GEO review unit 2 Flashcards
What are the landform regions in Canada?
Innuitian Mountains, Arctic Lowlands, Canadian Shield, Hudson Bay Lowlands, Interior Plains, Rocky Mountains (Cordillera), Appalachian Mountains, Great Lakes-St Lawrence Lowlands.
Identify the landform regions in Canada: (use empty map)
Did you get it?
What is the largest and smallest landform region?
L: Canadian shield S: St. Lawrence Lowlands
What does the term plat tectonic refer to?
The term Plate Tectonics refers to the forces that move pieces of the earth’s crust.
What three ways can the tectonic plates interact with one another?
Plates can converge/collide, meaning they are colliding into each other.
Plates can diverge, meaning they are moving in opposite directions away from each other.
Plates can transform, meaning they slide past each other in opposite directions.
When do the tectonic plates converge/collide?
Convergent Boundary: This movement occurs when plates move toward each other. It is visible on the surface of the earth where we see the folding and faulting of plates forming mountain chains. For example, the Indian and Eurasian plates are creating the Himalayan Mountains.
When do the tectonic plates diverge?
Divergent Boundary: This movement occurs when plates move away from each other. When they separate, the magma from further inside the Earth is able to come to the surface, forming volcanoes. In Iceland, part of the country is located on the Eurasian plate and the other part is on the North American plate.
When do the tectonic plates diverge?
Transform Boundary: This movement occurs when plates slide past each other in opposite directions. The sliding is not always smooth, so tension builds up and then the eventual release causes earthquakes. The most famous of these faults is the San Andreas Fault in California.
What general direction is the Canadian part of that plate moving?
Its colliding with the other plate?
What was the dominant force of nature that created the landscapes.
In Canada, the dominant force of nature that created the landscapes were glaciers.
Where does glaciation form? When was the last ice age?
Glaciers form where more snow falls than melts. The last ice age was 12,000 years ago.
How does ice form?
New snowfall (for compression) and heat (enough for it to melt a little, not faster than it can freeze), and freezing temps.
Can you think of a local land feature that is a result of glacial action?
Near the end of the last ice age as the glacier was melting, it stalled its retreat in this part of Ontario.
As it melted, it deposited huge amounts of gravel that it had been collecting as it moved across the landscape.
That big pile of gravel (now covered by trees and so forth) is the…?
What forms lowlands?
Lowlands are often rebounded land that used to be the bottom of lakes and seas.
When did the The Western Inland Seaway exist?
The Western Inland Seaway existed from 100 million years ago until 66 million years ago.
What is weathering and erosion?
Weathering and erosion describe the process where rocks are broken down by natural forces such as wind or water.
What is a watershed?
A watershed is the area of land that drains into rivers and lakes, which, in turn, flow to a common outlet.
What are the drainage basins of Canada?
The Arctic, Hudson Bay, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Gulf of
Mexico.
Different watersheds?
There are also Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary Watersheds as you zoom in further on the map.
Different flows in Uxbridge?
In Uxbridge, the areas south of Goodwood flow into Duffin’s Creek towards Lake Ontario and the areas north of Goodwood flow into Pefferlaw River towards Lake Simcoe.
What are the major water bodies in Canada?
Atlantic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Baffin Bay
Bay of Fundy
Beaufort Sea
Davis Strait
Great Bear Lake
Great Slave Lake
Gulf of St. Lawrence
Hudson Strait
James Bay
Labrador Sea
Lake Athabasca
Lake Erie
Lake Huron
Lake Michigan (in the US, but still…)
Lake Ontario
Lake Superior
Lake Winnipeg
Mackenzie River
Pacific Ocean
St. Lawrence River
Saskatchewan River
Ungava Bay
(fill in map)
Read through water cyclye:
good job!
How much of earths surface is water?
Water is the dominant attribute of Earth, covering 71% of the Earth’s surface.
What is the soil quality in the Durham region?
Mainly class 1.
Look over land cover in Canada:
cool!
Review climate zones in Canada
…
What is an ecozone?
ecozones which is an area with a particular type of natural environment.
Review different ecozones.
..
