Mississippi Studies Chapter 1

There are five themes of Geography 1. Place 2. Location 3. Human-environment Interaction 4. Movement 5. Regions (page 4 in textbook)

Regions Of Mississippi

Six Major Regions

1. Delta A flat, alluvial plain that runs along the banks of the MS River from Memphis to Vicksburg The soil allows for the growth of large cotton crops Farming in the 1800s was based on Sharecropping

2. Loess Hills Their economy is based on cattle, light manufacturing, and industry

Economy: trade, commerce, and industry 3. Red Clay Hills This area is ideal for crops especially cotton because there are few trees Economy: trade, commerce, and industry

4. Northeast Highlands Woodall Mountain is the highest point in the state

5. Piney Woods This area was the center of the lumber and railroad industry at one time As a result boom towns were created to provide for lumber and railroad companies Hattiesburg and Laurel are two boom towns that are still successful today

6. Gulf Coast MS has five barrier islands off the coast 1. Horn Island The largest Used for biological weapons testing 2. Cat Island It got its name from the French who thought raccoons were cats Used in WWII to train dogs for military service Hurricane Katrina washed part of the island away 3. Deer Island Closest to the coast It got its name because deer escaped to the island 4. Ship Island Hurricane Camille split the Island into two pieces It is the only deep water harbor between the MS River and Mobile Bay

6. Gulf Coast Continued 5. Petit Bois French for Little Woods The Mississippi Sound is the area of water between the barrier islands and the coast The Gulf Coast was the first area to be explored and settled Their main economic activities are fishing and tourism

Geographers have divided the Earth into four spheres. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Geographers have divided the Earth into four spheres.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Biosphere=where life grows

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Atmosphere = air

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Hydrosphere = water

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Lithosphere = outer shell of earth

Mississippi’s Climate

The difference between climate and weather: Climate refers to the long-term average of weather conditions. Weather refers to the day-today conditions and changes in the atmosphere.

Mississippi’s Climate Climate – conditions of the atmosphere over a long period of time Weather – conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time Humid subtropical climate (long hot summers; short mild winters) Average yearly temperature is 62 degrees Average summer temperature is 80 degrees Average winter temperature is 48 degrees January is the coldest month Receives about 55 inches of rainfall a year Because of MS’s climate agriculture is important to its economy Growing season

Natural hazards that occur in Mississippi Thunderstorms Tornadoes Hail Storms Hurricanes Gales and High Winds Short droughts Lightning Floods.

Natural Hazards Tornadoes are funnel-shaped storms that drop from clouds. They are classified by the Fujita scale (F1-F5). Hurricanes are tropical storms that arise in the Atlantic Ocean. They have an eye and are classified by categories (1-5).

Storms Tornadoes Funnel shaped clouds that cause massive destruction Smith County in MS and the state of MS are the most likely places in the nation to receive a tornado MS has more deaths from tornadoes than any other state Tornadoes are measured on the Fujita Scale The weather channel now also uses Torcon

TOR:CON Value Descriptions 8+ Very high probability of a tornado 
6 - High probability of a tornado
4 - Moderate chance of a tornado nearby, but hail and/or high wind gusts possible
2 - Low chance of a tornado, but hail and/or high wind gusts possible
0 - Near-zero chance of a tornado or a severe thunderstorm

Storms Hurricanes Storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean with winds of at least 74 mph – 155 mph + They are measured on the Saffir-Simpson scale using numbers 1-5 Usually called category There have been two major hurricanes in Mississippi Camille 1969 Katrina 2005

Water Resources Surface water refers to water in lakes, ponds, rivers and the ocean. Groundwater seeps into the earth by cracks in rocks. It is stored in rock formations called aquifers.

Water Resources A drainage basin is the area that drains into a river or reservoir. The MS River drains all of the interior USA. It forms Mississippi’s western boundary.

Vicksburg Water Station The Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg is the home of the Corp of Engineers and one of the top 15 supercomputer centers in the world. It studies way to prevent the river from flooding.