Chapter 2/3: Physical Geography

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Chapter 2/3 Physical Geography
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Tectonic Plates

• Tectonic Plates slide and grind past each other
  to cause landforms and natural disasters

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Volcano
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Earthquake
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Tsunami
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Erosion
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Mudslide
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Things to know about Earth

• 70 of the Earths surface is water, 97 of the
  water is found in oceans
• Hurricanes- happen mostly in the Atlantic Ocean,
  has to be at least 75 mph winds, they usually
  weaken over land but cause tornadoes (75 in US)
  floods. (category 5-highest, 155 mph winds)

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Hurricane (again)
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Typhoon
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Tornadoes
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Revolution and Rotation

• The Earths revolution and tilt causes the
  changing seasons, the tilt effects the
  temperature
• The Earths rotation causes day and night

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Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
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Climate Regions

• Tropical-these are also called the low latitudes
  (equator to Tropics of Cancer Capricorn/0
  degrees to 23 degrees)
• Types- tropical wet, tropical wet and dry,
  semiarid, arid, highland (these are found in
  Africa, South America and parts of Asia)

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Tropical Wet
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Arid/Semiarid
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Highland
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Climate cont.

• Mid Latitudes-great variety of precipitation and
  temperature (23 degrees to 66 degrees)
• Types- humid continental, humid subtropical (SE
  USA), marine west coast (located near the ocean
  is mainly damp and foggy), and Mediterranean
  (also in the US)

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Humid Subtropical
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Humid Continental
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Mediterranean
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Marine West Coast
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Climate cont. again

• High Latitudes- below freezing temps frozen soil
  (66 degrees to 90 degrees a.k.a. the poles)
• Types- tundra (some plants and bushes), ice cap
  (no vegetation), sub arctic (really cold)

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High Latitudes
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Vegetation Regions

• Vegetation depends on climate (more precip.more
  plant life, less precip. less plant life)
• Two important Types- Desert (not much plant life,
  dependant on precipitation- less than 10
  in/yr) and Taiga (form a ring of trees around the
  Artic Circle)

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Desert
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Taiga
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Elements of Climate
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Factor Number 1

• Elevation

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The higher the elevation, the colder the
temperature.
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Factor Number 2

• Latitude Belts

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Arctic Circle
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
Antarctic Circle
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90
COLD
HIGH
66 1/2
Four Seasons
MIDDLE
23 1/2
LOW
Hot- Wet and Dry
0
23 1/2
Four Seasons
MIDDLE
66 1/2
HIGH
COLD
90
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Factor Number 3

• Influence of Winds

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• High mountains located near large bodies of
  water block the moisture that blows in from the
  ocean and create a rain shadow on the leeward
  side of the mountain.

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Vocabulary

• The windward side of the mountain is the side
  of the mountain that faces the ocean. When the
  winds blow the moisture in from the ocean, the
  windward side of the mountains gets the rain. As
  the air rises to go over the mountain, it cools
  and loses moisture before it gets over the
  mountain. The leeward side of the mountain is the
  side of the mountain that does not face the
  ocean. It is the arid side of the mountain. This
  side of the mountain lies in the rain shadow or
  an area that receives little rain.

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Windward side of the Mountain
Leeward side of the Mountain
Rain Shadow
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Winds blow in from west to east and are blocked
by the coastal mountains. The moisture never
makes it across the mountains
Mountains
Rain shadow Rain is blocked by the mountains
http//gis.binghamton.edu/GIS20Sites.htm
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• Winds impact climate around the world. The
  Monsoons are winds that blow over Asia in the
  summer and winter. The winter monsoons are dry
  while the summer monsoons are wet. The people in
  Asia depend on the arrival of these winds to
  survive.

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Wind Patterns
http//www.mrdowling.com/612monsoons.gif
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Factor Number 4

• Proximity to Water

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• Places located near large bodies of water have
  a relatively mild climate. Water does not heat
  up or cool down as quickly as the air
  temperature. The warmer breezes blowing off the
  water, create a mild climate.

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Countries located close to large bodies of warm
water have a milder climate. Notice the warm
ocean current off the coast of northwest Europe.
North Atlantic Drift
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Compare the climate of London England with a city
in Canada at the same latitude belt. Which region
has the mildest climate? Why?