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Chapter 2 Section 2

Explore Oklahoma's diverse geographic regions, including the High Plains, Gypsum Hills, Red Bed Plains, and the Wichita Mountains. Learn about the unique landscapes, wildlife, recreational opportunities, and economic activities of each region.

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Chapter 2 Section 2

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  1. Chapter 2 Section 2 Geographic Regions (and we have a few of them!!!)

  2. Geographic Regions • High Plains • Gypsum Hills • Red Bed Plains • Wichita Mountains • Sandstone Hills • Arbuckle Mountains • Prairie Plains • Ozark Plateau • Ouachita Mountains • Red River Plains

  3. High Plains • Panhandle and western border; easily noticed from space • Black Mesa (4,973 feet) in Cimarron County was formed by prehistoric volcano eruption in southeastern Colorado • Wildlife: quail, dove, duck, wild turkey, pheasant, deer, elk, antelope, and prairie dog • Lake Optima and Beaver Dunes State Park: great recreational opportunities • Guymon: largest city in the region • Major economic producers: cattle, hogs, farming, ranching, petroleum & natural gas

  4. GYPSUM HILLS

  5. Gypsum Hills • Kansas border to the far southwestern corner • Left when ancient seas evaporated • Named for the white gypsum buttes • The Gypsum Hills sparkle in the sunlight because of their gypsum content and sometime called Glass Hills

  6. Rich soils produce winter wheat, hay, alfalfa, soybeans, & cotton • Cattle: the primary livestock • Oil & natural gas in many areas

  7. Springs and caves found in the region – includes: the Alabaster Caverns & the Selman Bat Cave

  8. Red Bed Plains

  9. Red Bed Plains • State rock: the rose rock found near Noble: formed when barium sulfate combines with quartz sand • Roman Nose State Park: once a Cheyenne campground • Cross Timbers area: blackjack and post oak trees • Fertile soil ideal for growing wheat, hay, peanuts, and cotton – plus grasslands for cattle and horses • Oil and natural gas wells dot the countryside • The Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge: only place in the world one can dig for hourglass selenite crystals • The Great Salt Plains area: a major resting site for thousands of migratory birds

  10. Little Sahara State Park: over 1,600 acres of sand dunes ranging from 25 – 75 ft. Red-orange shale and clay soil partly formed from ancient shallow seas; salt deposits left when the seas evaporated Oklahoma City: state’s largest city (532,517)

  11. Earthquakes: occur in many parts of Oklahoma

  12. Wichita Mountains

  13. Wichita Mountains • 500 million years ago mountains began to form from ancient lava flows • Huge granite boulders popular for rock climbing • 59,000-acre Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge set aside from the Comanche-Kiowa-Apache Reservation in 1901 • Area around the base of the mountains a mixed grass prairie • Buffalo: reintroduced to the refuge in 1907 • Longhorn cattle, elk, deer, wild turkey, and numerous smaller animals and birds • Meers near Medicine Park: began as a mining camp resulting from stories of gold which brought prospectors

  14. Fort Sill (1869): built to stop Indian raids; changed from cavalry to artillery in early 1900s

  15. Sandstone Hills

  16. Sandstone Hills • The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve: north of Pawhuska in the Flint Hills, one of North America’s former major ecosystems • Sandstone and shale are main rocks • Shale erosion – result: sandstone hills up to 400 feet • Activities include: buffalo graze on tall bluestem, Indian grass, & switchgrass • Ranching, oil, and natural gas: main industries • 1920s: the Osage Indians among the wealthiest people in the country due to the discovery of oil • Greater Seminole Oil Field: 26 pools discovered – ignited growth of many small towns • Coal mining: spurred growth in the McAlester area • Tulsa metropolitan area: part of this region

  17. Oilman, Frank Phillips - responsible for Woolaroc Wildlife Preserve and Museum Keystone: one of several lakes in the area

  18. Arbuckle Mountains

  19. TURNER FALLS Two natural swimming pools & a 77-foot waterfall

  20. Arbuckle Mountains • West Timbered Hills: highest point – 1,415 feet southwest of Davis • Range runs east-west • Part of a very old mountain system • Exposed granite in Murray County: 1.4 billion years old • Composed of folded & faulted limestone, dolomite, sandstone, and shale • Diverse mineral resources: limestone, dolomite, glass sand, granite, sand and gravel, shale, iron ore, lead, zinc, tar sands, oil and gas

  21. Initial Point Mark: established in 1870 as numbering system for dividing most of the state into townships and sections The Chickasaw NationalRecreationArea: oldest park in Oklahoma

  22. Prairie Plains

  23. Home to Port of Catoosa: international shipping port and the most inland, ice-free port in the United States Tulsa – state’s 2nd largest city Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks

  24. Rich soil: everything from strawberries, spinach, beans, carrots and tomatoes grown Contains many hard sandstone hills and ridges Major coal areas – most is surface mined

  25. McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System: covers 445 river miles System navigable channel up the Arkansas River to Muskogee 5 locks and dams in Oklahoma Water is a major feature of region (Arkansas R.) Eufaula: state’s largest lake – plus Lake Oologah

  26. Jenks Riverwalk on the Arkansas River

  27. Ozark Plateau

  28. Ozark Plateau • Part of the Ozark Mountain chain of Missouri and Arkansas • Much of the region heavily wooded: oak, hickory, & elm • Many fruits, berries, and vegetables grown in area • Contains the Boston Mountains and the Cookson Hills • Two main rivers: Illinois & Grand • The Pensacola Dam: created the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees

  29. Ouachita Mountains

  30. Ouachita Mountains • Region of towering pine and hardwood trees • Some of the roughest land in the state • Ouachita-Ozark: once a part of a mighty mountain range from the Appalachian Highlands to southwest Texas • Rich Mountain: highest peak in the region – 2,666 feet high • East-west ridges in the region: Winding Stair, Jack Fork, Blue Bouncer, & Kiamichi • Once provided safety for Indian people and hideouts for outlaws • Very popular parks in the region: Beavers Bend, Robbers Cave, Spiro Mounds, Heavener Runestone, Talimena, Clayton Lake & Lake Wister • Talimena Drive: especially known for its fall foliage • Grazing lands, small farms, and lumbering important to the region’s economy

  31. Red River Plains

  32. Red River Plains • Southeastern region: lies along the low elevation of the Red River – rich, sandy soils & a long growing season • Ideal for melons, squash, corn, and pumpkins by early Indians • Red River dams: provide better flood control thus more area available for farming • Eastern part of region: includes cypress swamps & forests • Lakes include: Texoma, Murray, and Hugo • “Great Raft”: 150-mile jam of logs & debris along the Red River in early 1800s • Forts Towson, Washita, & Arbuckle became a center for Choctaw & Chickasaw cotton plantations

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