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Nebraska: Geography, History, and Natural Features

Discover the location, development, and geographic features of Nebraska, including its time periods, landscape, soils, water resources, minerals, weather and climate, and native vegetation and wildlife.

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Nebraska: Geography, History, and Natural Features

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  1. Chapter 1: The Flat Water State • Where is Nebraska Located • How did it develop • What are its geographic features

  2. Absolute location: • 95 25’ and 104 west longitude • 40 and 43 north latitude • Relative location • Middle of the country • 6 surrounding states? • Western boundary? • Eastern boundary? • 15 largest- 77,355 square miles • 207 miles by 430

  3. Two time zones Mountain and Central Became a state March 1st, 1867 93 counties HDC- counties include Colfax, Cuming, Dodge, and Stanton and country seats are Schuyler, West Point, Fremont, and Stanton State Song- Beautiful Nebraska

  4. Time Periods • Precambrian- ended 570 millions years ago • Besides algae, no other plant or animal life • Granite, sedimentary rock • Paleozoic- 570 million to 240 million • North America covered by seas and swamps • Evidence of fossils such as sharks • Dolomite, sandstone, limestone • Coal and oil develop

  5. Mesozoic- 240 to 66 millions years ago • Jurassic period- dinosaurs • Went from swampy area back to sea • Rocky mountains form • Cenozoic Era- 66 million to 38 million year • Seas disappeared • Mammals showed up • Ogallala Aquifer- formed during this period, made of porous rock and stores huge amounts of water underground

  6. Agate Fossil Beds – Harrison • Ashfalls Fossil Beds - Orchard

  7. Pleistocene period- 1 million years ago • Glaciers came twice over Nebraska • Nebraska state fossil? • 10,000 years ago- Nebraska started to resemble what it is today

  8. Nebraska Landscape • State slants up from south east to northwest • Lowest Point- 840 ft above sea level • Highest 5,424 ft above sea level • Panorama Point • Topography- lay of the land

  9. 8 Topographic Regions Most Uniquesandhills

  10. Nebraska Soils • Most Nebraskans make a living directly or indirectly related to AGRICULTURE • Soil contains- silt, clay, sand, and gravel • Loess-fertile, easy to till, and great for crops, located on the plains • Loam- need irrigation, but can be used for crops, fertile, and located near bluffs and escarpments

  11. Nebraska water: Rivers • Most rivers flow easterly • Longest River- Platte- wide but shallow • Nebrathka- used by Oto and Omaha meaning- • Most rivers eventually drain into the ……… • Important river in north part of the state_______________

  12. Nebraska Water: Lakes and Reservoirs • Dams have created stable water supply • 2,500 natural and artificial lakes • Lake C. W. McConaughy • Largest in lake, 55 square miles • Kingsley Dam on North Platte River • Lewis and Clark Lake • Missouri River • Gavin's Point dam

  13. Minerals • Does not have extensive mineral resources • Salt- Lincoln Ne • Potash- important during WWI • State Rock- blue agate

  14. Weather and Climate • Tornados- Spring and summer • Blizzards in winter • Weather- conditions in the bottom layer of the atmosphere at a particular time • Climate- weather over long period of time- Climate of Nebraska is continental- cold winters and hot summers • Temperature • Vary greatly • Mean January temp- 23 degrees • Mean July temp- 76 degrees • Highest- Minden- 118 degrees- 1936 • Lowest- -47 degrees 1899 and 1989

  15. Precipitation • 98th parallel considered the important dividing line with precipitation • East- 20 inches or more West- 20 inches or less • Average • 34 inches in SE • 24 inches in Central • 16 inches in panhandle • Most- 57 inches • Least- 7 inches

  16. Wind • Relatively few trees, wind can reach high velocities • Wind mills can harness this energy • Storms • Harsh blizzards during the winter • 1975 storm of the century • Tornados • 30 per year • Grand Island 1975, Omaha 1913

  17. Native Vegetation • 1,400 species native, another 350 brought here • Only 3 percent natural forrest • Prairie Grasses- Little blue stem- state grass • Cottonwood- state tree • Known for arbor day to encourage planting trees • J. Sterlig Morton • Goldenrod- state flower • Nebraska Wild Life • Bison/buffalo- most important • White tail deer- State mammal • Meadowlark- state bird • Honeybee- state insect

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