Physiographic Regions

Physiographic Regions of South America

EASTERN HIGHLANDS CENTRAL LOWLANDS EASTERN HIGHLANDS WESTERN ALPINE SYSTEM EASTERN HIGHLANDS

Eastern Highlands (cores of Gondwana shield) Brazilian Highlands Guiana Highlands Patagonian Highlands Striking similarity to geology and fauna in shields in Africa, Australia, India 340-280 mya: ice sheet S. America, Africa, Madagascar

Divisions of Brazilian Highlands: uplands (2000-3000 ft) 2.Sertão Paraná Plateau 3.Mato Grosso plateau Pantanál 4.Serro do Mar (Great Escarpment)

EASTERN HIGHLANDS CENTRAL LOWLANDS SERTÃO WESTERN ALPINE SYSTEM SERRO MATO GROSSO PLATEAU WESTERN ALPINE SYSTEM SERTÃO SERRO DO MAR PARANÁ PLATEAU EASTERN HIGHLANDS

Brazilian Highlands

Mineral resources: iron ore, diamonds, gold, manganese, tungsten

Sertão semiarid eroded

Paraná Plateau lava plateau; more humid Iguaçu River flows over edge of plateau

capivara

Mato Grosso Plateau Upland, rolling hills, mountains, plateaus Tributaries of Amazon Industrial ores Western frontier (Brasilia)

Brasilia

Pantanál within more humid part of Mato Grosso region; wetlands

Pantanál

Serro do Mar Great Escarpment (up to 9000 ft)

Cities on narrow coastal plain

Guiana Highlands EASTERN HIGHLANDS CENTRAL LOWLANDS EASTERN HIGHLANDS WESTERN ALPINE SYSTEM EASTERN HIGHLANDS

Guiana Highlands Mining Agriculture along northern coastal plain Some erosional remnants remain Tepuis: flat-topped mountains Average elevation: 4500 ft. Some is inaccessible and rugged Angel Falls (3200 ft. over edge of tepuy) World’s highest waterfall

Angel Falls

Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock

Patagonian Plateau EASTERN HIGHLANDS CENTRAL LOWLANDS EASTERN WESTERN ALPINE SYSTEM EASTERN HIGHLANDS

Patagonian Plateau Semiarid Series of plateaus that get progressively higher (reaching 5000 ft. until Patagonian Andes)

Patagonia

Lake Argentino

Central Lowlands EASTERN HIGHLANDS Underlain by marine deposits; from a time when shallow seas extended between Guiana and Brazilian Highlands, before Andes emerged CENTRAL LOWLANDS EASTERN HIGHLANDS WESTERN ALPINE SYSTEM Much of the lowland region is flooded during rainy season EASTERN HIGHLANDS

Llanos Amazon basin Gran Chaco Pampas EASTERN HIGHLANDS EASTERN WESTERN ALPINE SYSTEM Gran Chaco Pampas EASTERN HIGHLANDS

Llanos Northern Llanos: flat plains of the Orinoco River High Llanos: east of Andean foothills Good soils, agriculture Low Llanos: savannas; cowboys & cowgirls

Orinoco River

Gran Chaco Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil Lowland alluvial plain Arid Cattle ranching Cotton, peanuts, meat, hides

Pampas Temperate grassland plain From southernmost Brazil, across Uruguay, to Colorado River in Argentina Fertile soils cattle, sheep (gauchos) Grain, flax, soy, sunflowers, vegetables

Part of La Plata – Parana Basin

Ombu

Amazon basin (wetlands and Amazon floodplain)

Amazon ¾ size US Greatest reserve of biodiversity 170 Indian cultural groups Largest continuous stretch of tropical rain forest Greatest carbon sink on earth 20% world’s available fresh water

EASTERN HIGHLANDS CENTRAL LOWLANDS EASTERN HIGHLANDS WESTERN ALPINE SYSTEM EASTERN HIGHLANDS

Andes Altiplano Atacama Desert Central Valley of Chile EASTERN HIGHLANDS CENTRAL LOWLANDS EASTERN HIGHLANDS Andes Altiplano Atacama Desert EASTERN HIGHLANDS Central Valley of Chile

Andes

subduction

Central Range Andes, Colombia

Andes in Patagonia

Andes

Altiplano Intermontane plateau between eastern and western ranges of Andes In Bolivia and Peru averages 12000 ft. Lake Titicaca is northern limit La Paz salares

llareta

Atacama Desert 2000 miles long Driest place on earth Rains once every ten years Collect water from fog

Fog collectors

Central Valley, Chile

Rich in nitrates and copper Irrigated commercial agriculture Highly urbanized Rich in nitrates and copper Irrigated commercial agriculture For Northern markets

Physiographic Regions of Mexico, Central America and Caribbean

Western Sierra Madre Mesa del Norte Eastern Sierra Madre Mesa Central Neovolcanic Range Southern Highlands

Neovolcanic Axis In Mexico Series of volcanoes Subduction of Cocos plate beneath North American

Neovolcanic Axis In Mexico Series of volcanoes Subduction of Cocos plate beneath North American

Central American volcanic axis parallels Pacific coast from Panama to Chiapas Cocos plate subducts beneath Caribbean plate

Central American volcanic axis parallels Pacific coast from Panama to Chiapas Cocos plate subducts beneath Caribbean plate

Volcanoes (7000 – 12000 ft)

Interior highland region of Central America consists of ash-filled valleys.

Caribbean

Summits of a submerged mountain chain, continued in mountains of Honduras

2 volcanic arcs

Lesser Antilles Two volcanic arcs : 1. Outer Arc (older): Anguilla St. Martin St. Barthélemy Barbuda Antigua Marie Galante Eastern Guadelope Barbados (part) Arid; mineral poor; Not volcanically active

Lesser Antilles Two volcanic arcs : 2. Inner Arc (younger): All the rest! Volcanically active; fertile soil; abundant rainfall