C H A P T E R 10

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C H A P T E R 10

• Introducing the United States

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I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
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I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

• A. There are 7 Landform Regions

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• 1. The Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain along the
  Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, created by the
  erosion of the Appalachian Mountains

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• 2. The Piedmont runs from New Jersey to Alabama

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• 2. The Piedmont is a plateau region inland
• from the Coastal Plain near the foot of the
• Appalachian Mountains

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• 2. The Piedmont

Early America cities were established along the
Fall Line where the Coastal Plain meets the
Piedmont
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• The Fall Line is a low east-facing cliff
  paralleling the Atlantic coastline from New
  Jersey to the Carolinas. It separates hard
  metamorphic rocks of the Appalachian Piedmont to
  the west from the softer, gently dipping
  sedimentary rocks of the Coastal Plain. This
  erosional scarp, the site of many waterfalls,
  hosted flume- and water-wheel-powered industries
  in colonial times and thus helped determine the
  location of such major cities as Philadelphia,
  Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond. Extreme
  changes in topography mark this Fall Line,
  causing streams and rivers to descend large
  rapids and waterfalls on their way to the sea.

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• 2. The Piedmont

The Fall Line marks the head of navigation on
rivers
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• 2. The Piedmont

The Fall Line is the site of many waterfalls and
had water-wheel-powered industries in colonial
times
Water-powered looms shown in an illustration from
an 1836 book. .
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• 3. The Appalachian Mountains rise to the west and
  north of the Piedmont

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• The Appalachian Mountains are made up of a
• series of parallel ridges and valleys that extend
• from Maine to Alabama

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3. The Appalachian Mountains
The highest peaks are over 6,000 and include the
Green, White, Catskill, Allegheny, Blue Ridge,
and Great Smoky Mountains
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• 4. The Interior Plains are located between the
  Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains

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• 4. The Interior Plains

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• 4. The Interior Plains

Area has rolling hills, thousands of lakes, river
systems, and variety of productive soil types
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• 4. The Interior Plains

Most of this region is drained by the Mississippi
River and its tributaries
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• 5. The Rocky Mountains extend from Canada to New
  Mexico and from the Great Plains westward to the
  Intermountain region

Rocky Mountain National Park in north central
Colorado
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5. The Rocky Mountains are a series of several
mountain ranges separated by high plains and
valleys
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5. The Rocky Mountains
Highest peaks reach more than 14,000 feet
Mount Whitney is the highest point in the
contiguous United States at elevation 14,505 feet
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• 6. The Intermountain region is located between
  the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade and Sierra
  Nevada ranges

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6. The Intermountain region
Much of the region is called the Great Basin
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6. The Intermountain region
Landscape consists of high plateaus with deep
canyons, mountain ranges, and desert basins
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6. The Intermountain region
Death Valley is the lowest point in North America
- 282 feet below sea level
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7. The Pacific Coast Region consists of two major
mountain systems with a series of valleys in
between
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• 7. The Pacific Coast Region

The Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges are
on the eastern side of the region
Sierra Nevada Range
Mount Rainier
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• 7. The Pacific Coast Region

The Coast Ranges are along the Pacific Ocean and
extend from California to Canada
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• 7. The Pacific Coast Region

Between these ranges are three fertile valleys
- The Puget Sound Lowland - The Willamette
Valley - The Central Valley
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• 7. The Pacific Coast Region

The western US, Alaska, and Hawaii are all
geologically active and part of the Pacific Ring
of Fire
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• 8. Alaska and Hawaii

Alaska and Hawaii are the two westernmost states
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• 8. Alaska and Hawaii

The Hawaiian islands are huge volcanoes that have
grown from the seafloor
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• 8. Alaska and Hawaii

Mount McKinley in Alaska is North Americas
highest mountain peak - 20,320 ft high
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B. Climate

• The US has 11 climate types, the greatest variety
  in the world
• 2. The Ice-Cap climate is the only type not found
  in the US