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worldgeography1122
chapt. 1 vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
1. geography | study of where people, places, and things are located and how they relate to each other |
2. GIS | uses a computer technology to collect, manipulate, analyze, and display data about the earth's surface in order to solve geographic problems. |
3. Absolute location | the position on the earth in which a place can be found |
4. hemisphere | a half of the earth; the equator divides the northern and southern hemispheres; the prime meridian divides eastern and western hemispheres |
5. relative location | the position of a place in relation to another place |
6. character of a place | consists of the places physical characteristics and human characteristics |
7. perception | a viewpoint that is influenced by ones own culture and experiences |
8. formal region | areas in which certain characteristics are found throughout the area |
9. functional region | consist of a central place and the surrounding places affected by it. |
10. perceptional region | a group of places that is defined by peoples feelings and attitudes |
11. 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 |
12. mantle | a thick lyer of mostly solid rock beneath the eearths crust that surrounds the earths core |
13. crust | the solid rocky surface layer of the earth |
14. lithosphere | the surface features of the earth including soil rocks and landforms |
15. atmosphere | the layer of gases, water vapor, and other substances above the earth |
16. hydrosphere | the water contained in oceans lakes rivers and under the ground |
17. biosphere | the world of plants animals and other living things in earths land and waters |
18. continent | any of the seven large landmasses of the earths surface, Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America |
19. relief | the differences in elevation or height of the land forms in any particular area |
20. 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 |
21. continental drift theory | the idea that continents slowly shift their positions due to movement of the tectonic plates on which they ride |
22. Ring of Fire | a ring of volcanic mountains surrounding the pacific ocean |
23. weathering | the chemical or mechanical process by which rock is gradually broken down eventually becoming soil |
24. mechanical weathering | the actual breaking up or physical weakening of rock by forces such as ice and roots |
25. 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 |
26. acid rain | rain whose high concentration of chemicals usually from industrial pollution pollutes water kills plant and animal life and eats away at the surface of stone and rock; a form of chemical weathering |
27. erosion | the movement of weathered materials including gravel soil and sand usually caused by water wind and glaciers |
28. sediment | particles of soil and rock carried and deposited by water wind or ice |
29. glaciers | a huge slow moving mass of snow and ice |
30. moraines | a ridgelike mass of rock gravel sand and clay carried and deposited by glacier |
31. loess | fine grained mineral rich loam dust or silt deposited by the wind |