Landscapes and Geomorphology Notes

Landscapes & Geomorphology Geomorphology is the study scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them. Landscapes & Geomorphology Three Types of Landforms Plains, Plateaus, & Mountains Plains Large, relatively flat areas Coastal plains- near the ocean Lowlands, include swamps, marshes, and low rolling hills Interior plains-middle of the land High Plains, covered with grass & trees 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 cut through by the Colorado River to form the Grand Canyon Mountain Tallest mountain = Mount Everest 8800 above sea level Four types of mountains Folded Mountains Upwarped mountains fault- block Mountains Volcanic Mountains Folded Mountains resemble a rug pushed against a wall processes cause the land to be pushed together, causing it to fold ex.Appalachian Mountains Folded Mountains contain a high amount of folded rocks Anticlines: upward curving fold Synclines: downward curving fold Monoclines: single direction curving fold Upwarped or Dome Mountains Earths crust pushed up by forces inside Earth ’ Composed mainly of exposed metamorphic and igneous rocks Example Black Hills, SD Upwarped Mountains, Black Hills, ND Fault blocked 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 Fault-Block Mountains, Rocky Mountains (Block Faulting) 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. Volcanic Mountains, San Francisco Peaks, AZ Sunset Crater, Arizona - A Cinder Cone Subduction Volcanoes – Mt. Shasta Mount St. Helens, Washington Geomorphology & Maps Maps allow humans to show landscapes on Earth in manageable units. 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 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 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 Time Zones Earth time Time is measured by the movement of Earth in relation to the sun these 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 Global View The Earth is divided into 60 "UTM zones" Mercator Projection (UTM). Universal Transverse Each represents 6 degrees of longitude wide. Problems can arise in matching adjacent maps which lie in different UTM zones. Global View Geomorphology & 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 Maps: 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 Maps: Conic Projection Used with weather and road maps Used with maps of small area Project points from a globe Maps: Topographic Shows the changes in elevation of the Earth surface allowing for three dimensional features to show up on a map. Contour line 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 Maps: Topographic 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 Short lines at right angles to the contour line, which depicts depressions Point to lower elevations Maps Contour lines never cross If they did it would mean that a particular place would have two elevations Contour forms Vs that point upstream whenever they cross streams. Because streams flow in depressions that are lower than the surrounding areas 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 Surface Used in a ratio (1:100) 1 unit on a map is equal to 100 units on land Mapping Our Planet Remote Sensing from Space Landsat Satellites Detect different wavelengths of energy reflected or emitted from Earths surface Can show landforms in great detail Topex Poseidon Satellite Uses radar to compute the distance to the ocean surface Used to map the ocean bottom floor 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