Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the work of artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download europe`s physical geography
Document related concepts
no text concepts found
Transcript
GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE Size of Europe vs. North America PENINSULAS • Scandinavian – Nor/Swe • Iberian – Por/Spain • Italian • Balkan – Cro/Rom/Gre LANDFORM REGIONS 1. Northwest Highlands 2. North European Plain 3. Southern Mountains 1. Northwest Highlands • Most of Brit. Isles • No. Europe • Old, rounded mtns – < 8,000’ Northwest Highlands Northwest Highlands • Glaciated during Ice Age – Fjords • Norway – Lakes in Glacial Basins • Finland Fjords • Long, narrow inlets of the sea Formation of Fjords 1.Glaciers carved U-Shaped Valleys 2.Ice melted, sea level rose 3.Fjord = Submerged Glacial Valley Lakes in Glacial Basins • Finland 2. North European Plain • Flat coastal area – SW France Estonia North European Plain • • • • • Moderate Climate Fertile Soil… Xlnt Agriculture Coal, Iron Ore Dense Population 3. Southern Mountains • Young, Jagged Mtns – • • Recent Uplift… Older Mtns & Plateaus Some volcanic activity Alps • SE France Slovenia Italian Alps Alpine Glacial Landforms • Glacial Valleys – U-Shaped – Waterfalls Alpine Glacial Landforms • Horns – 3 Glaciers… – Matterhorn Southern Mtns • Pyrenees (Sp/Fr) • Apennines… – Mt. Vesuvius… Southern Mtns. • Tourism** – Winter Skiing – Summer Hiking & Escape… Southern Mtns. Tourism • Beaches/Coastline EUROPE’S RIVERS • Rhine – …Western Eur. EUROPE’S RIVERS • Danube – Eastern Eur. EUROPE’S CLIMATE • Relatively Mild • Influencing Factors – – – – – Latitude Elevation Ocean Current & Proximity Winds/Air Pressure Systems Mountain Barriers LATITUDE • Affects Sunshine, Temp. – …Mid-Latitudes Latitude & Climate • High Lat Weak Sun – Cool – Little Winter Daylight – Long Summer Daylight • Lower Lat Stronger Sun – Warmer – Less seasonal daylight variation PROXIMITY TO OCEAN • Europe – Peninsula… • Ocean heats/cools slowly – Ocean circulates • Distributes heat – Evaporative cooling • Land heats/cools rapidly Coastal/Inland Contrasts • Dublin (coastal) 40F 60F 20F • Warsaw (inland) 28F 67F 39F OCEAN CURRENT • North Atlantic Drift – From Gulf Stream… – Warm… • January Temp Bergen = 36F Helsinki = 23F • Coldest Winters… WESTERLY WINDS • Storms travel west east • Tall mtns oriented w – e – Storms not blocked PRESSURE SYSTEMS • Icelandic Low – Rising air, Clouds – Source of Europe’s Storms • Azores High Pressure – Dry, Clear Sky – Blocks Storms – Seasonal Shift in Location PRESSURE SYSTEMS • Summer – Southern Europe… • Winter – Azores High… – All of Europe… CLIMATE PATTERNS • Rain decreases: – Eastward – Southward • Winter temperature cooler: – Northward – Eastward Climate Regions • Marine West Coast – Cool, Rainy all year • British Isles • W Coast Norway • NW Spain W Poland – Winds, Terrain… Humid Continental Climate • Cold, Snowy Winters • E. & No. Europe • Mixed Forest – Mostly Broadleaf Deciduous – Evergreen Conifers increase northward Mixed Forests • W & E Europe • Present Status – 75%... Subarctic Climate • Coldest Winters … • No. Swe & Fin • Coniferous Forest – Evergreen Needleleaf Subarctic Climate • Present Status of No. Eur. Forests… Tundra Climate • • • • • • Temp 32-50F in summer Arctic coast of Norway Interior of Iceland Permafrost No Trees Grasses Mediterranean Climate • • • • So. Europe Dry, warm summer Oak Trees Maquis vegetation – Evergreen Shrubs (“chaparral”) Steppe Climate • Semi-desert • Parts of Spain
Related documents