Geography Flashcards
What is the structure of the Earth?
Crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
What is the crust?
The thinnest, coldest layer, it is solid rock that is broken up into pieces called tectonic plates
What is the mantle?
It is a liquid layer made up from magma. Thickest layer of the Earth (2,900km)
What is the outer core?
Liquid layer made from iron and nickel, Approx 2,300km thick, max temperature 5000°c
What is the inner core?
In the centre, hottest part of the Earth (5,500°c), solid layer made from iron and nickel
What was Alfred Wegners theory and what was his evidence?
Alfred Wegner believed that all of the 7 continents today were once all joined together to make one continent (Pangaea). There are 4 pieces of evidence backing up this theory: Jigsaw fit, convectional currents, study of fossils, geological patterns.
What is Jigsaw fit?
If you put all of the continents next to each other to create one big continent you can see that they could’ve once been conjoined.
What is the study of fossils?
An animal called the Mesosaurus only lived in fresh, shallow waters, only 2 places in the world have that, Western Africa and Eastern South America, Mesosaurs’ can’t fly and aren’t able to survive in saltwater so it can’t swim across the ocean.
What are geological patterns?
Glacial striations were found in Africa and South America but obviously glaciers weren’t in warm Africa and tropical South America which means that South America and Africa must have been connected with Antarctica which have glaciers
What are the names of the 7 major plate boundaries?
Pacific plate, North American plate, Eurasian plate, African plate, Antarctic plate, Indo-Australian plate, South American plate
Why are earthquakes and volcanoes often found at plate boundaries?
Plates rip apart at divergent plate boundaries causing volcanic activity and shallow earthquakes
What are convection currents and why are they important?
Convection currents drive the movement of Earth’s rigid tectonic plates in the planets fluid molten mantle
What happens at convergent plate boundaries?
2 tectonic plates come together and one goes under the other one called subduction. At this plate boundary many volcanoes form.
What happens at divergent plate boundaries?
2 tectonic plates move away from each other, magma rises from the mantle to the surface and Earthquakes are common
Impacts of Haiti earthquake
Killed more than 250,000, made 1.5 million people homeless
Responses of Haiti Earthquake
The emergency response team supported 2 million people in the first 90 day, offering food, water, shelter
Why were the impacts of the Haiti earthquake so bad?
The earthquake took place 15 miles away from the capital Port-au-prince, where 2 million people lived
What is nuclear power?
Originates from the splitting of uranium atoms, a process called fission
How does nuclear power work?
Nuclear power reactors use heat to boil water and produce pressurized steam.
What were the impacts of the Chernobyl disaster?
Caused serious radiation sickness and contamination
What is a superpower nation?
A nation that generates influence in other nations because of it’s military, technological, economic and cultural strength
Examples of superpower nations
UK, USA, Russia, India, China, Germany, France
What are the 7 factors that make a country a superpower?
Geography, population, economy, resources, military, diplomacy and national identity
Who are the MINT countries?
Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey
Mexico
Strength - Very close to US and 75% of main export goes to US
Weakness - Already established economy meaning little room for growth
Indonesia
Strength - Population 250 million, average age 29
Weakness - Lack of technology infustructure, main export is decreasing
Nigeria
Strength - Strong economy, growing population, average age of 18
Weakness - Corruption/ money made from oil is not going to the right places
Turkey
Strength - Average age of 29
Weakness - Vunerable to US changing trade deals
What is development?
It is the economic, social or political progress a country or people make.
How do governments contribute to globalisation?
In the formation of international trade agreements
What is inequality?
Extreme differences between poverty and wealth, as well as in peoples’ wellbeing and access to things like jobs, housing and education
What is a migrant?
a person who moves from one place to another, especially in order to find work or better living conditions
What is an immigrant?
a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country
What is the difference between voluntary and forced migration?
Voluntary migration is when you are volunteering to leave your home country in order to potentially seek for better job opportunities, health care, living conditions but forced migration is where there could be a civil war happening in your country so you have to leave for safety
What challenges do refugees and alsylum seekers face?
Refugees and asylum seekers are at risk of exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery.
What is a biome?
A large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat e.g. a forest
What is a biosphere?
The regions of the surface and atmosphere of the earth or another planet occupied by living organisms
Who are the BRIC countries?
Brazil, Russia, India, China