Map Essentials
Title
Orientation
Date
Author
Legend
Scale
Factors to consider when comparing two communities:
Landform Region
Landforms
Geologic Processes at Work
Water Bodies
Watershed(s)
Weathering and Erosion
Soil Quality
Land Cover
Climate Zone
Ecozone
Cultural Landscape
review soil quality
.
What do tourists want to do in Canada?
Canoe, ski, snowboard, hike, hunt, etc.
What do tourists want to see in Canada??
Nature, scenery, etc.
What physical features of Canada draw in tourists?
Tourist attractions: )CN tower), lakes, mountains, glaciers, etc.
How many national parks are in Canada
48 parks (in 30 of 39 natural regions)
Artists affected by Canada
Artists, musicians, and writers can be influenced by their interactions with the natural environment in Canada, and that can come out in their art.
Provincial parks in Canada
340 parks
Conservation Areas
500+ areas
Consider industries and symbols related to natural tourist attractions in Canada.
What it Represents
Appeal to Tourists
Industries Supported
Tourist Attractions and their Natural Features:
Where in Canada
Tourist Attraction
Identify the combination of natural features that make this place unique in Canada. Consider the landforms, climate and also the proximity to human population that have allowed for the development of this tourist experience.
Think about when considering natural disasters in Canada:
Disaster
Where They Happen in Canada
How They Happen
The Impacts Caused
Examples of natural disasters that affect Canada:
Tsunamis
Tornadoes
Forest fires
Volcanic eruptions
Earthquakes
How to make a chart in google sheets (kinda):
- Select the data in the tab COUNT by YEAR (click in A1 and then press Ctrl+A so that everything from A1 to F118 is highlighted in blue).
- Select “Insert” then “Chart” from the menus above.
- Click on the “Customize” tab and then click on “Chart and axis titles”.
- Update thte “Title text” box with the words “Select Canadian Natural Disasters, 1900-2020”.
- Click on the green text “Chart title” and switch it to “Vertical axis title” in the pull-down menu.
- In the “Title text” box, type “Number of Instances”.
Name 5 examples of natural disasters that happen in Canada:
Tsunami
Floods
Forest fires
Ice storms
Earthquakes
Where do volcanoes occur in Canada?
Volcanoes occur along the west coast, they are concentrated along the west coast. (linear?)
How do volcanoes form?
One of the ways volcanoes form is when two plates diverge, letting the magma from the centre of the earth rise to the surface.
Impact craters in Canada:
There have been 30 other confirmed impact craters in Canada, Lac Manicouagan lies within the remnant of an impact crater.
What is the pattern of impact craters in Canada?
Impact craters are dispersed throughout Canada
Where have tsunamis occurred in Canada, and how many have affected Canada?
Tsunamis in Canada are concentrated along the west and south coast.11 tsunamis have struck Canada since 1900, killing 45 people in total.
How are tsunamis formed?
- Earthquake changes shape of sea floor causing displacement of water.
- Large waves form and move up to 800km/h and 500 mph
- Waves slow in shallower coastal areas but increase in height.
Describe the pattern of earthquakes across Canada:
Most earthquake occurrences are dispersed across Canada, but the stronger ones are more prominent along the west coast.
How do earthquakes form?
Earthquakes usually form when two tectonic plates slide past one another - the boundary off the west coast is evident, but subplates elsewhere still shift, causing smaller quakes.
How are earthquakes measured?
The intensity of earthquakes is measured by the vibrations known as seismic activity on a scale from 1-9 on the Richter scale.
Info about Richter scale:
Each number on the Richter scale is ten times the amount of shaking, and 33 times the amount of energy than the number before it!
Seismic activity is measured on a seismograph (pictured).
How do tornadoes form?
Tornadoes form when warm, humid air collides with cold, dry air.
Tornadoes form when tumbling cool air is forced up by the heat of the earth
Describe the pattern of tornado formations in Canada?
Tornadoes in Canada form near the south, mainly in the st. Lawrence lowlands and the interior plains (and slightly in the Canadian shield).
In Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.
How might the distribution of tornadoes shift in the future, given changes to global climate patterns?
It shifts from the Southeast in the cooler months of the year, toward the southern and central Plains in May and June, and the northern Plains and Midwest during early summer.
Climate change will affect the frequency of tornadoes.
What are the right combination of factors that are required for the formation of Landslides?
