Queen’s Valley School

3. OUR CHANGING EARTH

Geography
CLASS 7
Session:2020-21

IMPORTANT FACTS
1. The force and duration of an earthquake is measured with a machine called
seismograph.
2. A numerical scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake based on the
readings of seismograph is called Richter scale.
3. An earthquake of magnitude 2.0 0n Richter scale is not effective while the one with
7.0 magnitude causes a lot of damages.
4. A massive earthquake measuring 6.9 on Richter scale hit Bhuj on 26th January, 2001.
5. The highest waterfall is Angel Falls of Venezuela in South America.

Answer the following questions:

Q1. Give reasons.
Some rocks have a shape of a mushroom.
Strong winds in the deserts erode the lower section of the rock more than the upper part. Such
rocks have a narrower base and wider top. Their shape resembles a mushroom.

Flood plains are very fertile.

Flood plains are formed by the sediments brought down by the river, which make it fertile.

Sea caves are turned into stacks.

This is the result of the erosion caused by the sea waves.

Buildings collapse due to earthquakes.

This happens because of the vibration of the ground which shakes the foundation of the
buildings.
Q2. Differentiate between exogenic and endogenic forces.
Ans.
Exogenic Forces Endogenic Forces
These forces work on the surface of the earth These forces work in the interior of the earth
eg. river, wind, sea-waves or glaciers. eg. movement of tectonic plates
They lead to the erosion and deposition of the They lead to earthquakes, volcanoes,
land eg. flood plains, beaches, sand dunes landslides and the formation of the
etc. mountains.

Q3. How are flood plains formed?

Ans.
Formation of flood plains-
1. Overflowing river bank leads to the flooding of the neighboring areas.
2. River water deposits a layer of fine soil and sediments along it bank.
3. This leads to the formation of flat fertile floodplain.
Q4. What are ox bow lakes? How are they formed?
Ans.
 As the river enters the plains, it forms large bends or loops called meanders.
 The speed of the river is high on the outside of the bend because of which a lot of
erosion takes place.
 The river is slow on the inside of the bend and leaves deposits there.
 As a result of this erosion and deposition, the bends become wider and join to form a
single stream of water.
 At this stage, a meander cuts off from the main river to form a lake called the ox bow
lake.
 This ox bow lake gradually dries up due to zero supply of water.

Q5. Write a short note on movement of lithospheric plates.

Ans.
 The plates move due to molten magma inside the earth over which these plates swim.
 The movement of these plates causes changes on the surface of the earth.
 These plates move around very slowly, just a few millimetres each year.

Q6. How are deltas formed?

Ans.
 The river becomes slow when it approaches the sea.
 The sediments that the river is carrying get deposited near the mouth.
 Here the river breaks up into small streams called distributaries.
 This network of distributaries is called delta.
 Delta is triangular in shape and is very fertile.
Q7. Compare between sand dunes and loess deposits.
Ans.
Sand dunes
When the wind stops blowing in the deserts, the coarse sand falls and get deposited in low
hill like structures. These are called sand dunes.
Loess
When the grains of sand are very fine and light, the wind can carry it over very long
distances. Such sand is deposited in large areas and is called loess. Loess can be found in
China.
Q8. Define the following terms.
Lithospheric Plates
The lithosphere is broken into a number of small and large plates known as lithospheric
plates.
Erosion
Wearing away of the landscape by agents like water, wind and ice
Levees
The slightly raised river banks are called levees.
Beaches
The sea waves deposit sediments along the shores forming beaches.
Earthquake
When the lithospheric plates move, the surface of the earth vibrates. These vibrations are
called earthquakes.
Q9. What are sea caves, sea arches and stacks?
Ans.
a. Sea Caves- Sea waves strike at the rocks and cracks develop. Over time hollow like
caves are formed on the rocks.
b. Sea Arches- When sea caves or cavities become bigger and only roof of the cave
remain, sea arches are formed.
c. Stacks- When the roof of the sea arches is also eroded by the sea waves, only wall
like structures are left which are called stacks.
d. Sea Cliff- steep rocky coast rising vertically above sea water is known as sea cliff.

Activity

Draw the diagrams of the following in the notebook:

1. Floodplains
2. Meanders and ox- bow lakes
3. Volcano
4. Earthquake

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
1. Name three types of earthquake waves. (Refer pg. no.13 )
2. Name the place where the earthquake starts? (Refer pg. no.13 )
3. How do the earthquake vibrations travel from the epicenter? (Refer pg. no.13)
4. What is a volcano? (Refer pg. no.13 )
5. How can we save ourselves during an earthquake? (Refer pg. no.14 )
6. What is weathering of rocks? (Refer pg. no.15)
7. How is a waterfall formed? (Refer pg. no.15 )
8. Describe the coastal landforms formed by the sea waves. (Refer pg. no.16 )
9. How are beautiful lakes formed in the mountains? (Refer pg. no.16 )
10. Define – glacial moraines. (Refer pg. no.16 )