the path followed by an object in space as it moves around another
revolution
one complete orbit of Earth around the sun. Earth completes one rrevolution every 365 years.
axis
imaginary line around which a planet turns. Earth turns around its axis which runs between its north and south poles.
rotation
spinning motion of Earth, like a top on its axis. Earth takes 24 hours to rotate one time.
low latitudes
region between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn
high latitudes
regions between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole and the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole.
middle latitudes
regions between the TROPIC OF CANCER AND THE ARCTIC CIRCLE AND THE TROPIC OF Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle
Tropic of Cancer
23.5 degrees North, part ofEarth that receives the most direct light and heat energy from the Sun. This region is on both sides of the Equator.
Tropic of Capricorn
The southern boundary of the tropics. 23.5 degrees South
Arctic Circle
66 degrees north line of latitude around Earth near the North Pole
Antarctic Circle
66 degree south line of latitude around Earth near the south pole
landform
shapes and types of land
mountain
landforms that rise usually more than 2,000 feet above sea level
hill
lower and less steep than mountains with rouded tops
plateau
large, mostly flat area that rises above the surrounding land
plain
large areas of flat or gently rolling land (many are coastal plains or in the middle of a continent)
plate tectonics
theory that the earth's crust is broken into huge, slowly slabs of rock called plates
plate
a huge section of the Earth's crust which continents rest on (fit together like a puzzle, they were once called Pangea)
weathering
the breaking down of rocks by wind, rain or ice
erosion
process by which water, wind or ice wears way landforms and carries the material to another place
atmosphere
layer of gasses surrounding the earth
Ring of Fire
circle of volcanic mountains surrounding the Pacific Ocean
Pangea
sngle landmass that broke apart to form continents (existed 180 million years ago)
weather
condition of the bottom layer of Earth's atmosphere in one place over a short period of time
temperature
degree of hotness or coldness ; such as air or water that is measured with a thermometer
precipitation
all forms of water (rain, sleet, hail, snow) that fall to the ground from the atmosphere
climate
the weather patterns of an area over a long period of time
Gulf Stream
warm ocean current of the North Atlantic, flowing northweastward off the North American coast
Peru Current
cold water current in southest Pacific ocean that flows between 40 degrees south and 4 degrees south
California Current
southward flowing ocean current along West Coast of N. America (48 - 23 degress north)
St. Louis
city in Missouri (38 N, 90 W)
Great Plains
Region in the U.S.A. with a humid continentla climate, which supports grasslands & forests (moderate to hot summers and the possibility of very cold winters)
vegetation
plants that grow naturally in certain climates
Geographers study _________ broad types of climates
FIVE
barren, usually frozen land found in the Artic Circle, with a Polar Climate that does not support the growth of trees due to the short, cold summers and long, even colder winters
TUNDRA
What kind of vegetation CAN grow on a Tundra?
low grasses and shrubs, mosses and lichens and a few flowering plants
A dense covering of branches and leaves that make up the upper layer of vegetation in a Tropical Rain Forest
CANOPY
Place where the climate changes are related to the elevation on a mountain (example Mt. Everest)
Biology Lab Midterm
