PHYSICAL REGIONS OF NORTH AMERICA

Gerrik Wong

Map of The 8 Physical Regions of North America

Legend: Appalachian Region Coastal Plains Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands Interior Plains Canadian Shield Western Cordillera Intermountain Region Arctic Plains Mount Logan

Appalachian Region - Overview Mountainous region that ranges between

160 to 480 kilometres in width Extends 2400 kilometers in length from

Newfoundland to Alabama Mountains were formed by two tectonic

plates coming together [Fold Mountains]

Appalachian Region - Topography The Appalachian Mountains are made of

many mountain ranges, formed roughly 300 million years ago, which has been eroded down in to low rolling hills

The Appalachian region also contains fertile plateaus and river valleys

Coals, oils and gasses can be found in the sedimentary layers of the region’s rocks

Appalachian Region - Climate Labrador Current brings in cold Arctic

water south and causes freezing in the northern parts of the Appalachian Region

Gulf Stream brings in warm Caribbean water north in to North America causing a warmer climate

Appalachian Region - VegetationThe Original Plants in the Appalachian Region were as follows: Coniferous DeciduousThese plants were able to survived infertile mountain soil and flourish in the plateaus and rivers that provided much more fertile soil.

Appalachian Region - Economic Activity

Mining Logging Fishing Trade

Appalachian Region – Environmental Concern

Due to the Appalachian Region’s large deposit of coal, Mountaintop Removal Mining, the process of removing a mountaintop in order to get access to a coal seam [layers of coal in which mining it out would result in a profit].

The remaining pieces of the mountain are dumped in to nearby hallow land in a giant pile called Valley Fill.

The results of this mining ends in potentially toxic elements found in the tissues of fish downstream of the mines. The blasting cracks house foundations, and pose danger to the communities.

Coastal Plains - Overview

Lowland area Stretches for 3200 km from Cape Cod to

the Gulf of Mexico Extends 100 km inland from the ocean Streams from the Appalachian Region

become rapid when they enter the Coastal Plains

Coastal Plains - Topography

Average level of elevation is less than 200 metres above sea level

Surface is generally flat or slightly rolling More than half of the Coastal Plains are below 30

metres above sea level The gradual sinking of the land created many swamps

and marshes, as well as streams and rivers that can be navigated many miles inland

The Mississippi delta provides fertile agriculture land The swamps and marshes not only provide

transportation, but sources of shellfish and other water-dwelling animals as well.

Coastal Plains - Climate

In the northern parts, the climate is cold and snowy during the winter, and hot and humid during the summer

In the southern parts, the climate is comparable to sub-tropical climate, with mild to warm winters

The southern portion are subject to hurricanes between the period spanning late summer to early winter

Coastal Plains - Vegetation

Because of the sandy soil in the Coastal Plains, the vegetation of the land had adapted to this, sometimes even forming lush jungles, such as in Mexico

The original vegetation of the Coastal Plains was pine forests.

Coastal Plains - Economic Activity Agriculture Manufacturing

Coastal Plains - Environmental Concern

Rapidly expanding population, as well as industrial development threatens the fragile environment

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowland Overview [Or The “TGL-St.LL”]

Smallest geographical region in Canada Contains several escarpments [a

steep cliff formed by erosion or faulting]

Cut short by the Canadian Shield near Kingston

Bound in between the Canadian Shield to the north and the Appalachian Mountains to the south

TGL-St.LL - Topography

Rolling land, created by glaciation [the process or result of covering something with glaciers or ice sheets]

The plains are changed in to hills and deep river valleys

The plains on each side of the river slowly begins to rise as they enter the Canadian Shield and the Appalachian Region

TGL-St.LL - Climate

The climate of the TGL-St.LL is a humid continental climate [a climate type that develops away from the influence of oceans, and because of this, the temperature range tends to be large and precipitation is low] due of the presence of the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes store heat, therefore warming the surrounding areas during the winter

Winters vary from cool to cold and summers vary from warm to hot

TGL-St.LL - Vegetation

This region had very fertile soils, therefore making it heavily treed [an area planted with trees]

