Technology and the geographic study of the Earth Pe TCL LET'S GET STARTED ‘* Name some important people © ‘Technology influences the relationship between people and and events linked to space the space in which we live. There are satellites orbiting in space, exploration. Does knowing about there is GPS in our mobile phones and we have online maps, big space help us to understand our data, planet better? ellite photographs, ete. ‘* What is the International Space Station? Do you think countries need to cooperate in space Geography tries to explain the space we live in. That is why ‘geography is a spatial science, Human beings have always wanted to understand our planet. In ancient times, people used the stars research? to orientate themselves: they observed the sky and made simple mis icclebiotiat ied succor measurements. In the space age, geography and technology are innovation, growth and employment. closely connected: we are in the age of geotechnology. Do you agree with this statement?Oe eee ee ed ‘The Earth's natural resources are being depleted. Extracting ‘minerals and water from the thousands of near-Earth aste ‘may be the solution. era rey Se aren and ay ‘ 3 Z A - —e ‘Yuri Gagarin was the first [iJ Valentina Tereshkova | leil Armstrong was a man beingtotavel | asthe fest woman Saree pected i ee oe You will discover the characteristics a that make the Earth a unique planet f=] Isinvestmentin in the solar system. Ps space exploration You will understand how the Earth worthwhile? is studied from a geographic point of view. The development of technological innovations has been essential to space You will take action. You will highlight the importance of space research for linderstanding out planet and the space technology we use in every improving our daily lives. to highlight its importance exploration, You will make a cata!Aplanet in the solar system Our knowledge of the universe has improved greatly over time. This is a result of the progress of astronomy and the use of sophisticated instruments, such as telescopes and artificial satellites. The universe is made up of galaxies, which are clusters of millions of stars. Many stars have planets and other natural objects that revolve around them and form planetary systems. This is the ease in our own solar system The solar system is made up of @) © Astar (the Sun) * Fight planets. ® Many satellites and other natural objects (dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, etc). The Moon is the Earthis only satellite, Jupiter food How is life on Earth possible? Earth has a number of conditions that make it the only known planet on which life exists. (1) Distance from the Sun Atmosphere The distance of the Earth from the Sun makes the temperature of the Earth's surface moderate. If the Earth were closer or further away from the Sun, life would be impossible because it would be too hot or too cold, This gaseous layer around the Earth regulates the planet's temperature: it prevents Earth from getting too hot during the day and too cold at night. The atmosphere also contains gases that are essential for living things. Planet Earth seen from space ystem and state List the planets of our solar where Earth is with respect to the Sun Look at the biosphere. (3) Below which altitude do we find the greatest concentration of living things? What is the lower limit for life? List the layers of the geosphere (4) and indicate the thickness of each layer. Name one more characteristic of each layer. roe cr The solar system Water Almost three quarters of the surface of planet Earth is covered by water. This water is mostly in liquid form. Many organisms live in water. Furthermore, water is essential for the survival ofall living things.8,000 6,000 m 4,000 m 2,000 m om -2,000m ~4,000m -6,000m -8,000m 10,000 m Aplanet with layers The Earth is made up of several layers: © The atmosphere is the layer of gus © ‘The hydrosphere is made up of the water on Earth, Itincludes -as, rivers, glaciers, polar ice caps, etc rth. (4) the ocean: # The geosphere is the solid part of the © The biosphere is the area in which life exists. @) The Earth's internal structure es that surrounds the planet. 3. The biosphere (A) The highest altitude at which birds can fly. (B) The highest point for fe in the tropics. (C) The highest point for life in the temperate zone. (D) The maximum concentration of living things. (E) The lowest point at which living things can exist. p Key QUESTIONS © Define: universe. © Explain what the solar system is. Analyse how the Earth is influenced by its position in the solar system. © Would life be possible on Earth if all the water was solid? Explain your answer. ® List and define the layers of the Earth. ‘The geosphere has concentric layers. From the surface to the centre of our planet there are several layers. (4) 60-70 km~ 6378 km 4. The geosphere The crust is the external and thinnest layer of the ‘geosphere, It is made of rock. * The continental crust is thicker and more rigid than the oceanic crust and is composed mainly of granite. * The oceanic crust is composed almost exclusively of basalt ‘The mantle is beneath the crust. Its temperature is higher than that of the crust. The upper mantle contains less dense materials than the lower mantle. The core is the deepest layer and extends to the centre of the Earth. It is made of ron