Download Geographic Influences on Identity

Canada’s Physical Geography
Chapter 2
ge·og·ra·phy
noun
The study of the physical features of the earth and its atmosphere, and of
human activity as it affects and is affected by these, including the
distribution of populations and resources, land use, and industries.
What do you already know about Geography?
Canada’s Physical Geography
Canada’s geography has a huge effect on Canadians’ sense of identity.
Planet Earth
The Earth is made up of layers
of rock of different ages.
Canada has some of the oldest
rock – about 4 billion years old!
Layers of the Earth
The Earth is made
up of 3 layers: the
core, the mantle,
and the crust.
Core

Center of the Earth
composed of 2 layers:
Inner core – very hot and
solid because it’s under
tremendous pressure.
Outer core – very hot and
contains mostly liquid
rock.
Mantle
The middle layer and thickest
layer of the Earth. It is made of
solid rock, although high
temperature and pressure can
cause some of this solid rock to
flow slowly.
Magma
A hot, dense, slow moving
liquid.
Crust

The surface of the Earth (the
part we walk on). It is very
thin under the oceans, but
very thick under the
continents.
Earth’s Crust
Hard Boiled Egg
Layers of the Earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAHY6965o08
Convection Currents
http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-convection-currents-definitionexamples-quiz.html
Continents and Oceans as we know them.
North America
South America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Australia
Antarctica
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Continental Drift
 The theory that the Earth’s
plates are moving.
 Scientist Alfred Wegener came
up with this theory.
 The earth's crust is divided
into plates that move because
of currents in the mantle.
It is believed the world
was once one giant
super continent called
Pangaea.
Over time, the plates
of Pangaea started to
move apart creating
the continents we
know today.
Pangea Progression
Scientists found evidence of
continental drift to support their
theory:
1. The shapes of the landmasses.
2. Similar fossils in rocks on
separate continents.
3. Fossils of sea animals found
high in the Himalaya Mountains.
Canadian Crust
Canada is located
on the North
American Plate. It
moves about 4
centimeters west
every year.
When the Pacific
plate moves
northeasterly it
creates a
subduction zone.
Subduction zone
 when one plate slides beneath another creating volcanoes and
earthquakes.
Group work on Plate Tectonics sheet questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-HwPR_4mP4
“Ring of Fire”
The zone around the Pacific Ocean
is called the “Pacific Ring of Fire.”
More than half of the world’s
active volcanoes above sea level
are found in this zone.
The scary part is that the same
area has some of the most densely
populated regions on the planet!
1/5 of Canada's
thousand or so
earthquakes
happen in British
Columbia.
Movements of the
plates also means
that the distance
between the
Atlantic provinces
and Western
Europe is increasing
every year.
Assignment: Questions
1.
2.
What is the
reason for the
nickname “Pacific
Ring of Fire?”
Explain why
Eastern Canada
experiences
relatively few
major
earthquakes.
Landforms
READ Page 23 to 26
Landform Assignment
Research your assigned
landform. Make a 5 Slide
PowerPoint that includes:
1. Title page
2. A description of your
landform.
3. How it was made or shaped.
4. Where the land form is most
commonly found.
5. Reference page (site at least 3
sources where you found
information)
Pictures on every page!
Fjord –
Pingo –
Moraine –
Sand spit –
Horn –
Hoodoo –
Drumlin –
Esker –
Waterfall –
Erratic –
Stack –
Oxbow lake -
Landforms or Topography
 natural features of the land’s surface (topographic maps)
Hills, valleys, rivers, lakes, oceans, etc.
Landscape
 Made up of an area’s
landforms, but includes
vegetation, water, ice, rock,
human and animal activity.
Landscape effects how we live:
Food, travel, communication,
business, etc.
There are two types of Landscape:
1. Urban
landscape
city
2. Rural
landscape
country
How are Landforms Built?
How are Landforms Built?
See page 24 in text!
• Building up forces of
mountain building
• Wearing down forces of
weathering
• Wearing down forces of
erosion
• Building up forces of
deposition
Currents under the crust
sometimes cause the magma in
the mantle to come to the
surface as lava.
When this happens, great
trenches or large mountains can
form.
Landforms are also created
when continental plates move
or collide.
Fault lines
cracks in the earth’s crust that
usually run between the plates
What is a Rift Valley?
Draw a rift valley in your notes
The Great Rift Valley
Victoria Falls - Africa
Victoria Falls - Africa
Devil’s Pool
Devil’s Pool
Devil’s Pool
How are Landforms Shaped?
Weathering
The gradual breaking down of
solid rock by air, water, animals,
and plants.
Erosion
When the land’ surface is
carried away by running water,
tides, wind, and glaciers.
Deposition
When eroded particles are
dropped off in one place by
running water, tides, wind and
glaciers.