Geography Unit 5: Landscape Regions

Unit 5: Where Does All The Water Go?

• Unit 4 materials should be put aside for the midterm on Feb 5, 2025.

Today's Objective: What is a Landscape Region?

• A landscape region is a section of Earth's surface where landforms share a common origin.

Topography

• Topography displays the shape of the land, highlighting different landscape regions.

Relief

• Relief is the change in elevation.

Major Landscape Regions

• Three major landscape regions are plains, plateaus, and mountains.
• These are categorized by bedrock and elevation.

Mountains

• Mountains have the greatest relief.
• They are characterized by peaks and valleys.
• Bedrock is not horizontal.
• They are typically made up of metamorphic rock.

Plateaus

• Plateaus have medium relief.

• They have several stream valleys.

• Bedrock is flat.

• They are mostly made of sedimentary rock.

• Example Differences:

  • Catskills: Dissected plateau, sedimentary bedrock
  • Adirondacks: True mountains, metamorphic bedrock

Plains

• Plains have little relief.
• They have a low elevation.
• They are flat.

Climate Influence on Landscapes

• Precipitation affects measurable landscape characteristics.
• Wet climates lead to thick, rich soils and smooth, rounded landscapes.
• Dry climates result in thin soils, little humus, and sharp angles/steep slopes.

Factors Affecting Landscapes

• Softer rock erodes more quickly than harder rock.
• Durable rock forms higher portions of landscapes such as plateaus, mountains, and cliffs.

Drainage Patterns

• Water flow patterns depend on bedrock structure.
• Drainage patterns are determined by how small streams (tributaries) join larger streams.

Drainage Pattern Examples

• Radial: Water flows in all directions from mountainous areas.
• Dendritic (branching): Water branches together, typical of flat plains.
• Trellis (rectangular): Water flows in rectangular patterns, common in plateaus with folded or faulted bedrock.
• Annular: Water flows in circular patterns around an igneous intrusion.

Drainage Basin (Watershed)

• A drainage basin is the area where water flows off a landscape region into a body of water (ocean or stream).