and nickel. © The outer core is in a liquid state. » The inner core is solid.The Earth b revolution, .as two constant motions: rotation and The Earth's rotation The Earth rotates on its own axis. It takes 24 hours (one day) to complete one rotation. The Barth is a not illuminate all sphere. This means the Suns rays di of Earth at the same time. When one side of Earth is illuminated, the opposite side is in darkness. Every 24 hours there is a succession of day and night. The lengths ofthe days and nights vary throughout the year: (5) This succession regulates the temperature of the planet during the day, the illuminated part of the Earth heats up: during the night, the part of the Earth that does not The Earth's revolution The Earth also moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit. It takes ‘one orbit of the Sun (one year). (6) However, years usually 365 days and almost 6 hours to complete have just 365 days, Therefore, every four years a day is rensate for the extra hours (6 have 366 days, which are called leap years. The Earth is tilted the two hemispheres differently throughout the year: Asa result, the Suns rays strike This is what causes the seasons. Ty Sy. Poni er) emis North Pole night fhe Earth's tlt: 23° 27" to the Sun 5. The Earth's rotation COMMUNICATION Get creative. Use a torch and some spheres to explain the rotation and revolution of the Earth 6. The Earth's revolution ery Pons Ros = Pane on Past encn Describe the two movements The seasons of the year When it is summer in one hemisphere, itis winter in the other hemisphere, When it is spring in one hemisphere, itis autumn in the of the Earth opposite hemisphere © List and explain the effects of ‘* In summer, one of the two hemispheres receives more direct sunlight the Earth's rotation and At the same time, itis winter in the other hemisphere, because the revolution on our lives. Sur © During spring and autu ina similar way rays are less intense. © Define leap year and explain why it occurs. When is the next leap year? n, the Sunis rays strike the two hemispheres The dates of the solstices and equinoxes mark the changes in seasons. *# Solstices: days that mark the beginning of winter and summer The solstices take place around the 21st December and the 2Ist June. At those times, the Sunis rays are perpendicular to one ofthe tropics, COMMUNICATION which receives much more sunlight than the other tropic: ‘Q * Do you think you could easily adapt to living in a place with six months of, day and six months of night? Discuss with your partner. © Equinoxes: days that mark the beginning of autumn and spring, They take place around the 23rd September and the 21st March. On those days the Sun's rays are perpendicular to the Equator and day and night both last 12 hours in each hemisphere, The only exception is at the poles: the day lasts for six months and the night for six months. The midnight sun In areas north of the Arctic Circle, around the time of the summer solstice, the Sun can be seen 24 hours a day. This is because the Sun does not go below the horizon and there is constant twilight. This natural phenomenon is known as the midnight sun. It is caused by the tilt of the Earth axis relative to the horizontal plane of the Earth's orbit, which exposes the North Pole to the Sun. (7) In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on the same date. In areas close to the South Pole, the opposite phenomenon occurs: the so-called polar night, which is the absence of sunlight for 24 hours a day. Around the time of the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the situation is, reversed: the polar night arrives in the Northern Hemisphere and the midnight sun in the Southern Hemisphere. 7. Lofoten (Norway) Investigate * Find out where in Norway Lofoten is located. * Look at your atlas. If you wanted to see the midnight sun, which countries could you travel to? * Investigate the effects that the midnight sun can have on sleep. How do you think it would affect you?Globes and maps The shape of the Earth is a geoid. This means that it is not a perfect sphere: itis flatter at the poles. Itis best represented by a globe, which shows the shapes, distances and sizes of the continents without distortion. (8) veral disadvantages: it is not easily transportable; jot allow us to observe the entire However, a globe has s we canno see small details; and it does surface of the planet at once. ei cick: For these reasons it is most common to represent the Barth on a map. rth’s surface that are drawn to scale, There are different types of maps: Maps are flat representations of the E © Topographic maps contain information about the physical environment (rivers, relief, etc.) and human elements (settlements, farmland, ete.) © Thematic maps provide information on specific aspects (physical, political, ete.) and their distribution over the territory. 