Unit 2- Lithosphere Quest Flashcards
Describe the features on the Earth’s surface in our area. How have people used them?
The Detroit River: The Detroit River connects Lake St.Clair to Lake Erie. It is used by many people. For example it is a major shipping Lane, recreational boats travel down the river and it is crossed daily to travel across Canadian and American borders. Fishing is also performed in the river.
Great Lakes: 5 massive lakes formed when the last ice age occurred. The great lakes are Lake Superior, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan. The closest Great Lake to us is Lake Erie. Many people make use of Lake Erie. They boat, fish, swim, kayak, etc.
Fertile land: During the Ice Age fertile soil was brought to our region from Toronto. This gave us good land for agriculture. In our land we grow corn, vegetables, wheat, etc.
Lake St.Clair: Large lake in Essex county connected to the Detroit river. Used to boat, fish and collect resources such as water, etc.
Why does the shield have ingenous rock.
The sheild has ingenous rock because of its long volcanic history. Since the shield is mostly rocky terrain because of volcanic activity in the far past, the rock is made of hot magma, cooling off and hardening into a rock.
Definition of Igneous rock.
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, formed through cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
Three main rock types?
Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic
Recreational Activities in Canadian Shield.
Snowshoeing Skiing/Snow boarding Boating Camping Sailing Skating
Previous location of the materials that form the lowlands.
The materials were moved from more northern locations, to the lowlands, during the previous ice age. Also materials that form this region come from River erosion.
Why are the lowlands made up of sedimentary rock rather than igneous rock.
The lowlands are made up of sedimentary rock rather than igneous rock because of the large bodies of water near by. (The Great Lakes)
Definition of sedimentary rock.
Sedimentary rocks are the types of rocks that are formed by the deposition of material at the earths surface and within bodies of water
Give two different ways in which the ice affected the Great Lakes/ St.Lawrence Lowlands.
Formed the Great Lakes by eroding large holes in the earths surface and depositing water.
Removed fertile soil from different areas and deposited in this region. Also, River levels rises and flooding occurred in many areas within the region.
Explain how the Niagara Escarpment was formed.
Niagara falls were formed because of cuesta. At the end of the last ice age, when the ice started to melt, large torrents of water from what are now the great lakes got liberated, and it wore away the rock layers and created the falls.
What is a Cuesta?
The cuesta is a physical feature that has a steep cliff on one side, and a gentle dip or backslope on the other side. This landform occurs when erosion wears through a hard capping layer, and then rapidly grinds down the soft ground underneath.
5 reasons why the Great Lakes/St.Lawrence Lowlands is so populated.
- Has good weather conditions for living in (4 seasons)
- Good transportation and trading waterways with the Great Lakes and St.Lawrence River.
- Many natural resources to live off of (Fresh water, fertile soil, etc.)
- A lot of manufacturing opportunities and job opportunities (industrial development, factories, the automotive industry, etc.)
- Close to the American border providing trading opportunities, more jobs, and shopping, etc.
How were the Appalachian mountains formed?
- Formed 300 million years ago
- Eurasion plate collided with North Anerican Plate forming the mountain ranges
- Mountains are now eroded from weather conditions and old age
Most common type of agriculture in the Appalachian Region?
- Corn, tobacco and other common crops
- Livestock (cattle, poultry, pork)
How does the natural environment influence people in their activities in the Western Cordillera?
Skiing, snowboarding and mountain hiking in the different mountain ranges.
Canoeing, rafting and boating in the rivers and lakes
Provide examples of how Canada’s natural features change over time.
- Appalachian mountains: Slowly being eroded down over time, therefore, appearing in a less jagged, snow capped way that the Western Cordillera does.
- Animals: Have been hunted, trapped, fished and killed therefore in risk of becoming endangered or even extinct.
What are major physical characteristics of Windsor/Essex County and surrounding area?
