Making it with McClintockmakingitwithmcclintock.weebly.com/uploads/1/...landfor…  · Web viewLANDFORMS. Mountain: very tall high, natural place on Earth – higher than a hill

LANDFORM IMAGE LANDFORM IMAGEMountain: very tall high, natural place on Earth – higher than a hill

Valley: a low place between mountains

River Valley: a low place between mountains with a river running through it.

Plateau: a large, flat area of land that is higher than the surrounding land

Ocean: a large body of salt water that surrounds a continent. Oceans cover more the two-thirds of the Earth's surface

Sea: Large body of salt water that may be surrounded by land on most or all sides

Desert: a region that gets less than ten inches of precipitation per year.

Island: a piece of land that is surrounded by water on all sides

Archipelago: A chain of islands formed tectonically (Volcanoes erupting in the ocean forming new land. Ex. Hawaii

Peninsula: a body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides.

Bay: a body of water that is partly enclosed by land and is usually smaller than a gulf.

Lake: a large body of water surrounded by land on all sides. Really large lakes are often called seas.

Sea: A sea is a large body of salty water that is often connected to an ocean. A sea may be partly or completely surrounded by land.

Glacier: a huge sheet of ice that moves and shapes the land

Delta: A landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into a larger body of water like an ocean, sea or gulf in the shape of the upper-case Greek letter Delta: Δ. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river.

Isthmus: a narrow strip of land connecting two larger areas of land.

*A land bridge

Canyon: A deep narrow valley with steep sides

Strait: a small area of water that separates two land masses

River: a large, flowing body of water that usually empties into a sea or ocean

HOW LANDFORMS ARE MADE

Land forms are vast and diverse and so are the process that form them. For example, plateaus are raised areas of land with a flatter top. It differs from a mountain in that a mountain has a jagged peak at the top. Plateaus form when mountain tops are eroded by water or glaciers or when the Earth’s crust is push upward by magma making the ground swell upward.

Dome Mountains: Dome mountains are formed when the hot magma rises from the mantle and uplifts the overlying sedimentary layer of the Earth's crust. In the process, the magma is not erupted, but it cools down and forms the core of the mountain. Example of dome mountain is the Navajo Mountain in Utah. They are called dome mountains due to their appearance that resembles dome shape.

Volcanic Mountains: Volcanic mountains are formed due to volcanic eruptions, for e.g. Mount Fuji (Japan). They are formed when volcanic magma erupts and piles up on the surface of the Earth.

Fault-Block Mountains: As the name suggests, fault mountains or fault-block mountains are formed when blocks of rock materials slide along faults in the Earth's crust.

Fold Mountains: Fold mountains are the most common type of mountains. Examples of fold mountains are the Himalayas (Asia), the Alps (Europe). They are formed due to collision of two plates, causing folding of the Earth's crust. The fold that descends on both sides is called anticline; whereas, the fold that ascends from a common low point (on both sides) is called syncline.

FUN FACTS

Dessert regions are very different than any other region on the earth. Most people think that all deserts are HOT but as geographers we know that is not the case. The definition of a desert is that it receives less than 10 inches of precipitation per year. Precipitation is just a fancy term for water falling from the sky it could be in the form of rain, sleet, snow or hail. So remember, deserts are not always hot but they are always arid.

Islands isolate groups of people. The culture of people on islands is therefore often very unique because they develop free of outside influence. Some of the most unique cultures in the world are found on islands of Hawaii, Indonesia, Australia, Madagascar, Malaysia and New Zealand.

HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT - Landforms have greatly influenced humans in a variety of ways.

RIVER VALLEYS

The land near rivers and river valleys have been the birth place of civilizations for thousands of years. Rivers served as a gathering place for humans for many reasons. Rivers provide a steady supply of drinking water. They also make the land fertile for growing crops. Moreover, goods and people could be transported easily, and the people in these civilizations could hunt the animals that came to drink water. Fish from the rivers also served as a food sources for the people in surrounding areas.

MOUNTAIN RANGES

Mountain ranges effected humans in a much different way. Mountain ranges served as barriers to human movement. If mountains were too high people were unable to cross from one side to the other. Groups of people on opposite sides of a mountain range never met or shared their culture. Mountains could also serve as protection from invaders or attack.

ISTHMUS OR STRAIT

An isthmus, or narrow piece of land connecting two larger pieces of land was very helpful for humans who wanted to migrate or move from one location to another by land. A strait allowed humans traveling by boat to move easily from one body of water to another.

The rise and fall of global sea levels exposed and submerged the bridging land mass joining North America and Asia turning an isthmus into a strait and vice versa. The Bering land bridge (Isthmus) has a particular significance as a possible route of human migration to the Americas from Asia. Scientists believe this migration took place between 12,000 and 20,000 years ago. Scientists have found unique genetic material or DNA in human remains in North and South America. This genetic material has similar and unique characteristics to DNA found in Asia. Scientists believe this proves that the first humans in the Americas actually migrated from Asia. Scientists believe they have found conclusive evidence to support the theory that humans migrated from Asia to North America using a land bridge in the form of DNA.

1. Identify 2 ways plateaus are formed? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the most common type of mountain? What is an example of a mountain range formed due to plate collision? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Are all deserts hot? Explain your answer keeping in mind the definition of a desert. What does arid mean? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Why are island cultures unique and different? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Identify 4 reasons early civilizations developed near river valleys. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How can a straight aide human movement? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. What evidence have scientists found that humans used a land bridge or isthmus to cross from Asia to The Americas? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________