Unit 2: Planet Earth Flashcards
Why is Earth closer to an ellipsoid than a perfect sphere?
Gravity, centrifugal force, and because latitudes near the equator bulge out. The equatorial radius (6,378km) is larger than the polar raidus (6,357km).
What are Earth’s five spheres?
atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere.
What is the difference between the land and water hemisphere?
The land hemisphere is dominated by land; Africa accounts for over 20% of the total land area. The water hemisphere is dominated by Earth’s greatest ocean- the Pacific.
Compare and contrast the distribution of continental landmasses in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Eurasia is the largest landmass on Eaeth and it lies in the Northern Hemisphere. Africa occupies both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. The majority of the Northern Hemisphere is composed of landmasses instead of water.
What are the basic spatial patterns exhibited by the distribution of the world’s population?
East Asia and South Asia are rural, agricultural populations. Europe is modernized, industrialized, and urbanized. About 90% of people live on a small fraction of land (1/5) and fertile river lowlands/deltas contain the highest regional densities.
What are the major topographic features of ocean basins?
Seamouths, abyssal plains, spreading zone (new crust being created/recycled), midoceanic ridges, and continental margin.
Define continental shelf, slope, and rise.
Continental shelf: sloping, submerged plain at edge of continent.
Slope: plunges steeply downward.
Rise: at the foot of continental slope, there is transitional continental rise of gently down-sloping material carried downward from the shelf and slope. This leads to the abyssal zone.
