Earth Science I - Unit 1.2

1. Earth Science I - Unit 1.2 Landscapes & Geomorphology

3. 1.2 Landscapes & Geomorphology • Three Types of Landforms • Plains, Plateaus, & Mountains • Plains • Large, relatively flat areas • Coastal plains – near the oceans • Lowlands, include swamps, marshes, and low rolling hills • Interior plains – middle of the land • High Plains, covered with grass & trees

4. Coastal Plains

5. River Plains

6. Sonoran Desert Plains

7. Sonoran Desert Plains

8. Sonoran Desert Plains

9. Plateaus • Relatively flat, raised areas • Made of nearly horizontal rocks that have been uplifted by Earth processes • Differ from plains because the rise sharply from their surroundings • Example – Colorado Plateau – has been cut through by the Colorado River to form the Grand Canyon

10. Plateaus – Namibia, Africa

11. Plateaus – Masada, Israel

12. Plateaus – Coastal Plateaus, Ireland

13. Plateaus – Grand Canyon

14. Plateaus – Grand Canyon

15. Colorado Plateau from the Air

16. Mountains • Tallest mountain = Mount Everest – 8800m above sea level (28,871 feet) • Four types of mountains • Folded • Upwarped • Fault-block • Volcanic

17. Folded Mountains • resemble a rug pushed against a wall • processes cause the land to be pushed together, causing it to fold • Example – Appalachian Mountains

18. Folded Mountains Topographic Map

20. Upwarped or Dome Mountains • Earth’s crust pushed up by forces inside Earth • Composed of exposed metamorphic and igneous rocks • Example – southern Rocky Mountains

22. Upwarped Mountains, Black Hills, ND

23. Fault-Block Mountains • huge tilted blocks of rocks separated from surrounding rock by faults fault – a large crack in rocks along which there is movement • one block of rock is pushed up while the other is pushed down • characterized by sharp jagged peaks • Example – Sierra Nevada Mountains

24. Fault-Block Mountains

25. Fault-Block Mountains, El Paso, Texas

26. Volcanic Mountains • Begin when magma reaches the Earth’s surface through a weak area in the crust • One layer builds on another until a cone is formed

28. Volcanic Mountains, San Francisco Peaks, AZ

29. Volcanic Mountains, Yangming, China

30. Sunset Crater, Arizona - A Cinder Cone

31. Haemus Mountains, the Moon

32. Mount St. Helens, Washington

33. Global View • Latitude • Lines that circle the earth in an East and West direction • Center latitude line = equator • Divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemisphere

34. Global View • Longitude (Meridians) • Lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole and are not parallel to one another • Divides the Earth into East and West directions • Center Longitude line that travels through Greenwich, England = Prime Meridian • Longitude line that is 180 degrees around the world from the prime meridian = international date line

35. Global View • Earth Time • Time is measured by the movement of Earth in relation to the sun • Time Zones • There are 24 time zones on Earth because it takes the Earth 24 hours to make one complete turn or rotation • There are 6 time zones in the U.S

36. Global View • Calendar Dates • The calendar date changes as you cross over the international date line • Cross it to the west – add a day to the calendar • Cross it to the east – subtract a day from the calendar

37. Time For a Break….

38. Maps • Map projections • Used to make maps of Earth • The transferring of points and lines of Earth to paper • Several different ways to make map projections • Each method is distorted in some manner

39. Maps • Three types of projection • Mercator Projection • Have correct shapes of continents • Continents have a distorted area • Longitude lines are parallel • Latitude lines distorted • Areas near the poles are exaggerated

40. Maps • Robinson Projection • Accurate continent shapes with accurate areas • Latitude lines are kept parallel • Longitude lines are kept curved • Less distortion near the poles

41. Maps • Conic Projection • Used with weather and road maps • Used with maps of small area • Project points from a globe

42. Maps • Topographic maps • Shows the changes in elevation of the Earth’s surface • Contour lines • A line on a map that connects points of equal elevation • Contour interval • The distance between contour lines • The closer the lines the steeper the surface

43. Maps • Index contours • Marked with their elevation • Topographic map rules • Read the elevation numbers to determine if the structure is a hill, basin, or depression • Look for hatchures • Short lines at right angles to the contour line, which depicts depressions • Point to lower elevations

44. Maps • Contour lines never cross • If they did it would mean that a particular place would have two elevations • Contour lines form V’s that point upstream whenever they cross streams. • Because streams flow in depressions that are lower than the surrounding areas

45. Maps • Map Legend and Scale • Map Legend • Explain what the symbols used on the map mean • Map Scale • The relationship between the distances on the map and actual distances on Earth’s surface • Used in a ratio (1:100) • 1 unit on a map is equal to 100 units on land

46. Maps • Uses of Maps • The map used will depend on the need • Mercator map – used to determine the relationship between two places • Robinson – used to see actual shapes of land near the poles • Conic map – used to travel in straight lines • Topographic – used to see heights in certain places

47. Mapping Our Planet • Remote Sensing from Space • Landsat Satellites • Detect different wavelengths of energy reflected or emitted from Earth’s surface • Can show landforms in great detail • Topex-Poseidon Satellite • Uses radar to compute the distance to the ocean’s surface • Used to map the ocean bottom

48. Mapping Our Planet • Global Positioning System (GPS) • Used to determine the exact location on Earth • Used in travel and tracking wildlife • Remote Sensing Under Water • Sonar • Uses sound waves to detect ocean bottom features • Used to make ocean floor maps