Unit 2 Measuring the Earth Mapping
Jan 18, 2018
Unit 2
Measuring the EarthMapping
Size and Shape
Almost a perfect sphere- slight flattening in the polar regions and a slight bulging at the equatorial region.
Evidence- photos from space, ships “disappearing” over horizon
Earth’s circumference is about 40,000 km
Spheres of the Earth
Series of spheres held together by gravity, arranged from lowest density to highest.- Atmosphere (gas)- Hydrosphere (liquid)- Lithosphere (solid)- Earth’s interior (mostly solid, some liquid)
Atmosphere
The atmosphere can be divided into more spheres.- Thermosphere (highest)- Mesosphere- Stratosphere- Troposphere (lowest)
Atmosphere
Composed mainly of nitrogen and oxygen
Furthest sphere from the Earth’s center because it is the least dense.
The interfaces between layers are called pauses
Hydrosphere
Layer of water Includes the oceans, (70% of Earth’s
surface) lakes, streams, and rivers. Composed mainly of H2O
Lithosphere
Layer of rock that forms the hard outer shell of the Earth’s interior.
100 km thick and lies beneath the atmosphere and hydrosphere.
Composed of plates called lithospheric plates
Upper portion is called the crust
Earth’s Interior
Region extending from the rocky part of the Earth’s crust to the Earth’s center.
Locating Positions on Earth To find a location on a two dimensional surface
you need two numbers or coordinates. Coordinate system- system for determining
coordinates. What is the name of the coordinate system
used to find a location on the Earth’s surface? Latitude-longitude Measured in degrees and minutes: 60minutes
In 1 degree.
Latitude
The angular distance north or south of the equator.
Latitude con’t.
These circles are called parallels of latitude or just parallels
Latitude increases north and south of the equator to a maximum of 90 degrees.
When writing a location with latitude you must indicate N or S.
Longitude
The distance east or west of the prime meridian.
Meridian- semi circle on the Earth’s surface connecting the north and south poles.
Prime Meridian- meridian of zero longitude. When writing a location with longitude you
must indicate W or E.
Longitude con’t.
To read a location on an Earth model such as a map or globe you need to locate the coordinates for both latitude and longitude. Latitude values can be found on the left and right sides of the map and longitude can be found at the top and bottom.
Fields
Any region of space or the environment that has some measurable value at every point.
Examples: temperature fields, wind speeds, atmospheric pressure. More?
Example of a Field
Isolines
Lines on a map that connect points of equal field values
Different kinds: Isotherms- points of equal temperatureIsobars- points of equal air pressureContour lines- points of equal elevation
Gradients and Changes in fields Gradient- the rate of change from place to
place within the field Gradients can be determined two ways:
- estimate; the closer together the lines, the greater the gradient- calculate; gradient = change in field value
-------------------------- change in distance
Mapping Earth’s Surface
Topographic maps (contour map)- maps that attempt to show the elevation of a field on the Earth’s surface.
Some reasons to use a topographic map:
- Construction site selection- Hiking or fishing- Finding natural resources such as water
Reading Contour Lines
Contour interval- the difference in elevation between consecutive lines
Contour interval usually found in key or legend.
Rules to Follow When Reading a Contour Map When contour lines
cross a stream, they bend upward. Contour lines “point” upstream
When there is a series of consecutively smaller and smaller lines, the elevation is increasing toward the top of a hill or mountain.
Every 4th or 5th line shows the elevation
Benchmarks indicate an exact elevation and are indicated on a map as BM X
Depression lines are marked with small lines pointing towards the center of the depression.
Contour Map Showing a Depression
Symbols on Topographic maps There are hundreds of symbols. Most government maps use colors:- red and black: human constructions - Blue: water- Green: woods or areas of vegetation- Purple: where map has been revised
using aerial photographs.
Horizontal Distance on Maps Map Scale- a ratio of distance between two
places on a map and the actual distance on Earth’s surface.
Can be expressed three ways:1. Verbally, “one inch equals a mile”2. Fractionally, 1/500,000 or 1:500,000- this
means any one distance on the map equals 500,000 of the same units on Earth’s surface
3. Graphically, as seen in fig. 2-8 pg. 24
Finding the distance of a curved line How do you measure the distance on a
map of a curved line?
Map Profile Profile- side view of an area’s landscape. Steps to create a profile:1. A line X-Y is drawn on the map. Place a piece of
paper along the line.2. Mark the paper wherever a contour line crosses
the paper. 3. Label the marks with the correct elevation.4. Place the paper horizontally on a piece of lined
paper. Project the lines upward onto the paper and mark with a dot when you reach the corresponding altitude.
5. Finally the dots are connected using a curved line.
Map Direction
Most maps are constructed so the top of the map is north the bottom is south the right side is east and the left side is west.
Magnetic north is labeled MN. What does a compass rose look like?