Unit 1: Physical Geography Flashcards
Hemisphere
One of the halves of the globe.
Geography
The study of the Earth and everything on it.
Revolution
One full orbit around the sun.
Solstice
The two times when the sun is farthest from the celestial equator.
Equinox
The time when the sun crosses the plane of the equator.
Biome
Similar ecosystems put together.
Lithosphere
The crust and upper mantle; the solid portions of the Earth.
Atmosphere
The gas around the solid portion of the Earth.
Hydrosphere
The water on or surrounding the Earth.
Biosphere
The entire Earth and the living organism that inhabit it.
Relief
The difference in elevation and slope between a high and low surface.
Ring of Fire
Volcanic and seismic activity around the pacific plate.
Plate Tectonics
The theory that the Earth’s lithosphere is split into different plates.
Continental Drift
The theory that the plates are moving over a large period of time and that there used to be supercontinent called Pangea.
Mechanical Weathering
Destruction of rock by physical changes.
Chemical Weathering
Changing of rock by chemical changes.
Erosion
Movement and distribution of rock.
Weather
The state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.
Climate
Generally prevailing weather in an area or region.
Rotation
The spinning of the Earth around an axis.
Ecosystem
The living and nonliving things in an environment. And how they interact with each other.
Tundra
Vast, flat, treeless regions where the subsoil is frozen almost year round.
Deciduous
Shedding the leaves annually, as certain trees and shrubs.
The study of the Earth and everything on it.
Geography
