Geography Ch 1 + 2

Front 1

geography

Back 1

study of the distribution + interaction of physical + human features on earth

Front 2

location

Back 2

where is it?

Front 3

place

Back 3

what is it like?

Front 4

region

Back 4

how are places similar/different?

Front 5

movement

Back 5

how do people, ideas, goods move from one place to another?

Front 6

human-environment interaction

Back 6

how do people relate to the physical world?

Front 7

absolute location

Back 7

exact place where a geographic feature is located

Front 8

relative location

Back 8

describes a place in comparison to other places around it

Front 9

hemisphere

Back 9

half of the earth

Front 10

equator

Back 10

imaginary line that divides N + S halves

Front 11

prime meridian

Back 11

imaginary line that divides E + W halves
also: Greenwich meridian

Front 12

latitude

Back 12

run parallel to equator

Front 13

longitude

Back 13

mark positions in E + W hemispheres

Front 14

formal region

Back 14

defined by a limited number of related characteristics

Front 15

tropic of cancer

Back 15

23.5 degrees North

Front 16

Arctic Circle

Back 16

66.5 degrees North

Front 17

equator

Back 17

0 degrees north and south

Front 18

tropic of capricorn

Back 18

23.5 degrees south

Front 19

antarctic circle

Back 19

66.5 degrees south

Front 20

prime meridian

Back 20

0 degrees E + W

Front 21

international dateline

Back 21

180 degrees E + W

Front 22

atmosphere

Back 22

layer of gases surrounding the earth

Front 23

hydrosphere

Back 23

made up of water elements on earth + in atmosphere

Front 24

lithosphere

Back 24

solid rock portion of the earth's surface; crust + upper mantle

Front 25

biosphere

Back 25

atmosphere + lithosphere + hydrosphere; where plants and animals live

Front 26

core

Back 26

the innermost part of the earth made of Fe + Ni

Front 27

mantle

Back 27

surrounds the core; contains most of the earth's mass; consists of several layers

Front 28

magma

Back 28

molten rock

Front 29

crust

Back 29

thin layer of rock at earth's surface

Front 30

drainage basin

Back 30

the area drained by a major river + its tributaries

Front 31

lagoon

Back 31

a shallow body of salt water near the coast separated from the sea b y a sand bar or coral reef

Front 32

swamp

Back 32

a lowland region that is saturated by water

Front 33

peninsula

Back 33

a piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected to the mainland by a strip of land

Front 34

fjord

Back 34

a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between steep slopes created by melting of glaciers

Front 35

lake

Back 35

a large inland body of fresh water or salt water

Front 36

glacier

Back 36

a large ice mass that moves slowly down a mountain or over land

Front 37

cape

Back 37

a point of land extending into an ocean or lake

Front 38

relief

Back 38

difference in elevation of a landform between its highest and lowest points

Front 39

topography

Back 39

combination of surface shape + composition of landforms and their distribution in a region

Front 40

divergent boundary

Back 40

formed when plates move apart, spreading horizontally

Front 41

convergent boundary

Back 41

formed when plates collide, causing either plate to dive under the other or the edges of both to crumple

Front 42

transform boundary

Back 42

forms when plates slide past eachother

Front 43

fault

Back 43

fracture in the earth's crust

Front 44

earthquake

Back 44

violent movement of the earth when plates grind or slip past each other

Front 45

seismograph

Back 45

measures size of waves created by an earthquake

Front 46

richter scale

Back 46

uses readings from seismograph to tell us how strong the earthquake was

Front 47

tsunami

Back 47

occurs when there is an earthquake underwater

Front 48

volcano

Back 48

magma, gases + water from lower part of crust collect in underground chambers. these pour out of a crack at the surface --> volcano

Front 49

ring of fire

Back 49

area bordering the pacific ocean where volcanoes occur the most

Front 50

weathering

Back 50

physical + chemical processes that change the characteristics of rock near the earth's surface

Front 51

erosion

Back 51

weathered material is moved by wind, water, ice, gravity

Front 52

3 essentials on every map

Back 52

legend, compass rose, scale

Front 53

2 hemispheres with most land

Back 53

N + E

Front 54

degrees of latitude

Back 54

90

Front 55

degrees on longitude

Back 55

180

Front 56

island

Back 56

body of land surrounded by water

Front 57

strait

Back 57

a narrow channel connecting two larger bodies of water

Front 58

flood plain

Back 58

flat land near the edges of rivers formed by mud and silt deposited by floods

Front 59

delta

Back 59

a triangular area of land formed from deposits at the mouth of a river

Front 60

marsh

Back 60

soft, wet, low-lying, grassy land that serves as a transition between water and land

Front 61

river mouth

Back 61

the place where a river flows into a lake or an ocean

Front 62

harbor

Back 62

a sheltered area of water deep enough for docking ships

Front 63

bay

Back 63

part of an ocean or lake partially enclosed by land

Front 64

sea level

Back 64

level of the ocean's surface, used as a reference point when measuring the height or depth of the earth's surface

Front 65

butte

Back 65

a raised, flat area of land with steep cliffs, smaller than a mesa

Front 66

oasis

Back 66

a spot of fertile land in a desert, fed by water from wells or underground springs

Front 67

mesa

Back 67

a wide, flat-topped mountain with steep sides, larger than a butte

Front 68

prairie

Back 68

a large, level area of grassland with few or no trees

Front 69

steppe

Back 69

a wide, treeless grassy plain

Front 70

mountain

Back 70

natural elevation of the earth's surface with steep sides and greater height than a hill

Front 71

valley

Back 71

low land between hills or mountains

Front 72

plateau

Back 72

a broad, flat area of land higher than the surrounding land

Front 73

cliff

Back 73

the steep, almost vertical edge of a hill, mountain, or plain

Front 74

canyon

Back 74

a narrow, deep valley with steep sides

Front 75

cataract

Back 75

a step-like series of waterfalls

Front 76

functional region

Back 76

organized around a set of interactions and connections between places. usually characterized by a hub, or central place, and links to that central place

Front 77

perceptual region

Back 77

region in which people perceive, or see, the characteristics of the region in the same way.

Front 78

linear distance

Back 78

how far across the earth a person, an idea, or product travels

Front 79

time distance

Back 79

amount of time it takes for a person, idea or product to travel

Front 80

globe + disadv

Back 80

3-D representation of the earth; can only view one half of earth at a time; not easily portable

Front 81

map + adv/disadv

Back 81

2-D graphic representation of selected parts of the earth's surface; easily portable + can be drawn to any scale; distortion occurs b/c earth is flattened

Front 82

map projection

Back 82

way of drawing earth's surface by presenting a round earth on flat paper

Front 83

topographic map

Back 83

type of general reference map, represents natural and man-made features on the earth

Front 84

thematic map

Back 84

emphasize specific kinds of info: climate/pop. density

Front 85

navigational map

Back 85

used by sailors + pilots

Front 86

landsat

Back 86

series of satellites that orbit more than 100 miles above earth. picks up data over 115 miles, scans entire earth in 6 days

Front 87

GOES

Back 87

geostationary operational environment satellite: weather satellite, flies in orbit in sync with earth's rotation, hence views same area. gathers images of atmospheric conditions.