11) Ix. How do we represent a sphere on a map? * Compare and at £ the advantages an Mapmaking is very difficult because the Earth has a curved surface disadvantages of globes and maps are flat. To solve this problem, eartographic projections were and maps. invented. They are a system that allows the points on the sphere to be + |Lgokatpouratlanend sive transferred toa map. ‘examples of different ‘There are different types of projections and each one represents some thematic maps. Describe areas of the Earth better than others, However, each type of projection what each type of thematic distorts shape and size in s ‘map looks like. me way because our planet is not fat Cylindrical projection This is obtained by projecting the surface of the globe onto a cylinder. Its the projection that best represents the areas between the tropics. (9and 10) Conical projection This is obtained by projecting the surface of the globe ontoa cone. Its the projection that best represents the areas between the tropics and the polar circles Azimuthal projection This is obtained by projecting the surface of the sphere onto a plane at right angles to one of the poles. Its the projection that best. represents the polar zones. (11)Mercator and Peters projections ‘The Mercator projection is a cylindrical projection created in the 16th century by Gerardus Mercator. It distorts the size of the regions as they move away from the Equator. (9) This is why Greenland, for example, looks bigger than in reality. ‘9. World map with the Mercator projection Investigate * Lookat several maps in your atlas. Identify the type of projection used in each map. Features of maps ‘Maps contain features that help us to interpret them. (11) 11, Physical map of the Arctic polar zone @) In the 20th century, Arno Peters developed a cylindrical projection to correct the errors of the Mercator maps. Peters’ projection preserves the proportions between the Earthis regions, but distorts the shapes. (10) 10. World map with the Peters projection * Investigate the AuthaGraph projection. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of this projection. \A title with information about the map. |. Akey with the symbols and colours used on the map. . A scale showing the proportion between the ‘map and reality The orientation. Various text labels with information Lines of latitude (parallels) and longitude (meridians) to locate any point on Earth, @CME M eu acl g es What is the scale of a map? Maps are always much smaller than the territory they represent. To show how much reality has been reduced in size, a scale is used. Scale is the ratio between the size of a territory in reality and the size it occupies on the map. The scale on a map can be either numerical or graphic. * Anumerical scale is expressed as a fraction. The numerator (the number on the top of the fraction) represents & unit of measurement on the map, for example 1 cm. The denominator (the number on the bottom of the fraction) indicates its size in reality. This scale means that Im on the map is equivalent to 200,000 em in reality: 1 > Distance on the map 200,000 -> Distance in reality ‘The numerical seale can be written in three ways: 1 200.000 1/200,000 1:200,000 © A graphic scale is expressed by a straight line divided into equal segments, usually of Lem. Figures are usually expressed in kilometres and indicate the actual size of each segment. This scale shows that Jem on the map is equivalent to 20km in reality > 2% @ Smalland large scale maps A territory on a map can be represented with different scales depending on the level of detail required. (12) For example: cara. © Explain what the scale on a map is for. © Scales are also often used on floor plans. Imagine you are going to redecorate your bedroom with new furniture Would a plan to scale be useful? Why? WORK WITH THE IMAGES # Look at the two maps of Ibiza. Which map has less detail? Look at the scale, How many times has reality been reduced in size on the map with less detail? And on the other map? # Reach a conclusion. Which maps have greater detail: those with large or small scales? | “Map A has a scale of1:200,000. This means the | | Map B bas a distance in real life is reduced 200,000 times. distance in real life is reduced 1.250,000 times. le 1:1,250,000. This means the |ia tel PL Calculate real distances on a map To calculate the real distance in a straight line between two points on a map, follow these steps: © Interpret the scale of the map. In this case, 18,250,000 indicates that 11cm on the map is equivalent to 82.5 km in reality © Use a ruler to measure the distance you are going to calculate. For example, on this map, the distance between Madrid and Lisbon is 6.cm, Apply the rule of three to find out what those 6 cm on the map are in reality X represents the distance we want to find out. 82500000 x 6 aoe ———— = 49,500,000 8250000m x * Convert centimetres into kilometres. 49,500,000.cm equals 495km. Thisis the actual distance ina straight line between Madrid and Lisbon, ARCTIC OCEAN Whats the scale on the map below? Explain what this scale means, Calculate. How many centimetres separate Vienna from Paris on the ‘map? How many kilometres is that equivalent to in reality? Imagine that you are going on ajourney to several cities and you have decided on the following stages for each day. How many kilometres will you travel on each stage? ~ Riga to Budapest ~ Budapest to Bern = Bern to Amsterdam = Amsterdam to Paris State border ‘neo cogsed wy a countiesGeographic coordinates exact position of a point What are Longitude and latitude? Longitude and latitude lines are a network of imaginary lines that ‘were invented so that any point on Earth can be located accurately. ‘The number of possible longitude and latitude lines is infinite, However, usually only the main ones are drawn on maps and globes. + Thelines of longitude, or meridians, are * The lines of latitude, or parallels, are imaginary lines joining the poles. They run imaginary circles perpendicular to the from north to south, (13) meridians. They run from east to west. (14) ‘* The reference meridian is the zero meridian © The reference line of latitude is the Equator (0°) or Prime Meridian (also known as the (0°). It divides the Earth into the Northern Greenwich Meridian). This line divides the Hemisphere (north of the Equator) and the Earth into the Eastern Hemisphere (east of Southern Hemisphere (south of the the Prime Meridian) and the Western Equator). Other important parallels are the le, the Tropic of Cancer, the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle. upof k ! 