Landforms, Water, and Natural Resources

A Chapter on Physical Geography

Briefly describe what this chapter is about.

Now can you explain how these things can be used to help us understand the world better?

Define each of the following

Core

Mantle

Crust

Magma

Earth’s center, high temps and pressure.› Outer-liquid iron &

nickel› Inner- solid

Area outside of the core, holds most of the mass.

Thin outer layer of the earth

Liquid rock w/in the Earth’s surface

Draw a Diagram of the Earth

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This is a theory where the Earth’s crust is divided into slow moving plates. Some of these plates span a quarter of the planet, while are a few miles across. These plates are believed to be constantly moving at extremely slow speed.

This is the theory of plates, both oceanic and continental moving.

Map illustrating Plate Tectonics

List possible effects of Continental Drift.

Areas in the middle of Continental plates may erode and break down.

Volcanoes form around plate boundaries

Broke apart the super continent “Pangaea”

Earth quakes- the breaking of the Earth’s crust by tectonic force.

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Scientists believe that over 200 million years ago only one continent existed. It was called Pangaea.

This super continent would later break into 2 separate pieces. They were called Gondwana and Laurasia.

After several hundred years these continents broke into many pieces eventually leading to what we know as the Earth now.

List and give a brief explanation of the effects for the spreading of plates.

Rift Valleys- when plates spread & stretch the crust until it breaks. The biggest is found in East Africa

Abyssal plains- rocks on the ocean floor sink due to heat. Sediment buries all features. World’s flattest and smoothest regions.

Continental Shelves- continental surface extends out under shallow ocean waters until a steep drop off into abyssal plain.

List and give a brief explanation of the effects for the colliding of plates.

Trench- the deep valley that forms when plates collide on the ocean floor one slides under the other causing a subduction zone.

Volcanoes- form around areas where plates grind together.

Faults- where rock masses move apart from the impact of colliding plates.

List and give a brief explanation of the effects for the lateral movement of plates.

Squeezing can and will produce mountain ranges. This is how both the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains were formed.

Spreading can produce valleys.

Define and give an example for each.

Weathering

Sediment

The process of rocks breaking down and decaying over time.› Eg- The Grand

Canyon, Hill Tops, Plateaus

Small particles as a result from weathering.› Eg- Sand, gravel,

mud.

Define and Explain Erosion

Definition – movement of surface materials from one location to another.

Agents – Water, Wind, and Ice. Weathering breaks down rocks and the

particles are moved by one or more of the agents, until they settle in another location. Sometimes this causes new landforms.

What are glaciers? What is their part in the process of creating landforms?

Glaciers are thick masses of ice that erode rock and move sediment.

They create landforms by moving rocks, grinding rocks, and carving into mountains causing valleys.

What are the 3 ways most landforms are created? Give an example for each.

Tectonic Process › Mountains & Valleys are created when plates

move causing volcanoes, faulting, & folding. Erosion

› Plateau- Weaker rock & sediment are moved away to expose harder rock hidden underneath.

Sediment Depositions› Delta- sediment is carried out and deposited

at the mouth of a river.

Draw a diagram of the Hydrologic Cycle.

See also the diagram on page 70 of your textbook.

Define the following Vocabulary Words. Headwaters

Tributary

Watershed

Drainage Basin

1st and smallest streams of runoff flowing down hill.

Smaller stream or river that flows into a larger one.

Area drained by a river and its tributaries.

See previous definition.

Define the following Vocabulary Words. Estuaries

Wetlands

Surface water where a river meets an inlet or small arm of the sea, causing a mixture of fresh and sea water.

Any landscape covered in water for part of the year.

How do human activities destroy wetlands?

By draining, paving, and filling wetlands.

They are then used for farm land, housing developments, and industrial sites.

Define the following Vocabulary Words. Ground Water

Water Table

Floods

Water that is found below the ground.

Level at which all the spaces in the rock are filled w/ water.

When water of rivers or streams exceeds the channel capacity.

How do buildings & roads make flooding worse?

These things limit the areas where water can sink & be absorbed by the soil.

This increases the amount of runoff.

Construct a Pie Chart showing the distribution of water on the Earth.

Define the following Vocabulary Words. Soil

Humus

Soil Horizons

Leaching

Natural material that includes both rocky sediment and organic matter.

Broken down plant and animal material.

The different layers of the soil.

The downward movement of minerals and humus soil.

Draw and label a soil profile.

What processes could have broken the rock beneath the subsoil?

Weathering through chemical reactions

Freezing and Thawing Tectonic activity

Define the following Vocabulary Words. Contour Plowing

Soil Exhaustion

Irrigation

Soil Salinization

Plowing across a hill to reduce erosion.

Planting different crops on different years.

Artifically supplying water to land.

Building up of salt in soil.

What is deforestation & Why is it important?

Definition – Destruction or loss of forests

Importance › Source of: food, air,

medicines, oils, and rubber.

› Home to many animals› Prevent erosion

Trees are cut down for lumber, to clear area for farming, and for fuel consumption

What is reforestation?

Planting of new trees after cutting down others.

Acid rain and its effects.

When chemicals in air pollution combine with water vapor in clouds.

The mixture has effects similar to vinager.› Can damage paint › Can kill fish› Cause damage to trees

Define the following Vocabulary Words. Aqueduct

Aquifers

Fossil Water Ore Fossil Fuel

Artifical channels for transporting water.

Rock layers where ground water is plentiful.

Water not being replenished by rain.

Mineral bearing rock. Energy resources

including coal, natural gas, & petroleum.

Define the following Vocabulary Words. Petrochemicals

Geothermal energy

Chemicals made using fossil fuels

Heat for inside the Earth.