SCI 7
Landforms
- Landforms are the natural shapes or features of the Earth’s surface
- There are many different types of landforms found on Earth
Examples of Landforms:
Island
- a landmass, especially one smaller than a continent, entirely
surrounded by water
- there are 7,641 islands in the Philippines
Peninsula
- a piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with
the mainland by an isthmus
Canyon
- a deep valley between cliffs, often carved from the landscape by a river
Hill
- a small elevation in the Earth’s surface
Plain
- a large, flat, or level area of land
Valley
- a long narrow hollow in the Earth’s surface that lies between two higher
ares
Isthmus
- a narrow strip of land, connecting two larger land areas
Mountain
- is a raised part of the Earth’s surface. It rises up steeply and can be
several thousand feet high. The top of a mountain is called a Peak
Glacier
- a huge mass of ice slowly flowing over a landmass, formed from
compacted snow
Deserts
- a region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse
and widely spaced vegetation or no vegetation at all
Soil
- Is the mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids, and the
countless organisms that together support life on Earth
Different layers of the Soil:
O Horizon
- humus on the ground surface
A Horizon
- top soil
- rich in organic matter. Typically in dark color
- also called zone of leaching
B Horizon
- subsoil
- also called zone of accumulation
- may contain soluble minerals such as calcite in arid climates (caliche)
C Horizon
- regolith
- weathered parent rock (rotten rock)
- bedrock lies below the soil profile
Bedrock
- hardest layer of soil
- supports every layer on top (like a parent)
Four major types of Soil:
Loam Soil
- Is a mixture of several different kinds of soils. It contains nutrients for
plants to grow strong. Loam soil allows water to drain evenly.
Clay
- Its particles are the finest of all the soil particles. Particles stick together
readily and form a sticky or gluey texture when wet or dry.
Sand
- Consists of particles of weathered rock. It is the most extensively used
construction material. They are the most prominent type of soil particles,
where each particle is visible.
Silt
- Is a sediment material with an intermediate size between sand and clay.
Carried by water during a flood, it forms a fertile deposit on the valley
floor.
Earth Spheres
Lithosphere - solid Earth
Atmosphere - gases (the air)
Hydrosphere - all water
Biosphere - all life
Hydrosphere
- Includes all the water on or near the Earth’s surface
- About 70% of Earth is water (hydrosphere)
Examples of Bodies of Water:
Ocean
- is a huge body of saltwater that covers about 71% of Earth’s surface
- The four/five oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and the Southern
Ocean (Antarctic Ocean)
River
- large natural stream of water that runs through the land
Pond
- a very small body of water that is surrounded by land
Sea
- large body of water completely or partly surrounded by land
Bay
- is a body of water partially surrounded by land
- usually smaller and less enclosed that a gulf
Lake
- is a body of water that is surrounded by land
Strait
- a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water
Channel
- a narrow deep waterway connecting two larger bodies of water; the
deepest part of the waterway
- is a wide strait or waterway between two lanmasses that lie close to
each other
Locating places on Earth
What is a “Globe”?
- a Globe is a map of the Earth, shown around a ball
● Maps and globes can show us how the Earth can be divided in half
● The different halves are called Hemispheres
● In order to locate a place, we need to know its longitude and latitude.
The location is the place where these two lines intersect and is unique
for every place on Earth
● Latitude is always listed first
Features of Earth:
➢ The northernmost point of the Earth is called the North Pole
➢ The southernmost point of the Earth is called the South Pole
➢ An imaginary line running through the center of the Earth and joining
the North and South pole is called the Axis of Rotation
➢ The North and South location of any place on Earth is called Latitude
➢ The West or East location of any place on Earth is called Longitude
★ Equator passes horizontally through the center of Earth, dividing Earth
into northern and southern hemispheres
★ Prime meridian, the vertical line that passes through Greenwich,
England, dividing Earth into western and eastern hemisphere
★ Equator and Prime meridian are referred to as the Great circles
Natural Resources
Natural resource
- A material or an energy source in the environment like trees, wind or
water
● The Earth provides almost everything we need to survive through its
atmosphere, oceans, and soil.
● We use Earth’s natural resources to help us survive
● A natural resource is any natural material that is used by humans or
living things
Examples : water, petroleum, minerals, forests, and animals
● Most natural resources are made into products; very few natural
resources are used in their natural state
Earth’s Natural resources
● Many materials we use everyday come from natural resources
● A natural resource is a material from Earth that is useful to people
● Wood is a natural resource that comes from trees
● Metal used to make pipes, wires, and even our desks comes from one
● Ore is a rock that contains metal
● Natural resources give us food, water, shelter, and clothing. They even
provide us with TV and cars
Natural Resources example : Sun/Sunlight, Air/Wind, Rain/water, soil,
mountain, glacier, forest, waterfall, lake, river, beach, ocean
Resources found in the lithosphere :
Rocks, Minerals, & gems
Energy Resources
