Cardinal Points, Continents, Maps, Sun, Moon, and GIS
The Four Cardinal Points
- North
- South
- East
- West
The Continents
- North America
- South America
- Europe
- Africa
- Asia
- Antarctica
- Oceania
North
- True North: The geographic North Pole to which the Earth revolves.
- Grid North: North based on the design of a map.
- Magnetic North: The magnetic point of the North to which a compass points.
Maps
- Topographic Map: Shows the shape of the Earth’s surface using elevation contour lines. Thanks to these maps, we can know in detail the surface of a terrain.
- Thematic Map: Displays information, usually with colors, about a specific subject like population density or climate. It informs us of something that happens, such as a natural disaster.
- Geological Map: Shows the different types of rocks and resources on or near the Earth’s surface. It also shows fault lines, foliations, and folds. It is useful to know the territory and also the natural resources.
- Political Map: Used to show the boundaries of countries, states, cities, and counties, among other regions.
- Physical Map: Shows physical features as they appear to the eye from above as best as possible in 2D, showing the natural landscape features of the Earth. They use different colors to show the elevation of land or sea level elevation, rivers, lakes, and seas. Glaciers or ice caps are also shown. They are useful because they help us know about the features of Earth and its landforms.
- Road Map: Shows roads and other routes of transportation, as well as political boundaries. They also generally show points of interest, such as tourist sites and recreational facilities.
Anatomy of the Sun
Sun’s Core: Part of the Sun’s inner layer, the hottest part of the Sun. Hydrogen is converted into helium here in a process called nuclear fusion.
It is only due to the immense pressure here that four positively charged hydrogen atoms can collide to form helium.
Radioactive Zone: Part of the Sun’s inner layer. The area of the Sun in which radiation is carried outwards toward the surface in a process that can take roughly 1,000,000 years.
Convection Zone: Outermost part of the Sun’s interior. In this zone, the radiation meets other ions such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, calcium, and iron, which trap and slow down the radiation’s advance until it convects.
Photosphere: The visible “surface” of the Sun. This is part of the convection zone and goes from the surface and extends 100km inwards. This is where we can see things such as sunspots.
The Chromosphere: Thin magnetic layer of the Sun’s atmosphere that holds onto the electrically charged solar plasma. This is where filaments/prominences occur.
The Corona: The outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere, visible during a solar eclipse. The hottest part of the Sun’s atmosphere. Corona: roughly 1,000,000°C. Chromosphere: roughly 10,000°C. Photosphere: roughly 5,000°C.
Coronal Streamers: The outward-flowing plasma of the corona is shaped by magnetic field lines into tapered forms called coronal streamers, which extend millions of miles into space.
Anatomy of the Moon
The anatomy of the Moon consists of six parts. The first one is the crust, which is made of anorthosite and is about 50 km thick. Then we have the upper mantle, which consists of olivine, orthopyroxene, and clinopyroxene. Then we have the middle mantle, which consists of denser rocks and elements like iron and magnesium. Then we have the lower mantle, which is denser than the outer core and much hotter than the other mantles. Then we have the outer core, which is made of iron and is a bit liquid and also very hot. Finally, we have the inner core, which is a hot ball of solid iron.
GIS
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system that creates, manages, analyzes, and maps all data types. It provides a basis for mapping and is used in science and almost every industry. It helps users understand patterns, relationships, and geographic context. Benefits include improved communication and efficiency.
Some Examples of Uses of GIS
Google Maps: A system that uses street view imagery to generate various forms of directions. It is used to find which road people should take in order to get wherever they want.
Google Earth: A system that allows the visualization, assessment, overlay, and creation of geospatial data. It is used for remote sensing research, predicting disease outbreaks, natural resource management, and more.
Urban Planning: GIS data analyzes urban growth and the direction of the expansion. It is used to develop and design urban areas to meet the needs of a community. The benefit of urban planning is that it helps to transform vision into implementation, using space as a key resource for development. Urban planning also contributes to having better public health, a better economy, reducing vehicle emissions, and a lot of other benefits.
Coordinates
Degrees, minutes, and seconds: 41°24′12.2″N 2°10’26.5″E.