| A | B |
|---|
| orbit | The path an object in space follows. Earth's orbit is a path around the sun |
| revolution | the circular journey of Earth around the sun. It takes 365 and 1/4 days to complete |
| axis | an imaginary pole that runs through the Earth from the north and south poles |
| rotation | the spinning motion of Earth on its axis. One rotation takes about 24 hours. |
| Tropic of Cancer | a line of latitude found at 23 1/2 degrees North. |
| Tropic of Capricorn | a line of latitude found at 23 1/2 degrees South. |
| Arctic Circle | a line of latitude found at 66 1/2 degrees North |
| Antarctic Circle | a line of latitude found at 66 1/2 degrees South |
| low latitudes | the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Also known as "the tropics". These latitudes measure low in degrees because they are near the Equator. |
| high latitudes | the areas between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole AND the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole. |
| middle latitudes | the areas between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle AND the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle |
| landform | an area of Earth's surface with a definite shape: mountains are an example of a landform |
| mountain | a landform that rises usually 2000 feet or more above sea level. They are wide at the bottom and rise to a narrow peak or ridge. |
| hill | a landform that rises less steep that mountains with more rounded tops. |
| plateau | a large, mostly flat area that rises above the surrounding land. A plateau has at least one side that is very steep. |
| plain | large area of flat land or gently rolling land often along the coasts but may be found in the interior. |
| plate | in Geography, a huge section of Earth's crust. |
| weathering | a process that breaks rocks down into tiny pieces by wind, rain or ice. |
| erosion | the wearing away by water,wind,or ice and the process that carries broken down pieces of rock to another location. |
| atmosphere | a thick layer of gases that surrounds the Earth. |
| weather | the condition of the bottom layer of Earth's atmosphere in one place over a short period of time. |
| temperature | the degree of hotness or coldness of something, such as water or air, usually measured with a thermometer. |
| precipitation | all forms of water that fall to the ground; such as rain, sleet, hail, or snow. |
| climate | the weather patterns or average weather in a place over a long period of time. |
| vegetation | the plants that grow naturally in an area. |
| canopy | a layer of large branches and leaves in a forest that blocks much of the sun because it is so dense. |
| tundra | a region where temperatures are always cool or cold and where only certain plants such as shrubs, low grasses, lichens, and mosses grow. The further north into the tundra, the shorter the plants become. |
| vertical climate | the overall weather patterns of a region as influenced by elevation. The higher the elevation, the colder the climate. |
