Section 2Section 2
Land, Water, Climate
Land, Water, Climate
Landforms
Landforms
Land covers 30% of the
earth.
Land covers 30% of the
earth.
4 Main Landforms
4 Main Landforms
MountainsHills
PlateausPlains
MountainsHills
PlateausPlains
Mountains
MountainsHigh relief (highest)
2,000 feet above sea levelHimalayas – Central AsiaMt. Everest – 29,028 ft. (highest mountain)
High relief (highest)2,000 feet above sea levelHimalayas – Central AsiaMt. Everest – 29,028 ft. (highest mountain)
HillsHillsHillsHills
•Moderate Moderate ReliefRelief
•500-2,000 ft.500-2,000 ft.
•Moderate Moderate ReliefRelief
•500-2,000 ft.500-2,000 ft.
PlateausPlateausLow reliefRaised areas of flat
or almost flat land300-3,000 ft.
Low reliefRaised areas of flat
or almost flat land300-3,000 ft.
PlainsPlains•Low relief•Large areas of flat or gently rolling land
•Less than 1,000 ft.•Largest Plain – North European Plain (more than 1,000 miles from west coast of France to the Ural Mountains of Russia
•Low relief•Large areas of flat or gently rolling land
•Less than 1,000 ft.•Largest Plain – North European Plain (more than 1,000 miles from west coast of France to the Ural Mountains of Russia
Earth’s 3 Layers
Earth’s 3 Layers
CoreMantleCrust
CoreMantleCrust
CoreCore•Center•Inner core – solid rock•Outer core – melted rock
•Center•Inner core – solid rock•Outer core – melted rock
Mantle
Made mostly of hot, solid rock
Heat from core
Rock in mantle begins to rise
Puts pressure on crust
Causes crust to move in sections- plate tectonicsPlates move .8 – 2 inches per year
Movement of Plates
Move Togeth
er
Move Apart
Slide Past One Another
Continental Drift
Continental Drift: Continental Drift: movement of platesmovement of plates
•220 million years ago…220 million years ago…•Pangaea – one large land Pangaea – one large land massmass
•Africa & South America Africa & South America moved apartmoved apart
•India & Asia collided India & Asia collided forming….forming….
HimalayasHimalayas
VolcanoesVolcanoes•Created by plate Created by plate movementmovement
•Cone – shaped mountains Cone – shaped mountains made when melted rock made when melted rock (lava) flows up from (lava) flows up from mantle, cracks the crust, mantle, cracks the crust, and cools into solid rockand cools into solid rock
•Example: the Hawaiian Example: the Hawaiian IslandsIslands
EarthquakesEarthquakes•Created by plate Created by plate movementmovement
•Tectonic plates slide Tectonic plates slide past one anotherpast one another
•800,000 earthquakes 800,000 earthquakes a year (50,000 can be a year (50,000 can be felt)felt)
“Ring of Fire”
“Ring of Fire”
•Pacific Ocean•Common Place for earthquakes and volcanoes
•Pacific Ocean•Common Place for earthquakes and volcanoes
These plates These plates are still are still
moving. moving. Who knows….Who knows….
In thousands of In thousands of years California years California
may be located off may be located off the coast of the coast of
Canada!Canada!
Outside Outside forces that forces that shape our shape our
earthearth
WindWind IceIceWatWatererErosioErosionn
Wind Wind ErosionErosion
Wind Erosion – Positive
•Plains of Northern China – wind carries thick, rich, yellowish soil (loess) from the desert
•Large amounts of wheat and other crops are grown here
Wind Erosion - Wind Erosion - NegativeNegative
•Dust Bowl of 1930sDust Bowl of 1930s•Central U.S. – wind Central U.S. – wind blew away so much blew away so much soil it became known soil it became known as Dust Bowlas Dust Bowl
Water Water ErosioErosio
nn
Water Erosion - Water Erosion - PositivePositive
•Mekong River in Southeast Mekong River in Southeast AsiaAsia
•River carries rich soil down River carries rich soil down from the mountains to from the mountains to lowlands creating fertile lowlands creating fertile farmlandfarmland
Water Erosion - Water Erosion - NegativeNegative
•Huang Ho River in Huang Ho River in Northern ChinaNorthern China
•Overflows, flooding Overflows, flooding farms and homesfarms and homes
Ice Erosion
Ice Erosion - Ice Erosion - PositivePositive•Ice Ages: 4 times in Ice Ages: 4 times in
500,000 years500,000 years•Glaciers (sheets of ice) Glaciers (sheets of ice) created lakes and created lakes and channels for rivers; channels for rivers; smoothes hills into smoothes hills into plainsplains
Ice Erosion - Ice Erosion - NegativeNegative
•Ice Ages have Ice Ages have driven people driven people and animals and animals from homesfrom homes
How have landforms affected history?
1. People do not settle in mountain because:•Travel is difficult•Hard to breath; thin air
•Cold temperatures
2. People did settle in plains and hilly areas because there was rich soil to farm
Waterways
70 % of the earth’s surface
is water.
Oceans: Largest Bodies of Water
•Atlantic•Pacific•Indian•Arctic
Bodies of Salt Water
Seas•Partly surrounded by land
•Salt water
Lakes•Usually fresh water•Completely surrounded by land
Rivers•Waterway that empties into another body of water
•Begins in hills or mountains
Rivers•River System – a river and all streams that flow into it
•Nile River: Longest river system in the world
Waterways help people decide where
to live:
•Trade •Travel•irrigation
•Hunting•Drinking water
Along riversWhy?
Climate
What shapes climate?
•Sun•Large bodies of water
•Air movement
Climate is the pattern of
weather of a place over many
years
Climate is shaped by
the Sun
The Sun•Produces heat and light
•The movements of the earth determines how the sun affects climate
•Rotation•Revolution
Movements of the Earth
Rotation•The earth rotates (spins) on its Axis
•Axis – imaginary line that runs through the center of the earth from North Pole to South Pole
•24 hours = 1 rotation•Causes day and night
Revolution•The earth moves around the sun in an almost circular path called an orbit
•365 ¼ = 1 revolution•Causes seasons
Climate Zones
Climate Zones•Tropical•Temperate•Polar
Climate and Water
•Large bodies of water keep temperature from becoming too hot or too cold
How?
Climate / Air Movement /
Oceans•Wind – air that moves•Prevailing winds – blow from certain positions almost all the time
•Monsoons – winds that change direction according to the seasons
Ocean Currents
•Ocean water that flows in a steady stream
•Winds and ocean currents carry heat and moisture all over the world
Currents from equator to pole
carry warm water
Currents from pole to equator carry cool water
Climate & Altitude•Climate is shaped by altitude
•Higher the altitude – colder the climate
Do people live in high
altitudes?YES!
Incas lived in Andes Mountains because the climate is more
comfortable
Tarahumara Indians must
migrate during cold seasons
Precipitation
•The falling of moisture such as rain or snow
•Precipitation is affected by altitude
Climate Shapes History•Types of houses
•Crops•Work •clothes•Entertainment•The way a country behaves
to its neighbors•wars