Landforms and Waterways

Geography Landforms and WaterwaysClimatePeople

Landforms and WaterwaysThe landforms and waterways on the surface of the earth are shaped by huge forces that are often beyond our control and sometimes beyond our imagination

Were going to look at those forcesForces Shaping the EarthPlate TectonicsWeatheringWaterPeoplePlate TectonicsWhat are plate tectonics ? The crust of the earth is made of huge slabs of rock that move over the earths molten mantle, like a giant cracked eggOver millions of years the appearance of the surface of the earth has changed drastically because of the movement of these platesHow the continents have movedOften the movement is too slow for us to recognize it

Plate TectonicsThey create mountains, plateaus and valleys as they go

Plate TectonicsEarthquakesVolcanoesVolcanoesOften the plates move so slowly you could never tell they are moving but sometimesThe moving plates cause major events that change the surface of the earthTwo of these events are earthquakes and volcanoes

Volcano

Earthquake

Plate Tectonics

Forces Shaping the EarthPlate TectonicsWeatheringWaterPeopleWeatheringWeathering is the effect wind and rain and time has on landforms, breaking it down

Weathering

Forces Shaping the EarthPlate TectonicsWeatheringWaterPeopleWaterWater is the strongest force on the planetGlaciers massive ice flows that shape the landRivers Moving bodies of freshwater that flow from higher elevations to lowerBaysCanyonsDeltas (Google Earth)Oceans and Seas Large bodies of saltwater Glaciers

World River Systems

Forces Shaping the EarthPlate TectonicsWeatheringWaterPeoplePeopleCivilization affects the surface of the earth tooMountaintop removalDamming RiversGoogle Earth 3 Gorges Dam, ChinaSettlement

River Damming

Human SettlementGoogle Maps

Landform CSINow that we know the factors that shape the land on Earth

See if you can read the clues and determine who is responsible for the landform at the crime scene

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GeographyClimateWhat is Climate?The average weather over a period of time, usually several years For example, Wisconsin has snowy, cold winters and warm summers. Climatologists watch this pattern continue over several years to make their claim about climate in WisconsinClimate is different all over the world and it does not obey political boundaries

Factors Affecting Climate Climate is affected by many factors which is why we have so many different climate zones

What do you think could affect a places climate?

Travel around the room to discover the climate shaping forces on EarthFactors Affecting ClimateLatitudeOne of the most important factors affecting climate is the latitude at which you live. The sun is a major producer of the heat we experience on earth. Latitudes that experience less sunlight have a colder climate. Latitudes that experience more direct sunlight have a warmer climate.

Factors Affecting ClimateLandformsSome landforms can be so large that they create climate zones of their own. In addition to wind, ocean currents and latitude, landforms can change temperatures enough to change the climate of a location.

Factors Affecting ClimateOcean Currents

Factors Affecting ClimateWind Currents the heat from the sun and the cold from the lack of sun work together to make the air on earth flow. The air carries warmth and cold with it, along with rain and clouds.

Factors Affecting Climate PeopleHuman activity like burning fossil fuels changes the chemical make up of the atmosphere by adding carbonCarbon is a greenhouse gas and increases the temperature on the surface of the Earth