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24 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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aquifer
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An underground reservoir of water contained within a porous, water-bearing rock layer.
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arable
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Literally, "cultivable." Land fit for cultivation by one farming method or another.
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contiguous
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A word of some importance to geographers that means to be in contact with, adjoining, adjacent. |
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continental drift
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The slow movement of continents governed by the processes associated with plate tectonics.
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delta alluvial
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Lowland at the mouth of a river, formed when the river deposits its alluvial load upon reaching the sea. Often triangular in shape.
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desert
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An arid area supporting very sparse vegetation, receiving less than 10 inches (25 cm) of precipitation per year. Usually exhibits extremes of heat and cold because the moderating influence of moisture is absent. |
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equator
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Zero degrees latitude, equidistant from the North and South Poles. Equatorial climates are among the warmest on Earth.
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erosion |
A combo of gradational forces that shape the Earth's surface landforms. Running water, wind action, and the force of moving ice combine to wear away soil and rock. Human activities often speed erosional processes, such as through the destruction of natural vegetation, careless farming practices, and overgrazing by livestock. |
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fjord
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Narrow, steep-sided, elongated, and inundated coastal valley deepened by glacier ice that has since melted away, leaving the sea to penetrate.
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gross national product (GNP)
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The total value of all goods and services produced by a country during a given year.
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gulf
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Body of water surrounded by land on three sides.
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high seas
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Areas of the oceans away from land, beyond national jurisdiction, open and free for all to use.
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infrastructure
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The foundations of a society: urban centers; communications; farms; factories; mines; and such facilities as schools, hospitals, postal services, and police and armed forces.
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isthmus
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A comparatively narrow link between larger bodies of land (e.g., Panama).
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latitude
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Lines of latitude are parallels that are aligned east-west across the globe, from 0 degrees latitude at the equator to 90 degrees north and south latitude at the poles.
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longitude
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Angular distance (0 degrees to 180 degrees) east or west as measured from the Prime Meridian (0 degrees) that passes through the Greenwich Observatory in suburban London, England. |
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megalopolis
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Term used to designate large, coalescing supercities that are forming in diverse parts of the world (e.g., the eastern seaboard of the United States between Washington, D.C. and Boston). |
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meridian (of longitude)
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Line of longitude, aligned north-south across the globe. Together with parallels of latitude, they form the global grid system.
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parallel (of latitude)
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An east-west line of latitude that is intersected at right angles by meridians of longitude.
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region
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A commonly used term and a geographic concept of central importance. An area on the surface of Earth, marked by certain properties. |
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strait
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A comparatively narrow link between larger bodies of water (e.g., Straits of Gibraltar).
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tectonic plates
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Bonded portions of the Earth's mantle and crust. Where they meet, one slides under the other, crumpling the surface crust and producing significant volcanic and earthquake activity. The shifting of these plates plays an important role in the formation of mountains and other geological events.
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Tropic of Cancer
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23.5 degrees north of the equator.
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Tropic of Capricorn
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23.5 degrees south of the equator.
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