Mapping Earth’s Surface Chapter 2

Vocabulary Cards On your index cards you need to put the following words. Place the word on one side and the definition on the other side. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Hydrosphere Hypothesis Longitude Atmosphere Inference Latitude Biosphere Meniscus - The curved surface of a liquid in a graduated cylinder. Always read the bottom of the curve. Topographic Map

Exploring Earth’s Surface Topography Shape of the land The topography of an area includes the area’s elevation, relief, and landforms. Elevation Height above sea level Relief The difference in elevation between the highest and lowest parts of an area Landforms A feature of topography, such as a hill or a valley, formed by the processes that shapes Earth’s surface.

Types of Landforms Three main types: plains, mountains, & plateaus. A landform made up of nearly flat or gently rolling land with low relief Coastal Along a seacoast, low elevation, low relief Interior Away from the coast, low relief, elevation can vary

Mountains Plateaus A landform with high elevation and high relief Usually occur as part of a mountain range Mountain range- a group of mountains that are closely related in shape, structure, and age The different mountain ranges in a region make up a mountain system Plateaus A landform that has high elevation and a level surface Rarely perfectly smooth on top

Landform Regions A large area of land where the topography is made up mainly of one type of landform The Great Plains Rocky Mountains An upland is a region of hilly topography A lowland is a region of plains with low elevation A basin is lower than the mountains around it

Models of Earth (Section 2) Navigation and Mapping Maps and Globes Show the shape, size, and position of Earth’s surface features A map is a flat model of all or part of the surface as seen from above A globe is a sphere that represents earth’s entire surface Drawn to scale and use symbols to represent topography and other features on Earth’s surface Scale relates distance on a map to a distance on Earth’s surface Symbols are shapes and pictures that stand for features on Earth’s surface Symbols are listed in a key, or legend

Scale Practice Scale and Ratios 1. write the scale as a fraction A ratio compares two numbers by division. Example: the scale of a map given as a ratio is 1:250,000 At this scale, the distance between two points on the map measures 23.5 cm. Find the actual distance. 1. write the scale as a fraction 2. write a proportion with d as the distance between two points 3. cross multiply 4. Use T-box to convert units Problem 2: use the same scale. The points are 4.7 cm apart, how far apart are they on the ground?

An Earth Reference System To find a point on Earth’s surface, you need a reference system like the grid of squares on a checkerboard Most maps and globes show a grid. Because Earth is a sphere, the grid curves to cover the entire planet. Two of the lines that make up the grid, the equator and prime meridian, are the baselines for measuring distances on Earth’s surface

Measuring on a sphere Degrees are used to measure distance on the surface of a sphere Each degree is a measure of an angle formed by lines drawn from the center of Earth to points on the surface. Degrees are further divided into smaller units called minutes and seconds

Lines in the Globe 2 imaginary lines are used to divide the globe into four sections The equator is halfway between the North and South poles It divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres The prime Meridian makes a half circle from the North Pole to the South Pole. It divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres

Locating Points on Earth’s Surface The lines of latitude and longitude form a grid that can be used to find locations anywhere on Earth Based off of the equator and prime meridian Latitude: distance in degrees north or south of the equator Defined by the angle it makes with the equator and the center of the Earth Longitude: distance east or west of the prime meridian Defined by the angle it makes with the prime meridian and the center of the Earth

Map Projections To show Earth’s curved surface on a flat map, mapmakers use map projections Mercator Projection All the lines if latitude and longitude appear as straight, parallel lines that form a rectangle. The North and South poles cannot be shown Equal-Area Projection Correctly shows the relative size of Earth’s landmasses, but shapes near the edges appear stretched and curved Conic Projection Lines of longitude appear as straight lines while lines of latitude are curved. Show limited parts of Earth’s surface.

Maps and Computers Mapmakers drew maps by hand, then used surveying which used instruments, then used photographs taken from airplanes. Since the 1970s, computers have revolutionized mapmaking. With computers, mapmakers can store, process, and display map data electronically Computers produce maps using data from many sources, including satellites and the Global Positioning System

Sources of Map Data Mapping satellites use electronic devices to collect computer data about the land surface. Pictures of the surface based in these data are called satellite images Today mapmakers can collect data for maps using the Global Positioning System, or GPS The Global Positioning System is a method of finding latitude, longitude, and elevation of points on Earth’s surface using a network of satellities.

Maps Mapmakers use north, south, east, and west to describe direction Mapmakers usually orient their maps to show north at the top It is possible to describe the relationship of one place to another. One place is north, south, east, or west of another place. This kind of orientation is known as relative location. Using longitude and latitude, a grid of imaginary lines, it is possible to identify the absolute location of any point on the Earth’s surface

Maps The relationship between a distance on the map and the corresponding distance on the ground is known as scale Using the distance scale, it is possible to determine the actual distance on the ground between two points shown on a map A large-scale map shows a small land area I great detail A small-scale map shows a large land area with less detail

Topographic Map A map showing the surface features of an area Use symbols to show the land as if you were looking down on it from above Mapmakers use contour lines to represent elevation, relief, and slope on a topographic map A contour line connects points of equal elevation The change in elevation from contour line to contour line is the contour interval Every fifth contour line is known as the index contour Practice: P. 57 Topographic Lab