Science Vocab For Chapter 3

Front 1

North and South Geographic Poles

Back 1

The points on the surface of the earth that are intersected by the earth's axis of rotation are used as reference points for establishing direction.

Front 2

Parallels

Back 2

Any circle that runs east and west around the earth parallel to the equator.

Front 3

latitude

Back 3

the angular distance north or south of the equator.

Front 4

minutes

Back 4

each degree of latitude consists of 60 equal parts. one minute equals 60 seconds.

Front 5

seconds

Back 5

each minute is divided into 60 equal parts.

Front 6

meridians

Back 6

semicircle on the earth that runs from pole to pole.

Front 7

prime meridian

Back 7

the meridian that passes through Greenwich, England, designated as 0 degrees.

Front 8

longitude

Back 8

angular distance east or west of the prime meridian

Front 9

great circle

Back 9

any circle that divides the globe in half

Front 10

geomagnetic poles

Back 10

point on the earth's surface above a pole of the earth's imaginary internal magnet.

Front 11

magnetic declination

Back 11

the angle between the direction of the geographic pole and the direction in which the compass needle points.

Front 12

true north

Back 12

direction of the geographic North Pole

Front 13

cartography

Back 13

science of map making

Front 14

cartographers

Back 14

map makers

Front 15

map projection

Back 15

flat map that represents a three-dimensional curved surface

Front 16

Mercator Projection

Back 16

Map projection in which the meridians appear as straight, parallel, evenly spaced lines and form a grid with the parallels, which appear as straight, parallel, and unevenly spaced lines.

Front 17

Gnomonic Projection

Back 17

map projection in which the parallels appear as unevenly spaced, concentric circles, the meridians appear as straight lines radiating from a central point, and all other great circles appear as straight lines.

Front 18

Conic Projection

Back 18

map projection in which the meridians converge at the poles; the parallels appear as equally spaced, concentric curves.

Front 19

polyconic projections

Back 19

map made by fitting together a series of conic projections of adjoining areas.

Front 20

legend

Back 20

list of map symbols and their meanings.

Front 21

scale

Back 21

relationship between distance shown on a map and actual distance.

Front 22

topographic map

Back 22

map that shows the surface features of the earth.

Front 23

topography

Back 23

surface features of the earth.

Front 24

elevation

Back 24

height above sea level.

Front 25

mean sea level

Back 25

point midway between the highest and lowest tide levels of the ocean.

Front 26

contour lines

Back 26

lines on a map connecting points with the same elevation.

Front 27

contour interval

Back 27

difference in elevation between one contour line and the next.

Front 28

relief

Back 28

difference in elevation between the highest and lowest points of an area.

Front 29

topographic sheets

Back 29

topographic maps for virtually all of the U.S, or quadrangles.

Front 30

index contours

Back 30

every fifth contour line on a topographic map that is printed bolder for reference.

Front 31

depression contours

Back 31

contour line with short, straight lines drawn along the inside of the loop pointing toward its center that indicates a depression.

Front 32

equator

Back 32

a circle halfway between the poles that divides the earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.