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September 1, 2006 Natural Environments of North America Landforms— : port cities, major source for trading and commerce, low lying region that begins below sea level and gradually rises. : natural barrier caused major difficulties when Americans decided to move west to fulfill the dream of Manifest Destiny. : thousands of lakes, fertile soils, and lots of rivers; when settling, we skipped over this region; we skipped this region due to the Indian threat and less favorable conditions. : composed of very old rock; Arctic Ocean east to the Atlantic Ocean. : high, rugged mountain ranges; Death Valley is the lowest point on North America at 282 ft below sea level. : 1. Cascade Mountains—many high volcanoes; , Mt. Hood, , and Mt. Saint Helens. 2. —Northern California, Oregon, and Washington state. : series of valleys; Puget Sound (lowland in Washington), Willamette River Valley (Oregon), and Central Valley in California. North America sits on the ; the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate are rubbing against each other laterally; causes deep faults in both plates, the San Andreas Fault in California is the work of this process. : found on a hot spot, composed of magma from the Earth’s core that has built up over many years; tops of these volcanoes are active. : Sub-duction Zone; Aleutian Islands are found crossing towards Russia; home to America’s highest peak, Mount McKinley at 20,320 ft. Continental Divide— Definition: EASTERN FLOWING RIVER SYSTEMS: —drains most of the water on the eastern half of the United States. —drain the Great Lakes into the Atlantic Ocean Mackenzie River System—found in the ; several Canadian Lakes drain into the Mackenzie River System; Lake Anthabasca, , and Great Bear Lake. WESTERN FLOWING RIVER SYSTEMS: Colorado and Colombia Rivers—flow to the Pacific Ocean —flow to the Gulf of California Yukon River—flow to the . THESE RIVERS PROVIDE HYDROELECTRICITY FOR THE AREA Climates of North America—every climate type except for Ice Cap Climates can be found in the United States!! Four Major Factors Influence Climate: o o o 5 o Climates of North America o Southeastern United States—humid, , summers are hot/humid; mild winters, thunderstorms are common, warm waters of Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Stream o Northeastern United States— , from Atlantic Coast to Kansas; four distinct seasons; humid summer, cold snowy winters, Great Lakes influence precipitation. o West of 100 degrees west longitude—Great Plains— ; vast grasslands, scattered trees, violent storms; natural hazards (hail, lightning, tornados, and flash flooding) o Just east of the Rocky Mountains— —mountains block the moist westerly winds; creates a rain shadow, very hot summers and mild winters. o Rocky Mountain Region— —temperature and rain vary, pending on elevation and local geography. o —southeast Alaska down to Northern California; mild summers, cool, wet winters o —southern California; mild winters and long dry summers. o Hawaii—tropical climate; falls in easterly trade wind belt; they host both and pending what side of the islands you are talking about. o Far North America—Canadian Shield— , permafrost, south of this area is a subarctic climate, covers most of Canada and Alaska. Plants & Animals— In general, forests dominate humid areas, while grasslands or scrubs cover more arid regions; however, due to human and environmental interaction, the natural biomes have been greatly altered. Page 156—discusses all the plants and animals that are natural to the area… o Semi-Arid Biome o Desert Biome o Grassland Biome o Boreal Forest Biome o Tundra Biome o Tropical Biome o Savanna Biome o Tropical Rainforest Biome —very distinct biomes that are located in rural areas; Hawaii is isolated and therefore, has developed a very specific indigenous set of plants and animals.