NATURAL RESOURCES
NOTES IN SCIENCE 7: UNIT 4
EARTH  people. These materials are grouped into two: Renewable resources and
CHAPTER 10: THE PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO
SCIENCE
GEOGRAPHIC
PROJECTIONS
COORDINATE SYSTEM & MAP
The Earth follows a geographic coordinate sys. that uses longitude
and latitude to point the exact location of places.
Latitude
 Parallel lines to the equator
 Identifies location of NORTH and SOUTH of the equator.
 Starting from the EQUATOR with 0°, succeeding latitudes to north
or south are numbered increasingly in degrees.
Longitude
 Also called as Meridian or International Date Line.
 Locating places WEST or EAST of the PRIME MERIDIAN or the
Greenwich line lies across Greenwich, England that marks 0°. The
succeeding longitudes are numbered increasingly to the west or east
of prime meridian.
TIME ZONE
The time on a specific location on Earth depends on the longitude
position of the sun. To complete a 360° rotation, the Earth takes 24 hours
and rotates 15° for every hour. The time zone is divided 24 lines of
longitudes with 15° each. Every line of longitude represents a specific time
zone. All areas belonging to the same belt of longitude share similar local
time.
An hour is added as you go east from one time zone to another
otherwise, subtract one hour when you travel west.
TOPOGRAPHY
It describes the surface features of an area. It composed of different
kinds of landscapes.
Topographic map shows the different features of an area the
location, landscape and cultural features of a small area.
Mountain
High elevated land form with steep slopes and narrow summit. A
group of mountain ranges is called a mountain system, and a larger group
of mountains ranges and systems is called mountain belt.
Orogeny is the process involved in the formation of mountains. It
involves the process such as folding, faulting, up warping and volcanic
activity.
- Folded mountains are made of rocks that collide from opposite
sides, forming folds. The upward folds are called anticlines and
the downward folds are called synclines.
- Up warped mountains are the result of crustal uplifting in which
the molten rocks under the crust pushed its way up and formed a
dome.
- Fault block mountains are bounded on at least one side by
faults, which are cracks in the crust of the earth movement.
- Volcanic mountains are formed when molten materials are
forced out onto its surface and build up.
Plains
The flat areas that are not so far above sea level.
- Coastal plains are located at the edges of the continents. These
are low, flat areas along the coast, where land and ocean meet.
- Interior plains are found inland.
Plateaus
It is a highland with a top that is broad and flat like a plain. Cliff is
the steep high side of plateaus
Volcano
A hill or mountain formed around a weak area of the earth’s crust
through which molten rock from beneath reaches the surface.
These are the materials that are removed from Earth to be used by the
Nonrenewable resources.
Renewable Resources are materials that are replaceable by nature.
Example of this are Land resources for housing and agriculture, Air
resources from Carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other gases, and Water
resources for food and agriculture too.
Nonrenewable Resources are materials that cannot be replaced or it
will take longer than one generation for these materials to be restored.
Minerals and fossils are the examples of nonrenewable energy. Minerals
can be extracted in ore that are usually acquired through mining. Fossil
fuels, on the other hand, are products of decayed plants and animals that are
preserved in the crust of Earth. Methane, crude oil, and petrochemicals are
among its types.
CHAPTER 11: EARTHQUAKES and FAULTS
FAULTS are fractures on the surface of the Earth result to some
displacement or changes in the position of rocks. It is form when the rocks
reached the elastic limits.
TYPES OF FAULTS
 Normal faults form when the hanging wall drops down. The forces
that create normal faults are pulling the sides apart, or extensional.
 Reverse faults form when the hanging wall moves up. The forces
creating reverse faults are compressional, pushing the sides together.
 Transcurrent or Strike-slip faults have walls that move sideways,
not up or down. It can be a left lateral strike-slip if one crustal block
moves to the left relative to the other side; otherwise, it is a right
lateral strike-slip if the block moves to the right relative to another
block.
An ACTIVE FAULT is those that have moved one or more times in the
last 10 000 years while INACTIVE FAULT is when the faults haven’t
moved for the last 10 000 years.
EARTHQUAKE are vibrations of the Earth cause by rapid release of
energy. It occurs when forces are applied to rocks, when there are
movements along faults and when it reaches its elastic rebound — is the
process of returning to their original shape. Seismic wave is an earthquake
wave.
EARTHQUAKE GENERATORS
 Tectonic earthquake is one that occurs when the earth crust breaks
due to geological forces on rocks and adjoining plates that causes
physical and chemical changes.
