Unit 1: Physical Geography

What makes Earth a “living planet”?

What color do you see the most?

Blue= Water, Water =Life

Bodies of Water

71% of the earth is covered

by salt water

What are the major oceans?

Oceans and Seas

Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian and Southern

Ocean Motion•Currents

•Waves

•Tides

Hydrologic CycleThe continuous circulation of water between the atmosphere, the oceans and the earth.

Ground WaterWater that sits in

the rock of the earth. The water

table is the level at which the rock is saturated, or full.

Make your own Hydrologic cycle

•In your notes, create your own version of the hydrologic cycle. Does not have to look like the example.

Lakes, Rivers and Streams

Bodies of fresh water

LandformsRelief: The geographic feature that

separates one landform from

another. It is the difference in

elevation from the lowest point to the highest.

4 types of Reliefs: Mountains, hills, plains and plateaus

Oceanic LandformsContinental Shelf: From the edge of a continent to the deep part of the

ocean.

Ridges, valleys, canyons, plains and mountains all exist on the ocean floor...

Other Landforms:

•Please turn to pgs 34-35 in your textbook

•Create your own landform glossary.

•List and define each landform using the Cornell note format.

How the Earth is Shaped...

Our earth is MOVING!!

Tectonic PlatesEnormous moving pieces of the

earth’s lithosphere

Types of Plate Movement

What Happens When the Plates

Move??EarthquakesEarthquakes are measured using

the Richter Scale. The scale begins at 1 and has no

upper limit...

What was the largest earthquake

ever recorded?9.5-Valdivia Chile

Tsunami: Sometimes earthquakes cause a major

wave that hits the coast

Volcanoes Magma, gases, and water gather under

the earth’s mantle. Eventually, they push their way out...

Ring of Fire: A zone around the rim of the Pacific ocean where

most of the world’s volcanoes are located.

External Forces…..

•Weathering – pg 42

•What is the difference between mechanical and chemical weathering. Give three examples of how each occurs. (3 for mechanical and 3 for chemical)

•Erosion - pg 43

•Take notes on the 3 types Erosion (Characteristics of each)

•What type of erosion is most likely to occur here in the greater Houston area?

Vegetation….

•Read and take notes on the 3 types of vegetation pg. 66

•What are their characteristics, Where are they located? (this should be in with your notes)

Seasons• The tilt of the

earth is what causes seasons to occur (Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter)

•Solstice: Longest and shortest days of the year

•Equinox: Equal day and night

Weather•Weather: The condition of the atmosphere

at a particular location and time.

•Climate: Weather conditions at a particular location over a long period of time.

•What’s the difference between weather and climate?

•Give an example…

Weather Extremes•Hurricanes: A storm that forms over

warm tropical ocean waters (Typhoons in Asia)

•Tornadoes: A powerful funnel-shaped column of spiraling air

•Blizzard: a heavy snowstorm with winds of more than 35 miles per hour

•Droughts: a long period of time without rain fall

•Floods: When water spreads over land not normally covered in water

Factors that Affect Climate

•5 factors that affect climate:

•Wind Currents

•Ocean Currents

•Zones of Latitude

•Elevation

•Topography

•El Nino: The warming of waters off the west coast of South America (a natural change in climate)

Questions

•1. From the 5 weather extremes name the one that Houston has yet to experience.

•2. How does location affect climate?

Climate Regions (brief descriptions) •Tropical Wet: Little variation in

temperature, always hot and rainy

•Tropical Wet & Dry: Rainy season in the summer, and a dry season in the winter

•Semiarid: Typically found around deserts or interior of continents, small amount of rain

•Desert: receive less than 10 inches of rain a year (can be hot or cold)

Climate Regions (brief descriptions)

•Mediterranean: Dry & hot summers, winters are cool & rainy

•Marine West Coast: Cloudy, foggy & rainy, near an ocean

•Humid Subtropical: Long summers of heat and humidity

•Humid Continental: mid-latitude interiors of the northern hemisphere, various temperatures

Climate Regions (brief descriptions)

•Subartic: Huge variations in temperature, long freezing season

•Tundra: Flat, treeless land surrounding the Artic Circle

•Ice Cap: Snow, ice and permanently freezing temperatures

•Highlands: Rugged mountain areas

Questions

•3. Which climate zone does Houston fall into?

•4. Discuss with your neighbor which climate zone you would prefer to live in and why.