Physical and Human Geography

Earth’s Rotation and Revolution 1 revolution = 1 year, 1 rotation = 1 day Earth has a 23.5 degree tilt May – Sept. - Northern Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight making it warmer, Southern Hemisphere less making it cooler Nov. – April- Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight making it cooler, Southern Hemisphere more making it warmer

4 Seasons -Solstice- exact moment when summer and winter start -June 20 th or 21 st –Longest day of the year in Northern Hemisphere( summer) –Shortest day of the year in Southern Hemisphere(winter) Dec. 21 st or 22 nd –Shortest day of the year in Northern Hemisphere(winter) –Longest day of the year in Southern Hemisphere(summer)

4 Seasons Equinox- day and night are the same length September 23 rd - Fall in Northern Hemisphere - Spring in Southern hemisphere March 21st –Spring in Northern hemisphere –Fall in Southern hemisphere

Earth’s Structure Crust- landmasses and ocean floor Upper and Lower Mantle - consists of magma Outer core- made mostly of liquid iron and nickel Inner core- hotter than the surface of the sun, made of solid iron

Tectonic Plates Sections of crust that float on the mantle Constant, slow shift of plate and continents is “continental drift” Plates move in 4 ways: subduction, divergence, convergence and transformation Each movement causes an event( volcanoes to form, mountains from ocean floor, mountain ranges, earthquakes)

The Ring of Fire

Large ocean plates slide against each other in Asia, Australia, South America and North America Cause: –Earthquakes –Tsunamis –Volcanoes

Waters of the Earth Evaporation- sun heats up water and water vapor rise up into the atmosphere Condensation- Cool temperatures turn water vapor into droplets that form clouds Precipitation- water droplets grow heavier and fall back to the Earth as snow or rain Runoff- precipitation soaks into the ground and runs into rivers, lakes and eventually into the ocean