Landforms
What is a landform?A landform is any physical feature of Earth's surafce that has a characteristic, recognizable shaped and is produced by natural causes. Landforms include major features (e.g., continents, ocean basins, plains, plateaus, and mountain ranges) and minor features (e.g., hills, valleys, slopes, drumlins, and dunes). Collectively, the landforms of Earth constitute the entire surface configuration of the planet.
Role of Water and Ice in Landform Formation
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Chapters
12 Canada's Landform Connections (p. 125-144)
Definitions
Anticlinal Trap: dome-shaped structure of rock layers created by folding. Oil and gas are often found in these traps.
Banks: shallow areas of a continental shelf Bedrock: solid rock beneath the soil. Canadian Shield: large area of Precambrian rock that forms the core of Canada. Craton: ancient geologic feature formed in Precambrian era, largely undisturbed by mountain-building for one billion years, containing kimberlite pipes in which diamonds are found. Differential Erosion: process whereby softer sedimentary rocks erode more quickly than harder rock, shaping the surface of the landscape (e.g., three different levels of elevation in the prairies). Erosion: wearing away of Earth's surface followed by the movement to other locations of materials that have been worn away. Escarpment: steep cliff formed by erosion and faulting. Fjord: long, narrow inlet of the see with steep sides. Fjords were created by glaciers that scraped out valleys. When the glaciers melted, the sea flooded the valleys. Plateau: Rift Valley: Topography: |
Canada's Landform Regions
Canada is divided into eight landform regions. Each landform region influences whether people will love there; what people do in that region; what resources are available; the climate; and wildlife found there.
West Coastal Region
Climate on the west coast, for example, is influenced by warmer air and water currents that support a lush, green rainforest. Vancouver and Victoria are two large cities located in the West Coastal Region. The West Coastal Region - Cordillera (Rocky Mountains) are located along the west side of North America. They are tall peaked mountains that are snow covered bare rock in the upper levels and forested at lower levels.
The Cordillera is a series of mountain belts separated by plateaus and valleys. The total region is about 680 km wide. These mountains were formed when the Pacific Plate forced its way under the North American Plate. The collision caused folds and faults to occur.
There are three mountain ranges that run north-south: the Eastern Mountains consist of the Rocky and Columbia Mountains; the Interior Plateau that includes the Okanogan Valley; and, the Coast Mountains that include the Coast Range. The great heights (over 3,000 m) and angularity of the peaks suggest that the Western Cordillera is much younger geologically than the Appalachians.
Interior Plains
The Interior Plains (Prairies) covers most of Alberta and Saskatchewan, part of Manitoba and extends south to the United States and are part of the Great Plains of North America. The plains are called "The Breadbasket" of Canada because so much wheat and other cereal crops are grown and harvested there. The rich soil suitable for farming is the result of an accumulation of sediment eroded from the Canadian Shield and Rocky Mountains. Each layer of sediments was compressed under layers of new sediment. These layers are several thousand metres thick and took millions of years to form. It is in these layers of sediment that most of Alberta's and Saskatchewan's oil and gas deposits can be found.
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield - also known as the Precambrian Shield - is the largest and oldest landscape region of Canada. It is a deep, joined bedrock region typically covered by a very thin layer of soil. The thin soil is due to glaciation which scraped off much of the soil layer. The Canadian Shield covers almost 8 million sqaure kilometres. It covers much of Labrador, most of Quebec north of the St. Lawrence River, east and north Ontario, the central and northern portions of Manitoba excluding the area around Hudson Bay, much of northern Saskatchewan, a small portion of northeastern Alberta, and mainland Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Drainage is very poor in this region. The Canadian Shield is covered by boreal forests in the south and tundra in the north.
The rock do not contain deposits of fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas. The life forms that produced these fuels did not exist at the time the Canadian Shield was formed. The rocks are over 570 million years old.
Rich in minerals, the Canadian Shield is a major mining region.
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands can be divided into three main regions - The Hudson Bay and Arctic Lowlands; the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands; and the Interior Plains or prairies.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands is a small region located in the southern parts of Quebec and Ontario bordering the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Lowlands developed from glacial deposits off the Canadian Shield. The St. Lawrence Lowland is a rift valley formed by faulting. More people live in this region than in all of the rest of Canada.
The Hudson Bay and Arctic Lowland is a very flat, low area covered by swampy forest. The characteristic vegetation is muskeg.
East Coastal Region
Climate in the East Coastal Region is influenced by cooler air and water currents and vegetation is generally sparser than that of the west coast. The coast is carved from an ancient, worn-down mountain range called the Appalachians. This region consists of sedimentary rocks that were pushed up when North America collided with Europe and North Africa during the formation of Pangaea. The rocks are rich in non-metallic metals such as coal. The once tall, jagged mountains have, over millions of years, been eroded to rolling mountains and hills. During the last Ice Age, deep water inlets were formed creating long bays.
