The Physical World

Solar System ► The Solar system is the sun and the group of bodies that revolve around it. ► Almost all of Earth’s energy comes from the sun ► Satellites – A body that orbits a larger body. Moons are natural satellites

Know the order of the planets from the sun Ceres: Dwarf Planet

The Sun, the Earth, and the Moon ► The diameter of the Earth is about 8,000 miles. ► ► The diameter of the Sun is about 865,000 miles. ► The Moon is 240,000 miles from the Earth. ► ► The Earth’s orbit averages about 93 million miles from the Sun. Cool Facts

The Solar System Rotation One complete spin of the Earth on its axis. Takes 24 hours. Solar energy hits only the half of the earth that is facing the sun. Revolution Earths movement around the sun. Takes 365 ¼ days to complete one revolution. Earth’s Tilt Earth is tilted at 23 ½ degree angle. North polar axis always points towards the North Star.

Rotation: Counterclockwise

Tilt

Revolution

The Earth System ► Earth System – Interactions of elements on and around our planet ► Broken into 4 parts *Atmosphere – layer of gases that surround earth *Lithosphere – Surface of the planet *Hydrosphere – all the water of the planet *Biosphere – Part of the earth where all plant and animal life exists

Layers of the Earth Inner Core: Iron and Nickel in the solid state; 800 miles thick Outer Core: Iron and Nickel in a luiquid state; 1,400 miles thick Mantel: Flows with the consistency of asphalt; 1,800 miles thick Crust: 3-5 miles thick at an oceanic plate; 5-25 miles thick at a continental plate

Alfred Wegener Father of plate tectonics 1915 German meteorologist 1 super continent which he named Pangaea General movement of Pangaea was to the west Provided detailed description of geologic features which the southern continents have in common Could not provide explanation for the breakup

Pangaea – the Supercontinent

Plate Tectonics Moving of enormous moving pieces of the earth’s lithosphere

Convergent Boundaries Ocean-to-ocean collisions Ocean-to-continent collisions Continent-to-continent collisions – Building up of mountain chains – Thickest area of the continental crust – Suture zones are the result – where crust is destroyed as one plate dives under another

This is how the Himalayas were formed.

Divergent Plate Boundaries where new crust is generated as the plates pull away from each other  The mid-Atlantic Ridge, a topographically high area near the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is an example of a divergent plate boundary.  Block Faulting, fractures and fissures result from the stress of the plates pulling apart  Basaltic magma wells up through fissures creating new surface  New ocean floor is created (50% of the Earth’s surface has been created in the last 200 million years)  Divergent plate boundaries usually occur below the sea however in Africa and North America rifting is occurring on the continent

Transnational Boundaries No overriding No subduction Designated by a fault complex San Andreas is an excellent example – Formed from the gradual subduction of the Farallon Plate during the Cenozoic – Farallon Plate ran along the west coast of North America – North America plate consumed the middle portion of the Farallon Plate which left 2 small fragments to the north and south – Gorda and Cocos plates – North America plate hit the east Pacific rise and overrode the rise so that the actual plate boundary between North America and Pacific plates is now the San Andreas fault line

Earthquakes

Tsunamis

Pacific Ring of Fire – about 80% of all earthquakes happen HERE

The Water Cycle