Unit 1: Physical
Geography
What makes Earth a
“living planet”?
What color do you see
the most?
Blue= Water, Water =Life
Bodies of Water
Oceans and Seas
71% of the earth
is covered by salt
water
What are the
major oceans?
Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian and Southern
Ocean Motion
• Currents
• Waves
• Tides
Hydrologic Cycle
The continuous circulation of water between the
atmosphere, the oceans and the earth.
Ground Water
Water 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
Landforms
Relief: 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 Landforms
Continental 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 Plates
Enormous moving pieces of the earth’s
lithosphere
Types of Plate
Movement
What Happens When
the Plates Move??
Earthquakes
9.5-Valdivia Chile
Earthquakes are
measured using
the Richter Scale.
The scale begins
at 1 and has no
upper limit...
What was the
largest earthquake
ever recorded?
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
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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.