CHAPTER 1

SECTION 2

 

                        THE EARTH IN SPACE

 

1. SOLAR SYTEM

Ø      Made up of the sun, Earth, and nine other planets as well as moons, comets and asteroids

Ø      All orbit the sun

Ø      Two types of planets-small and solid; large and full of gas

Ø      Atmosphere-layer of air which surrounds the Earth- containing nitrogen and oxygen

Ø      Earth-takes 24 hours to make one complete spin on its axis

               Takes 364 ¼ days to orbit or make one revolution around the sun

 

2. THE SUN and SEASONS

Ø      Earth is tilted at 23 ½ degrees-why we have seasons

Ø      Summer solstice-when the Northern Hemisphere receives the most amount of sunlight (directly over the Tropic of Cancer)

Ø      Winter solstice-when the Northern Hemisphere receives the least amount of sunlight (directly over the Tropic of Capricorn)

Ø      Equinoxes-sun is directly over the Equator

 

 

 

CHAPTER 1

SECTION 3

                       FORCES SHAPING THE EARTH

 

        1. INSIDE THE EARTH

Ø      Made up of three layers

            Core-hot iron mixed with other metals and rocks

            Mantle-layer of rock surrounding the core

            Crust- upper layer of the earth. Includes the ocean floor and continents

Ø      Magma-melted rock flows from a volcano

 

2. FORCES BENEATH the EARTH’S CRUST

 

Ø      Plate Tectonics-earth’s crust is made up of plates-pull away from each other, push against each other, slide alongside each other

Ø      Earthquakes-pressure causing plates to move suddenly. Underwater earthquakes-cause tsunamis.

Ø      Plates moving alongside each other create cracks called faults

 

3. FORCES SHAPING LANDFORMS

Ø      Weathering- breaking of surface rock into boulders, gravel, sand, and soil. Water, frost, chemicals, and plants can cause weathering

Ø      Erosion-process of wearing away or moving the weathered material. Can be caused by water, wind, or ice.

Ø      Glaciers-giant sheets of ice

 

 

CHAPTER 1

SECTION 4

                            

                           LANDFORMS AND WATERWAYS 

 

1.      TYPES OF LANDFORMS

Ø      Mountains-1000 feet or more, rugged, steep slopes

Ø      Hills-lower with rounded tops

Ø      Valleys-lie between mountains and hills

Ø      Canyons-steep-sided lowlands that rivers have cut through a plateau

Ø      Plains-low-lying stretches of flat or gently rolling land

Ø      Plateaus-flat, have higher elevation than plains

Ø      Isthmus-piece of land that connects two larger pieces of land

Ø      Peninsula-water on three sides, longer coastline than a cape

Ø      Continental shelf-plateau that stretches for several miles underwater

Ø      Trenches-valleys on the ocean floor. Lowest spots on the earth’s crust

 

       2.  BODIES OF WATER

Ø      Over 70% of the earth is covered by water. Most is salt water

Ø      Strait-body of water between two pieces of land and connects two larger bodies of water

Ø      Channel-body of water between two pieces of land and connects two larger bodies of water- channel is wider than a strait