 Volcano earthquake is any earthquake that results from tectonic
forces which occur in conjunction with volcanic activity.
 Collapse earthquake is small earthquake in underground caverns and
mines that are caused by seismic waves produced from the explosion
of rocks on the surface.
 Explosion earthquake is an earthquake that is resulted of the
detonation of nuclear and or chemical device. It can create a
microearthquakes.
Earthquake can generate tsunamis in a place like in our country, which is
under Pacific Ring of Fire. Tsunamis or seismic sea waves are not tidal
waves, it is caused by faults on the ocean floor that have moved while
storm surge is caused by strong winds brought by typhoons, storms, or
cyclones that move the surface ocean waters toward the shore. It is an
abnormal, temporary rise in water levels in oceans or lakes.
LOCATION OF EARTHQUAKES
Focus is the place of origin of the earthquake within the earth.
Epicenter is the directly above the focus; it is usually the location that is
reported to the public by seismologists or scientists.
MEASURES OF EARTHQUAKES
Intensity refers to the measure of the effect of an earthquake in an area.
Magnitude is the measure of the amplitude of the largest seismic wave
recorded by seismometer.
John Glenn E. L. © 2019
 PHILVOLCS Earthquake Intensity (PEIS) - an intensity scale
adapted for the Philippine situation developed by Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology. (Look page 77)
Modified Mercalli Scale is used in other parts of the world.
Richter scale developed by Charles Richter from CalTech introduced
the concept of magnitude in 1935 and used the measure of magnitude all
over the world. It is expressed in Hindu Arabic numerals and uses a
logarithmic scale, which means that each whole number increase represent
a tenfold increase; 30 times greater with increasing whole number.
What to do Before, During, and After an Earthquake.
(pages 79-80)
KINDS OF SEISMIC WAVES
These are the body waves because they travel through the interior of the
earth.
 Primary waves or P waves travel parallel to the direction of
propagation of an earthquake. The first to arrive at a seismic station.
It can travel through solids and liquids
 Secondary waves or S waves travel perpendicular to the direction
of propagation of an earthquake. It arrives after the P waves. It can
travel through solids
 Surface waves are the only waves that travel only through the
surface of the earth. It moves up and down and side to side.
LAYERS OF THE EARTH
 Crust is the outermost layer and the thinnest part of the interior. 5
to 10 kilometers for oceanic crust and 20 to 60 kilometers for
continental crust.
 Mantle is the thickest layer which measures about 2 885
kilometers. It is mostly solids and some part of it is liquid.
 Outer core is the liquid outer core with thickens of about 2 270
kilometers.
 Inner core is a solid innermost layer which is about 1 216
kilometers thick. It composed of metallic, mostly iron and nickel.
Andrija Mohorovicic presented a data showing that the velocity of
seismic waves suddenly increased at about 50 kilometers below the surface
of the earth. This marks the boundary between the crust and the mantle —
Mohorovicic discontinuity or Moho. Beno Gutenberg observed the
behavior of P and S waves to locate the layers of the earth.
To Locate the epicenter of an earthquake, you have to determine the
time of the P and S wave arrival from the seismographs.
CHAPTER 12: INTERACTION IN THE
ATMOSPHERE
Earth is completely surrounded by a sea of air known as the
atmosphere. It is a mixture of many gases such as Nitrogen, Oxygen,
Argon, Carbon dioxide, Hydrogen, Neon, Helium, Krypton, Xenon, and
Radon.
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
It is characterized by the different layers that compose it.
Based on temperature variations, four layers of the atmosphere have been
identified:
a. Troposphere is the bottom 16 to 18 km layer of the earth’s
atmosphere where winds, clouds, and water vapor are found. The
air grows colder as one goes up higher, as when climbing high
elevations.
b. Stratosphere is the region with an altitude of about 50 km where
air grows warmer
c. Mesosphere which extends upward from about 50 km to 85 km. in
this layer, meteors are burned into smaller fragments and appear as
shooting star.
d. Thermosphere lies above mesopause, about 80 km from the
surface of earth. In this region, the air is very thin and is intensely
heated by the sun’s rays. This region is bombarded with highly
charged particles.
Based on the distribution of gases in the atmosphere.
a. Homosphere is the bottom of 90 km of the atmosphere where there
is continuous movement of air masses. As a result, N 2 and O2
gases are well mixed.
b. Heterosphere is the outer portion of the atmosphere where no
mixing of gases takes place. As a result, the gases tend to
separate in layers.
