Earth’s Physical Geography – CH 2 – STUDY SHEET
REVOLUTION one complete orbit of the Earth around the sun
ROTATION the spinning motion of the Earth
HILL a landform with a rounded top that is lower and less steep than a mountain
ORBIT the Earth’s path around the sun
VEGETATION the plants in an area
LOW LATITUDES the region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
PLATEAU a large, mostly flat area that rises above the surrounding land
HIGH LATITUDES the regions between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole, and the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole
PLATE in geography, a huge section of the Earth’s crust
PRECIPITATION ater that falls to the ground from the atmosphere
MOUNTAIN a landform that rises usually more than 2,000 feet above sea level
ATMOSPHERE the band of gases that surrounds the Earth
PLAIN a large area of flat or gently rolling land
CLIMATE the weather patterns that an area experiences over time
TEMPERATURE the degree of hotness or coldness of a substance
WEATHER day-to-day changes in the air
AXIS – an imaginary line around which a planet turns; the Earth turns around its axis, which runs Between its North and South poles
CANOPY – a layer of branches and leaves at the top of the trees in a forest
EROSION – a process by which water, wind, or ice wears away landforms and carries the materials To another place
WEATHERING - the breaking down of rocks by wind, rain, or ice
TUNDRA – a region where temperatures are always cool or cold and where only certain plants, such as low grasses, can grow
VERTICAL CLIMATE – the overall weather patterns of a region as influenced by elevation; the higher the elevation, the colder the climate
MIDDLE LATITUDES – the regions between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle and the Tropic Of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle
LANDFORM – an area of the Earth’s surface with a definite shape; mountains and hills are examples of landforms
PLATE TECTONICS– the theory that the Earth’s crust is made of huge, slowly moving slabs of rock called plates
TROPIC OF CANCER – (23.5* N) the northern boundary of the tropics, or band of the Earth that receives the most direct sunlight and heat energy from the sun; this region lies on both sides of the Equator
TROPIC OF CAPRICORN – (23.5*S) the southern boundary of the tropics
ARCTIC CIRCLE – (66*N) line of latitude around the Earth near the North Pole
ANTARCTIC CIRCLE – (66*S) line of latitude around the Earth near the South Pole
ARCTIC - region located at the North Pole
ANTARCTICA – the continent located at the South Pole; almost completely covered by an ice sheet
CALIFORNIA CURRENT – a southward- flowing oceanic current along the West Coast of North America; flows between 48*N and 23*N
GREAT PLAINS – a dry area of short grasses located in North America , stretching from the Rio Grande at the U.S. – Mexican border in the south to the Mackenzie River Delta in the north, from the Canadian Shield in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west; also called the “ Great American Desert ’
RING OF FIRE – a circle of volcanic mountains that surrounds the Pacific Ocean , including those on the islands of Japan and Indonesia , in the Cascades of North America, and in the Andes of South America
PANGAEA – according to scientific theory, a single landmass that broke apart to form today’s separate continents; thought to have existed about 180 millions of years ago
GULF STREAM – a warn ocean current in the North Atlantic, flowing northeastward off the North American coast
PERU CURRENT – a cold-water current of the southeast Pacific Ocean ; flows between 40”s and 4’s
SAN FRANCISCO – a seaport city in Northern California
ST. LOUIS – a city in Missouri
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