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