the physical aspect. pacific range sierra nevada, the cascades, the coast range, & the alaska...
TRANSCRIPT
U.S. & CANADIAN GEOGRAPHY
The Physical Aspect
Landforms
W. Mountains, Plains, & Plateaus
Pacific Range Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, the Coast
Range, & the Alaska Mt. McKinley
Highest Continental Peak 20,320 feet high
Rocky Mountain Link U.S. Canada 3000 Miles Long Run from New Mexico to Alaska
…Continued
Columbia Plateau Lies between Pacific &
Rocky Mt. ranges Formed by ancient lava
flows Features
Mesas Grand Canyon
6000 ft deep at its deepest
Formed by erosion of the Colorado River
…Continued
The Great Basin Death Valley
The Great Plains 300 to 700 miles across Elevation up to 6000
feet Slopes 10 ft per mile
toward the Mississippi Grasslands
Eastern Mountains & Lowlands
Appalachian Mountains Oldest continental mountain
range 1500 miles long
Quebec to Alabama
Canadian Shield “Anchors the Continent” Found in Canada and the
Northeastern U.S. Eventually descends into the
Hudson Bay
Islands
Hawaiian Islands Volcanically formed 8 main islands and 124
smaller islands
Greenland Continental Island Territory of Denmark World’s largest island,
840,325 square miles
…Continued
Major Canadian Islands Newfoundland, Prince Edward
Island
Manhattan Island New York City Found at the mouth of the
Hudson River World economic center
Water Systems
Rivers
Continental Divide Determines river flow
for the Continent East of the Divide
Flows toward Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, or Atlantic Ocean
West of the Divide Flows toward the
Pacific Ocean
…Continued
Mississippi 2,350 miles from
Minnesota to the Gulf
Drains 1.2 million square miles
31 states and 2 Canadian provinces affected
One of the worlds busiest commercial waterways
Other Water Forms
Niagara Falls Border between the U.S. and Canada Horseshoe & America Falls Major source of hydroelectric power
Lakes & Other Waterways
Glacial Lakes Great Bear Lake &
the Great Slave Lake
The Great Lakes Erie, Huron,
Michigan, Ontario, & Superior St. Lawrence
Seaway connects lakes to the ocean
Center for industry
Water System Terms
Headwaters: the source of a river
…Continued
Tributaries: smaller rivers and streams that converge into a larger river.
…Continued
Fall Line: marks the place where the higher land drops to the lower coast line
Natural Resources
Fossil Fuels
Fuel sources created by carbon deposits compressed over millions of years
Petroleum & Natural Gas Petroleum – Texas (1st) & Alaska (2nd)
Natural Gas- Texas & Alberta Coal
Wyoming, Appalachian Mountains , & British Columbia
…Continued
Mineral Resources Rocky Mountains
Gold, Silver, & Copper Michigan, Minnesota, &
Canadian Shield Iron Ore
Canada Potash, Copper, Gold,
Silver
Timber & Fishing Timber
50% of Canada & 30% of the U.S. remain heavily forested
Responsible timber management Renewable resource Replanting Cooperating in
protecting the environment
…Continued
Fisheries found on all coastlines The Great Banks
139,000 square miles Off Canadian sea coast
Overfishing Fish populations historically low Canadian ban on Cod fishing
Aquaculture Growing economic sector
Climate & Vegetation
Southern Climates
Warm & Wet Climates Humid & Subtropical
environment No dry season due to proximity
to the ocean Deciduous forests extend to
Louisiana Swamp lands along coastal
plains Everglades in Florida
Hurricane threats Season runs from late summer
to early fall
…Continued
Warm & Dry Climates Rain shadow affect in the Southwest
Creates desert & arid regions Death Valley reaches temperatures up to 134 degrees F
Mediterranean Climate Southern California coast Mild wet winters & hot dry summers Chaparral vegetation
Tough & drought resistant Threats of summer wildfires
Northern Climates
Interior Climates Distance from oceans creates moderate climates Prairies
Great Plains Humid Continental climates (bitter winters/hot summers) Average of 10-30 inches of rain annually support tall
grasslands Violent Spring storms form-Super cells Prairie degradation until the 1930’s
Dust Bowl Timber found in mountain regions lower than the
“timberline” Chinook Winds
…Continued
Coastal Climates Temperate rainforests
100+ inches rainfall annually Ferns, lichens, Coniferous
forests supported Winter often overcast &
rainy Summers are cloudless &
cool Found in Northwest
High-Latitude Climates
Canadian North & Alaska Winter temps can fall below -70 degrees F Subarctic winds cool Canada & the U.S. Winter blizzard of up to 35mph Newfoundland to the Yukon mix of
Coniferous & Deciduous forests Tundra
Coastal regions Dwarfed & sparse plant life
Ice Caps Up to 2 miles thick