Slope
Angle
Aspect
Precipitation
Permafrost
Surficial geology
Vegetation
Distance to rivers
Distance to coast
Bedrock lithology
What are the main locations of landslides in Canada?
Landslides occur more frequently in the western part of Canada in the cordillera and the interior plains. They are more intense in the cordillera.
What are the locations of ice storms in Canada.
More intense icestorms occur near in the east.
Review what makes it snow / sleet / freezing rain / rain?
slide 32 2.3 forces of nature.
How is the frequency of certain natural disasters affecting various parts of Canada?
increased frequency of wildfires in British Columbia, northern Ontario, and Quebec
increased rainfall in some parts of Canada
increased flooding in urban areas
shrinking of glaciers in northern Canada and the Western Cordillera
What are the main locations of forest fires in Canada?
Forest fires occur across the boreal forest zones in Canada.
Review fire danger map.
Slide 37 2.3 forces of nature.
How are forest fires caused?
Half are caused by humans and half are caused by lightning.
Why are forest fires becoming more frequent?
More unpredictable weather due to climate change.
What can Increased Rainfall impact?
Changes in precipitation, along with changes in temperature, can contribute to many impacts, including more frequent and severe floods and droughts.
About precipitation
Warmer temperatures means more precipitation falls.
As emissions increase, water droplets attach and fall more frequently.
Describe the changes in precipitation throughout Canada.
The more northern regions are experiencing more changes in precipitation.
About Glaciers Shrinking:
By the year 2100, glaciers in Alberta and BC could lose 70 per cent of their 2005 volume.
Alberta and BC would experience dramatic changes to their ecosystems, water supply, agriculture, and tourism.
About Hurricanes:
Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones follow a predictable pattern in their respective oceans.
How are hurricanes formed?
The air coming off the west coast of Africa between 10 and 20°N mixes and begins to spin.
The warm water of the Atlantic Ocean (and Caribbean Sea) increases the strength of the storm.
The spinning of the Earth turns the storm northward along the eastern seaboard towards Northern Europe, lessening as the water cools (or the storm travels over land).
In which regions and at what times of year are hurricanes most common in Canada?
Communities nearest to the Atlantic are at the highest risk of hurricanes. Hurricane season in Eastern Canada runs from June to November.
Difference between Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones.
Hurricanes form in the Atlantic Ocean.
Typhoons form in the Pacific Ocean.
Cyclones form in the Indian Ocean.
Global Natural Events
Natural disasters in other parts of the world can affect Canada.
What is El Niño and La Niña?
El Niño is the warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean.
El Niño results in milder than normal winters and springs in Western and Central Canada.
La Niña is when there are cooler-than-normal water temperatures take place off the coast of South America.
La Niña results in colder winters for the Canadian west.
Think about when considering the different efforts made to protect and restore the environment from the perspective of different stakeholders:
Why should they do it?
Example of Action:
To Build or Not to Build Highway 413?
Stakeholder or Issue
Position
Reason
Create a climate graph:
How to Create a Climate Graph: 2.5.2 How to Create a Climate Graph using Google Sheets
Review: How to Interpret Climate Graphs.
2.5.3 How to Interpret Climate Graphs.
Disrupting Habitats:
European and international settlers in North America have traditionally viewed nature as a potential source of wealth.
Mining, forestry, human settlements, transportation, etc.
Indigenous ecological knowledge has humans as part of the natural environment, using what’s needed to live with minimal impact so future generations can also live.
Highway 413
The Government of Ontario is proposing to build a new highway that goes around the top end of Vaughan and Brampton.
Flooding - Causes:
How we interact with the natural environment is a big part of the problem.
Each of the following changes to the natural environment will increase the chances of flood water overwhelming the human-made collection system.
The first step in the construction of any mall, big box outlet, or neighbourhood is clearing the land.
The removal of the vegetation means that there are no roots to collect, filter, and absorb the rain water.
Paved roads, parking lots, sidewalks, super centers…they also increase the runoff of rainwater.
Municipalities have to design, build and finance stormwater collection systems.
Wetlands act as big sponges and store water.
When wetlands are drained, or built on, rain can no longer be absorbed.
Creeks and streams are often in locations that are considered “inconvenient” for urban development.
