1. North American Physical Geography
The United States and Canada
All images courtesy of Wikimedia and Google Maps

2. Important Physical Features
Mountain Ranges
Bodies of Water
Rocky Mountains
Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio River system
Appalachian Mountains
Great Lakes
Sierra Nevada Mountains
Columbia River
Alaska Range

3. Rocky Mountains Largest mountain range in North America
Also the youngest
Reaches higher altitudes than the Appalachian Mountains
Stretches from Alaska to Mexico

4. Appalachian Mountains
Second largest North American range
Oldest range in North America
Low altitude peaks due to weathering and erosion
Stretches from Alabama to Nova Scotia

5. Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio Rivers
River system composed of three of the largest rivers in North America
System drains 31 states and a2 Canadian provinces
All flows to the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans

6. Grand Canyon
Carved out by the Colorado River over a 5 million year time period
Over a mile deep in some places
The canyon itself has been dated at an estimated 17 million years old

7. Great Lakes
Consists of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario
Largest repository of fresh water in the world
Contains 21% of the world’s surface fresh water
Volume of 5,400 cubic miles, and a surface area of 94,000 square miles

8. Canadian Shield A very thin layer of soil on top of bedrock
Many bare outcroppings of the bedrock as a result of glaciation
Canadian Shield is immensely rich in raw minerals
Not many people live here; why?

9. Death Valley 3,000 square miles of desert located in the Mojave Desert
Hottest place in North America
Driest place in North America
Badwater Basin is the lowest place in North America

10. Resources Mineral Vegetation
Both the US and Canada have immense mineral wealth, stretching from oil to precious metals
Vegetation
US has healthy lumber industry, as well as a plethora of agricultural ventures
Canada utilizes their lumber more than the US does as they have a larger supply

11. LACEMOPS of North America
Latitude/Air Masses
Continentality
Elevation (both positive and negative)
Mountain Barriers
Ocean Currents
Pressure systems and Storms?
These are less predictable, but what types of storms are abundant in North America? What about in the locations we are looking at?

12. Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Considered a Humid continental climate, warm summer subtype with frigid winters.

13. Spokane, Washington
Considered a Semiarid climate (due to MBE)

14. Cape Canaveral, Florida
Considered a Humid Subtropical climate.

15. Alert, Nunavut
Considered an Ice Cap climate. Also could be considered a Desert climate, with only 6” of rain per year.

16. St. John’s, Newfoundland
Considered Humid continental due to Gulf Stream. Has mildest winters in Canada despite having the most precipitation of all types of any Canadian city.