1. Ch 2 Physical Geography
A Living Planet

2. Section 1: The Earth Inside and out

4. Earth: Outside Solar System
Our sun is a medium-sized star on edge of the “Milky Way” Galaxy
Earth, 1 of 8, 93m miles away from Sun
Asteroids – large chunks of rocky material
Asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars
Atmosphere: layer of gases
Provides oxygen; protects Earth from radiation and space debris; provides the medium for weather and climate
Lithosphere: 30-90m; solid rock
Hydrosphere: water (oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, etc.)
Biosphere: atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere

6. Earth: Inside 24,900m circumference, 7,900m diameter Three divisions…
Core: center of the Earth, made up of iron and nickel; outer portion is solid, inner portion liquid
Mantle: most of Earth’s mass
Crust: thin layer (19-37m) of rock at the Earth’s surface
Continents
Landmasses above water on Earth
7: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica
Connected?
Francis Bacon (English) first to conceive their previous connection as a supercontinent in 1620
Rocks found in South America & Africa match, supporting this idea
Continental Drift
Alfred Wagner (Germany) – 1912: posited hypothesis Pangaea (“all earth”), surrounded by Panthalassa began to split apart 65m yrs ago

7. Water Bodies of Water Ocean – covers 71% Ocean motion Hydrologic Cycle
Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Artic (sometimes considered part of the Atlantic)
Ocean motion
Currents – like rivers flowing through the ocean
Waves – affect of wind on surface
Tides – gravitational pull of sun/moon; regular rise and fall
Winds – moderate temp. over land after blowing over water
Hydrologic Cycle
Continuous circulation of water between atmosphere-ocean-earth
Lakes
95% of earth’s fresh water supply
Result of glacial action thousands of years ago
Ground water; water table

8. Section 3: Internal Forces Shaping Earth

9. Internal forces reshape the earth’s surface
Internal forces shaping the earth often radically alter the lives of people as well (in-depth look this week)

10. Plate Tectonics Plate Tectonics Plate movement (p88)
Enormous moving shelf that forms the earth’s crust (lithosphere)
How earthquakes and volcanoes occur
Plate movement (p88)
Spreading (moving apart)
Subduction (diving under another plate)
Collision (crashing into another plate)
Shearing (sliding past each other)

12. Plate boundaries
When tectonic plates come into contact, changes on the earth’s surface occur
3 Boundaries that mark plate movements
Divergent Boundary
Plates move apart, spreading horizontally
Ex: Saudi Arabia & Egypt = Red Sea wider (part of Great Rift Valley)
Convergent Boundary
Plates collide, plate dives or plates both crumple
Ex: India  Asia = Himalayas
Transform Boundary
Plates slide past one another
Ex: San Andreas Fault (CA)

14. Divergent

16. Convergent

17. transform

19. earthquakes When Plates Meet… Folds & Faults Earthquakes
If rock is not flexible, fracture occurs under pressure = fault
Fault Line = where plates move past each other
Earthquakes
What is it?
Sudden release of energy in the form of motion; Violent movement of the earth caused by plate movement
Focus
Location in the earth where it began
Epicenter
Point directly above focus on earth’s surface
95% of all earthquakes occur around major plate boundaries
Damage
Aftershocks – smaller-magnitude quakes; can occur for days

21. earthquakes Earthquake Richter Scale What do we know?
C.F. Richter developed a scale to measure amount of energy released (telling us the strength of a quake)
2  not noticeable
4.5  newsworthy
7+  major
9.5  Chile 1960 largest ever recorded
What do we know?
Measuring? Yes. Seismograph = detects and measures the size of the waves
Predicting? No.

22. Internal forces Tsunamis Volcanoes
A giant wave in the ocean caused by earthquake
How powerful? 450mph w/ feet waves
Extreme? 1960 Chile  damage in Japan
Even worse? Japan in March 2011
Deadliest in history?  Indian Ocean earthquake of 9.3
Volcanoes
Magma (lava) + gas + water = erupt
Unpredictable = active/inactive
Ring of Fire
Zone around the Pacific Ocean which is home to the majority of active volcanoes; 8 major tectonic plates meet here
Hot springs & geysers
Water circulation near magma chambers
U.S., Japan, Iceland only --- Old Faithful

28. Japan earthquake 2011 & Indian Ocean tsunami 2004

31. Wednesday’s ResourceS
Japan Earthquake Damage? You Betcha…
Before & After Aerial Photos:
Short video clip highlighting damage:
Interactive Map of Damage:
How Plate Tectonic Movement Caused the Earthquake:
Tsunamis
Stephen Colbert on Tsunami
Infographic on Tsunami: