【People's Education Press】High School Geography: Selective Compulsory Course 1: Shaping the Earth's Surface – The Dynamic Interplay of Internal and External Forces

Imagine Earth as an endless "sculpting laboratory." In this lab, landforms are not static but the result of a long-term "dynamic interplay" between two powerful forces:internal forcesandexternal forcesthis enduring 'dynamic struggle'.

1. Internal Forces: The 'Founders' of Landforms

internal forcesenergy primarily originates from Earth's internal heat. It acts throughtectonic movements(crustal movements), volcanic activity, and metamorphism, causing displacement or deformation of the lithosphere. Its overall trend is to make Earth's surface more uneven, establishing the fundamental framework of large-scale landforms (such as mountains and basins).

2. External Forces: The 'Sculptors' of the Earth

external forcesare primarily driven by solar radiation and gravity, involvingweathering,erosion,transportationanddeposition. It acts like an invisible chisel, continuously flattening mountains and filling valleys. Its overall trend is to smooth out Earth's surface relief.

Key Insight

Landforms result from the combined action of internal and external forces. Although one force may dominate in specific locations and times, both remain in a constant dialectical struggle.

QUESTION 1

[Short Answer] [Reading Context: Internal forces can be gentle or intense, always leaving traces on the surface or underground rock layers. ... The cone had risen to 45 meters by noon and reached 135 meters after one week.] What type of internal force caused these phenomena?

Volcanic Activity

QUESTION 2

[Short Answer] [Reading Context: ...The cone had risen to 45 meters by noon and reached 135 meters after one week.] Infer the processes behind phenomena a and b.

Tectonic Movement and Magma Eruption

QUESTION 3

[Short Answer] [Reading Context: ...After one week, it had grown to 135 meters.] Compare the time scales of these phenomena. Discuss your understanding of how landform changes can be both 'rapid' and 'extremely slow'.

The time scale of internal forces varies greatly

QUESTION 4

[Short Answer] What environmental impacts might land reclamation from the sea have?

Altering coastal ecosystems and sediment balance

QUESTION 5

[Short Answer] [Image: Fig 2.25 Road selection in mountainous area showing a river valley and contour lines] What natural factors were considered when planning the road route? How were they addressed in relation to these factors?

Topography and Slope