American Lands and Climates Chapter 1 Section 3 Notes American Lands and Climates Describe the 8 physical regions of the United States. Explain the important of lakes and rivers in the United States. Identify the major climates of North America.

Types of Landforms Landforms-natural features. North America-many landforms High mountains, rolling hills, long rivers, grassy plains, dense forests, barren deserts. There are 4 basic landforms—MOUNTAINS, HILLS, PLAINS, AND PLATEAUS.

Mountains High, steep, rugged land. Elevation (height) has to be at least 1,000 feet. People settle in valleys between mountains.

Hills Areas of raised land that are lower and more rounded than mountains. Farming is possible on hilly land. More people live on hills than mountains.

Plains Broad areas of fairly level land. Plains are close to sea level. People settle on plains because it is easy to build farms, roads, and cities on level land.

Plateaus Plains that range from a frew hundred to many thousand feet above sea level. With enough rain, plateaus can be good for farming.

Physical Regions of the US US-8 physical regions. In some regions land is fertile. There farmers plant crops and reap rich harvests. Other regions have natural resources such as coal and oil.

Pacific Coast This is the westernmost region of the US. Includes high mountain ranges that stretch from Alaska to Mexico. In the US, some of these mountain ranges hug the Pacific Ocean. The Cascades and Sierra Nevada are further inland in California.

Pacific Coast Important cities of the Pacific Coast-Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego. Important features of the Pacific Coast is the San Andreas Fault. This is a 600 mile fracture in the Earth’s crust. Movement of the Earth’s crust along this fault causes earthquakes.

Intermountain Region East of the Pacific Coast. It is a very rugged region of mountain peaks, high plateaus, deep canyons, and deserts. The Grand Canyon is 1 mile deep and Great Salt Lake are natural features of this region. Salt Lake City and Phoenix are two major cities in this region.

Intermountain Region

Rocky Mountains Rocky Mountains stretch from Alaska through Canada into the United States. Mountain Ranges in the Rockies—Bitterfoot Range in Idaho + Montana, Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado and New Mexico. In Mexico the Rockies become the Sierra Madre, or Mother Range.

Interior Plains Between the Rockies in the west and the Appalachians in the East is a large low-land area called the Interior Plains. The dry western part of the Interior Plains is called the Great Plains. The eastern part is called the Central Plains.

Interior Plains According to scientists, a great sea once covered the Interior Plains. Today, some parts are rich in coal and petroleum. Other parts offer fertile soil for farming and grassland for raising cattle. Chicago and Dallas are major cities on the Interior Plains.

Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Mountains run along the eastern part of the US. Stretch from Canada in the North to Georgia and Mississippi in the South Green Mountains in Vermont, Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania are part of the Appalachians. Appalachians are lower and less rugged than the Rockies. Highest Appalachian peak is Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina—6,684

Canadian Shield Canadian Shield-lowland area that is mostly in eastern Canada. The southern part extends into the US. Area is rich in minerals.

Coastal Plains Coastal Plains-fairly flat, lowland area that includes the Atlantic Plain and the Gulf Plain. Atlantic Plain-located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Appalachians. Gulf Plain-located along the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Plain has large deposits of petroleum. New Orleans and Houston are major cities of the Gulf Plain.

Hawaiian Islands Hawaiian Islands-2,400 miles west of California. 8 large and many small Hawaiian islands. These islands developed because of large volcanoes that erupted through the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Some volcanoes are still active in Hawaii

Rivers and Lakes Great river systems crisscross North America. They collect runoff water from rains and melting snows and carry it into the oceans.

The Mississippi River The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers make up the longest and most important river system in the US. Carries water through the interior plains into the Gulf of Mexico. Many tributaries flow into the Mississippi and Missouri river system. Tributary-streams and smaller rivers that branch off many rivers.

The Mississippi River The Mississippi serves as an important means of transportation. Barges carry freight up and down the river. In the past and sometimes today, people travel by boat on the river.

The Colorado River Colorado River-another important river which begins in the Rocky Mountains and flows through Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Nevada. It forms the border between California and Arizona as it flows toward the Gulf of California. The Colorado River created the Grand Canyon in Arizona. For millions of years, the river rushed over layers of rock, carving a deeper channel.

The Colorado River There are several dams along the Colorado River. These dams hold back the flow of the river. They help provide water and electricity to the people of the Southwest.

International Borders The Rio Grande River is the border between the US and Mexico. The St. Lawrence River is part of the border between the US and Canada. The Great Lakes (5) are also the border between the US and Canada. Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario Today, canals connect the Great Lakes w/the eastern states.

Weather and Climate North America has a variety of weather patterns and climate. Weather-condition of the Earth’s atmosphere at any given time and place. Can be hot, cold, rainy, or dry. Climate-the average weather of a place over a period of 20 to 30 years. 2 main aspects of climate are temperature and precipitation.

Weather and Climate Precipitation-water that falls in the form of rain, sleet, or snow. Several factors affect climate. Distance from the equator Close to the equator-hot and wet all year. Lands near north and south poles-cold all year

Weather and Climate Altitude, height above sea level, also affects climate. Highlands are cooler than lowlands. Other factors that affect climate-ocean currents, wind currents and mountains.

North American Climates-Marine US has 10 major climates Marine-mild, moist marine climate w/warm summers and cool winters. Marine climate is located in the Pacific Northwest-Northern California to Alaska