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GRADE 8 GEOGRAPHY TERM TWO Notes

The document covers Grade 8 Geography topics including maps, globes, latitude and longitude, and climate regions. It explains how latitude, distance from the sea, altitude, ocean currents, and mountains influence temperature and rainfall. Additionally, it discusses South Africa's climate and the factors affecting it, such as geographical features and ocean currents.

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Connor B
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2K views8 pages

GRADE 8 GEOGRAPHY TERM TWO Notes

The document covers Grade 8 Geography topics including maps, globes, latitude and longitude, and climate regions. It explains how latitude, distance from the sea, altitude, ocean currents, and mountains influence temperature and rainfall. Additionally, it discusses South Africa's climate and the factors affecting it, such as geographical features and ocean currents.

Uploaded by

Connor B
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GRADE 8 GEOGRAPHY TERM ONE

Module one: Maps and Globes

Maps and Globes

Maps & atlases Globe Satellite Image

Unit one

Latitude & Longitude = degrees & minutes

 Latitude = lines than run around a globe/map


 Longest latitude = 0° = Equator
 Other latitudes run parallel to equator
 Each line is numbered from 0° @equator to 90°N – North Pole and 90°S –
South Pole
 Latitude of a place is a degree N or S of the equator

Locate: to find the exact position


Latitude: lines that run from E to W
Equator: longest line of latitude = 0°
Parallel: lines that are the same distance apart
Longitude: lines that run from N to S joining at the poles
Greenwich Meridian: 0° longitude – passes through Greenwich
Co-ordinates: Sets of degrees and directions used to find exact position of
something on a map
Minute: one 6oth of a degree
Scale: size of something

Longitude:
 Lines on a map/globe that join the North and South Pole
 0° runs through Greenwich near London
 0° = Greenwich Meridian or Prime Meridian
 Line run east or west of Greenwich Meridian
 Longitude of a place is E or W of Greenwich
If we know the latitude and longitude or co-ordinates of a place we can find it on a
map.

Degrees and Minutes


It is more accurate to divide each degree up into smaller units called minutes
Each degree = 60 minutes
Minutes abbreviated =
Kinds of scale in an atlas (world, regional, local)
Remember, small scale map – small amount of detail about a large area
- Maps of world or continents
Large scale map gives a large amount of detail about a small area
- Maps of provinces or towns

Atlas – Maps have scale showed underneath or side of map


Scale can be shown as: word scale/ line scale/ ratio scale

Inquisitive: wanting to know more information


Container ship: ship carrying large boxes (container) with goods in

Scale = 3 ways
1. Word scale = a statement
One centimetre on the map equals one kilometer on the ground
2. Linear Scale
Line drawn on a map/showing cms = to km
3. Ratio
- Fraction = 1(map): 50 000 (ground)

Scale
Word scale
One centimetre on the map represents 1 cm represents 30 km
- Large scale map
1 cm represents 1000 km
1 cm on the map represents 1000km on the ground
- Map of the world
- Small scale map

Unit two: The globe


Latitude
Longest latitude is Equator = 0° divides earth into north & south hemisphere
Arctic Circle/ Tropic of Cancer
Equator: Tropic of Capricorn/ Antarctic Circle
Longitude: 0° - Greenwich Meridian divides earth into East & West hemisphere

Orbit: path of planet around the sun


Hemisphere: half the earth
Axis: imaginary line that earth rotates on
Rotation: movement from west to east

Earth’s Rotation – Day and Night


Earth’s turn of axis from west to east, 1600km per hour to complete a rotation in 24
hours

Day/Night
Different parts of the world have day and night at different times
24 hours to complete a rotation

One hour time difference every 15° longitude

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) 0° Longitude


- World Standard time
- EAST GM = ahead TIME
- WEST GM = behind time
- Every 15° is one hour ahead or behind

South African Standard Time


SA = between 17°E and 33°E longitude (33 – 17)
16 x 4 = 64 (one hour)
But whole of SA is on one time zone to make it more convenient

