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GeoTerms-WCMS
GeoTerms-7th grade Social Studies
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Archipelago | A group or chain of islands |
Atoll | A ring-shaped reef, island, or chain of islands made of coral |
Bay | A broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inward |
Canal | An artificial waterway constructed to allow the passage of boats or ships inland |
Continental Island | An island that is an unsubmerged part of a continental shelf/plate |
Continental Shelf | The area of seabed around a large landmass where the sea is relatively shallow compared to the open ocean |
Delta | Land formed at the mouth of a river by deposits of silt, sand, and pebbles |
Desert | An area that is very ARID with little vegetation |
Fjord | A narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes |
Glacier | A gigantic mass of slow moving ice that moves over land |
Gulf | A part of the ocean or sea that extends into the land, usually larger than a bay |
Isthmus | A narrow strip of land, bordered by water on both sides that connects two larger bodies of land |
Key | A small, low island, usually sandy, situated on a coral reef platform |
Lagoon | A stretch of salt water separated from the sea by a low sandbank or coral reef |
Mountain range | A line or grouping of mountains connected by high ground |
Mouth | Where a river empties into another body of water |
Oasis | A place in the desert made fertile by a steady supply of water |
Peninsula | A large body of land surrounded by water on three sides |
Plains | Large areas of flat or nearly flat land with trees |
Plateau | A high, flat landform rising steeply above the surrounding land |
Reef | A ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea |
River basin | All of the land drained by a river and its tributaries |
Sea | A large body of salt water, smaller than the ocean |
Source | The place where a river or stream begins |
Strait | A narrow waterway or channel connecting two larger bodies of water |
Tectonic Plate | One of the parts of the earth's surface that moves in relation to each other |
Tributary | A river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream |
Valley | An area of low land between hills or mountains |
Volcanic Island | An island formed by eruptions of volcanoes on the ocean floor |
Watershed | An area of land that contains streams and rivers that all drain into a single larger body of water |
Weather | The condition of the Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place |
Climate | The average weather in an area over a long period of time |
Equator | Receives the most direct sunlight all year |
North and South Poles | Receives the least direct sunlight all year |
Continental Drift | The gradual movement of the continents across the Earth's surface through time |
LOCATION answers what question? | Where is it? |
PLACE answers what question? | What is it like there? |
MOVEMENT answers what question? | How and why does movement occur? |
HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION answers what question? | What is the relationship between people and the environment? |
REGION answers what question? | What common feature does a certain area share? |
What are the two types of location? | Absolute and Relative location |
What is an example of absolute location? | Degrees or latitude and longitude, an address |
What is an example of relative location? | Waunakee is north of Madison |
Human characteristics | Things added to a place by humans that make it unique |
Physical characteristics | Features of the environment |
Infrastructure | Systems that make the movement of people, resources, and ideas possible |
What are the four ways humans interact with the environment? | Opportunity, constraint, adapt, modify |