Unit 2 - Physical Connections - Key Terms

Question	Answer
Tsunami	A long, high sea wave caused by underwater earthquakes.
Pangaea	Supercontinent that included all Earth’s land masses. It existed from about 300 million to about 200 million years ago.
Continental Drift	Theory by German scientist Alfred Wegener stating that 300 million years ago all of Earth’s land masses, which were in constant motion, collided to form one super continent called Pangaea. About 200 million years ago Pangaea broke apart and the continents have drifted apart to their present locations. According to his theory, only the continents drifted.
Plate Tectonics	Theory that states that Earth’s outer shell consists of plates that move causing earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and the formation of new crust.
Convection currents	Circular movement in a gas or liquid created by uneven heating
Erosion	Wearing away of Earth’s surface followed by the movement to other locations of materials that have worn away.
Sediment	Eroded material, such as sand and gravel, that is deposited by water, wind or glacial ice.
Geologic Time	History of Earth from its formation to the present. Is divided into eras.
Eras	Major division of geologic time
Landform	Natural feature on Earth’s surface.
Topography	Natural and human features of the landscape.
Glacier	Slow moving masses of ice.
Glaciation	The state of being covered by glaciers or massive ice sheets
Shield	Large area of Precambrian rock that forms the core of a continent.
Canadian Shield	Large area of Precambrian rock that forms the core of Canada.
Drainage	Process whereby water is removed from an area by flowing out of depressions in the land such as lakes and rivers.
Meltwater	Water resulting from the melting of glacier ice and/or snow.
Bedrock	Solid rock beneath the soil.
Lowlands	Areas of low elevation containing plains and hills.
Differential Erosion	Process whereby softer sedimentary rocks erode more quickly than harder rock, shaping the surface of the landscape.
Escarpment	Steep cliff formed by erosion or faulting.
Rift Valley	Valley created when the portion of a land between two faults drops down.
Highlands	Areas of high elevation containing mountains and plateaus.
Plateaus	Elevated flat area.
Weather	Combination of temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, and winds expected daily.
Climate	Weather conditions of a place averaged over a long period of time.
Air Mass	Large body of air having the same moisture and temperature conditions throughout.
Prevailing Winds	 Winds that are most commonly found in an area.
Jet Stream	 West to east movement of air in the mid-latitude flowing at speeds up to 400 km/hr at an altitude of 8000-15,000 m.
Polar Front	 Stormy boundary between cold, dry polar air and warm, moist tropical air.
Maritime Climate	 Climate type that is strongly influenced by the closeness of an ocean or other large water body. The annual temperature range tends to be small and the precipitation high.
Continental Climate	 Climate type that develops away from the influence of the ocean. The annual temperature range tends to be large and precipitation is low.
Moderating Effect	Effect that large water bodies have on the climate over nearby land areas. Winter temperatures are warmer and summer temperatures are cooler than areas located away from large water bodies. The result is a small annual temperature change.
Condensation	Process whereby water vapour is cooled and changes from an invisible gas to liquid water. Condensed water is what forms clouds.
Relief Precipitation	Precipitation created when an air mass rises to cross a mountain barrier.
Convectional Precipitation	Precipitation cause on hot summer days, when heated land causes the air above it to rise by convection. As the air rises, it cools and condensation occurs. Rain or hail bay fall from thunderclouds that build up.

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Unit 2 - Physical Connections - Key Terms

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