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wgeow
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 copmlex relationships between people and their environments |
| 2. 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 |
| 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 the Eastern and Western hemispheres |
| 5. relative location | The position of a place on earth in relation to another place |
| 6. character of a place | The physical and human characteristics that help distinguish a place from other places |
| 7. perception | a viewpoint that is influenced by one's own culture and exxperience |
| 8. formal region | a group of places that have similar attributes, for example, a political region |
| 9. functional region | A group of places connected by movement, for example, the region drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries |
| 10. perceptual region | A group of places that is defined by people's feelings and attitudes |
| 11. core | The earth's center, consisting of very hot metal that is dense and solid in the inner core |
| 12. mantle | A thick layer of mostly solid rock beneath the earth's crust that surrounds the earth's 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 the oceans,, lakes, rivers, and under the ground |
| 17. biosphere | The world of plants, animals, and other living things in earth's land and waters |
| 18. continent | Any of the seven large landmasses of the earth's 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 earth's 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 concentration of chemicals, usually from industrial pollution, pollutes water, kills animal and plant 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. loess | Fine-grained, mineral-rich loam, dust,or silt deposited by the wind |
| 30. glacier | A huge, slow-moving mass of snow and ice |
| 31. moraine | A ridge-like mass of rock, gravel, sand, and clay carried and deposited by a glacier |
Created by:
daviddunham
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