Physical Geography Review

Volcanoes Volcanoes can occur anywhere in the world, but are most common along plate boundaries Hot Spots – volcanoes that occur far from plate boundaries Hawaiian Islands Ring of Fire Cannot predict when a volcano will erupt Volcanic ash provides fertile soil for farming

Earthquakes More common at plate boundaries Epicenter – where the earthquake originates Seismograph – detects if an earthquake has occurred Richter Scale – measures strength of an earthquake Cannot predict when one will occur Better buildings 

Tsunami Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic explosions Can be detected with an early warning system but not all countries can afford it

Erosion Surface of the earth is being formed by erosion and weather Weathering break rocks down Erosion moves the pieces Wind Water Ice Gravity Natural and human causes Preventable – covering exposed earth, planting vegetation

Floods Occur when there is too much rain and rivers overflow their banks Semi-preventable – embankments and levees Occur mostly in low elevation areas and near rivers Mississippi River Bangladesh

Climate and weather Characteristics Climate is the condition of the atmosphere over a long period of time Impacts crops, clothing, housing creates natural disasters Weather is the condition of the atmosphere over a short period of time. Characteristics Temperature Precipitation Seasons Elements Latitude Winds Elevation Ocean Currents

Latitude

Low Latitudes Tropical Wet – rains a lot and is hot (rainforest) Tropical Wet and Dry – rains one half of the year, no rain the other half

Middle Latitudes Mediterranean Humid Continental Humid Subtropical Marine West Coast

High Latitudes Subarctic (Taiga) Tundra Icecap

Climates that can occur in multiple Latitudes Arid – dry (deserts) Semiarid – dry grasslands (steppe) Highland - mountains

Vegetation Rainforest – forest with broadleaf trees located in low latitudes Savanna – Tropical grassland in Africa Steppe – dry grassland near deserts Middle Latitude Forest – Mixed forests with coniferous and deciduous trees Taiga – Coniferous forests (boreal forest) Tundra – cold grassland with permafrost

Weather Monsoons Typhoons Hurricanes Tornadoes Seasonal wind patterns in south and southeast Asia Typhoons Tropical storms in Pacific Ocean Hurricanes Tropical storms in Atlantic Ocean Tornadoes Twisting funnel shaped storms in U.S.

Regions Regions are areas that share unifying physical or cultural characteristics Physical Regions Sahara Desert Taiga Rainforest Great Plains Low Countries – polder, area of reclaimed land from the sea Cultural Regions Language Latin America, Francophone world Ethnicity Chinatowns, Kurdistan Religion Islam, Buddhism Economic Wheat belts, European Union, Rust Belt Political NATO, African Union

Water Diversion and Management Reservoirs and canals for irrigation Aral Sea Shrinking due to over irrigation Colorado River Aswan High Dam Provides electricity for Egypt

Changing landscapes Agricultural Terracing Polders Deforestation Practiced in mountainous areas to create flat land Polders Area of  land reclaimed from the sea Deforestation Loss of forests due to over use and removal for farming Desertification When arable land turns to desert due to overuse

Pollution Air Water Nuclear Caused by the burning of fossil fuels, oil, coal and natural gas Acid rain Water Runoff, waste, oil spills Nuclear Chernobyl

Settlement Patterns and agriculture People have a difficult time living where The climate is too hot Too cold No water Housing Materials Adobe (mud) Sod Ice Wood Clay Stone Climate impacts what kind of plants can be grown and where Topography – flat vs mountains Climate Recreation Transportation Mountains are barriers to trade Use rivers and ocean as trade routes Extreme weather makes movement difficult

Technology and the environment Agriculture Humans can grow more food and harvest it faster Machines, fertilizers, pesticides Energy Usage Solar, wind, geothermal, fossil fuels, nuclear Most of the world's energy is produced by fossil fuels Transportation Automobiles Internal combustion engine Allow people to travel farther faster Airplanes Easier and faster to travel Noise pollution and other environmental concerns