Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
1
Physical Geography of the U.S. & Canada
Chapter 5 Section 1
4
- U.S. & Canada cover 7 million sq. miles
- 12% of Earth
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
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
16
Intermontane Landforms
Columbia Plateau- Created by lava seeping thru cracks Flood basalt Eventually part of crust sank into space left by lava
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)
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
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
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
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
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com Inc.
All rights reserved.