1 © Compare Earth's two ee “movements. Copy and CONSEQUENCES complete the table 5 me) in your notebook. nee Revolution APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE © Compare and explain the difference between © Inyour ** these pairs of terms. = notebook, write * solstice and equinox Sos parallel, meridian or hemisphere ‘* meridian and longitude Paraeeeare tt * galaxy and solar system the letters in the diagram. parallel and latitude * continental crust and oceanic crust * rotation and revolution © Write about the relationship between the universe, “" the solar system and the Earth,© Copy the image in your notebook. Write the names ** of the layers of the geosphere marked with letters. oe ne @ Explain the characteristics that make Earth * aunque planet. © Analyse the causes of the following events: * the succession of day and night * the distortions that all maps have * leap years © the seasons © EXPRESS, JUSTIFY, QUESTION 6 Look at the images and write down an idea from the unit that they remind you of. * Justify your answer ‘© Ask yourself questions about your conclusions. a8 fs © Analyse the map. ‘© What map elements doyourecognise? sand © Explain the key. aaa What symbols and colours does it have? What do they mean? Mediterranean Sea * Isthis a topographic ‘Sky orathematic map? = Why? vrai 9 tase a i (a: @ Interpret the scale 0 ‘onthe map, son in Primary School what the scale means. Give an example of how you would explain the scale in simple terms. * Isita numeric or graphic scale? ‘© In what other way could the scale be written? * Imagine you have ® Think and share your opinion in your group. ‘* Find out what Astronomy is. Is there any relationship between Astronomy and Geography? ‘+ How does technology help our understanding. ofthe Earth? WHAT DID I LEARN? © Choose five concepts from this unit that you think are essential for understanding the planet ‘on which we live. © What other key concepts would you add? Explain your choice. © Which aspects have you found most interesting in this unit? Would you like to learn more about them? Why? © In. which daily situations would you use a (physical or digital) map? Give examples. © Think about the content of the unit you found most difficult. How did you finally understand it? 2GEOGRAPHY IN MY LIFE GPS is everywhere You might not know the term Global Positioning System, but you probably know its acronym: GPS, You have also probably seen how G S is used in vehicles, in mobile phones and even on smartwatches. GPS is a satellite navigation system that provides, continuous location, speed and time synchronisation services around the world. If you have a GPS receiver, you can find out at any moment and in any type of weather (rain, snow, fog, etc.) your exact location anywhere on the planet. In other words, you can find out the longitude, latitude and altitude of your exact ee position. GPS is a 20th-century invention that was made possible thanks to the technological developments of the space age. 21, Delivery drivers use GPS. The applications of GPS are extremely varied. GPS is used extensively in transportation and also in some games and for search-and-rescue missions. Logistics companies use GPS to make the drivers’ job easier (21) and to optimise delivery routes. Cartographers use GPS to make maps. GPS technology requires three fundamental elements: a set of satellites that orbit the Earth nntly recording data, a ground station that receives and interprets the information sent by the satellites, and lastly, receivers, which are the individual devices each person has, perma © Read the text and answer the questions, © Explain the relationship you can identify © What did you know about GPS before you read Renae te ce ree See spe iaie in this unit and GPS navigation. © What have you learnt about this technology? aga © vesate ** What else would you like to learn about GPS? "s fay rer icle cies echnniogy leyineie cain eer © MAKECONNECTIONS. List situations or places * Is technological development always a positive where you have seen GPS being used or where ih you have used It yoursalf, * Discuss your opinions and give examples. * Write down the conclusions you have come to 2 © Look at the images below. Find out how GPS asa group, is being used in each activityThink about how maps affect the way we perceive the world \y and distances, we usually think that world maps represent Earth exactly as itis. SY We also arbitrarily choose which territories we place at the centre of maps and which countries to place on the sides. Have you ever considered that maybe the fy Even though we know that all maps show inevitable distortions in shapes, sizes \ maps we sce influence the way we perceive the world? 