Physical Geography of the U.S. & Canada
Intermontane Landforms
Bonneville Salt Flats (UT)- speed record tested here b/c of flat land, openess
Intermontane Landforms Death Valley: hottest & lowest in US (134° in 1913) <2” of rain each year dancing rocks phenomenon
Grand Canyon
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
Piedmont & Lowlands Piedmont: E of Appalachians Plateau drops (Fall Line) into the coastal lowlands Many 1st cities originated here- WHY? Rapids/waterfalls = hydroelectric power and blocked from moving inland
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 (reason for success)
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.)
Exposed Precambrian bedrock
Mt. McKinley (Alaska Range) = tallest peak in N.A. at 20,320 feet
Rocky Mountains Formed by uplift (shocks) Stretch more than 3,000 miles from New Mexico to Alaska Series of ranges (cordilleras)
Grand Tetons, Wyoming
Rockies in Alberta, Canada
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
Continental Divide Divide = high point or ridge that determines the direction that rivers flow
Interior Landforms Great Plains (aka Interior/High Plains*) Start at 6,000 ft gradually slope down about from W to E Wheat Belt *depends on source*
Interior Landforms High Plains: primarily W of the 100th meridian 10-20 inches of rain (semi-arid); good for rangeland
100th Meridian
Interior Landforms Eastern Interior Plains: region most positively affected by glaciers Typically east of 100th Meridian 20-40 inches of rain Most fertile soil in world: Corn Belt
Natural Resources Fuels Petroleum & Nat. Gas: TX and Alaska, & Alberta lead Coal: Appalachians, Wyoming, & British Columbia Many cities in Appalachians are dying as coal becomes more dangerous to use, less impt.
Natural 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 (water everywhere ) Cod fishing banned in Grand Banks in ’92 due to overfishing