1. Physical Geography of the U.S. & Canada

6. Intermontane Landforms

7. Bonneville Salt Flats (UT)- speed record tested here b/c of flat land, openess

8. Intermontane Landforms
Death Valley:
hottest & lowest in US (134° in 1913)
<2” of rain each year
dancing rocks phenomenon

9. Grand Canyon

10. Hoover Dam Built on Colorado River b/w Arizona and Nevada (1931-1935)
What is purpose of building dam?
to provide irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric-power

11. Piedmont & Lowlands Piedmont: E of Appalachians
Plateau drops (Fall Line) into the coastal lowlands
Many 1st cities originated here- WHY?
Rapids/waterfalls = hydroelectric power and blocked from moving inland

15. 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 (reason for success)

16. 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.)

17. Exposed Precambrian bedrock

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

20. Rocky Mountains Formed by uplift (shocks)
Stretch more than 3,000 miles from New Mexico to Alaska
Series of ranges (cordilleras)

21. Grand Tetons, Wyoming

22. Rockies in Alberta, Canada

23. 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

25. Continental Divide
Divide = high point or ridge that determines the direction that rivers flow

27. Interior Landforms Great Plains (aka Interior/High Plains*)
Start at 6,000 ft gradually slope down about from W to E
Wheat Belt
*depends on source*

29. Interior Landforms High Plains: primarily W of the 100th meridian
10-20 inches of rain (semi-arid); good for rangeland

30. 100th Meridian

31. Interior Landforms
Eastern Interior Plains: region most positively affected by glaciers
Typically east of 100th Meridian
20-40 inches of rain
Most fertile soil in world: Corn Belt

32. Natural Resources Fuels
Petroleum & Nat. Gas: TX  and Alaska, & Alberta lead
Coal: Appalachians, Wyoming, & British Columbia
Many cities in Appalachians are dying as coal becomes more dangerous to use, less impt.

33. Natural Resources Timber Fishing
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 (water everywhere )
Cod fishing banned in Grand Banks in ’92 due to overfishing