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LANDFORMS. Chapter 1. Coastal Plain. Flat, low land Along Atlantic Coast Very fertile land Massachusetts down the East coast around Texas and into Mexico. Piedmont. “at the base of a mountain” Region of hills & valleys Eastern side of Appalachian Mountains
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LANDFORMS Chapter 1
Coastal Plain • Flat, low land • Along Atlantic Coast • Very fertile land • Massachusetts down the East coast around Texas and into Mexico
Piedmont • “at the base of a mountain” • Region of hills & valleys • Eastern side of Appalachian Mountains • Begins in New Jersey extending to Alabama http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect6/MapPiedmontUS01.jpg
Appalachian Mountains • Southern Canada to central Alabama • Oldest mountains in U.S. • Peaks worn down by glaciers, rain, wind (aka erosion) http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/willow/the-appalachians0.gif
Interior Plains • Stretch from Appalachians to the Rocky Mountains in west • Two parts: • Eastern side called Central plains • Flat or rolling hills • Many trees and rivers • Western part called Interior Plains • flatter • Few trees and rivers
Prairie • Flat or rolling land • Covered by grasses • Central plains called tall-grass prairies
Rocky Mountains • Covers most of Western U.S. • Largest & longest U.S. mountain range • Mexico through Canada into Alaska • Younger than Appalachian mtn. • Sharp jagged peaks haven’t been eroded
Great Basin • Part of the Intermountain Region (between Rockies and land west) • Mostly dry land • Includes Nevada and 5 neighboring states • Basin – low bowl shaped land with higher land around • Death Valley, CA – edge of G.B. lowest land in North America.
Sierra Nevada • California • “snowy mountain range” • Eastern side – very steep • Cascade Range north of Sierra Nevada in Washington & Oregon http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/places/states/california/ca_sierra.htm
Compare Coasts Atlantic Coast Pacific Coast Rocky Sharp drops into ocean Little flat land • Flat • Fertile land http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=60572&rendTypeId=4 http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/santa_barbara_california/pages/Pacific%20Coast%20highway%20south%202.htm
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Barker_Inlet_location.pnghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Barker_Inlet_location.png Inlet area of water extending into the land from a larger body of water
http://gulfofmexicomap.com/ Gulf The largest inlets
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/puget-soundLG.jpg Sound Long inlet that separates offshore islands from the mainland.
http://www.divinglore.com/Genesis/USA/Great_Lakes_&_Inland_Sites.htmhttp://www.divinglore.com/Genesis/USA/Great_Lakes_&_Inland_Sites.htm Great Lakes Largest lakes in U.S. Along boarder between U.S. & Canada HOMES Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior
http://faculty.washington.edu/jsachs/lab/www/Research/Canada_Expedition_2007/Great_Salt_Lake_map2.jpghttp://faculty.washington.edu/jsachs/lab/www/Research/Canada_Expedition_2007/Great_Salt_Lake_map2.jpg Great Salt Lake Utah Salty like the Ocean
Tributary Stream or river that flows into a larger stream or river.
http://www.mapofmississippi.com/map_of_mississippi.cfm River System A river and its tributaries. Drain, or carries water away from, the land around it.
http://serc.carleton.edu/images/research_education/katrina/drainage.gifhttp://serc.carleton.edu/images/research_education/katrina/drainage.gif Drainage Basin The land drained by a river system. Mississippi River – flows from Minnesota to Gulf of Mexico and is the largest rivers system in the U.S.
http://lpetrov.net/niagara/p2160189_mini.jpg Fall Line A place where the land drops sharply Cases rivers to form waterfalls or rapids.
Continental Divide Imaginary lines runs north & south along the highest points of the Rockies. Divides major rivers systems in North America.