Time Zone and International Date Line

Australia has 3 time zones


America has 5 time zones
Each time zone uses a line of longitude which is in 15°S

International Date Line


 Not straight like other longitude
 Does not pass over land
 People who live there can’t keep losing or gaining a day every time they
cross the line
 180°

Earth’s Revolution around the sun


 Earth’s revolves around the sun
 It takes 365,5 days (year) to revolve around the sun
 Orbit = planets path around the sun
 Revolution gives us season E.G. when earth faces sun = summer
 Earth is tilted on axis axis passes through centre/ axis is tilted at 23,5°
Equinox, Solstice
Summer Solstice
 Longest day of the year
 Mid-summer
 Sun is above Tropic of Capricorn
 21 December

Winter Solstice
 Shortest day of year
 Mid-winter
 Sun is above Tropic of Cancer

Autumn Equinox – 21 March


Spring Equinox – 23 September

GRADE 8 GEOGRAPHY TERM TWO

CLIMATE REGIONS

 Factors that influence temperature and rainfall


 South Africa’s climate
 Climate around the world

Unit one: Factors that influence temperature and rainfall


5 factors that influence temperature and rainfall
1. Distance from the equator (latitude)
2. Distance from the sea
3. Height above sea level (altitude)
4. Ocean currents
5. Mountains (relief)

1. Distance from the equator (latitude)


Distance from the equator is measured in degrees of latitude
Equator = 0°
North Pole = 90°N
South Pole = 90°S

Effects of Latitude on temperature


Temperatures = highest at equator coldest at poles
High temperatures between the tropics – Capricorn and Cancer 23, 5°S 25, 5°N

Vapour: gas form from a substance that is usually a liquid or solid


Condenses: when gas cools down and changes into a liquid
Sinks: goes down
Evaporating: liquid changing into gas

When the sun’s rays strike the planet at a large angle it gets much hotter than
when the angle is small

Effect of latitude on rainfall


Air contains water – in the form of has - called water vapour. For rain to fall - water
vapour must condense
Air rises at same latitudes and sinks at other latitudes. More rain at latitudes with
rising air.

2. Distance from the sea


 Effect on temperature
 Places nearer the coast have a small temperature range between summer
and winter
 Places far from the coast have big temperature ranges between summer and
winter
Summer
Continents heat up faster than the ocean. Cool winds blow onshore from the ocean,
cooling the land. Places far from the sea don’t get these cooling breezes.
Winter
Ocean cools slower than land. Warm winds blow onshore warming land – places far
from the coast don’t get the breeze.
Sea = moderating effect on temperature

Effect on rainfall
 Coastal places can be wetter. Warm, moist winds blowing from the sea – land
bring rain. By the time the wind reaches inland the rain is lost. Rain does
form inland. Distance from the sea does not always affect amount of rain

3. Height above sea level (altitude)


Sea level = 0m
Cape Town and Durban = 0m
Mountains = thousands of metres above sea level

 Effect on temperature
High above sea level = colder than sea level places
Altitude = height above sea level
Temperature = decreases with altitude

 Effect on rainfall
 Altitude does not affect its rainfall. Low altitude can have lots of rain or only a
little rainfall

4. Ocean Currents
Ocean currents = streams of water that move through the sea.
Current affect temperature because water temperature affects the temperature of
wind blowing over it. Cold current lowers the temperature.
Warm current raises the temperature
Coast next to warm current gets more rain. Wind blows over warm current – wind
holds more moisture evaporating from the sea.

Windward: side of a mountain against which the wind blows


Descends: goes down
Leeward: the side of a mountain that is sheltered from the wind
Rainshadow: dry area on the leeward side of a mountain
Relief: variation in elevation of land surface, land having flat parts and
mountainous parts

Wind blowing over cold current won’t collect that much moisture – dry over land
and less rain.

