Canadas Physical Geography PDF

Canada’s Physical Geography Part 1 Introduction Physical geography helps us understand the regional nature of our world Physical geography helps us understand the differences among the fo...

Canada’s Physical Geography Part 1 Introduction Physical geography helps us understand the regional nature of our world Physical geography helps us understand the differences among the four types of economic regions that are found in the core/periphery model  Physical Geography across Canada Physical geography (e.g., climate and landforms) varies across Canada Physical geographers are concerned with all aspects of the physical world Physiography, bodies of water, climate, soils, vegetation Regional geographers are interested in the interactive two- way relationship between people and the physical world:  Physical geography (e.g., climate and landforms) varies across Canada Physical Geograph Physical geographers are concerned with all aspects y across of the physical world Physiography, bodies of water, climate, soils, vegetation Canada Regional geographers are interested in the interactive two-way relationship between people and the physical world: How physical geography The effect of human varies and influences human activities on the natural settlement environment  Physiography studies the nature of physical features on the earth’s surface. Physiography is earth’s surface in terms of physical form, location, spatial extent, and causal processes. 5  Physical geography (e.g., climate and landforms) varies across Canada Physical Geograph Physical geographers are concerned with all aspects y across of the physical world Physiography, bodies of water, climate, soils, vegetation Canada Regional geographers are interested in the interactive two-way relationship between people and the physical world: How physical geography The effect of human varies and influences human activities on the natural settlement environment Nature of Landforms Three principal types of landforms: 1.Mountains 2.Plateaus 3.Lowlands These are actively shaped and reshaped by various processes: Denudation: gradual wearing down of mountains by erosion and weathering over millions of years Weathering: breaking down solid rock of ancient mountains into smaller particles Erosion: transporting these smaller particles by means of air, ice and water to lower locations where they are deposited Deposition: when layers of eroded material pile up  A landform that rises prominently Mountains above its surroundings, generally exhibiting steep slopes, a relatively confined summit area, and considerable local relief. Mountains generally are understood to be larger than hills, but the term has no standardized geological meaning. Painted mountains of Peru  An extensive area Plateaus of flat upland usually bounded by an escarpment (i.e., steep slope) on all sides but sometimes enclosed by mountains. The essential criteria for plateaus are low relative relief and some altitude. Lowlands Are the broad, low and generally flat areas of the central part of the North American continent. They extend from central Saskatchewan, in Canada, south to the rim of the Coastal Plain and are bounded by the Great Plains on the west, the Canadian Shield on the north and east, and the Appalachian Mountains on the east. Nature of Landforms Three principal types of landforms: 1.Mountains 2.Plateaus 3.Lowlands These are actively shaped and reshaped by various processes: Denudation: gradual wearing down of mountains by erosion and weathering over millions of years Weathering: breaking down solid rock of ancient mountains into smaller particles Erosion: transporting these smaller particles by means of air, ice and water to lower locations where they are deposited Deposition: when layers of eroded material pile up The earth is a stable planet from a human perspective, but a dynamic planet from a geological perspective  Basic Land Forming Processes 1. Deformation – Uplift, folding, faulting and subsidence 2. Denudation a) Weathering b) Mass Wasting c) Erosion 3. Deposition Physiographic A physiographic Regions region is a large area of the earth’s crust that has three characteristics: 1. Large, contiguous area 2. Common set of geomorphic processes 3. Common geological structure and history Physiographic Regions, cont’d Each region has a different geological structure and its own topography Different energy and mineral resources have shaped regional economies Glaciation shaped virtually all Canadian topography Different challenges and opportunities for human activity exist in each of the regions 1. Canadian Shield 2. Mountains and uplands 3. Lowlands, sedimentary platforms and coastal plains Canada has seven physiographic regions: 1. The Canadian Shield 2. The Cordillera 3. The Interior Plains 4. The Hudson Bay Lowlands 5. The Arctic Lands 6. The Appalachian Uplands 7. The Great Lakes–St Lawrence Lowlands Major Drainage Basins A drainage basin is land that slopes towards the sea separated by topographic ridges Four major drainage basins in Canada: 1. The Atlantic Basin 2. The Hudson Bay Basin 3. The Arctic Basin 4. The Pacific Basin Major Drainage Basins, cont’d FIGURE 2.10 Drainage basins of Canada The Atlantic Basin The third largest drainage area It has the second greatest streamflow The Hudson Bay Basin Largest drainage basin in Canada Precipitation varies greatly across this basin The Arctic Basin Canada’s second- largest drainage basin, dominated by the Mackenzie River coastline The Pacific Basin The smallest basin Has the third-highest volume of water draining into the sea Site of one of Canada’s largest single hydroelectric projects Summary 1)Introduced to the concept of the physiographic region 2)Identified three broad categories of land- forming processes: deformation, denudation and deposition. 3)Identified Canada’s seven physiographic regions, and discussed two different ways of classifying those regions. 4)Looked at the different drainage basins in Canada Discussion “Canada is a country of regions”. Is this true of other countries? Is the United States also a country of regions? Is the UK? Can all countries be described in this fashion? Why or why not?