Earth's Physical Geography - Chapter 2

Section 1 ( Chapter 2)



This week we talked about how the Earth moves in space and its relation to the sun.



- the Earth, sun, planets and stars are part of a galaxy- our galaxy is the Milky Way...(just a reminder...no Milky Ways in school!)



-The sun provides the Earth with heat and light....Earth travels in an oval-shaped path around the sun called an orbit...it takes 365 1/4 day, one year, to make this journey, or revolution.



- Not only does the Earth revolve around the sun...it also spins on its axis,an imaginary line running through the Earth between the North and South poles. Each complete turn takes about 24 hours...it's called a rotation...as the Earth rotates, it's daytime on the side of Earth facing the sun, but it is nighttimeon the side of the Earth away from the sun.



Seasonal Changes:

Earth's axis is at an angle. As a result, at certain times in the year, days are longer than nights and vice versa...the tilt causes a region to face toward the sun for more hours than it faces away from the sun...days are longer. Sometimes it's just the opposite...the region faces away from the sun for more hours...days are then shorter.

The Earth's tilt and orbit cause temperature changes during the seasons...warmth depends on how the direct sunlight falls upon your region.

LATITIDE LINES:

Equator - On March 21 and Sept. 23...the sun is directly over the equator...as a result, all over Earth, days are almost exactly the as long as nights...the days are called spring and fall equinoxes.

Two other imaginary latitude lines - 23 1/2 degrees north(also called the Tropic of Cancer). The sun shines directly above this line on June 20th or 21st...First Day of Summer!! Also called, the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere...summer in the Northern Hemisphere...just the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere(it would be winter)

On December 21st or 22nd...just the opposite occurs...sun's most direct rays fall on 23 1/2 degree south (called the Tropic of Capricorn)...summer in the Southern Hemisphere...(winter in the Northern Hemisphere

The area between the two Tropics( Cancer and Capricorn) are called low latitudes, or the tropics. It is almost always hot in this region.

- The 66 1/2 degree North latitude line is the Arctic Circle...66 1/2 degree South latitude line is the Antarctic Circle...the regions between these lines and the poles are called high latitudes, or polar zones. These places are always COLD...THEY DO NOT RECEIVE DIRECT SUNLIGHT!!

MIDDLE LATITUDES(TEMPERATE ZONES) - These areas receive fairly direct sunlight during certain times of the year...at other times the receive indirect sunlight...therefore, the middle latitudes have SEASONS...SPRING, SUMMER WINTER AND FALL.

REMINDER: PLEASE PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ILLUSTRATION ON PAGE 30 IN YOUR TEXT!...SEASONS OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND! GO MOUNTAINEERS, BEAT THE MINERS!!!!!