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world geography per
chapter one vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 1.geography | the study of the earth's surface and the process that shape it,the connections between places,and the complex 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.hemishpere | A half of the earth;the equator divides the northern and southern hemispheres;the prime meridian divides the eastern and western hemispher. |
| 5.relative location | the position of a place in the relation to another place. |
| 6.chapter of a place | the physical and human characteristics that help to distinguish a place from other places. |
| 7.perception | all the forms of water that fall to earth from the atmosphere,including rain and snow. |
| 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 and molten,or liquid,in the outer. |
| 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.lithoshpere | the surface features of the earth,including soil,rock,and landforms |
| 15.atmoshpere | the layer of gases,water vapor,and other substances above the earth. |
| 16.hydroshpere | the water contained in oceans,lakes,rivers,and under the ground. |
| 17.bioshpere | 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,antartica,asia,australia,europe,north america, south america. |
| 19.relief | the difference in elevation,or height,of the landforms 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 rocks,whose constant movement explains earthquakes and volcanic activity. |
| 21.continental drift theory | the idea that continents slowly shift their positions due to movements of the tectonics plates on which the 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 the rock by forces such as ice and roots. |
| 25.chemical weathering | the process by which the actual chemical structure of rock 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 chemicals 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 and ice. |
| 29.loess | fine-grained, mineral-rich loam, dust,or silt deposited by the wind. |
| 30.glacier | a huge, slow-moving mass of snow ans ice. |
| 31.moraine | a ridgelike mass of rock,gravel,sand,and clay carried and deposited by a glacier. |