Geography Key words

Geography Key words

1. OCEANIC TRENCH

   • A long narrow but very deep depression in the ocean floor, where at the junction of 2 plates, 1 plate dives steeply beneath another & penetrates the mantle
     • Penetrate: forcing into something

2. SUBDUCTION ZONE

   • A subduction zone is a region of the Earth's crust where tectonic plates meet. (E.g: Where a continental plate meets an oceanic plate). Subduction zones occur where plates collide

3. OCEAN PLATE

   • An ocean plate is a tectonic plate mainly underneath the ocean & a continental plate is mainly underneath a continent

4. DIVERGENT

   • When plates pull apart, earth fractures & breaks causing shallow earthquakes along the plate boundary. When they are getting separated, a new crust is formed from magma that rises to the Earth's surface between the 2 plates. (New land & islands are formed)
     • E.g: the Mid-Atlantic ridge (the major site of volcanic & earthquake activity), or the East-African Rift Valley (is opening up & new land is being formed in the bottom of the valley

5. CONVERGENT

   • A convergent plate boundary (sometimes called a destructive plate boundary) occurs when oceanic & continental plates move together. The oceanic plate is forced under the lighter continental plate. Friction causes melting of the oceanic plate & may trigger earthquakes. Magma rises up through cracks & erupts onto the surface. (Land gets destroyed)
     • Are recognised by: A very deep ocean trench, large numbers of earthquakes & also large numbers of volcanoes
     • Example: subduction, of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate, to form the Andes

6. HUMAN

   • Human geography focuses on the study of human interaction with the environment, its cultural, social & economical aspects. Can also be something man-made, e.g: a building, etc.

7. PHYSICAL

   • Physical geography deals with the Earth's climate, physical structure, atmosphere, soil, rock, water, & related natural processes

8. ECONOMICAL

   • Giving good value or service in relation to the amount of money, time or effort spent
     • Economical geography is dealing with the relation of physical & economic conditions to the production of raw materials & their manufacture into finished products

9. SOCIAL

   • Social geography is the study of people & their environment with particular emphasis on social factors

10. ENVIRONMENTS

    • The surroundings or condition in which a person animal or plant lives or operates