Physical Geography Flashcards by Jessica Mangan

is a recent glacial episode that began roughly 2.5 million years ago, marking the beginning of the Quaternary period

The Pleistocene

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Earth orbits the sun in an ____

ellipse

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the departure of the Earth’s elliptical orbit from a circular shape. This is what influences our solstices/equinoxes.

orbital eccentricity

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the slow and continuous change in the orientation of Earth’s rotational axis. Caused by gravitational pull on Earth by the Moon and Sun!

Axial Precession

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the angle of tilt between the Earth’s rotational axis and orbital axis.

Axial tilt

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Currently the Earth is at a tilt of ___ degrees.

23.5

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Glacial landforms result from 2 processes:

erosion by ice/meltwater

- deposition by ice/meltwater

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Elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon formed by the advance of a glacier acting on the underlying unconsolidated material.

Drumlins

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Ridges or mounds of glacial material deposited close to the ice margin, often associated with uneven topography.

Moraines

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Winding ridges of stratified sand and gravel frequently kilometres long, possibly formed from meltwater running through glacial tunnels.

Eskers

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The Canadian Great Lakes contain __ % of the world’s surface fresh water.

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Deposited by retreating glacial ice, often rocks geographically and geologically unrelated to their situation.

Erratics/Dropstones

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Subsurface material that has remained in a frozen state for 2 or more years.

Permafrost

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Earth began as a fiery ball of lava in the ___ period.

Hadean

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Precambrain

Canadian Shield

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Paleozoic

Appalachian Uplands, Arctic Lands

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Mesozoic

Interior Plains

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Cenozoic

Cordilera

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Quaternary

Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Lowlands

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Pleistocene

Hudson Bay Lowlands

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are often built from forces called convergent stress and strain.

Mountain belts (or orogenies)

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Canada’s 3 principal mountain chains:

the Rockies to the west, the Innutian Mountains to the North, and the Appalachian mountains to the East

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is essentially an inland sea caused by high sea levels, one of which covered most of interior North America during the Mesozoic era.

An Epeiric sea

An area with distinct surface landforms (geomorphology) and underlying bedrock structure (geology)

Physiographic region

the study of landforms and the processes of their genesis

Geomorphology

is the starter rock for geology; it originally comes from lava.

Igenous rock

Common types of Igenous rock

Basalt, obsidian, and granite.

have been altered chemically and physically by either great pressures, heat or both and are often formed deep beneath the Earth's surface.

Metamorphic rocks

Common types of Metamorphic rocks

Gneiss, Quartzite, Schist

is made from sediments (or particles) of other existing rocks.

Sedimentary rock

often carried long distances and are eroded over time to form small sediment particles than then become cemented together once again.

Sedimentary rock

common types of sedimentary rock

Sandstone, limestone, and chalk.

Canada has __ physiographic regions

- contains 16% of Canada;s total landmass - comprised by ranges of mountains, plateaus and valleys - creation is a result of plate tectonics - area is still subject to earthquakes today

Cordillera

- a network of geologically stable sedimentary plains - covering 20% of Canada's total landmass - was covered by Epieric seas in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras - most of the human population lives in the southernmost parts

Interior Plains and Prairies

- located North of the Arctic Circle and boreal treeline | - 3 main sub regions, namely the Arctic Platform, located on the western half and made up of sedimentary rock plateaus

Arctic Archipelago

- covering nearly half of the landmass - represents the ancient geological core of NA, which formed 4.5 billion years ago from molten Igenous rock - during the last glacial maximum and retreat, this area was subject to heavy glacial erosion. - topography includes a rugged rolling upland

Canadian Shield

- covers 3.5% of Canada's area - underlain by Canadian Shield bedrock - youngest physiographic region - contains a vast wetland overlain with muskeg and water with underlying permafrost

Hudson's Bay Lowlands

- smallest physiographic region (less than 2%) | - contains limestone sedimentary rock overlain by glacial till

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands

- covers 2% of Canada's landmass | - are the weathered roots of the Taconic Mountain Chain

Appalachian Uplands

the long term behaviour of weather in a bounded area, usually averaged over decades or centuries

climate

the short term, fluctuating behaviour of precipitation, cloud cover, temperature and wind, usually over time scales less than a year

weather

- has a marine climate influenced by the Pacific Ocean, with warm summers and cool winters. - It has a seasonal variation in temperature with a wetter winter season, and is dominated by a type of precipitation known as orographic- due to the lifting of moist air over a mountain barrier.

The Pacific region

- higher elevation (lower temperature) | - higher precipitation on leeward side of mountains

Pacific Cordillera

- allows for a continental climate, with hot summers and cold winters. - This area is the site of polar and tropical air current convergence, and precipitation patterns decrease east to west.

The Prairies

- The southern-most parts of Quebec & Ontario feature a humid, continental climate, with hot humid summers and cold winters. - produce a moderating effect on the winter temperatures in this region.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin

It is a sub area of Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Lowlands, nicknamed Canada's "Deep South" because it has the warmest average annual temperature in Canada, as well as the longest frost free season.

The Carolinian forest

- The Maritime climate zone on Canada's east coast features cool winters and warm summers. - This region is influenced by ocean currents, with warm water from the Caribbean brought north by the Gulf Stream, and cold water brought south by the Labrador Current.

The Atlantic

- high latitude; very cold temperatures throughout the year | - experiences total darkness during the winter and 100% sunlight in the summer.

The Arctic

- largest climate region | - It experiences cold winters, with a high temperature range from winter to summer.

The Subarctic

a new geologic era deeming the arrival of humans and the permanent geologic mark left on earth

Anthropocene

term for the rising trend in temperature most likely caused by the recent influx of greenhouse gases.

global warming

anthropomorphic induced or natural causes of changing climate patterns

climate change

is a result of uneven physical, chemical and glacial erosion of limestone rocks over millions of years and many different types of rock.

The Niagara Escarpment

- landforms created from the dissolution of limestone by later erosion - include caves, waterfalls, sinkholes, underwater streams, cenotes.

Karst Formations