Unit 3 Flashcards
What are the 3 types of precipitation
Relief, Convecitonal, and Cyclonic
What is relief precipitation
Warm moist air is pushed up over the mountains by the wind. Air cools and condenses forming clouds. This leads to a lot of precipitation on the Pacific side of the mountain, but a rain shadow on the Alberta side of the mountain. BC and AB
What is convectional precipitation
The sun heats the ground, the air above the ground is heated and rises. Clouds will be created and continue to build throughout the day until the end of the day when a rainstorm will occcur.
Cyclonic precipitation
Warm front: warm air is slowly pushed up over the cold air and a light steady rain falls.
Cold air: cold air pushes the warm air up quickly up into the atmosphere and a heavy rain falls.
Who came up with the theory of Pangea and continental drift
Alfred Wegener
Who came up with the theory of plate tectonics
J. Tuzo Wilson
Who came up with the theory of evolution
Charles Darwin
What is the plate tectonic theory
The theory that the lithosphere (earths outermost layer) is divided into continent sized plates that are constantly moving
________________ are where plates meet
Boundaries
What are the 3 types of plate boundaries
Convergent: when plates collide
Transform: where plates slide past each other
Divergent: where plates move apart
What type of things are a result of convergent boundaries colliding
Volcanoes, mountains, and earthquakes
What are results of transform boundaries sliding past
Earthquakes and tsunamis
What are the results of divergent boundaries separating
Fissures, cracks, rifts in the surface, and seafloor spreading on the ocean floor
What is glaciation
movement of glaciers over the surface of the earth.
As glaciers move across a landscape, they alter the terrain and carve out unique formations. This process is called glaciation, and it is responsible for many of the most recognizable landscapes on Earth
What are the 4 layers of earth
Crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core
What’s the crust made up of
Solid rock, mostly basalt and granite. There are continental and oceanic crust
What’s the mantle made up of
Hot, dense, iron and magnesium-rich solid rock. The crust and the upper part of the mantle make up the lithosphere, which make up the tectonic plates.
What’s the outer core made up of
Liquid nickel, iron and molten rock. This liquid churns in huge turbulent currents. That motion generates electrical currents.
What’s the inner core made up of
Iron and nickel very densely compacted. Very hot
What are the factors that affect climate
Latitude - distance from the equator
Ocean currents - temp of the ocean current
Winds and air masses - air is moved by wind and brings the temp and moisture within it
Elevation - the higher you go the cooler
Relief - mountain barriers block the prevailing wind. creates wet conditions on the windward side
Nearness to water - near a large body of water, conditions are wetter.
What type of rocks are there
Metamorphic, Sedimentary, and Igneous
How is igneous rock formed?
Cooling and solidification of molten rock. There are intrusive and extrusive types of igneous rock.
Intrusive: Plutonic (undergroud) - Granite
Extrusive: Volcanic (surface) - Lava, Pumice
How is sedimentary rock formed?
Igneous or metamorphic rock that was eroded by wind, water, and ice.
Tiny peices of igneous rock that was eroded by wind, water, and ice
Mixed with sand/silt on ocean floor
Pressure from overlying sediments transforms the fragments into solid (but brittle) rock
EG. Sandstone, Limestone, Coal
How is metamorphic rock formed
Heat + Pressure. Found in the Canadian Shield
EG. Gold, silver, copper
How does precipitation occur
As air rises it cools
As air cools, clouds form and precipitation occurs
What is precipitation
Precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls to Earth
Characteristics of maritime climate EG. Vancouver, BC
Temperature
- Cooler monthly temperatures during the summer month
- Winter tends to be cool not cold
- Temp range is < 25 degrees
Precipitation
- Lots of precipitation throughout the entire year
- Most of it falls during the winter months
- Annual precipitation > 1000mm
Characteristics of continental climate EG. Toronto
Temperature
- Summer months tend to be warm to hot
- Winter months tend to be cold to very cold
- Temp range is > 25 degrees
Precipitation
- Receives significantly less precipitation throughout the year
- Most of the precipitation falls during the summer months
- Annual precipitation is < 1000mm
Explain extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks
Extrusive: Magma cooling on the surface of the earth
Intrusive: Magma cooling in the crust of the earth
What is weathering?
The process of breaking down rocks by water, wind, chemicals, and living things.
What is erosion?
The process of moving the broken up peices of rock. For example, rivers move rock and soil particles
What is deposition?
The process of the eroded materials building up in a new location. An example is the creation of a delta in the sea at the mouth of a river.
What are the 4 proofs of continental drift
Jigsaw fit of the continents
Fossil evidence
Geological evidence
Climate evidence
What is a climate graph
A line + bar graph that measures the precipitation and temperature of a certain region over a period of time.
How many landform regions are there
7
What are the landform regions
Western cordillera
Interior plains
Canadian Shield
Hudson Bay lowlands
Appalachian highlands
Great Lakes - St. Lawrence
Innuitian mountains
Canadian Sheild and important factors
Located in eastern and central Canada
Contains igneous and metamorphic rock
Small lakes, large mountains, thin layers of soil
Rich in natural resources, minerals, forests, and freshwater
Skiing, Hiking
Largest and oldest
GL-SL and important factors
Sedimentary rock
Flat, low, with lots of hills
Smallest but most populated region (60%)
Supplies maple syrup
Great for farming
Heavily used international trade route
Industry depends on the health of the Great Lakes
Appalachian region (highlands)
Sedimentary rock
Coal copper silver salt gypsum
Waterfalls, streams, springs, and rivers
Oldest mountain range
