1. Landscapes & Geomorphology
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 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