Landscapes & Geomorphology Earth Science I - Unit 1.2 Landscapes & Geomorphology

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

Coastal Plains

River Plains

Sonoran Desert Plains

Sonoran Desert Plains

Sonoran Desert Plains

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

Plateaus – Namibia, Africa

Plateaus – Masada, Israel

Plateaus – Coastal Plateaus, Ireland

Plateaus – Grand Canyon

Plateaus – Grand Canyon

Colorado Plateau from the Air

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

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

Folded Mountains Topographic Map

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

Upwarped Mountains, Black Hills, ND

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

Fault-Block Mountains

Fault-Block Mountains, El Paso, Texas

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

Volcanic Mountains, San Francisco Peaks, AZ

Volcanic Mountains, Yangming, China

Sunset Crater, Arizona - A Cinder Cone

Haemus Mountains, the Moon

Mount St. Helens, Washington

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

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

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

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

Time For a Break….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mapping Our Planet Remote Sensing Under Water 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