absolute location
refers to a specific spot on planet Earth
relative location
explains where a place is in relation to another place or places
latitude
(also called parallels) measures a location's distance north or south of the equator
equator
an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles
longitude
is also called meridans, measures how far east or west a location is from the initial line of longitude.
International Date Line
an imaginary line, located mainly on the 180° meridian, that marks the divide where the date changes by one day
physical geography
concerned with observing differences in the terrain and character of the land in a given place or region
elevation
refers to the height of a place above sea level
alluvial soil
sediment carried by a river and deposited along its banks
estuary
the place where the river meets the sea
loess soil
windblown dust that builds up and forms a ridge of bluffs as it approaches higher elevations
erosion
wearing away by the action of water or wind
marsh
found only along a coast and is the transition area between land and water
navigable
water is deep enough for safe travel by boat
drainage basin
an area of land that drains into tributaries, or smaller rivers and streams, and eventually into larger rivers
sediment
material that settles to the bottom of a liquid
cutoff lakes
formed when rivers seek shorter, straighter courses through flat terrain
raft lakes
lakes created when huge logjams blocked the flow of a river
marsh lakes
created behind low groups of ridges located in the marshlands that border Louisiana's Gulf Coast
bayou
a waterway that ranges in size from short and shallow to long and navigable
growing season
the number of days between the last killing frost in the spring and the first killing frost in the fall
wetlands
swamps, marshes, and other areas that have a natural supply of water and are covered or soaked with water at least part of the year
subsidence
the slow process of land sinking into the sea
weather
measures the current condition of the atmosphere on any given day
climate
The average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
precipitation
Any form of water that falls from the atmosphere and reaches the ground
hurricane
a violent storm that forms in the Atlantic Ocean during the summer and fall with winds that extend over several hundred miles and move counterclockwise around an "eye