Geography 2109Ch. 2 Part 1- Physiographic Regions of Canada

Conceptual Framework 7 Physiographic Regions

Geophysical Processes and Regionalism

Climatic Processes, Types and Regionalism

Geophysical Heartland/Hinterland

Determinants of Human Settlement

Characteristics of RegionsSuperior Climate & Vegetational Impacts

Physiography: A study of landforms, their

underlying geology, and the processes that shape these landforms.

Geophysical Processes and Regionalism

Geothermal Activities Continental Drift & Mountain

building The Rock Cycle Glacial Cycles & processes Erosion and Sedimentation

Earth’s Geothermal Core, Mantle and Crust

Geophysical Processes and Regionalism

Geophysical Processes Continental Drift & Mountain

building

Geophysical Processes Mountain building The Rock Cycle Rock Origins

- Igneous (molten intrusion)- Sedimentary (deposition)- Metamorphic (pressure)

Process- Horizontal & vertical pushlifts rock into highlands- Glaciers, wind, water erode tops into sharp peaks, cirques, arêtes- Further erosion decreasesheight and widens troughs- Deposits accumulate from eroded materials- Weight, heat, settling compact and buckle rock

Geophysical Processes Erosion

Water (can carry sand to boulders depending on flow speed)

Air (fine particulates – silt, sand) Slumps, slides (large masses of land)

These physiographicsurface processesare driven by Climate,yet they have significant impact onhuman choice for both settlement andeconomic activity

Geophysical Processes Glaciation and Glacial Impacts

Ice Ages (20k-year cycle) Last glaciation peak 14K BP Isostatic Rebound

Restrained Rebound (during meltback)

Postglacial Uplift (end of meltback – 11K BP)

Residual Uplift (not yet finished)

Glacial Impacts Glacial Deposition

Glacial till (at edges during retreat)

Drumlins (long, low hills -during advance push)

Eskers (long, narrow – by meltwaters under glaciers)

Glacial striations (on bedrock by gouging during advance)

Rivers and Lakes

Types of Precipitation (3) Rainfall, Snow and Hail

Convectional precipitation (moist air is forced to rise over warm ground)

Frontal precipitation (warm front meets cold and is forced to rise above it) Orographic precipitation (warm front

forced to rise over mountains) Rain Shadow Effect (as this same air mass moves down leeward slopes, the leeward side warms the air and it rises again without precipitation)

Convectional

Orographic

Rain Shadow Effect

Cold Front

Warm Front

Acknowledgement of Image Sources

• Glacial images and landforms from The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2003. CD Edition, available from Petro-Canada outlets.

• Maps:

– Physiographic regions: Robert Bone. 2002. The Geography of Canada, 2nd Edition.

– Tracing the Magnetic Pole, The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2003. CD Edition

– Wisconsin Ice Sheet, Gleick, 2000: p. 70 (fig. 20)

– World map Pangea 200M years ago, and world today from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ice/continents/

• Global Core, Mathez (ed.). 2001. Earth: Inside & Out pp. 157, 156, 68 respectively.

• Erosion images, German Newspaper website http://www.sueddeutsche.de, 2002.

• Cyclone and Wave Erosion, EPA website, Great Lakes, July 2002, http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/visual.html,