Monday September 15th, 2014AGENDA:Review Chapter 1, Section 1Begin Chapter, Section 2

Chapter 1, Section 2Changes Within the Earth

7.2.8.A: Explain the characteristics of places and regions.7.2.8.B: Explain the physical processes that shape patterns on Earth’s surface.

CC.1.2.8.A: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas.

Objective: Students will be able to explain two (2) physical characteristics and processes of Geography.

I. Physical Characteristics• Geology is the study of the earth’s physical

structure and history. • The earth is 4.6 billion (4,600,000,000) years

old. • Since the beginning, the earth has been

changing. • Geologists try to identify these changes, explain

the causes and effects, and predict future changes.

A. The Earth’s Layers

i. Corea) Center of the earth, it consists of very hot

metal.1. Mainly iron mixed with some nickel. 2. Inner Core = Dense and Solid. 3. Outer Core = molten or liquid.

ii. Mantlea. Thick layer of rock that surrounds the core.

1. 1,800 miles thick. 2. Mostly solid with some flexible upper layers.

HERE

iii. Crusta) This is a rocky surface layer.

1. Surprisingly thin, like frosting on a cake.2. Thinner parts are located below ocean (about 5 miles thick).3. Crust beneath continents is thicker,

(about 22 miles thick).

B. Land, Air and WaterGeographer’s often talk of the different elements of the earth’s natural environment as a set of related “spheres” dominated by different physical forms. They study how spheres operate and interact with each other and with humans.

i. Lithosphere

a) Made up of soil, rocks, landforms and other surface features.

ii. Atmosphere• Layer of air, water and other substances above

the surface.

iii. Hydrospherea) Consists of water in oceans, lakes, rivers and

even underground.

iv. Biosphere

a) World of plants, animals and other living things that occupy the land and waters of the planet.

C. Characteristics of Earthi. Land

a) Continents – large land masses in the oceans. b) There are seven (7). Asia is the biggest.

ii. Watera. 70% of the earth’s surface.

D. Characteristics of Landformsi. Land covers about 30% of the earth’s

surface.ii. Land is made up of four main kinds of

landforms – natural features of the earth’s land surface.

a. Mountains c. Plateausb. Hills d. Plains

*** Each landform is described by:Elevation – height above sea levelRelief – the difference in elevation between the highest and lowest points.

a. Landforms - Mountains1. Mountains are the highest of the world’s

landforms.2. They rise at least 2,000 ft. above sea level.3. Example: Mount Everest – located in central

Asia. 29,035 ft. above sea level. High relief.

4. Mountains generally have a high relief.

b. Landforms - Hills

1. Hills are lower than mountains. 2. Rise 500 to 2,000 ft. above sea level. 3. Generally have a low relief.

c. Landforms - Plateaus

1. Plateaus are raised areas of flatland (or almost flat).

2. Rise 300 to 3,000 ft. above sea level.3. Most of them have a low relief.

d. Landforms - Plains1. Plains are large areas of flat or rolling land.2. Rise less than 1,000 ft. above sea level.3. They have a low relief. Example: North European Plain – World’s largest plain. It stretches more than 1,000 miles.

E. Physical Processesi. Forces that shape landforms

a. Volcanoes1. Forms when magma breaks through earth’s crust.2. Lava – molten rock located on the surface.

b. Movements in the crust1. fold – rock layers bend and buckle. 2. faults – breaks in the earth’s crust.

F. Understanding the Pasti. Plate Tectonic Theory

a. Earth’s outer shell is not one solid sheet of rock.b. Upper layer of mantle is broken into a number of

moving plates.c. Plates are not anchored in place, they slide.d. Oceans and continents ride on plates that move

in different directions.*** Most earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. occur along plate boundaries.

F. Understanding the Past cont. ii. Continental Drift Theory

a. Alfred Wegener (1900s)1. German Scientist2. Pangaea Supercontinent

*It began to break up into separate continents about 180 million years ago.

F. Understanding the Past cont.iii. Seafloor Spreading

a. Landforms under water resembled continental landforms.

b. Underwater ridge system – a series of under water mountains that extend

around the world. ** Rock from mantle rises beneath ridge and spreads out in both direction.

F. Understanding the Past cont.iv. Plate Movement

a. convectionv. When plates meet

a. spreadingb. subductionc. convergenced. faulting

F. Understanding the Past cont.vi. Explaining Volcanoes

a. Ring of Fire1.a circle of volcanoes surrounding the

Pacific Ocean.b. “Hot Spots”

1. Hot regions deep within the earth’s mantle.

2. As molten rock rises towards earth’s surface, the magma may heat

underground water and produce hot spring geysers.

G. Plate Movement

i. Convection is the force that moves plates.a. It is a circular movement caused when material is heated, expands and rises, then cools and falls. b. Process is thought to be occurring in the mantle rock beneath the plates.