Planet Earth Chapter 2 Study Guide
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Continental drift suggests that the continents were once part of one supercontinent
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Revolution and latitude affect the amount of solar energy places on Earth receive
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The tropics have seasons marked by rainfall rather than temperature
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During the spring season, solar energy begins to increase
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Every 24 hours, Earth completes one rotation
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Tilt creates the Earth’s change in seasons
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About 3 percent of Earth’s water supply is freshwater
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Earth’s available freshwater that is used everyday can be found underground and in streams
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Water shortages can result from drought
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The main processes of the water cycle are evaporation and precipitation
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A peninsula is a type of landform
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The collision of two continental plates results in mountain-building
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When plates slide past one another, they produce earthquakes
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Earth’s glaciers can cause erosion
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The study of moving pieces of crust is called plate tectonics
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Latitude is the distance north or south of the Equator
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Surface water is water that is found in Earth’s streams, rivers, and lakes
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Earth’s yearly trip around the sun is called revolution
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Long periods of lower-than-normal precipitation is called drought
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The water cycle is the circulation of water from Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back
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Lava is magma that reaches Earth’s surface
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A glacier is a large area of slow-moving ice
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Weathering is the process of breaking rock into smaller pieces
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Rotation is one complete spin of Earth on its axis
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Runoff is precipitation that flows over land into rivers and oceans
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Earth’s rotation explains why day changes to night
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To allow for the fraction of a day in Earth’s revolution (365 ¼), we add an extra day, February 29,
every four years
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Earth’s axis is tilted at 23 ½ degrees from vertical
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During summer months, the Earth is tilted towards the sun
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Because of Earth’s tilt, the Northern and Southern hemispheres experience different seasons
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Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are all examples of precipitation
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Earth’s rotates and revolves counterclockwise
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Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air expressed as a percentage
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Latitude affects climate
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Weathering is the process by which rock is broken down into smaller pieces