Exploring Geography Titan Blaster #1 Describe what you see in the picture. Where do you think this place is located? What makes you think it is where you picked?

The Study of Geography Geography is the study of where people, places, and things are located and how they relate to each other.

The Study of Geography Geographers use technology to study location. Sonar is used to map underwater locations.

The Study of Geography Geographers also use satellites and GPS for location. GIS or geographic information systems uses computer technology to collect, manipulate, analyze and display data about the Earth’s surface in order to solve problems.

Geography’s five themes Location – Where is a place? Absolute location is the exact position of a place on the Earth using lines of longitude and latitude. Example: Location of Paris, France (Latitude: 48°N, Longitude: 2°E) The Equator divides the Earth into two hemispheres or halves.

Geography’s five themes Its over yonder by that fancy new trailer with the big carport. Ya can’t miss it. Its big. The relative location of a place is found when you compare it to other places.

Geography’s five themes Place – Unique features The character of a place is consists of the place’s physical and human characteristics. Physical = landforms and climate. Human = jobs, languages, government, etc.

Geography’s five themes Regions – A group of places with something in common Perception is a viewpoint that is influence by one’s own culture and experiences.

Geography’s five themes Formal regions are areas in which certain characteristics are present throughout. They have the same government etc. Functional regions consists of a central place and the surrounding places affected by it. The Jackson Metro area is an example. Perceptual regions are defined by people’s feelings and attitudes about areas. Dixie and the upper Midwest are examples.

Geography’s five themes Movement People, goods and ideas move from area to area spreading their influence.

Geography’s five themes Human-Environment Interaction Human beings have made big changes to the environment. Some are good, some are bad.

Changes within the Earth Section 1-2 Titan Blaster #2 Where do earthquakes and volcanoes occur? See your chapter 1 section 2 handout for help.

Physical Characteristics Geology is the study of earth’s physical structure and history. Many scientists believe the earth is 4.6 billion years old. Others believe it is around 6,000 years old. The earth has three layers. The core is the center of the earth and contains very hot metal, mainly iron and nickel. The inner core is thought to be solid, but the outer core is thought to be liquid metal.

Physical Characteristics The layer that surrounds the core is called the mantle. The mantle is made of rock. The layer upon which we live is called the crust. Under the ocean, the crust can be as little as 5 miles thick. It is much thicker over dry land. Earth’s spheres contain the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Atmosphere=layer of air, water and other above ground. Lithosphere=outer shell of earth: soil, rock, etc. Biosphere=where life grows, world of plants. Hydrosphere=water in oceans, lakes, rivers, underground. More than 70% of the Earth is covered with water.

Physical Characteristics The difference in elevation between highest and lowest points is called the relief.

Physical Processes Mountains have high relief rising at least 2,000 feet . Hills are lower and rounded. A plateau is raised but its top is flat. A plain is a flat or gently sloping area.

Physical Processes Volcanoes form when magma breaks through the earth’s crust. On the surface it is called lava. There are many types of volcanoes. The theory that the earth’s outer shell is moving is called plate tectonics.

Physical Processes The continental drift theory states that all continents were once connected and named Pangaea. There are many problems with this theory.

Continents are large land masses in the oceans.

Plate movement When plates meet, four things can happen: Subduction – one plate goes under another one.

Plate movement Spreading – they move apart in opposite directions.

Plate movement Converging – one plate splits and goes up and down around the other plate.

Plate movement Faulting – a plate breaks and crumbles.

Plate movement The Ring of Fire is a circle of volcanoes surrounding the Pacific ocean.

Titan Blaster #3 What is the type of plate movement at work in each of the three pictures? Explain your answer.

Section 2 Assessment Get into groups of three. Each group will be assigned one continent. Draw a physical map of your continent. Label the map with mountains, plains, and plateaus. Write a short explanation of how these landforms may have formed. Choose a group leader, researcher, and map maker. The leader will present the project to the class at the end of the block.

What has changed the original appearance of these statues? Titan Blaster #4 What has changed the original appearance of these statues? Explain your answer.

Section 1-3 : Weathering Weathering is the breakdown of rock at or near the earth’s surface into smaller and smaller pieces. Mechanical weathering occurs when rock is broken or weakened physically. Examples include when water freezes in the crack of a rock (frost wedging) and when seeds take root in cracks of rocks.

Section 1-3 : Weathering Chemical weathering alters or changes a rocks chemical makeup by changing the minerals that are in it. Examples are carbon dioxide + water makes an acid that gets into limestone and eats it away creating caves, and acid rain. Acid rain is caused by polluted air.

Section 1-3 : Weathering Erosion is the movement of weathered materials such as gravel, soil and sand. Erosion is a necessary part of the cycle that has kept the earth able to sustain life. Water erosion – Moving water is the GREATEST cause of erosion. Water carries sediment - small particles of soil, sand and gravel, that grind away rock surfaces. The Mississippi River carries 159 million tons of sediment each year.

Section 1-3 : Weathering Wind erosion – Wind is the second largest force of erosion. Windblown deposits of mineral-rich dust and silt are called loess. Wind blows good soil away, but deposits it in nearby areas creating better soil there.

Section 1-3 : Weathering Glaciers are huge, slow-moving sheets of ice. These form as snow is compacted into ice. The rigid piles of debris that are left behind are called moraines.

Section 1-3 : Weathering

Maps of Different Scales Small Scale map Large Scale map