The Geological Pacific Northwest Wednesday September 14, 2011 Pacific Northwest History Mr. Rice

Free Response #2 Please do not simply list the items for this response, tell me what you know about each item. Minimum of 3-5 Sentences Except for the harbor that we live on, what are some different land forms in the state of Washington? (is it all rainy and mountainous?) 5 minutes to finish.

What is Geography? Science that has to deal with the description, distribution, and interaction of the diverse physical biological, and cultural features of the earth. The study of geography and also history (time and place) allows us to understand aspects of peoples lives in history. It allows us to understand the formidable struggles that early pioneers and settlers faced when settling our land.

Washington Basic Information Located between the 46th and 49th parallels north latitude and in between 117 degrees and 125 degrees west longitude. Boundaries – Canada to the North, Oregon to the South, Idaho to the East and the Pacific Ocean to the West. Washington is considered a Hinterland. Because of it’s “far corner” location. Because of it’s late settlement. Because of it’s location from other heavily populated areas. Also a hinterland usually exports raw materials and imported manufactured goods.

Geological Processes The Pacific Northwest’s physical environment is the direct result of unique geological processes. The way our area looks today has been in the making for millions of years. During the region’s geological history important geological processes include: The receding of the Pacific Ocean coastline 300 miles; Colliding tectonic plates; On going mountain building; Erosion caused by numerous alpine glaciers and massive continental glaciers; And many violent volcanic eruptions.

Vocabulary Mountains – High rugged land Plateaus – High, wide, flat land many miles across Mouth of River – where a river opens into a larger body of water Valley or Basin – lower land between mountains and plateaus. Strait – A narrow passage way of water. Bay – A body of water that curves into a coastline Harbor – A sheltered part of a body of water deep enough for anchoring ships Peninsula – A piece of land that is surrounded on three sides by water.

Different Geographic features

The Five Regions of WA The Coastal Range Region The Puget Sound Lowlands The Cascade Range Region The Columbia Plateau Region The Rocky Mountain Region

Five Regional Areas

Coastal Range Region This region lies along the western coastline of the United states. Has some of the greatest diversity and greatest weight of living matter found anywhere in the world. This is the region that is bordered by the ocean in the west and the Olympic Mountains and the Puget sound in the east. Because of the California and Davidson currents, this region has a very mild climate, but is very moist. One result of the region’s mild rainy climate is the abundance and variety of animal and plant life throughout the coastal areas. The main economic activities include fishing, forestry, general farming, and tourism.

Puget Sound Lowlands This region is made up of the area between the eastern base of the Olympic Mountains and the Cascade Range. This region is small (only about 60 miles wide and 400 miles long) but because of it’s natural features is the most heavily populated, urbanized, and industrialized in all the Puget Sound. The climate of the PSL usually has slightly warmer summer and slightly cooler winter temperatures than the Coastal Range Region. This region receives slightly less precipitation than the Coastal Range. The PSL location allows for a strong forest industry (supported by Douglas fir and western red cedar), but also this region produces a variety of vegetables, berries, flower bulbs, nuts and others.

The Cascade Range Region This range consists of the Cascade Mountains, which run from the northern border of Canada all the way to the Northern portion of Oregon. They serve as a rugged division between Eastern and Western Washington. “The Cascade Curtain” Five famous mountains – Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. Baker and Glacier Peak. The Cascade Range Region is sparsely populated, with populations of small communities, but no major cities.

The Washington Rain Shadow

The Columbia Plateau This area is the largest geographic region in the Northwest. It is the worlds second largest lava plateau. Fertile soil makes this region a strong agricultural area. Includes the wheat growing fields of the Palouse and the huge Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. The climate of the plateau is an arid to semiarid region characterized by hot, sunny summers and cold winters. The region’s human inhabitants are unevenly distributed over the area.

The Rocky Mountain Region This region is regionally isolated as well it has a very harsh climate with long winters and short summers. The steep hills are the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Most of the communities are very small and are supported by logging, mining and ranching and farming.