MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS OF THE UNITED STATES

HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS OF THE UNITED STATES

THERE ARE MOUNTAINS IN HAWAII. THEY ARE VOLCANIC MOUNTAINS.

THE HEIGHT OF MAUNA LOA FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR IS 56,000 FEET!!!!

THERE ARE MOUNTAINS IN ALASKA, THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN IN NORTH AMERICA IS IN ALASKA, MOUNT MCKINLEY.

THERE ARE 7 MOUNTAIN RANGES IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. THEY ARE:

THE CASCADES THE PACIFIC COASTAL RANGE THE SIERRA NEVADA THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS THE BLACK HILLS THE OZARK “MOUNTAINS” THE APPALACHIANS

THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS ARE IN THE NORTHWEST UNITED STATES

THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS WERE FORMED FROM VOLCANOES.

THE MOST FAMOUS OF THE CASCADE VOLCANOES IN RECENT YEARS IS MOUNT ST. HELENS.

THE MOUNTAIN/VOLCANO EXPLODED AND A THIRD OF THE MOUNTAIN WAS BLOWN AWAY.

THIS WAS MOUNT ST. HELENS BEFORE THE EXPLOSION IN 1980.

THIS IS THE EXPLOSION IN 1980.

THIS IS WHAT MOUNT ST. HELENS WAS LIKE AFTER THE EXPLOSION.

Mt. Ranier is the tallest mountain in the Cascade Range, 14,400 feet.

THE PACIFIC COASTAL RANGE

THE PACIFIC COASTAL MOUNTAINS SEEM TO RISE OUT OF THE OCEAN.

This is Mount Junipero Serra, the highest mountain on the California Pacific range.

THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS

MT. WHITNEY IS THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN THE SIERRA NEVADAS, 14,500 FEET.

THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

Mt. Elbert, Colorado, is the tallest mountain in the U.S. Rocky Mountains, 14,440 feet.

THE BLACK HILLS

Harney Peak is the tallest mountain in the Black Hills, 7,250 feet.

THE OZARK “MOUNTAINS”

The Ozark “mountains” are really not mountains. They are a highland plateau in the middle of the plains of the United States.

Mount Magazine is the highest Ozark mountain 2,750 feet.

THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS

The Appalachian Mountains, in the eastern part of the United States are covered with forests.

The Smoky Mountains, part of the Appalachians, have this beautiful mist that gives them a “smoky” appearance, especially in the morning

Mt. Mitchell is the highest mountain in the Appalachian mountains, 6,690 feet.

THE PLAINS OF THE UNITED STATES

The United States is blessed with a large flat area in the middle of the nation. These are the PLAINS of our country.

The reasons the plains are so special are: 1) They have enough water to grow crops such as corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye and other crops.

2) The plains have a climate which will allow crops to grow.

3) The soil of the plains is rich enough to grow crops.

Other areas of the world have large, flat areas, but they can’t grow food. Russia has the largest flat area in the world, but is too cold for crops.

Australia has a large, flat area, but is too dry. The same is true in northern Africa, the Sahara Desert.

The Amazon River basin is large and flat, but too wet and the soil too poor to grow many crops.

Here are various areas of the Plains of the United States.

THE GREAT PLAINS OR NORTHERN PLAINS

SOUTHERN PLAINS

MIDWEST PLAINS

GULF COAST PLAINS

ATLANTIC COAST PLAINS

THE GREAT BASIN

The Great Basin is a unique place in the United States. Any rain, snow, hail or sleet that falls there is trapped.

The water does not flow to the ocean. The Cascade, Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains are around the Great Basin.

The water evaporates in a set of salt lakes and “sinks” in the area. The Great Salt Lake is in the Great Basin.

This is the Great Salt Lake.

The Great Salt Lake is so salty you will float in it without holding your breath.

This is the Humbolt River that runs in the Great Basin. It “goes nowhere” and the water evaporates in the Humbolt Sink.

These are the mountains and plains of the United States you will have to know.