THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE U.S. and CANADA
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THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE U.S. and CANADA
description
THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE U.S. and CANADA. THE LAND. Key Terms: Divide Headwaters Tributary Fall-line Fossil fuel Fishery Aquaculture. WESTERN MOUNTAINS, PLAINS, and PLATEAUS. Pacific Ranges-collision b/t plates Ex: Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, Alaska Range - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE U.S. and CANADA
THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE U.S. and CANADA
THE LAND
Key Terms: Divide
Headwaters Tributary Fall-line
Fossil fuel Fishery
Aquaculture
WESTERN MOUNTAINS, PLAINS, and PLATEAUS
Pacific Ranges-collision b/t plates Ex: Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range,
Alaska RangeMt. McKinley- Alaska Range (20, 320
ft.)Rocky Mountains
Link Canada and US (NM to Alaska)Dry Basins & Plateaus
Fill land b/t Rockies and Pacific RangesColorado Plateau- Grand CanyonEast of Rocky Mts.- Great Plains
WESTERN MOUNTAINS, PLAINS, and PLATEAUS
EASTERN MOUNTAINS and LOWLANDS
East of Mississippi River Appalachian Mts. (oldest in US)
Canada Canadian Plains▪ Edge is the Canadian Shield▪Located on the Hudson and James Bays▪Anchors the continent
ISLANDS
Both US and Canada have these
In US Hawaii Continental Islands- submerged parts of the continental shelf
WATER SYSTEMS
Make Canada and US prosperous In US
Continental Divide- high ridge that determines the direction in which rives flow
East of Divide- toward the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, the Atlantic, or the Mississippi
West of Divide- Pacific Headwater- source of the river
Ex: Colorado and Rio Grande (Rocky Mts) Tributaries- smaller water systems that
connect to larger rivers Mississippi- Longest River in US (2,350 ft)
LAKES and OTHER WATERWAYS
Glacial Dams- Canada- Great Bear and Great Slave Lake
Glacial Basins- Great Lakes Rich in coal, iron and other materials
Links to inland and coastal waterways= $$$$$$
Ex: Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway sys. Canals, St. Lawrence River and other
waterways link the Great Lakes to the Atlantic INDUSTRY
LAKES and OTHER WATERWAYS
NATURAL RESOURCES
Canada and US- Petroleum and Natural Gas US= Texas; Canada=Alberta
Mineral Resources US= Rockies: gold, silver, copper Canadian Shield= iron and nickel
Timber and Fishing Trees are renewable
Atlantic-Pacific-Gulf of Mexic0 Fisheries- place for catching fish
Grand Banks- Canada’s best fishing spot 139,000 sq. mi.
Problem: overfishing Solution: Aquaculture= fish farms
THE CLIMATE and VEGETATION OF THE U.S. and CANADA
KEY TERMS: HURRICANE CHAPARRAL
PRAIRIE SUPERCELL TIMBERLINE
CHINOOKBLIZZARD
THE SOUTHERN CLIMATES Subtropical, tropical, desert,
Mediterranean 25°N to 40°N
Warm and Wet Humid-Subtropical▪ Ex: The Everglades; hurricanes
Extreme Southern tip of Florida▪ Tropical= distinct dry season (Winter)
SOUTHERN CLIMATES (cont) Warm and Dry
Have rain-shadow effect- dry desert on leeward side of mountain
Plateaus and Basins b/t the Rockies and Pacific Ranges ▪ Ex: Death Valley
Mediterranean- Central and Southern California Mild, wet Winters & hot, dry
Summers Vegetation in this area=
chaparral
NORTHERN CLIMATES
Interior Ex: Great Plains- Humid Continental Bitterly cold Winter, hot Summer
Vegetation Prairie- treeless grasslands in Great
PlainsWeather
Supercell- violent T-storms w/tornados and winds of 300+ mph
Dust Bowl- 1930s drought
HIGHLAND CLIMATE
Due to elevation Ex: Rocky Mountains and Pacific Range
Timberline Elevation above which trees cannot grow
Springtime Chinook- warm dry wind that blows through the area in Spring, melting the snow
COASTAL CLIMATE
Northern California to Southern Alaska Features▪Over 100 inches of rain annually▪Winter- overcast and rainy▪Summer- cloudless▪Coniferous forests
HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATE
Canada and Alaska Features:▪ Frigid Winter▪ Blizzards- heavy snow w/ winds above 35 mph▪ Coniferous trees from Newfoundland to the Yukon Territory▪ Layers of ice and snow over 2 miles thick
Perspective A mile is 5,280 ft.
