Chapter 2 Physical Geography: A Living Planet

I. The Earth Inside and Out a. The earth is the only living planet… i. Continents – landmasses above water on earth

Outside the Earth d.Solar System Consists of the sun and 9 known planets, (actually 8 now!) as well as other celestial bodies that orbit the sun.

f. Biosphere The part of the earth where plants and animals live (atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere)

Atmosphere- a layer of gases surrounding the earth (contains oxygen, protects us from radiation, weather occurs here) Lithosphere- Solid rock portion of the Earth ( includes crust & uppermost mantle, ocean floor, etc.) Hydrosphere- Made up of the water elements of the Earth (oceans, seas, lakes, etc.)

STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH * The earth consists of plates that float…. * The Theory of Continental Drift explains the formation of continents. (Alfred Wegner)

e. Inside the Earth i. Core – center of the earth (iron and nickel)1.Inner 2.outer ii. Mantle – several layers surrounding the core iii. Crust – thin layer of rock at the earth’s surface

II. Bodies of Water and Landforms a. Water covers 71% of the earth’s surface…

b. Hydrologic Cycle The water on earth is continuously circulated between the atmosphere, the oceans, and the earth

III. Internal Forces Shaping the Earth a.The earth’s crust consists of number of tectonic plates

b. tectonic plates - enormous moving pieces of the earth’s lithosphere

of the plates produces earthquakes and volcanoes c. Movement of the plates produces earthquakes and volcanoes i. Fault – fracture in the earth’s crust where plates move past each other

e.Volcanoes – crack in the earth’s surface where magma and gases pour out i.Lava – magma that has reached the earth’s surface

f.Earthquake - Violent movement of the earth as the plates grind or slip past each other at a fault i.Seismograph – a device that measures the size of the waves created by and earthquake

ii.Epicenter Point directly above the focus of an earthquake on the earth’s surface iii.Richter Scale – uses information collected by seismographs to determine the strength of an earthquake

iv.Tsunami A giant wave in the ocean caused by an underground earthquake

The most active volcano and earthquake zone on earth The Ring of Fire The most active volcano and earthquake zone on earth

iii. Weathering and erosion help form soil 1.Soil Factors: Parent Material Relief Organisms Climate Time

IV.External Forces Shaping the Earth a. Weathering and erosion alter the surface of the earth i. Weathering – physical and chemical processes that change the characteristics of rock on or near the earth’s surface

ii. Erosion Occurs when weathered material is moved by the action of wind, water, ice and gravity

iv. Sediment - Small pieces of rock created by weathering (mud, sand or silt) v. Mechanical Weathering – processes that break rock into smaller pieces (doesn’t change the composition of rock, but the size) example: road construction

vi. Chemical Weathering – occurs when rock is changed into a new substance as a result of interaction between elements in the air or water and minerals (example – iron rusting)

2. Water, wind, and glaciers cause erosion…

V. Distribution of Physical Features on Earth: i. How do plate tectonics, soil building & climate affect the location & distribution of physical features?

a. For the Ring of Fire, the location is due to being where the crust of the earth is very thin. This is the primary factor, plate tectonics, not climate. b. For the Great Plains, climate & type of soil are the primary factors in the location of this region. c. The climate of the Great Plains is Humid Continental, Semiarid and Humid Subtropical.

The type of soil is a major factor, in the Ring of Fire The type of soil is a major factor, in the Ring of Fire .Volcanic soil can be very fertile, as well as the soil in the Great Plains. D. Tropical Rainforest are located between the 23 ½ N Tropic of Cancer & 23 ½ Tropic of Capricorn, causes these areas to be quite warm and to have a lot of rain.