America

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AmericasEnvironmental Landscape

• What are the broad patterns of landforms,
  climate, hydrology, natural vegetation, and
  ecosystems of North America?
• How have these patterns helped shape human
  settlement?

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Topography

• Very large topographic regions
• Based on physical relief
• Regions are generally oriented north-south
• Tectonics Volcanism

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• Glaciation

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• Hydrology

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Topography Soils

• Mixture of weathered rock, OM, water, air
• Shaped altered by the physical environment over
  time
• Described in terms of distinguishing properties
• color
• texture
• structure
• ability to hold water and air
• degree of acidity or alkalinity
• Where soils are well developed vertical zonation
  may occur producing distinct layers or soil
  horizons

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• Soils

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Weather Climate

• Geographic controls
• Latitude
• Land-water relationship
• Relief (elevation)
• Air pressure orographic precipitation
• Air masses and wind systems

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Latitude

• Temperature is a function of an areas exposure
  to the direct rays of the sun
• Maximized exposure at equator minimized at poles
• Yearly earth-sun relationship (seasonality)

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Land and Water Relationship

• Land tends to heat faster and cool faster than
  water
• Annual temperature ranges
• Continentality
• Maritime influence

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Relief

• Orographic Precipitation
• Higher elevations are cooler than lower
  elevations
• Adiabatic cooling rate of rising air 5.5º per
  1,000
• Temperature

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Air Masses
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North American Air Masses
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Air Masses and Wind Systems

• North American wind patterns distinct climatic
  patterns
• North American Pattern
• Western US topography is the key control
• East latitude is significant in determining
  variations in temperature and precipitation

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Precipitation Regime Winter
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Precipitation Regime Summer
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Climate Zones

• Based on Köppen Classification
• Most widely used climate classification system
• Vegetation types are a direct response to climate
  
• Regional boundaries show temperature and
  precipitation associations with vegetation limits

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PermafrostRegions
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Biogeography Ecology
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Bioregions
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Ecosystems Watersheds
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Mineral Resources

• Metallic Minerals
• Fossil Fuels (oil, gas, and coal)
• Oil and Gas Fields
• Coal
• Major Fields
• Appalachian
• Eastern Interior
• Western Interior
• Western

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FOSSIL FUELS
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Quick Reading

• Ratzel, F., Wissler, C., Sauer C. O. Culture
  Area Research Mapping.
• A brief overview of combining geotechniques and
  regional geography

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Discussion Questions

• How could North American environmental patterns
  affect human settlement?
• Besides the ecoregion and biome concepts, can you
  think of any other technique to classify physical
  geography characteristics?

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Related Books

• Diamond, Jared. 1997. Guns, Germs, and Steel The
  Fates of Human Society. New York W.W. Norton and
  Company.
• Pulitzer Prize winning book by a converted
  geographer. It discusses the human and
  environmental history of Earth in a lively
  manner.
• Marsh, William M. 2005. Landscape Planning
  Environmental Implications, 4th ed. New York
  John Wiley Sons.
• A guidebook of sorts, focusing on how different
  environmental states affect land use planning in
  North America.
• Orme, Anthony R. ed. 2002. The Physical Geography
  of North America. New York Oxford University
  Press.
• 25 articles by well-respected authors detailing
  current information about regional environments
  of North American systems.

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WebSources

• Physical Geography Introduction/Overview
• http//www.physicalgeography.net/home.html
• National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (US
  Department of Commerce)
• http//www.noaa.gov/
• Hurricane Information
• http//hurricanes.noaa.gov/
• http//cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/
• U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program
• http//www.usgcrp.gov/