| A | B |
|---|
| geography | study of the earth in all of its variety |
| hemisphere | half of a sphere |
| latitude | parallels |
| longitude | meridians |
| grid system | series of lines that cross each other |
| environment | natural surroundings |
| Equator | imaginary line that circles the earth midway between the North Pole and the South Pole |
| Prime Meridian | runs from North Pole to South Pole through Greenwich, England |
| solar system | planets and other bodies that revolve around the sun |
| orbit | eliptical path around the sun |
| revolution | one complete trip around the sun |
| leap year | extra calenar day added each four years |
| axis | imaginary line through the earth from North Pole to South Pole |
| solstice | beginning of summer or winter |
| equinox | day and night are equal in both hemispheres |
| Earth | third planet from the sun |
| sun | ball of intensely hot gases that provides heat and light |
| moon | cold, rocky sphere with no water or atmosphere |
| landform | individual feature of the landscape |
| core | dense center of the earth made of hot metal |
| mantle | thick, mostly solid rock surrounding the core |
| crust | outer layer of the earth |
| magma | melted rock in the earth |
| continent | large land areas |
| plate tectonics | theory that says earth's crust is broken in pieces and moves |
| fault | crack in the earth'e crust |
| earthquake | violent jolt in the area near a fault |
| tsunami | huge wave caused by undersea earthquakes |
| weathering | breaks rocks into gravel, sand, or soil |
| erosion | wears away the surface |
| plateau | flat area rising above surrounding land |
| isthmus | narrow piece of land connecting two larger pieces |
| peninsula | piece of land surrounded by water on three sides |
| strait | narrow body of water between two pieces of land |
| atmosphere | the air surrounding the Earth |
| region | area that shares common characteristics |
| Global Positioning System | satellites used to pinpoint latitude and longitude |
| geographic information systems | computer software that allows "layering" of map information |
| glacier | slow-moving sheet of ice |
| plain | low, flat land |
| island | land completely surrounded by water |
| continental shelf | underwater plateau near coast |
| trench | valley on the ocean floor |
| channel | water passage wider than a strait |
| delta | land formed by soil deposited at mouth of a river |