The parts near the Great Lakes allowed, because of soil and climate, maple, beech, hickory, and black walnut trees to grow

The other parts of the region had mixed forests of deciduous and coniferous trees, such as maple, beech, oak, ash, birch, spruce, fir, pine, and cedar

TGL-St.LL - Economic Activity Farming Logging Manufacturing Urban economic activity

TGL-St.LL - Environmental Concern Mercury, Polychlorinated Biphenyl and other

contaminants in the water and fish Bacterial contamination leading to beach closing Habitat destruction and degrading Excessive growth of nuisance aquatic plants Exotic species Fish and wildlife health impacts All of the listed above are environmental concerns in the

St. Lawrence area Historically, contaminants have entered the St. Lawrence

river due to industrial and municipal discharges, urban storm water, agricultural run off and other sources

The Interior Plains - Overview Vast sweep of plains, but not entirely flat Most places consist of gently rolling hills and deep

river valleys Runs between the rocky mountains in the west and

Canadian Shield, or Appalachian Mountains on the east

Extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean Because of its size, the region is very diverse

The Interior Plains - Topography Separated in to central lowland and great plains in the

United States Central lowland’s northern boundary is formed by the

Canadian Shield and TGL-St.LL River Great plains are higher that the central lowland and rise

from about 600 metres to 1500 metres above sea level in the west

In Canada, the prairie provinces contain 3 different elevations which are separated by escarpments

The plains are gently rolling, gradually sloping down from west to east

The Interior Plains continue to the Arctic Ocean to the north

The Interior Plains - Climate

Continental climate, due to its position in the center of the continent

Extreme climate, including long, hot, summers and cold winters with little precipitation

To the north, the winters are colder and longer and summers are shorter and cool

The northern portion of the region has extremely long, cold, winters, and short, cool summers

The Interior Plains - Vegetation The central lowland east of the Mississippi

was covered with mixed deciduous trees and scattered evergreens

In the great plains, prairie grasses grew as tall as a person

In Canada, the natural vegetation of the prairies were grasslands, trees only growing in the river valleys

In the northern portion, boreal forests grow gradually turning in to a tundra towards the Arctic Ocean

The Interior Plains - Economic Activity

Farming Mining Oil and natural gas drilling

The Interior Plains - Environmental Concern

Oil sand mining creates environmental controversy and potential danger for residents

The risk of an oil leak could devastate the environment

A large amount of water is required to separate the oil and sand

Produces a large amount of carbon dioxide and other emissions

Canadian Shield - Overview

More than 2 billion years old Made of volcanic mountains that were

levelled by millions of years of erosion Covers more than half of Canada’s

surface Stretches from Labrador to the Interior

Plains in the west Overlaps the US in two areas

Canadian Shield - Topography Most of the soil was removed during the Ice Age Because of the retreat of the glaciers, it caused

the shield’s rivers to flow in different directions, creating a chaotic network of rivers, lakes, swamps and muskeg [a level bog or swamp]

Average elevation is 100 metres above sea level in the north, and 500 metres in the south, the centre being much lower than it’s outer portion

Around Hudson Bay and James Bay are lowland areas covered with clay, causing most rivers in the region to flow in to these two bays

Canadian Shield - Climate

Climate varies in this vast land In the north, the winters become

increasingly long and cold, with the summers shorter and cooler

Canadian Shield - Vegetation Boreal [of the Arctic] forests covers

most of the Canadian Shield, since evergreens are suited to more sandy soil

Deciduous trees are also present To the north, no trees are able to grow,

since the growing season is too short and there is too little precipitation, as well as permafrost

Canadian Shield - Economic Activity

Pulp and paper industry Mining ores such as gold, copper, lead,

diamonds, nickel, platinum and so on

Canadian Shield - Environmental Concern

Acid rain is an especially large problem for the Canadian Shield

The sulphur dioxide produced by the mining industry to refine certain metals are put in to the atmosphere and absorbed in to the clouds, which then rain down acid rain