Tundra
The Tundra area is generally swampy and wet, gravel-covered or rocky, and the land is frozen for most of the year.
Arctic
The far north of Canada, the Arctic, is always covered with ice and snow. Although few plants such as lichens and moss survive in the Arctic, some people have learned how to live there. The Arctic Lowland is a series of islands in Canada's far north. The ground remains frozen most of the year. The sedimentary rock contains lignite (a form of coal), oil and natural gas deposits. The mose recognizable animal living in the Arctic is the polar bear.
The Innuitian Mountains occur in Canada's far north. These mountains are largely unexplored and the population is sparse due to the severe climate of the region. Some peaks are over 2,500 m in height suggesting the area is younger geologically than the Appalachian Mountains. The region is mostly sedimentary rock.
West Coastal Region
Climate on the west coast, for example, is influenced by warmer air and water currents that support a lush, green rainforest. Vancouver and Victoria are two large cities located in the West Coastal Region. The West Coastal Region - Cordillera (Rocky Mountains) are located along the west side of North America. They are tall peaked mountains that are snow covered bare rock in the upper levels and forested at lower levels.
The Cordillera is a series of mountain belts separated by plateaus and valleys. The total region is about 680 km wide. These mountains were formed when the Pacific Plate forced its way under the North American Plate. The collision caused folds and faults to occur.
There are three mountain ranges that run north-south: the Eastern Mountains consist of the Rocky and Columbia Mountains; the Interior Plateau that includes the Okanogan Valley; and, the Coast Mountains that include the Coast Range. The great heights (over 3,000 m) and angularity of the peaks suggest that the Western Cordillera is much younger geologically than the Appalachians.
Interior Plains
The Interior Plains (Prairies) covers most of Alberta and Saskatchewan, part of Manitoba and extends south to the United States and are part of the Great Plains of North America. The plains are called "The Breadbasket" of Canada because so much wheat and other cereal crops are grown and harvested there. The rich soil suitable for farming is the result of an accumulation of sediment eroded from the Canadian Shield and Rocky Mountains. Each layer of sediments was compressed under layers of new sediment. These layers are several thousand metres thick and took millions of years to form. It is in these layers of sediment that most of Alberta's and Saskatchewan's oil and gas deposits can be found.
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield - also known as the Precambrian Shield - is the largest and oldest landscape region of Canada. It is a deep, joined bedrock region typically covered by a very thin layer of soil. The thin soil is due to glaciation which scraped off much of the soil layer. The Canadian Shield covers almost 8 million sqaure kilometres. It covers much of Labrador, most of Quebec north of the St. Lawrence River, east and north Ontario, the central and northern portions of Manitoba excluding the area around Hudson Bay, much of northern Saskatchewan, a small portion of northeastern Alberta, and mainland Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Drainage is very poor in this region. The Canadian Shield is covered by boreal forests in the south and tundra in the north.
The rock do not contain deposits of fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas. The life forms that produced these fuels did not exist at the time the Canadian Shield was formed. The rocks are over 570 million years old.
Rich in minerals, the Canadian Shield is a major mining region.
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands can be divided into three main regions - The Hudson Bay and Arctic Lowlands; the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands; and the Interior Plains or prairies.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Lowlands is a small region located in the southern parts of Quebec and Ontario bordering the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Lowlands developed from glacial deposits off the Canadian Shield. The St. Lawrence Lowland is a rift valley formed by faulting. More people live in this region than in all of the rest of Canada.
The Hudson Bay and Arctic Lowland is a very flat, low area covered by swampy forest. The characteristic vegetation is muskeg.
East Coastal Region
Climate in the East Coastal Region is influenced by cooler air and water currents and vegetation is generally sparser than that of the west coast. The coast is carved from an ancient, worn-down mountain range called the Appalachians. This region consists of sedimentary rocks that were pushed up when North America collided with Europe and North Africa during the formation of Pangaea. The rocks are rich in non-metallic metals such as coal. The once tall, jagged mountains have, over millions of years, been eroded to rolling mountains and hills. During the last Ice Age, deep water inlets were formed creating long bays.
Tundra
The Tundra area is generally swampy and wet, gravel-covered or rocky, and the land is frozen for most of the year.
Arctic
The far north of Canada, the Arctic, is always covered with ice and snow. Although few plants such as lichens and moss survive in the Arctic, some people have learned how to live there. The Arctic Lowland is a series of islands in Canada's far north. The ground remains frozen most of the year. The sedimentary rock contains lignite (a form of coal), oil and natural gas deposits. The mose recognizable animal living in the Arctic is the polar bear.
The Innuitian Mountains occur in Canada's far north. These mountains are largely unexplored and the population is sparse due to the severe climate of the region. Some peaks are over 2,500 m in height suggesting the area is younger geologically than the Appalachian Mountains. The region is mostly sedimentary rock.