Climate and Urbanization

Study Notes

Study of Earth's climate and its variations
Examines atmospheric and oceanic factors that influence climate
Key components:
- Temperature
- Precipitation
- Atmospheric circulation
- Ocean currents
Types of climates:
- Tropical
- Desert
- Temperate
- Polar
Climate change:
- Global warming
- Greenhouse effect
- Human impact (e.g., deforestation, burning fossil fuels)

Process of population growth and migration to urban areas
Characteristics:
- High population density
- Economic and social diversity
- Developed infrastructure (e.g., transportation, housing, utilities)
Urbanization stages:
1. Urban growth: Increase in population and economic activity
2. Urbanization: Shift from rural to urban way of life
3. Urban maturity: Stabilization and redevelopment of urban areas
Effects of urbanization:
- Economic growth
- Social changes (e.g., increased diversity, cultural exchange)
- Environmental concerns (e.g., pollution, resource depletion)

Theory explaining Earth's surface processes and features
Key concepts:
- Lithosphere: Outermost solid layer of Earth
- Tectonic plates: Large, rigid sections of lithosphere
- Plate boundaries: Areas where plates interact (e.g., converge, diverge, transform)
Types of plate boundaries:
- Divergent: Plates moving apart (e.g., mid-ocean ridges)
- Convergent: Plates moving together (e.g., subduction zones)
- Transform: Plates sliding past each other (e.g., fault lines)
Processes:
- Seafloor spreading: Creation of new oceanic crust
- Continental drift: Movement of continents over time
- Earthquakes: Release of energy at plate boundaries

The study of Earth's climate involves examining atmospheric and oceanic factors that influence climate.
Key components of climate include temperature, precipitation, atmospheric circulation, and ocean currents.
There are four main types of climates: tropical, desert, temperate, and polar.
Climate change is a significant concern, driven by global warming and the greenhouse effect, and exacerbated by human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels.

Urbanization is the process of population growth and migration to urban areas, characterized by high population density, economic and social diversity, and developed infrastructure.
The three stages of urbanization are urban growth, urbanization, and urban maturity.
Urbanization can drive economic growth and lead to social changes, such as increased diversity and cultural exchange, but also raises environmental concerns like pollution and resource depletion.

The theory of plate tectonics explains Earth's surface processes and features, with the lithosphere being the outermost solid layer of Earth.
The lithosphere is broken into large, rigid sections called tectonic plates, which interact at plate boundaries.
There are three types of plate boundaries: divergent (where plates move apart), convergent (where plates move together), and transform (where plates slide past each other).
Processes driven by plate tectonics include seafloor spreading, continental drift, and earthquakes.