Chapter 7What a wonderful World

Overview of the Physical Environment

• Components

• Land – landforms, Rocks

• Water – River, lakes Oceans

• Air – Weather & Climate

• Living Environment – Natural Vegetation, Wildlife

LandLandforms,

rocks

WaterRivers, lakes,

oceans

AirWeather, climate

Living EnvironmentNatural vegetation,

wildlife

Landforms and rocks

• created and changed by processes beneath and on the earth’s surface

• Examples : mountains and volcanoes , Limestone and granite

Grand Canyon in USA

A limestone cave

Rivers, lakes & oceans

• Rivers are stream of water which flow from high ground to low ground

• It may include waterfalls and deltas

A river A waterfall

Weather and climate

• Earth is covered with gaseous environment called the atmosphere.

• Weather. Condition of the atmosphere over a period of time.

• Climate is a weather pattern over 30 years and more.

• Elements of weather & climate

• Temperature

• Rainfall

• wind

Natural Vegetation

• Plants which have not been planted by people but have grown naturally.

Interrelationships between the components

• The amount of rain affects the natural vegetation.

• Rivers create and change the landforms on the Earth’s surface

Activity 1

• This photograph of a rainstorm over Yukon River, Canada, demonstrates how the components of the physical environment such as weather, river and landforms are interrelated.

• Can you describe their interrelationships?

Activity 2

• The physical environment comprises the living environment, water, air and land, which are all closely related to one another.

• Discuss the interrelationships between the various components from this photograph.