The Canadian Shield, is especially susceptible to the acid rain, due to the lack of natural alkalinity, such as a lime base, and therefore can not neutralize the effects of the acid rain

Western Cordillera - Overview Runs along the west coast of North America Consists of range after range of mountains separated by

plateaus and valleys The Rocky Mountains are the eastern range of mountains of

the region, and in the US, it veers to the interior of the continent

The western coastal chains of mountains are volcanic mountains, but the eastern mountains are fold mountains

Western Cordillera - Topography Made of new mountains not yet worn down

by erosion and are twice as high as the Appalachian Mountains

There are many different mountain ranges, such as the Rocky Mountains that form the Continental Divide

Rivers east of the Rockies flow east finding their outlets in the Gulf of Mexico, Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay or James Bay, while the rivers to the west drain to the Pacific Ocean

Western Cordillera - Climate

Maritime Climate [a climate strongly affected by its proximity to a large body of water, and has large precipitation and a small annual temperature range] although it varies from north to south

West coast is moist and mild, with winters usually above freezing, and summers cooler than the interior of the continent

Valleys are warmer than mountain slopes and windward slopes wetter than the leeward slopes, due to the rain-shadow effect

Western Cordillera - Vegetation Vegetation varies depending on which side of the

mountain it is On the moist windward slopes, evergreens grow to

tremendous age and enormous size on the lower slopes of the mountain

Higher up, the trees are smaller, and at the top, vegetation becomes similar to a tundra’s or ceases to exist

On the leeward slopes, grasses and cactuses grow in the dry valleys

Farther south, evergreens no longer grow since rainfall is less

Western Cordillera - Economic Activity

Logging Fishing Mining Farming

Western Cordillera - Environmental Concern

Logging and oil exploration is responsible for accelerated slope erosion, both from the operation and from the roads created to reach them

Erosion has created silting of streams

The Intermountain Region - Overview

Lies between the Rocky Mountains and Coast Mountains, the Cascades, and the Sierra Nevada

Not heavily populated area of high plateaus [flat area at high elevation] and isolated mountains

Contains only deserts in the United States Consists of the interior plateau valleys of British

Columbia and Yukon in Canada

The Intermountain Region- Topography

Streams and rivers usually never reach the sea, and instead, flow into brackish [somewhat salty] lakes or disappear in to desert sinks [a place where water is collected]

Some areas of the region can be made productive by irrigation, and in others, cattle-ranching is possible

The Intermountain Region - Climate Climate varies depending on its location

and elevation Winters can be cool and wet or hot and

dry In the south, winters are sort and warm

with little precipitation Northern portions lack precipitation,

although the climate is more moderate with moist winters and hot dry summers

The Intermountain Region- Vegetation

Ranges from sparse grassland to plants that can survive in desert or semi-desert conditions

Higher areas are covered in thin pine forest

The Intermountain Region- Economic Activity

Forestry Fresh Water Fishing Agriculture

The Intermountain Region- Environmental Concern

The Intermountain Region contains over 370 species of birds, and because of the growing human population, and activities that help sustain the region’s economy, such as forestry destroy the birds’ habitats

The Arctic - Overview

Combination of lowlands and mountains Lowlands are found in a series of islands

lying to the north of Hudson Bay Mountains are found in the extreme

northwest border

The Arctic - Topography

Areas near the ocean are very flat Mountains in the far north were formed

by folding and are covered in glaciers

The Arctic - Climate

Severe climate due to its location away from the equator

Winters last up to ten months in the far north

Summer is short and not very warm Due to its little precipitation, the Arctic is

a desert

The Arctic - Vegetation

Besides lichen, very few life forms are able to grow on the mountains of the Arctic

Trees can not grow on the tundra [northernmost vegetation region found in areas too cold for trees to grow] because of the cold and dry climate, and only a small amount of thawing occurs during the summer

Small shrubs, mosses, and lichens are the only things that can grow, which cling to the ground and absorb the small amount of warmth and moisture available

The Arctic - Economic Activity Mining Oil and natural gas drilling Fishing

The Arctic - Environmental Concern Climate change Changes in biological diversity Accumulation of toxic chemicals

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