Geography Unit Test

Transport

Movement of weathered material

Rock Layers

Correspond to specific time periods during Earth's formation

Physical Processes

Worked on the landscape over billions of years to form Canada's regions

Extinction

Ends each time period and paves the way for new life forms

Geologic Time

Method of measuring Earth's formation periods

Relative Time

Geologic time

Plants

First living things to inhabit land

Crust

Earth's surface, 8-64km thick

Mantle

1800km thick, hot and molten rock

Outer Core

2000km thick, made of liquid nickel and iron

Inner Core

1400km thick, solid nickel and iron

Hydrosphere

Water

Atmosphere

Air

Biosphere

Living things

Minerals

Naturally formed, solid, inorganic substances with characteristic composition

Metamorphic Rocks

Formed when heat and pressure change rocks into a new form

Sedimentary Rocks

Formed when sediment is compacted and cemented together in layers

Plate Tectonics

Movement of Earth's crust divided into plates

Pangaea

Supercontinent formed 200 million years ago

Continental Drift

Theory that continents are constantly in motion

Proofs of Continental Drift

Fit of continents, fossils, mountain ranges, ice sheets

Constructive Forces

Push up land to create mountains

Deconstructive Forces

Wear down land through erosion and weathering

Mechanical Weathering

Disintegration of rock without changing composition

Chemical Weathering

Rock materials reacting with water

Canadian Shield

Core of the continent, formed during Precambrian Era

Average Annual Temperature

Sum of 12 monthly temperatures divided by 12

Temperature Range

Difference between warmest and coldest temperature

Total Precipitation

Sum of monthly precipitation totals

Seasonal Distribution of Precipitation

Comparison of precipitation in winter and summer

Growing Season

Time period in which crops can be grown

Latitude

Distance from the equator

Ocean Currents

Temperature affects the air around it

Elevation

As air rises, it becomes cooler

Relief

Differences in elevation on Earth's surface

Near Water

Areas close to large bodies of water receive more precipitation

Geologic Time Scale

Divides Earth's 4.6 billion year history into eras and periods

Era

Major division in geologic time

History

Study of past events

Past

Explained by the present

Absolute Time

Age stated in years

Fish

First animals with backbones

Precambrian Era

Began 4.6 billion years ago, ended 570 million years ago

Canadian Shield

Formed during Precambrian Era

Paleozoic Era

Began 570 million years ago, ended 245 million years ago

Pangaea

Supercontinent formed during Paleozoic Era

Mesozoic Era

Began 245 million years ago, ended 66 million years ago

Dinosaurs

Existed during Mesozoic Era

Cenozoic Era

Began 66 million years ago, ongoing

Human Beings

Arrived during Cenozoic Era

Lithosphere

Land, Earth's shell

Rocks

Minerals lumped together to form a solid mass

Igneous Rocks

Formed when magma cools and hardens

Rock Cycle

Continual change of rocks

Weathering

Wearing away and breaking down of the surface

Deposition

Dropping or depositing of transported material

Landform Regions

Large areas of land with major characteristics

Highlands

Areas of high elevation containing mountains and plateaus

Lowlands

Areas of low elevation containing plains and hills

Climate

Condition of the atmosphere over a long time period and large area

Weather

Condition of the atmosphere over a short time period and small area

Winds and Air Masses

Large volumes of air with same temperature and moisture content