1. Mapping Earth’s Surface
Exploring Earth’s Surface:
Louisiana Purchase – 1804 – Lewis and Clark
Topography – shape of the land (flat, sloping, hilly, mountainous) determined by elevation, relief, and landforms.
Elevation – height above sea level of a point on the earth’s surface.
Relief – difference in elevation between the highest and lowest points of an area.
What is the difference between elevation and relief?

3. Mapping Earth’s Surface
Exploring Earth’s Surface:
Landforms – a feature of topography formed by the processes that shape the earth’s surface. (all landforms have elevation and relief)
Landform region – large area of land where the topography is similar.
There are three main types of landforms: plains, mountains, and plateaus

4. Mapping Earth’s Surface
Exploring Earth’s Surface:
Plains – a landform made up of flat or gently rolling land with low relief.
Ex. #1 Coastal – low elevation and relief
Ex. #2 Interior – low relief but elevation varies
Ex. #3 Great Plains – Texas to Canada

5. Mapping Earth’s Surface
Exploring Earth’s Surface:
Mountains – landform with high elevation and high relief; normally part of a mountain range (shape, structure, age)
Mountain Ranges are normally part of a mountain system, which are part of a mountain belt.

6. Mapping Earth’s Surface
Exploring Earth’s Surface:
Plateaus – a landform that has high elevation and a level surface.
Rarely perfectly smooth on top.
What types of landforms have low relief?

7. Mapping Earth’s Surface
Exploring Earth’s Surface:
Earth’s four spheres: lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere
Lithosphere – Earth’s solid, rocky outer layer (Continents; islands) and extends under the ocean floor
Atmosphere – mixture of gases that surround the planet (most – nitrogen & oxygen)
Hydrosphere – Earths oceans, lakes, rivers, and ice (includes salt and fresh water) (2/3 earth- oceans)
Biosphere – All living things on earth; goes into other spheres.

8. Mapping Earth’s Surface
Exploring Earth’s Surface:
Section Review:
What three factors determine the topography of a region?
What are the most common types of landforms?
Which is larger, a mountain belt or a mountain system?
In which of Earth’s spheres would you find a cloud? A Mountain? A lake? A Tree?
How are mountains and plateaus similar? Different?

9. Mapping Earth’s Surface
Exploring Earth’s Surface:
What three factors determine the topography of a region? Elevation, Relief, and Landforms
What are the most common types of landforms?
Plains, Mountains, and Plateaus
Which is larger, a mountain belt or a mountain system?
Mountain Ranges and Systems form a Mountain Belt
4. In which of Earth’s spheres would you find a cloud? Atmosphere A Mountain? Lithosphere A lake? Hydrosphere A Tree? Biosphere
5. How are mountains and plateaus similar? Both have high elevations Different? Relief is different