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Physical Geography of the U.S. & Canada

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Presentation on theme: "Physical Geography of the U.S. & Canada"— Presentation transcript:

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 Intermontane Landforms
Great Basin Region: area of low land surrounded by mts. Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran, & Chihuahuan Deserts

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

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

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

19 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

20 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)

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22 Rockies in Alberta, Canada

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

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

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

26 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*

27 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

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29 Interior Landforms Eastern Interior Plains: region most positively affected by glaciers Typically east of 100th Meridian 20-40 inches of rain Mostly flat w/ some rolling hills Most fertile soil in world: Corn Belt

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

31 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.)

32 Exposed Precambrian bedrock

33 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

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

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

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

39 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

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

41 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

42 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)

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

44 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 Cod fishing banned in Grand Banks in ’92 due to overfishing


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