1. Physiographic Regions

2. Physiographic Regions of South America

3. EASTERN HIGHLANDS
CENTRAL
LOWLANDS
EASTERN
HIGHLANDS
WESTERN
ALPINE
SYSTEM
EASTERN
HIGHLANDS

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

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

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

9. Brazilian Highlands

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

11. Sertão
semiarid
eroded

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

14. capivara

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

16. Brasilia

17. Pantanál within more humid part of Mato Grosso region; wetlands

18. Pantanál

19. Serro do Mar Great Escarpment (up to 9000 ft)

21. Cities on narrow coastal plain

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

23. 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

26. Angel Falls

27. Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock

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

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

31. Patagonia

34. Lake Argentino

35. 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

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

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

38. Orinoco River

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

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

47. Part of La Plata – Parana Basin

48. Ombu

49. Amazon basin (wetlands and Amazon floodplain)

51. 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

55. EASTERN HIGHLANDS
CENTRAL
LOWLANDS
EASTERN
HIGHLANDS
WESTERN
ALPINE
SYSTEM
EASTERN
HIGHLANDS

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

57. Andes

58. subduction

59. Central Range Andes, Colombia

60. Andes in Patagonia

61. Andes

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

66. llareta

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

69. Fog collectors

70. Central Valley, Chile

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

72. Physiographic Regions of Mexico, Central America and Caribbean

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

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

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

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

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

80. Volcanoes (7000 – ft)

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

82. Caribbean

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

85. 2 volcanic arcs

86. 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

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