Unit 2: Interactions in the physical environment

Flashcards about Earth's structure and geological time periods.

Crust

Outermost layer of the Earth.

Mantle

Layer beneath the crust.

Outer core

Liquid layer beneath the mantle.

Inner core

Solid layer at the center of the Earth.

How old is the Earth?

Approximately 4.6 billion years.

Precambrian Era

86% of Earth's age, appearance of first single-celled organisms, formation of the Laurentian Mountains.

First Multicellular Plant Life

Algae.

First Multicellular Animal Life

Jellyfish

Paleozoic Era

9% of Earth's age, age of amphibians and fish, first insects, development of sedimentary rock and fossil fuels, formation of Appalachian Mountains.

Paleozoic Era: Canada's East Coast

Formation of Appalachian Mountains and major coal deposits.

Mesozoic Era

4% of Earth's age, Pangea starts to break apart.

Mesozoic Era: Dominant Life

Age of reptiles; dinosaurs are all over the planet.

Cenozoic Era

1% of Earth's age, Western Cordillera completes formation, age of mammals.

Western Cordillera Major Ranges

Coast Mountains, Columbia Mountains, and Rocky Mountains.

Pangaea

Supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, which eventually split into the continents we know today. Pangaea means “all the land” in Greek.

Alfred Wegener

A German polar researcher and meteorologist best known for proposing the theory of continental drift, which suggests that continents were once connected and have since moved apart. He developed this theory through landfrom evidence, geology evidence, and fossil evidence.

Tuzo Wilson

A Canadian geophysicist who contributed to the theory of plate tectonics.

Continental Drift

The movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other over geological time, leading to the formation and separation of landmasses. This theory was famously proposed by Alfred Wegener.

Plate Tectonics

The Earth's lithosphere moves on tectonic plates over the semi-fluid asthenosphere, causing earthquakes and volcanoes.

convergent boundary

A type of tectonic boundary where two plates move toward each other, often resulting in one plate being forced beneath another, causing subduction, mountain building, and earthquakes.

divergent boundary

A type of tectonic boundary where two plates move away from each other, leading to the formation of new crust as magma rises to the surface, often resulting in mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys.

transform boundary

A type of tectonic boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally, often causing earthquakes along fault lines without significant vertical movement.

high lands

western cordillera, Appalachian mountains, Innuitian Mountains

lowlands

st. lawrence lowlands, hudson bay lowlands, arctic lowlands

3 types of landform regions

highlands, lowlands, canadian shield

7 landform regions in canada

interior plains, western cordillera, Appalachian mountains, Innuitian Mountains, arctic and hudsons bay lowlands, st. lawrence lowlands, canadian shield.

what is geography

The study of places and the relationships between people and their environments, encompassing both the physical features of the earth and the human-made aspects of the world.

physical geography

the study of natural features and processes of the Earth, including landforms, climates, vegetation, and ecosystems.

human geography

people and things related to people or that they build (e.g. cities, transportation, etc.)

5 themes of geography

location, place, human environment interactions, movement, and regions.

Location

Absolute: A specific place on earths surface and uses a grid system.

Relative: Uses directional words to describe cardinal and intermediate directions. ( N, E, S, & W)

Place

what is it like there, what kind of place is it?

human characteristics (languages, customs, beliefs, population)

physical characteristics (mountains, rivers, type of soil, wild life, climate)

Human Environment Interaction

how people interact to the environment(s)

people:

• adapt to their environment

• modify their environment

• depend on their environment

Movement

how people, goods, and ideas are moved from place to place.

• human movement

• idea movement

• information movement

Regions

• united by similar physical conditions

• united by common cultural traits

provinces

maps

a symbolic representation of a place, typically drawn on a flat surface, that show the location of features and the relationships between them.

4 concepts of geography

• spatial significance

• patterns & trends

• interrelationships

• geological perspective

spatial significance

The importance of a particular location or area, considering its characteristics, features, and how it influences activities or events.

patterns & trends

Recurring arrangements or tendencies observed in geographical or other data.

Interrelationships

Connections and interactions between geographical elements specifically human and natural environments.

Geological Perspective

the concept requires students to consider the environmental, economic, political, and social implications of the issues, events, development, and/or phenomenon that they are analyzing.

sense of place

refers to the emotional connection and meaning individuals attach to a particular location, encompassing both cognitive(what a place is) and affective( how it feels) components.

3 W’s

• whats where

• why there

• why care

latitude

Angular distance, measured in degrees north or south from the equator (0°); lines run horizontally.

longtitude

Angular distance, measured in degrees east or west from the Prime Meridian (0°); lines run vertically from pole to pole.

time zones in Canada

six main ones: pacific, mountain, central, eastern, atlantic, and newfoundland.

GIS: geographic information system

enabling geologists to analyze, visualize, and model spatial data related to the earths surface and subsurface.

GPS: global positioning system

GPS has transformed the field from inferring plate movements to directly measuring them, leading to more accurate models of earths behaviour.

igneous

formed from cooled magma or lava

metamorphic

Formed when existing rocks are changed by heat, pressure, or chemical processes.

sedimentary

formed from fragments of other rocks, minerals, and organic matter that are deposited and cemented together oevertime.

difference between weather and climate

weather changes day to day while climate is the average weather conditions of a region over a long period of time.

Orographic or relief precipitation

a type of rainfall produced when moist air is forced to rise over a mountain range or other elevated terrain.

Convectional precipitation

occurs when warm, moist air near the Earth's surface is heated, becomes less dense, and rises.

causes and impacts

• earthquakes-the movement of tectonic plates

• tsunamis-large earthquakes on or near the ocean floor

• mudslides-Factors causing quick downhill movement of soil and debris.

• ring of fire-plate tectonics