Developers create concrete rivers to channel water away from development.
They don’t allow for absorption or river life.
Review different development sites:
Slide 28, 2.4 Humans and the Environment.
Flooding - Causes #2:
Physical Causes
The amount of vegetation in an area to intercept precipitation
Slopes - more slope, faster water flows, less absorption
Rainfall intensity and duration
Human Causes
Land use – more pavement, less absorption
Old water piping fails in cities (massive water leaks)
People building in vulnerable areas
Flooding - Solutions:
To minimize the amount of water and the pollutants that would otherwise enter our watersheds, the Township of Uxbridge has build a bioswale on the low corner of the arena parking lot.
Wetlands are very important - to plants and animals but also to people as they absorb huge quantities of water.
Remove them, and…
Preventing and Managing Flooding efforts:
Conservation Authorities in Ontario monitor flood levels and issue statements, watches, and warnings as needed.
Check slide 39, 2.4 Humans and the Environment.
Preventing and Managing Flooding:
Floodplains are flat, conveniently located, and historically where settlers first established their communities.
Infrastructure
Sandbags on the banks
Houses on “stilts”
Dikes and levees
Dams and reservoirs to hold extra water
Build hills around population to act as a barrier
Legislation and Education
Laws about building on flood plains
Building code
Insurance on buildings
Forecasting of potential flooding risks
Educating people about what do to
Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems benefits:
Protecting and restoring ecosystems can improve local air, soil, and water quality and improve biodiversity. Ecosystems in their natural forms are incredibly important to the environment, economy, and people.
What does climate impact?
Climate affects where people can (comfortably) live and where food can grow.
It impacts plant and animal habitats, and therefore food chain balance.
Climate has even been linked to frequency of violent behaviour!
What is the definition of climate?
Climate is a description of atmospheric conditions for a particular region over a long period of time.
What’s the difference between climate and weather?
Climate changes over a long period of time, weather can change, and often does, from minute to minute.
What is the definition of weather?
Weather is a description of atmospheric conditions for particular time and for a particular place.
What information do climate graphs communicate?
Temperature, the average daily temperature for each month. Precipitation, the total monthly precipitation.
What can different temperature lines on a climate graph indicate?
Steeper curves indicates a large change in temperatures during winters and summers, while a flatter line indicates less change. The higher the line on the graph the warmer it is.
About ocean currents:
Cities near colder ocean currents, Labrador, are colder, and cities near warmer ocean currents, Gulf stream, are warmer. Where cold and warm ocean currents meet = stormy.
What are the six factors that affect climate?
L
Latitude - the further away from the equator, the colder it gets.
O
Ocean Currents - the temperature of a nearby ocean current affects the temperature of the city.
W
Winds and Air Masses - depending on the type of air mass, temperature and precipitation levels are affected.
E
Elevation - The higher the elevation, the colder it gets.
R
Relief - Lots of precipitation on windward side, little precipitation on leeward side of tall mountains like the Rocky Mountains.
N
Near Water - Temperatures are moderated near large water bodies; temperatures are extreme far away from large water bodies.
About Latitude:
Latitude measures the distance north or south of the equator.
About wind and air masses:
Continental arctic (cA) = Cold and dry
Maritime polar (mP) = Cool and wet
Continental polar (cP) = Cool and dry
Continental tropical (cT) = Warm and dry
Maritime tropical (mT) = Warm and wet
About elevation:
At higher elevations, the air is less dense and therefore less able to absorb heat.
At lower elevations, the air is more dense and therefore more able to absorb heat.
About relief:
In the Northern Hemisphere, weather generally comes from the west and goes to the east, making the west side of mountains the windward side and the east side of mountains the leeward side.
This factor does NOT apply to smaller mountains like the Appalachians or Innuitians.
Leeward refers to the side or direction that is sheltered or protected from the wind, while windward refers to the side or direction that is exposed or facing the wind.
About near water:
For example, the amount of snow near Lake Ontario in the late fall and early winter is quite minimal compared to areas further away from the lake because the warm water warmed the air above it and made the snow fall as rain and/or melted the snow quickly.
What is climate change?
Climate change is the alteration of atmospheric conditions over a long period of time.
What is climate change leading to?
