Unit 1

Continent

a very large landmass that is separated by water or natural features like water

Asia

-Biggest continent

-2/3 of worlds population

-48 countries (Includes India, China)

-tallest mountains (Himalayas)

-dead sea (lowest point on land)

Africa

-2nd biggest continent

-54 countries (includes Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa...)

longest river (Nile)

-non polar desert the Sahara ( worlds biggest desert)

-rich in minerals 95% of diamonds and 50% gold

-great pyramids of Giza, Egypt

North America

-3rd biggest continent

-USA and Canada

-most dominant languages spanish,french, english

-bordered by atlantic, artic, and pacific

-has all climate types

South America

-4th biggest continent

-12 countries ( Brazil and Argentina)

-The Amazon (biggest rainforest)

Antarctica

-3rd smallest continent

-surrounded by souther ocean

-coldest, windiest, and driest

Europe

-2nd smallest continent

-44 countries (France,UK,Germany)

-no deserts

oceania

-smallest continent

-new zealand and australia

Name continents from smallest to largest

Oceania, Europe, Antartica, South America, North America, Africa, Asia

Ocean

a very large area of salt water

Pacific Ocean

-bigges ocean

-surround by volcanos (ring of fire)

-great barrier of reef (largest reef)

-shrinks every year

Atlantic Ocean

-2nd biggest ocean

-youngest ocean

-reaches from north an south america to europe and africa

-mid atlantic ocean (longest underwater mountain range)

-bermuda triangle

Indian Ocean

-3rd biggest ocean

-warmest ocean

-40% of worlds oil supply

Southern Ocean

-second smallest ocean

-coldest and wildest

-Antartica circumpolar current

Aritc Ocean

-smallest ocean

-covered in ice

-lowest salinity level

The World Bank

assigns the world to four income groups:

-low income

-lower-middle income

-upper-middle income

-high income

classifications can change for 2 reasons:

-changes to atlast GNI per capita

-changes to classification thresholds

Sustaniability

the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Natural Capital

Natural resources and ecosystem services that keep humans and other species alive and support human economies.

Natural resources

materials/energy sources in nature essential or useful to humans

ecosystem services

free natural services provided by health ecosystems

ex : clean air and water, fertile soil for crop production, pollination, and flood control.

ecological footprint

amount of land and water needed to supply a individual or population with renewable sources

hydrologic cycle

continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface on earth

precipitation

air currents move clouds around globe, cloud particles collide, grow, and fall out of sky (fall as snow or rain)

infiltration

water soaks into soil from ground level and moves underground between soil and rocks

transpiration

plants leaves eventually release water into the air

ground water

some water keeps moving down into the soil to a level filled with water

interception

prevents rainfall from immediately reaching the soil

groundwater discharge

some infiltration stays close to land surface and can seep back into surface water bodies and the ocean

condensation

water vapor in air is changed into liquid water

evaporation

liquid to water vapor

surface runoff

precipitation runoff over landscape

through-flow

water flow downhill within the soil

State the major components of the Earth's atmosphere

nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, water vapor

ozone layer

absorbs UV radiation emitted by the sun

how does ozone depletion occur

1. CFCS release an rise into ozone layer

2.UV releases chlorine atom

3.Chlorine converts ozone to oxygen

4.Chlorine atoms remain in stratosphere, destroying ozone

Describe the ozone layer and outline its role in absorbing ultraviolet radiation

Ozone is concentrated layers in stratosphere and ozone absorbs a portion UV radiation preventing from reaching earths surface

Outline the natural greenhouse effect that maintains the Earth's ambient temperature

• UV radiation passes through earth's atmosphere and is absorbed by earth's surface

• some energy is re-emitted back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation

-greenhouse gases absorb some of this infrared radiation and prevent it from leaving the atmosphere

Trophosphere

-bottom layer in which we live in

-temperature decreases with increase in altitude

-all important weather phenomeno occur

Stratosphere

-temperature increases with height due to increased absorption of UV radiation by ozone layer

-ozone layer

-dry and less dense

-planes fly here

Mesosphere

-temperature decreases with height

-coldest place on earth

-most meteorites burn up here

Thermosphere

-temperature increases due to absorption of very short wave, high energy solar radiation

-temp changes with solar activity

biomes

an area classified according to the species that live in that location

Habitat

natural environment or area in which an organism lives in

ecosystem

a functional unit in which plants, animals, microorganisms and physical environments interact with each other

Community

populations of different species living in a particular place, and potentially interacting with each other

population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in a particular place