GEOG 1400 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Continental Crust, Geomorphology, Earth Structure
Document Summary
Physical geography study of natural processes occurring at earth"s surface. Subdivided into fields: climatology heat and moisture states of earth"s surface, geomorphology earth"s surface processes and landforms, hydrology earth"s water systems, biogeography distribution of organisms and processes that produce distribution patterns. Lithosphere (geomorphology) solid rock, sediments, soils and landforms: atmosphere (climatology) gaseous layer that receives and redistributes heat and moisture, hydrosphere (hydrology) oceans, atmosphere, surface water, biosphere (biogeography) all living organisms depending all other realms. Lithosphere outer shell of rigid, brittle rock broken into lithospheric plates. Includes crust and upper mantle: thick under continents, thin under ocean basins. Asthenosphere weak plastic layer upon which the lithosphere moves. Minerals naturally occurring, inorganic substances that possess a definite chemical composition and characteristic structure: most common minerals are quartz and feldspar. Rocks solid combination of usually 3-4 or more dominant minerals. Igneous made from cooled, solidified molten minerals: susceptible to chemical weathering (oxidation, hydrolysis, acids)