Warming in the North which creates a shorter, less reliable ice season.
Increasing frequency and duration of drought on the Prairies which means less agricultural production.
Climate change is affecting all stakeholders: environmental economic, social and political.
Climate change emissions:
Places like China and India and the united states, with higher populations, have higher emissions.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse affect is the trapping of GHG (greenhouse gasses like methane or carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere which traps more sunlight and heat, raising the earth’s temperature altering weather conditions.
What is being done to lessen the impact and adapt to a changing climate?
Updating flood maps and local zoning by-laws to better prepare communities for the realities of flooding events made worse by climate change.
Creating public spaces with less concrete and more greenery.
Opening community cooling centres to serve unhoused people and those without air conditioning during heat warnings.
Completing a carbon emissions audit for a new public building project and taking action to offset the project’s carbon footprint.
Physical Geography Unit Lessons:
- Canada’s Landscapes
- Travel and Tourism
- Forces of Nature
- Humans and the Environment
- Climate Change
- Minimizing Impacts
For a Canadian city, describe:
Physical Landscapes
Indigenous Connections
What to See and Do
What to Bring
Safety Concerns
Canada’s Landscapes:
Landforms
Plate Tectonics
Glaciation
Former Seas
Erosion
Water
Soil
Land Cover
Climate
Ecozones
People
Comparing Your Community with Another
Travel and Tourism:
Canadian Tourist Attractions
Landforms, Climate, and Proximity to Human Population
Tourist Attractions Based on Physical Geography
Images of Canada from Abroad
Forces of Nature:
Types of Natural Disasters in Canada
Where Natural Disasters Occur in Canada
What Causes Natural Disasters
What Impact Natural Disasters Have
Changes in Frequency of Natural Disasters in Canada
Global Natural Events
Humans and the Environment:
Communities Connected with their Environment
Careers Related to the Environment
Different Perspectives on a Proposed Highway
Increasing the Likelihood of Flooding
Lessening the Impacts of Flooding
Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems
Climate Change:
Climate v. Weather
Climate Graphs
Creating Them
Interpretting Them
Factors That Affect Climate
How They Work
How They Apply to a City
Impacts of and Strategies to Minimize Effects of Climate Change
Minimizing Impacts:
Gathering Information about a City
Analyzing the Impacts of a Natural Disaster on That City
Strategies to Minimize Impacts of a Natural Disaster on That City
How to calculate Average Annual Temperature using a climate graph?
Add the 12 average monthly temperatures and divide that total by 12. Note: 5°C is “midlatitudes” or approximately 45°N, so
temperatures higher than 5°C would be south of 45°N
temperatures lower than 5°C would be north of 45°N
This data will tell us if we have a warm climate or a cool climate.
Important exception: Temperatures that are higher than 5°C but are on the ocean (as determined by the remaining pieces of data) are in southwestern British Columbia (e.g., Vancouver et al).
How to calculate Temperature Range?
The difference between the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature. If the temperature range is:
less than 25°C = Maritime climate (on the ocean).
more than 25°C = Continental climate (far from the ocean).
This data will indicate how close (moderate temperatures) or far from the coast (extreme temperatures) the place is.
If a city has a temperature range really close to 25°C, then that city is near the ocean, but not on it.
How to calculate Total Precipitation?
Add the 12 monthly precipitation totals. If the total is:
more than 1000 mm is a Maritime climate (on the ocean).
less than 1000 mm is a Continental climate (far from the ocean).
This data will tell us if this is a wet or dry climate (i.e., closer to the coasts, or further inland).
If a city has a total precipitation really close to 1000mm, then that city is near the ocean, but not on it.
Tourist attraction in Canada:
- CN Tower
- Canada’s Wonderland
- Mount Logan
- Niagara Falls
- Parliament hill
- Churchill
- St. John’s
- Ripley’s aquarium
- Vancouver
- Old Quebec
Drainage basins in Canada:
There are 5 drainage basins in Canada. We are in the Hudson Bay drainage basin, meaning we drain into Hudson Bay.
Which eco zone are we in?
Terrestrial plains
Which climate zone do we live in?
Zone 5 (3000-3999 HDD)
Which ice sheet are we on?
The Laurentide Ice Sheet.
