect soil formation:ClimateTypes of parent rockSlope of landTypes of vegetation in the areaAmount of time rock has been
weathering
Soil is a mixture of weathered rock, decayed organic matter, mineral bits, water, and air.Can take thousands of years to form Decayed organic matter turns into nutrient
rich material called humus.http://www.ucopenaccess.org/courses/
APEnvSci/course%20files/multimedia/lesson17/animations/2c_soil_formation.html
Make-up of different layers of soilHorizon O – top organic
layer—humus.Horizon A—top layer of
soil.Fertile layer with more
humus and less rock and mineral particles than other soil horizons
Horizon B – middle soil layerContains less
humus and is lighter in color than A horizon
Minerals travel from A horizon to B horizon in a process called leaching.
Bottom layerHas very little
organic matter and is not strongly affected by leaching
Contains rock – the parent material of the soil
Soil Formation Animation