Based on the distribution of reactive form of oxygen and electrically
charged particles.
a. Ozonosphere is about 70 km of the atmosphere where ozone is
found. it is also called as stratospheric ozone.
b. Ionosphere is the region of the atmosphere which is sufficiently
ionized by solar ultraviolet radiation. Ions and electrons are
trapped by magnetic field and form a layers D, E, and F layers
that reflect radio waves.
c. Exosphere is the layer in which particles are very far apart and can
travel great distances without hitting each other. Artificial
satellites for television transmission and telephone
communications that orbit the earth are located in this layer.
AIR MOVEMENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE
The Earth receives energy from the sun. This energy is the source of
the surface heat of the Earth. Also, this energy from the sun warms the
atmosphere and produces currents of air called wind.
Heat Energy can be transferred due to the differences of
temperature. They said to be that only 5% from incoming solar radiation
are reflected by the surface, 50% are absorbed by surface, 25% are
scattered by clouds and air, and the 20% are absorbed by clouds and the
atmosphere.
Local winds over shorter distances as compared with global winds.
 Sea breeze, during daytime, the air over land is warmer than the air
over a nearby body of water. The warm air over the land rises
while the cool air over the sea replaces the warm air over the
land.
 Land breeze, during the night, the land is cooler than sea, since
land cools off faster than water, in this case, the warm air over
the sea rises and is replaced by the cool air from the land.
 Prevailing winds are winds that blow from only one direction over
the period of time. The three prevailing wind systems in the
Philippines are the northeast monsoon or amihan, southwest
monsoon or habagat, and the northeast trade winds. A monsoon
is a wind that changes its direction along with its seasons.
 Surface winds are calm and almost motionless. A windless at the
equator is called doldrums.
 Trade winds move towards the equator replacing the doldrums.
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is the area where trade winds
converge, resulting to the rising air near the equator. This area receives
direct rays from the sun, the air warms constantly, resulting to high
amounts of precipitation.
CHAPTER 13: SEASONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Position of the Earth
Geocentric model proposes earth is the center of the universe while in
Heliocentric model, the sun is the center of the universe. Nicolas
Copernicus proposed this theory.
Motion of the Earth
The gravitational force of the sun pulls each planet in solar system, thus
resulting to elliptical paths called orbits. Earth has two motions — rotation
and revolution. Rotation is turning motion of an object around its axis. It
takes 24 hrs to complete the rotation. The revolution is the circling of an
object about another through its orbit and it takes 365 ¼ days to finish this.
Shape of the Earth
The earth is an oblate spheroid that bulges at the equator and flattens at the
poles.
Seasons of the Earth
The four major seasons of the Earth are winter, spring, summer, and
autumn while the countries near at the equation have only two major
seasons: the wet and dry season.
John Glenn E. L. © 2019

CHAPTER 14 UNDERSTANDING TYPHOON
CYCLONES are the winds that are spiraling inwardly in a
counterclockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in clockwise
direction in the Southern Hemisphere.
Types of Cyclones
The following types and names for tropical cyclones depends on the
location or the area of origin.
 Typhoons – strong tropical cyclones that develop in Western North
Pacific.
 Hurricanes – cyclone appears in the North Atlantic, Central and
Eastern North Pacific, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico.
 Severe Cyclonic Storms – Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea.
 Severe Tropical Cyclones – Western South Pacific and Southeast
Indian Ocean
 Tropical Cyclones – Southwest Indian Ocean
How Typhoons Develop
It forms in the warm, moist air of the tropics mostly coming from the
ocean.
1. Formation of thunderstorm
2. The thunderstorm moves because of winds
3. The moisture from warm ocean feeds the thunderstorm
4. Converting the moisture to heat.
5. The thunderstorm attracts more moisture from ocean, making them
larger.
6. The Coriolis force makes this air mass rotates or moves in
counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in
the Southern Hemisphere.
7. Air at the center of this growing spiraling mass rises rapidly and
condenses into clouds and rain.
8. The additional condensation releases large amounts of heat into
the atmosphere.
9. It produces even lower surface pressure and stronger winds.
10. The birth of the cyclones
11. The air sinks at the center of the cyclone, creating an
eye, where the winds are calm. The strongest winds occur on the
sides of the eye called eyewall.
The cyclones weaken as they move toward the land.
