Science 8 Notes Packet
Name:
Class:
By the end of this unit you will be able to:







Use the latitude and longitude coordinate system to pin-point locations on Earth
Understand time zones and their relationship to longitude
Use Polaris to determine a person’s latitude
Read and interpret a field map
Use an appropriate interval to determine values on an isoline map
Read and interpret topographic maps and symbols
Recognize topographic profiles
 Determine where gradient is steepest on a map
Key vocabulary terms for this unit include:

















Atmosphere
Axis
Contour interval
Contour line
Coordinate system
Equator
Field
Gradient
Greenwich Mean Time
Isoline
Latitude
Longitude
Model
Polaris
Prime meridian
Profile
Topographic map
How do we locate positions on Earth?
Coordinate System A grid where each location is defined by the intersection of two
lines

The coordinate system we use on Earth is Latitude and longitude
Map Projection:
A way of showing a curved Earth on a flat surface.
Latitude:

RUN in

MEASURE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR

THE EQUATOR IS 0⁰ LATITUDE

THE NORTH

LINES OF LATITUDE ARE ALSO CALLED PARALLELS OF LATITUDE

THE ANGLE VIEWED TO POLARIS (NORTH STAR) IS EQUAL TO THE LATITUDE
an east-west
direction
POLE IS 90⁰N LATITUDE
longitude:

RUN FROM NORTH
POLE TO THE
SOUTH POLE

MEASURE EAST AND WEST
OF THE PRIME
MERIDIAN

THE PRIME MERIDIAN IS 0⁰ LONGITUDE

ARE ALSO CALLED MERIDIANS

MERIDIANS ARE SEMI CIRCLES THAT
CONVERGE AT THE POLES
**The Prime Meridian passes through GREENWICH, England
The EQUATOR divides the Earth into the NORTHERN and SOURTHERN Hemispheres
The PRIME MERIDIAN
along with the 180TH MERIDIAN
divide Earth into EASTERN and WESTERN Hemispheres
(the international dateline)
Give the latitude and longitude of the following points. Latitude is written first.
A ____________________________
D _______________________________
B ____________________________
E _______________________________
C ____________________________
TIME ZONES

The Earth rotates 360°
in one day, OR
24 HOURS

This means that Earth rotates 15°
hour
per

Earth is divided into 24

Time zones are 15° of longitude apart

Because earth rotates from WEST
to the EAST are ahead
time zones, one for each hour of the day
to EAST counterclockwise) times zones
So…EAST INCREASE, WEST IS LESS!!!
Map
A map is a flat model that shows a portion of Earth's surface.
Topography
the features of a landscape
Contour Map (Topo Map) Map
that shows the elevation of a region, as well
as the physical features such as hills, cliffs, valleys, depressions, etc
Isolines lines
on a map that connect points of equal value. There
are a lot of different kinds of isoline maps.
Isotherm isolines
connecting points of equal temperature
Isobar
isolines connecting points of equal air pressure
What do contour lines on a map show?
Contour lines isolines
that connect points of equal elevation,
shows the shape of the land
In order to read an isoline map correctly, you need to figure out the map's
interval.
Interval
the spacing between two adjacent is0lines.
Isolines never cross!
Colors on a topographic map
Black: BUILDINGS
Green: Forested areas
Blue: WATER, LAKES, STREAMS, ETC
Closely spaced lines
Red: ROADS
Brown: CONTOUR LINES/ELEVATION
= _STEEP SLOPE
Widely spaced lines = __GENTLE SLOPE
Rivers

Rivers always flow from HIGH to LOW elevation (downhill!)

Contour lines bend UPHILL/UPSTREAM (toward the source of the river).
This makes a V shape, with the point of the V facing _UPSTREAM. Water flows in the
opposite direction (downhill)
Know your compass directions!!
Hills and Mountains
MAKE CLOSED LOOPS
WITH HIGHER
ELEVATIONS TOWARD
CENTER
Depressions
*CONTOUR LINES HAVE HACHURE MARKS (TICK MARKS) IN THE LOOP
*ELEVATIONS GO DOWN TOWARD CENTER (SHOWS LOWER ELEVATION)
*THE FIRST HACHURED LINE
HAS SAME ELEVATION AS
THE LOWESTADJACENT
CONTOUR LINE
Contour Profile
A cross sectional/sideways view of a landscape
Match the Map with the Profile: