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world Geography
chapter 1 vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
1. geography: | the study of the earth's surface and the processes that shape it, the connections between places, and the complex relationships between people and their environments. |
absolute location: | the position on the earth in which a place can be found. |
Relative location: | the position of a place in relation to another place. |
perception: | a viewpoint that is influenced by one's own culture and experiences. |
functional region: | a group of places connected by movement, for example, the region drained by the amazon river and its tributaries. |
gis: | a geographic information system, which uses computer technology to collect and analyze data about the earth's surface in order to solve geographic problems. |
hemisphere: | a half of the earth; the equator divides the northern and southern hemispheres; the prime meridian divides the eastern and western hemispheres. |
character of a place: | the physical and human characteristics that help to distinguish a place from other places. |
formal region: | a group of places that have similar attributes, for example, a political region |
perceptual region: | a group of places that is defined by people's feelings and attitudes. |
core | the earths center, consisting of very hot metal that is dense and solid in the inner core and molten or liquid in the outer core. |
mantle | a thick layer of mostly solid rock beneath the earths crust that surrounds the earths core. |
crust | the solid, rocky, surface layer of the earth. |
lithosphere | the surface features of the earth including soil, rocks, and landforms |
atmosphere | the layer of gases, water vapor, and other substances above the earth. |
hydrosphere | the water contained in oceans, lakes, rivers, and under the ground. |
biosphere | the world of plants, animals, and other living things in earths land and waters. |
continent | any of the seven large landmasses of the earths surface: africa antarctica asia australia europe north america and south america |
relief | the differences in elevation, or height, of the land forms in any particular area. |
plate tectonics | the theory that the earths outer shell is composed of a number of large unanchored plates, or slabs of rock, whose constant movement explains earthquakes and volcanic activity |
continental drift theory | the idea that continents slowly shift their positions due to movement of the tectonic plates on which they ride. |
ring of fire | a ring of volcanic mountains surrounding the pacific ocean. |
weathering | the chemical or mechanical process by which rock is gradually broken down, eventually becoming soil |
mechanical weathering | the actual breaking up or physical weakening of rock by forces such as ice and roots |
chemical weathering | the process by which the actual chemical structure of rock is changed, usually when water and carbon dioxide cause a breakdown of the rock. |
acid rain | Rain whose high concentration of chemicals usuall from industrial pollution, pollutes water, kills plant and animal life, and eats away at the surface stone and rock; a form of chemical weathering. |
erosion | the movement of weathered materials, including gravel, soil, and sand, usually caused by water, wind, and glaciers |
sediment | particles of soil and rock carried and deposited by water, wind, or ice |
loess | fine grained, mineral-rich loam, dust, or silt deposited by the wind. |
glacier | a huge, slow-moving mass of snow and ice |
moraine | a ridge like mass of rock, gravel, sand, and clay carried and deposited by a glacier |