9/28/12BR – If I dug a hole in the ground would I eventually come up on the other side of the world in China? Why or why not?

Today: The Earth What’s Inside and Why the Earth Has Seasons (Fall, Winter, etc.)

Earth’s Layers

• The Earth is made of 4 layers- crust, mantle, outer and inner core

• The circumference of the earth at the equator is 24,901.55 miles

• The earth through the poles the circumference is a bit shorter - 24,859.82 miles

• Equatorial bulge caused by Earth’s spin and sun/moon’s gravity

Layers of the Earth

Earth Stats

• 93 million miles from sun

• While we're hurtling through space at nearly 67,000 mph, we're also spinning around in circles at over 1000 mph!

• The Sun is a fusion nuclear reaction- it powers the whole system

• The Earth’s magnetosphere protects us from the sun’s deadly radiation

Earth’s axis

• Earth is divided into hemispheres- equator divides N & S, while Prime Meridian divides E&W.

• Earth’s Axis- 23.5° - causes seasons- the uneven distribution of heat causes ocean currents and the weather

Landforms

• Create a map of your own country. Choose 10 landforms to label on the map. Define them on the back and provide a real world example. Color the map. Good Luck!

• Archipelago, bay, canal, canyon, cape, channel, cliff, continental shelf, continental divide, delta, fork, river source, river mouth, glacier, gulf, harbor, highland, hill, island, isthmus, lake, mountain, ocean, peak, peninsula, plain, plateau, sound, strait, swamp, tributary, valley, volcano, fjord