22. The UN raat @ Analyse the Mercator and Peters maps * What did you take into account: the shape of the on page 15. territories? The size? The distance between them? © Find out how many square kilometres Africa AEA —_* Share your answer with your partner. ® Look at the world map in the UN logo. Itis viewed from the North Pole. Why do you think this projection was used? and Greenland each measure. Is this proportion clearon the Mercator map? age + How does Europe appear on each map? ‘* Onwhich of the two maps does the land in the Southern Hemisphere look larger? @ Think about the world maps you generally use. Which regions are usually in the centre? What © Compare the Mercator and Peters maps with cont lisions can po drab aglobe. ‘© Which map do you think is most similar 38 @ DEBATE. Do maps influence the way we view toaglobe? the world? ue > Cae aco ets Is this map upside down? @ investicare © Find out where the word orientate comes from. * Find out who Stuart McArthur was and why he made this map. (24) 24, Stuart McArthur's universal map @ contrast ‘* Look at the photo of Earth taken from space in 1972 by the ‘Apollo XVII crew. (23) Which region can you see at the bottom? Is the South Pole at the top or bottom of the globe? @ vecwe * Are the concepts of north and up synonyms? 23, Photo of Earth taken « Is making maps with north at the top an arbitrary decision or do from Apollo XVII they refiect reality? Why? |OTHER POINTS OF VIEW What time is it really? Imagine you have been studying in London for two months. Itis 1.00 pm. You are thinking about calling your best friend who lives in New York, but right now it is only 5.00 am there. Why are the times different? Due to the rotation of the Earth, when itis daytime in one part of the planet, it is nighttime in the opposite part. Time zones ‘were created to match the time with the Sun’ light. Since Earth is a sphere (360°) and it takes 24 hours to complete one rotation, it moves 15° every hour. This is why we have divided the planet into 24 time zones, 24 zones x 15° = 360°, Each time zone is a strip that goes from pole to pole and shares the same time. (25) The Prime Meridian, or Greenwich Meridian, is the base time zone. For every 15° we move east or west, the time changes one hour. If we move west of the Prime Meridian, we have to set our clocks back the same number of hours as the number of time zones we cross. If we move east of the Prime Meridian, we have to set our clocks forward the same number of hours as the number of time zones we cross. Sometimes time zones are adjusted for political reasons. Countries can decide whether to apply time zones or not. (Hl countries on an even standard hour [5] countries on an odd standard hour (HB countries with a haf hour offset © Calculate. * When itis 2.00 pm in Madrid, what time isit in So Paulo? And in Moscow? ‘© How many time zones would you cross if you travelled from San Francisco to Paris? Would you have to set your watch forward or back when you artived? @ Look at the map. ‘Find China. ifthe sun risesin Kashi at 5.00 am, what time is sunrise in Yanji? ‘+ How many time zones are there in the USA? How might this affect its population? @® UNDERSTAND OTHERS. At what time in London would it be appropriate for you to call your friend in New York? Remember it should be a sociable hour in both cities when you call. © Have you ever heard the term jet lag? Find out what it means. Is it related to time zones? Why or why not? 228 © What would happen if there were no time zones? Give example:GSSTID Make a catalogue Isinvestingin space research profitable? Should we take care STARTING POINT ‘of our own planet before we invest in exploring outer space? Orcan space research help us to better care for the Earth? Perhaps space research contributes to making our daily ves easier. Space research influences our lives much more than we think. Space exploration and research provide information about our universe, but they also advance the development of technologies. Many of these technologies can be used in medicine, microelectronics and public services. (26) Make a catalogue of objects related to the applications of space technology to raise awareness of their importance to our daily lives. PREPARE YOUR PROJECT 2. Find out about everyday objects that originated from technology related to space research. Make alist. 3. Decide what your catalogue will be like. ‘© Will itbe on paper or in digital format? ‘* Will ithave illustrations? If so, will you use photos, drawings, etc? ‘* How will you organise the objects: chronologically, by categories, etc? 4, Choose the objects you are going to include in your catalogue. Look for objects and make index cards for each one. 5. Don't forget to include conclusions about the impact of space research on out 6. Design your catalogue. Be creative! Try to make it as attractive and unique as possible. SHARE YOUR PROJECT 7. Share your catalogue with your classmates. * If your catalogue isin digital format, show it in class and offer a brief explanation if necessary. ** If your catalogue is on paper, allow the rest of the class to read it. 8. Afterwards, discuss as a class what you have learnt and how happy you are with the work you have done. =