1. Landscape Development & Environmental Change

2. Landscapes: the features of Earth’s surface
Stream Drainage: the shape of the stream in an area
Landscape: topography
slope of the land, shape, stream drainage patterns, soil properties, evidences of human occupation.
Stream drainiage – as viewed from the sky

3. Mountains, Plateaus, & Plains
Based on gradient, elevation, & rock structure.
Mountains: high elevation, steep gradient, and distorted rock structures.
Mostly igneous and metamorphic rock
Adirondack Mountains, NY

4. Mountains, Plateaus, & Plains
Plateaus: high elevation, flat slope, undistorted horizontal rock structure.

6. Mountains, Plateaus, & Plains
Plains: low elevation, flat surface, usually sedimentary rocks
Could be metamorphic rocks – eroded mountains.

7. Landform Regions of the Unites States

10. Factors of Landscape Development
Uplifting forces and leveling forces can form and change landscapes.
Impact events can also change landscapes.
Sources of energy:
Uplifting: heat from Earth’s interior / mantle convection
Leveling: insolation & gravity
Uplifting forces – tectonic forces (bc they are due to movement of Earth’s plates). Volcanic action, earthquakes,
Leveling forces – destructive forces (weathering, erosion, deposition, sinking).
Sources – uplifting – radioactive materials and leftover heat from formation

11. Time & Landscape Changes
Landscape features depend on the length of time that uplifting and leveling forces have acted on the rocks.
Dynamic Equilibrium: at any one time, landscape features reflect a state of balance.
Equilibrium: If any one factor changes, a change in landscape features will occur until a new equilibrium is established.

12. Climate and Landscape Development
Landscapes are influenced by:
Temperature
Moisture
Arid Climates
Steep slopes, and sharp, angular landscape features.
Sandblasted features
Humid Climates
More rounded, smooth landscape features
Temp – hot or cold
Moisture – arid or humid
Arid climates – due to low vegetatation to hold sediments in place. SW USA
Humid – due to abundant veg holds sediment in place – Catskills in Eastern USA

13. Arid climate
Humid climate

14. Climate and Landscape Development
Recent Glaciation Landscape Features:
Mountaintops with little soil
Widespread transported soil
Unsorted soil
Wide, U-shaped valleys
Many lakes
Parallel grooves in bedrock
Many small hills (drumlins, etc.)

15. Climate and Landscape Development
Soil and Climate:
Soils in arid regions are thin/nonexistent, sandy, and contain many minerals.
These trees are growing in an arid climate.
Because little to no veg to hold soil in place
Sandy bc smaller grains blown away
Minerals bc infilt. And runoff does not dissolve n carry away

16. Bedrock
The composition and structure of bedrock can affect the landscape in a region.
Rock types and hill slopes:
Structural Features: folds, faults, etc. can lead to many changes in landscape features in an area.
Streams: the direction, drainage pattern, features, and gradient of a stream are directly related to bedrock.

20. Bedrock Rock types and hill slopes:
3. Soils: differences in soil composition are due to differences in underlying bedrock.
Ex: sandstone bedrock will have sandier soils

21. Effect of Landscapes ON People
Streams and Rivers
Dangerous flooding
Ocean shores
Dangerous flooding, hurricanes, rise in sea level
Clay-rich areas
Slow mass movement; landslides, liquefaction during earthquakes
Dangers can be reduced with proper planning, laws, and zoning limitations.
Streams – appealing due to transportaion, hydropower, water supply, recreation.
Ocean shores – appealing for moderate climate, attractive landscapes, rec opps

22. Changes of Landscapes BY People
Humans have GREATLY affected the environment:
Cut down forests
Plowed up land (soil can be eroded)
Construction of roads, buildings, airports
Pollution of land with trash
Added chemicals to air, land, and water – aid weathering
Made “new” land by filling in lakes and oceans with garbage landfills

23. Changes of Landscapes BY People
Human population increasing RAPIDLY
Landscape pollution is HIGHEST in areas with HIGH population density.