Ch' 8 Earths Landmasses

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Ch. 8 Earths Landmasses
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Continents The Earth has four landmasses, each
is one or more continents.

• Continents a land area measuring millions of
  square kilometers and rising some distance above
  sea level. Each continent has at least one area
  of old exposed rock. This area is called a
  shield. Shields make up the core of continents.

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Shield
Area of old exposed rock. Makes up the core of
the continent.
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Where is the North American shield?

• The North American Shield is in

CANADA
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Seven continents make up four landmasses.

• A. The largest is Asia, Europe and Africa.

• B. The second largest is N. America and S.
  America.

• C. The third largest is Antarctica (contains
  almost 90 of Earths ice).

• D. Smallest is Australia.

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8-2 Topography The shape of Earths surface.

• Topography is made up of three different kinds of
  landscapes. Each type of landscape has different
  characteristics.

• Terms to know Relief and Elevation

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Relief Elevation

• Height above or below sea level.

• Difference in a regions elevation.

Examples The Ruby Mountains are more than 11,000
feet above sea level. Elevation The Ruby
Mountains are more than 6,000 feet above the
Spring Creek area. Relief
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1. Mountains

• 600 meters above surrounding area.
• Narrow summits and steep slopes.
• Arrangement individual usually
  volcanic groups roughly parallel series
  called mountain range, ranges may be part of
  a mountain system which then could make up a
  mountain belt.

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How many mountain belts worldwide?
Two refer to map on page 283 of your book.
The two mountain belts are the Circum Pacific
Belt (Rockies and the Andes) Eurasian-Melanesian
Belt (Alps and Himalayas)
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2. Plains

• Flat land areas that are not far above sea level.
  Low relief less than 100 m difference between
  the highest and lowest points.

1. Coastal flat areas found along a coast.
Rich soil deposited by continental rivers.
2. Interior flat areas found inland. Formed
when mtns. and hills are worn down by glaciers,
wind water. Good soil.
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3. Plateaus

• Broad flat areas rising more than 600 meters
  above sea level. May reach as high as 1500
  meters. Low relief.

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8-3 Mapping the Earth

• A globe is the most accurate representation of
  Earths surface.

• A map is a drawing of the Earth (or part of
  Earth) on a flat surface.

• Maps and globes are drawn to scale. A scale
  compares the map distances to actual distances on
  Earth.

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I. Meridians lines running from the north
pole to the south pole.

• The prime meridian is the meridian running
  through Greenwich England.

• Degrees longitude are measured east or west of
  the prime meridian. From 0 to 180 degrees.

• Time zones every 15 degrees longitude. Cross
  going east add an hour, going west subtract.

• International date line is 180 degrees. Cross
  going west subtract a day, going east add.

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II. Parallels lines running east-west

• Degrees latitude are measured north and south of
  the equator.

• The equator is zero degrees latitude.

• The north pole is 90 degrees N. latitude.

• The south pole is 90 degrees S. latitude

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• Meridians and parallels form a grid which can be
  used to give exact locations.

Remember, you must have both degrees and
direction.
Degrees longitude are East and West of the
Prime Meridian
Degrees latitude are North and South of the
Equator.
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IV. Types of Maps

• Flat maps cannot represent the round earth
  without some distortion.

• A. Mercator projection direction and shape
  are accurate but size and distance are distorted.

• B. Equal-area projection distance and size
  are accurate but shape is distorted.

• C. Topographic map show elevation change.
  Contour lines connect areas with the same
  elevation.