5. Mountains (relief)
Mountains affect both temperature and rainfall Cold @top of mountain
Temperature decreases with altitude. Top of mountain cooler than base
That’s why there is often snow on the top of the mountain
If a warm, moist, wind blows from the ocean towards a mountain it brings rain to
the side of the mountain facing rain – the windward side.
The air is forced to rise over the mountains and cools and condenses. The air then
descends on the leeward side. The air is dry and no or little rain on leeward side.
Leeward side is said to be in the rainshadow.

Unit 2: South Africa’s climate


 Physical map: shows mountains and rivers
 Mountain range: a line of mountains
 Plateau: a large area of flat land that is high above sea level
 Coastal plain: an area of flat land along the coast
 Escarpment: long steep slope that separates high ground from low ground
Physical map shows height of land above sea level. Altitude is height above sea
level and is measured in metres. Most of SA is 1000m above sea level. This is a
plateau. Highest part of a plateau

GRADE 8 GEOGRAPHY TERM 2


1. Factors that influence temperature & rainfall
2. SA’S climate
3. Climate around the world

1. Factors that influence temperature and rainfall


1. Distance from the equator (latitude)
2. Distance from the sea
3. Height above sea level (latitude)
4. Ocean currents
5. Mountains (relief)

1. Distance from the equator (latitude)


Equator = 0° latitude – divided the earth into north & south hemisphere

Temperatures decrease further north or south of the equator = temperatures


decreases with latitude
Temperature = hottest @ equator because its gets most direct sunlight
At Poles = sun rays spread over larger area

Sun’s rays strike earth @ different angles. Temperature @ poles is lower because
rays have further to travel and are spread out. At equator rays strike directly over a
small area so it is hotter.
Earth is tilted on axis – equator gets 12 hours of sun a day so average temperature
is higher. North & South – gets less sun – less heat during winter

Rainfall
Higher temperature = more evaporation higher humidity = higher rainfall
Rainfall is higher closer to the equator

2. Distance from the sea


Temperature
Liquids & solids heat up differently. Solar radiation can penetrate further into water
– so takes longer to warm up than solids. Solar radiation cannot penetrate solid –
only heats up surface
Further away from sea = hotter summers & cooler winters. Sea places in summer
and warms places in winter.
Sea = regulating effect

3. Height above sea level (altitude)


Temperature
Altitude = height above sea level
Temperature decreases with height
Higher the altitude = colder the place
Solar radiation heats little of the atmosphere
Solar radiation heats the surface of the earth
This heat is transferred as terrestrial radiation from the land and water to the air
Air molecules are concentrated closer to the ground, air lower down absorbs more
heat
Higher up = fewer air molecules = air is thinner
Air high up = does not absorb heat = cooler
Breathing more difficult @ higher altitude = less oxygen
Drop in temperature = 6, 5 °C for every 1000m

4. Ocean Currents
Temperature
Ocean Currents = water that constantly moves near the surface of the ocean
Currents = caused by winds, temperature, rotation of earth
Some currents are warm, some cold
Warm currents come from equator region
Cold currents come from polar regions
Warm Agulhas current & cold Benguela current affect temperature in SA - Durban
(hot) Agulhas - Cape Town (cooler) Benguela

Rainfall
Air above warm ocean is warm – high evaporation
When air cools – condensation – rainfall
Warm current = high rainfall
Air above cold ocean is cold – little evaporation so little rainfall

5. Mountains (relief)
Temperature
Relief = lay of land
- Mountains – slopes – flat areas
The position of the slope – the amount of sunlight
Southern hemisphere: north facing slope – more sun, so they warmer
Opposite true in northern hemisphere
Indirect sunlight = move in shade

Rainfall
Mountains can affect the amount of rain
Warm moist air blows up side of mountain, cools because of altitude – condenses &
forms rain clouds. This slope gets rain – the air moves over mountain & down –
warms up – moisture evaporates. Warmer slopes is drier = Rain shadow

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