Physical Geography of the U.S. & Canada Chapter 5 Section 1

- U.S. & Canada cover 7 million sq. miles - 12% of Earth

Western Features Pacific Ranges –Formed by colliding plates (Pacific & N.A.) –Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, Alaska Range, and Coastal Mountains (in Canada)

Mt. McKinley (Alaska Range) = tallest peak in N.A. at 20,320 feet

Western Features Great California Valley –alluvial valley –out produces any other region in fruit & vegetable production

In Between Landforms Dry basins and plateaus fill area between Pacific Ranges and Rockies – Why? –rain shadow effect from Pacific Ranges

In Between Landforms Great Basin Region: area of low land surrounded by mts. –Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran, & Chihuahuan Deserts

In Between Landforms –Death Valley: hottest & lowest (282 ft. below sea level) place in N. Am. dancing rocks phenomenon

In Between Landforms Columbia Plateau- –Created by lava seeping thru cracks Flood basalt –Eventually part of crust sank into space left by lava

In Between Landforms Colorado Plateau- –Created by tectonics and erosion (Colo. River) –Grand southern end –Walls as steep as 6,000 ft

Hoover Dam Built on Colorado River b/w Arizona and Nevada ( ) What is purpose of building dam? –to provide irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric- power

Rocky Mountains Formed by collision of N. A. & Pacific plates Stretch more than 3,000 miles from New Mexico to Alaska Some peaks are more than 14,000 ft tall Series of ranges (cordilleras)

Rockies in Alberta, Canada

Continental Divide Divide = high point or ridge that determines the direction that rivers flow –E - toward Arctic Ocean & Atlantic Ocean –W - into the Pacific Ocean

Rivers Main rivers that have headwaters in Rockies –Colorado, Columbia, Rio Grande, Mackenzie, Missouri

Interior Landforms US: between Rockies and Appalachian Canada: between Rockies and Canadian Shield

Interior Landforms Great Plains (aka Interior/High Plains*) –Start at 6,000 ft  gradually slope down about 10 ft/mile from W to E –E of Rockies: extend miles across center of region –“Breadbasket” of the US (Wheat Belt) *depends on source*

Interior Landforms High Plains: primarily W of the 100th meridian –W of meridian= inches of rain (semi- arid); good for rangeland Rain shadow from Rockies –E of meridian= 20+ inches of rain

Interior Landforms Eastern Interior Plains: region most positively affected by glaciers –Typically east of 100 th Meridian inches of rain –Mostly flat w/ some rolling hills –Most fertile soil in world: Corn Belt

Interior Landforms Interior Highlands –Ozarks: Surface is limestone Sinkholes, caves, and springs

Canadian Shield Giant core of bedrock (millions of yrs. old) –Negatively affected by Glaciation: scraped down to bare rock/thin soil Good soil deposited in Great Plains –Only veg. is forests in south –Great for minerals (ores, gold, silver, copper, etc.)

Exposed Precambrian bedrock

Eastern Mountains Appalachians: formed 300 million yrs ago –Oldest mts; eroded to 5,000-6,000 ft –Eastern NA plate collided with African plate –From Quebec to central Alabama –Valleys great for agriculture

Piedmont & Lowlands Piedmont: E of Appalachians –Plateau region that drops (Fall line) into the coastal lowlands –Many 1 st cities originated here: Philadelphia, Richmond, Baltimore, D.C…. WHY? Rapids/waterfalls = hydroelectric power and blocked from moving inland

Lowlands Atlantic Plain- Carolinas, narrower as move North Gulf Coastal Plain- west toward TX

Water US/Canada wealthy b/c of abundant water- power, transportation

Water Mississippi: 2,350 miles –Starts as stream in Minnesota –Gets to width of 1 ½ miles & empties into Gulf of MX –Affects all/part of 31 states and 2 provinces –One of world’s busiest waterways

Water St. Lawrence River: one of Can. most impt. Rivers –From Great Lakes to Atlantic, forms country border Niagara Falls: –Tourist attraction, and major source of hydroelectric power –Form border of Ontario and NY

Water Glacial Lakes –Great Bear Lake & Great Slave Lake formed by glacial dams –Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) formed by glacial gouges St. Lawrence Seaway- series of canals & rivers Helped build industry in NE

Islands NYC’s Manhattan Island: impt. economic center Hawaii: volcanic island state, big tourism Newfoundland, P.E.I., Vancouver I.: Canada’s most impt. Greenland: world’s largest island, Denmark territory (Alaska + TX)

Resources Fuels –petroleum & nat. gas: TX and Alaska, & Alberta lead –Coal: Appalachians, Wyoming, & British Columbia Minerals –Gold, silver, copper: Rockies –Iron & nickel: Canadian Shield

Resources Timber –Today cover <50% of Canada & 1/3 of US –Conservation of forests and animals is high priority Fishing –Grand Banks (Can.), Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of MX Cod fishing banned in Grand Banks in ’92 due to overfishing