Formed By Ice Age:
- Detroit River
- Lake St.Clair
- Lake Erie
- Ponds
- Fertile Land
Formed by natural cycle (EX. Seeds):
-Carolinian Forest
Formed by erosion:
- Point Pelee (marsh, savanna, forest, beach, tip)
- Flat land
- Farms / fields
What forces can wear down the earth’s surface?
Erosion and Weathering:
-EX: Wind, rain, glaciers, temperature changes, etc. have eroded down the Appalachian Mountains over time.
Ice Ages:
-EX. Dug out valleys, rivers and lakes on our Earth’s surface and flooded many areas. This created the Great Lakes
What forces can build up the Earth’s surface?
Plate Movement:
-EX: Formed the Rocky Mountains by the North American and Pacific Plate colliding together.
Volcanism:
-EX: Formed the Canadian Shield by hot magma cooling and solidifying into a rocky terrain.
Physical Features of the Innuation Mountains
- Formed 158 million years ago
- All permafrost
- Mountains
- Ice
Economic Activities in the Innuation Mountains?
- Some tourism
- No residents
- Exploration of oil/gas since ice has started to melt
Human Activities in the Innuation Mountains?
- Snowshoeing
- Some sightseeing
Physical features in the Appalachian Mountains?
- formed 300 million years ago
- Formed when Eurasian and North American plate collided
- Mountains are slowly being eroded down
- Valleys, forests, ridges, bays, inlets, deep harbors
Economic Activities in the Appalachian Mountains?
Mining, fishing (halibut, cod, etc.), agriculture, and manufacturing
Human Activities in the Appalachian Mountains?
- kayaking/canoeing
- camping
- hiking
- snow sports
Hudson’s Bay Lowlands physical features?
- wetlands and marsh
- 85% water
- flat
- 7,500 years old
Hudson Bay Lowlands human activities?
- Biking
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Boating
- Water Sports
Hudson Bay Lowlands economic activities?
- mining (diamonds)
- fishing
- hunting
- tourism
- trapping
Arctic Lowlands
Human Activities:
- hunting
- dog sledding
Physical Features:
- formed 75,000 years ago
- cold/icy land
- not good for vegetation
- permafrost
Economic Activities:
- oil/mining (exploration)
- hunting
Great Lakes/St.Lawrence Lowlands
Human Activities:
- Swimming
- Hockey
- fishing
Economic Activities:
- farming (dairy, poultry, food/vegetation)
- manufacturing
- mining (copper, iron, lead)
Physical Features:
- Great Lakes
- Forests
- Rolling Landscape
- Fresh Water
- Niagara Escarpment
- Arable land
- sand/gravel
- St.Lawrence River
Interior Plains
Human Activities:
- Cross country skiing
- skating
- swimming
- hiking
- fishing
- hunting
- hockey
- soccer
- rodeos/agricultural shows (Calgary Stampede)
Economic Activities:
- farming ( grains, vegetables, livestock (cattle, poultry and pork) )
- Mining (oil, natural gas, coal)
- Big oil/natural gas industry
- tar sands
- some forestry
Physical features:
- slopes down in 3 stages going east
- mostly flat/plains
- shallow lakes/ rivers
- forests and treeless tundras
- slight incline
- rolling hills/grassland
- 500 million years old
- made up of sedimentary rock
Western Cordilera
Physical features:
- plateaus
- mountains
- rivers
- valleys
- lakes
- youngest landform region
- Columbia mountains, coast mountains and Rocky Mountains
Economic Activities:
- Mining (gold, coal, lead and copper)
- Fishing
- Tourism (ski resorts, boat tours)
- Forestry (provides 70% of Canada’s lumber, 2000 sawmills, 30 lumber making mills and many pulp mills.)
Human Activities:
- skiing/snowboarding
- mountain hiking
- boating
- rafting
- kayaking/canoeing
The Canadian Sheild
Physical Features:
- rugged, rocky and hilly terrain
- 95% is tundra
- not much farming
Human Activities:
- snowshoeing
- skiing
- boating
- camping
- sailing
- skiing
- snowboarding
Economic Activities:
- forestry
- mining (nickel, gold, coal, lead, diamonds)
- Power production