1. The moist air of the ocean is destroyed or gone.
Kinds of Cyclones
(Philippine Setting)
 Tropical Disturbance – poorly developed wind circulation of weak
velocities
 Tropical Depression – weak low-pressure disturbance with a
definite surface circulation
 Tropical Storm – moderate tropical cyclone
 Typhoon – intense tropical cyclone
Why Philippines is prone to Typhoons?
 Philippines is prone to typhoons, since it is located a few degrees
north of the equator.
 Part of the tropical regions of Earth.
 Lies just adjacent to the large Pacific Ocean, which is exposed to
the main factory of tropical cyclones.
 We are under the Pacific Ring of Fire.
CHAPTER 15: MEMBERS of SOLAR SYSTEM
ASTEROIDS
 Are small rocky bodies that orbit around the sun.
 Greek word asterocides which means star-like
 Its sizes range from a dust particle to nearly 1000 km wide
 A large number of asteroids can be found between the orbits of
Mars and Jupiter, forming the asteroid belt.
 Planetoids or Minor Planets are term for large asteroids
 Group of asteroids depending on the characteristics of their spectra:
a) C-Type (rich in Carbon)
b) E-Type (rich in enstatite)
c) M-Type (Metallic asteroids)
d) S-Type (Stony asteroids)
 Ceres
The largest asteroid with 975 km diameter
The first asteroid to be discovered
Discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801
Sir William Hershel proposed to called the new bodies
asteroids since they had little or no planetary discs and were
easily distinguishable from stars because of their apparent
motions.
 2 Pallas
The second largest asteroid with 523 km diameter
 4 Vesta
The third largest asteroid with 500 km diameter
COMETS
 Celestial object which has nucleus made of ice and dust that forms
as a tail of gas pointing away from the sun.
 Greek word kometes which means long-haired.
 Three main parts: Nucleus, Coma, and Tail
o Nucleus is made up of rock, ice, dust, and gases, such as
carbon dioxide, methane, at ammonia.
o Coma consists of gases and dust surrounds the nucleus
o Tail begins to form when a comet approaches the sun, the
solar radiation partly vaporizes its nucleus and causes the
formation of its long tail.
 They are often grouped depending on the duration of their orbital
period. The longer the period, the more elongated the ellipse.
Periodic comets or Short-Period comets with orbital
periods of less 200 years.
Long-period comet with orbital periods of 200 years or
more.
METEROIDS
 Meteors or popularly known as shooting star
 If meteoroid enters the atmosphere, a streak of light becomes
visible. The friction between the meteoroid and air in the earth
atmosphere produces the shooting starlight.
 Meteor Shower is a phenomenon when the number of meteor
sightings increases or exceeds to 60 or more in an hour. It said to
occur when a large number of meteoroids travel in the same
direction and reach the surface of the earth with nearly the same
speed.
 Meteorite is called when a meteoroid manages to pass through the
atmosphere and to strike the ground.
o Iron meteorites are composed of mostly iron and 5 to 20
percent nickel.
o Stony meteorites are made of silicate minerals as well as
other minerals
o Stony-iron meteorites have a stony and iron composition.
CHAPTER 16: ECLIPSES
Features of the Moon
The light areas that are observed are called highlands while the dark areas
are the lowlands. The lowlands are called maria. These are the craters due
to the impact of meteors that strike its surface and previous volcanic
activities. The marias of moon are Sea of Cold, Sea of Serenity, Sea of
Tranquility, Sea of Storm, Sea of Fertility, Sea of Nectar, and the Sea of
Vapors.
Phases of the Moon
The moon appears due to the light from the sun. as the moon revolves
around Earth, the different positions expose parts of the moon to sunlight.
New moon occurs when the moon lies between the sun the earth followed
John Glenn E. L. © 2019
by the waxing phases: waxing crescent, the first quarter crescent, and the
waxing gibbous. Waxing means the light is increasing. After the waxing
phases, full moon will occur. Illuminating the whole surface of the moon.
The waning phases will be observed after full moon. Namely, waning
gibbous, the third quarter waning, and the waning crescent. In waning
phases, the light is decreasing.
Eclipses
The passing of one object into the shadow of the other object is called
eclipse. Lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes through the
shadow of the Earth. This happens when earth is in between the sun and the
moon. When the moon is directly in between the sun and the earth, solar
eclipse occurs. In solar eclipse, earth is in the shadow of the new moon. In
eclipse the shadows are formed, the small, completely dark inner shadow in
called umbra. The umbra is surrounded by a larger partial shadow called
penumbra.

John Glenn E. L. © 2019