11) – CGC 1P1 NOTES: Canada’s Landform Regions
• are made from oceans, lakes, glaciation, folding,
faulting, erosion, and the deposition of soils and rocks.
• The oldest Landform Region in Canada – The_____________________
LANDFORMS:
-
are the
or natural features, of the land's surface.
Topography may be described in the following terms:
Elevation
Relief
Gradient
Geology
General Appearance
Canada is so large that geographers divide it into regions to make it easier to study.
Geographers classify landforms based on a combination of characteristics:
Questions to answer for each Landform Region:
When was it formed?
What is the geology of the area?
What does it look like?
How was it created?
Why is it important?
CANADIAN SHIELD: PAGES
The core (geologically speaking) of the country is the
Shield. This is the ancient hard rock
that all the other areas were created from.
-
and
make up the Shield and because it is so old it is
relatively flat
compared to other regions. It contains many deposits of lead, gold, nickel, copper and zinc.
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The area has been subjected to a number of major
. The scraping and
gouging action of the ice has left depressions in the bedrock which have filled with water to form hundreds of
thousands of lakes.
The soil is not good for
but is ideal for
rivers and vast forests. The
industry is very important for regions in the Southern
parts of the Shield with
,
The
with its scenic
,
.
is impervious – meaning water does not pass through it. The sand and gravels
deposited by the
(from the scraping and gouging) have forced the rivers to flow in
many
different directions.
SECTION REVIEW QUESTIONS: Candian Shield
When was it formed?
What is the geology of the area?
What does it look like?
How was it created?
Why is it important?
INTERIOR PLAINS: PagesMany people think of the
as flat, but they also have rolling
hills and deep,
wide valleys. Overall, the land
from west to east.
Once covered by glacial seas (
formed
) . After the sediments
Rock creating oil deposits, as well as potash and natural gas.
As the lakes from the glaciers dried, they left behind
very _
and is often know as:
they
and
, that now makes up
soil. This region is excellent for growing
"
".
2
and
SECTION REVIEW QUESTIONS: Interior Plains
When was it formed?
What is the geology of the area?
What does it look like?
How was it created?
Why is it important?
THE LOWLANDS pages:
The GREAT LAKES/St. LAWRENCE LOWLANDS: PagesMade up of two parts: separated by thin wedge of
that jets across the St.
Lawrence River (near Kingston)
Made up of
rock (from the
era)
Great Lakes portion - formed from
gouging out the landscape leaving a rolling
landscape with flat plains, glacial hills (
&
) and deep river
valleys.
St. Lawrence Lowland portion - is a
created when the land between
dropped or sank down (
)
Due to
,
filled soils and
- The area is great for
agriculture.
Very
land - excellent for
(
% of Canada's population lives in the Great
Lakes-
St. Lawrence Lowlands, which only makes up __
% of Canada's total land area)
Could be considered Canada's
and
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heartland
SECTION REVIEW QUESTIONS: Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Lowlands
When was it formed?
What is the geology of the area?
What does it look like?
How was it created?
Why is it important?
1, HUDSON BAY/2, ARCTIC LOWLANDS: Pages1, Very flat, low area covered by
of the ancient
. Region has layers of
rock overtop
.
In this region the swampy areas are called
– the water is often stagnant (doesn’t move
much). Several rivers meander through the area. The vegetation is mostly
and isolated
.
2, Artic Lowlands include a group of Northern Islands with a gently rolling landscape.
Very harsh
does not permit
Sedimentary rock
formed in
(ground is frozen for most of year) era does contain some
deposits.
SECTION REVIEW QUESTIONS: Hudson Bay/Arctic Lowlands
When was it formed?
What is the geology of the area?
What does it look like?
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, oil and natural gas
.
How was it created?
Why is it important?
HIGHLANDS: PageCanada is surrounded by a
rim, also partly made up of sediments from the
Shield. Unlike the lowland areas, the
rocks have been uplifted by
forces.
The highlands include:
and the lowest Mountains due to longer erosion
, the
of the very far north
the
, and highest. This is actually a series of several different
ranges dominated by the famous
.
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS: Pageshighland region in North America formed at the end of
These mountains are made of mainly
Though there are areas where
Millions of years of
rock (rich in deposits of non-metallic minerals like coal)
activity and
and metamorphic
era (300 million years ago).
have created igneous
(plateaus which consist of metallic minerals [i.e. Iron and zinc]).
have reduced the once
peaks to
mountains and hills. More recent glaciations have added to the
leveling of these mountains. As the land sank
(due to the
provide deep
) long bays were created and now they
for ocean
and
have become the sites for major
cities.
SECTION REVIEW QUESTIONS: Appalacians
When was it formed?
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What is the geology of the area?
What does it look like?
How was it created?
Why is it important?
INNUITIAN MOUNTAINS: PagesFormed in
of the
era when the North American plate moved
northward.
Mainly composed of
rock.
than Appalachians, so they have not have been worn down as much by erosion.
landscape, covered by
and
resources have not been explored since the region is too
cost too much to
.
SECTION REVIEW QUESTIONS: Innuitian Mountains
When was it formed?
What is the geology of the area?
What does it look like?
How was it created?
Why is it important?
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snow.
, it would also
WESTERN CORDILLERA: PagesConsists of a range of
along the
separated by plateaus and
valleys.
Created when
plate
under the
plate, causing
a great deal of folding, faulting and volcanic activity.
Great
and
appearance means they are geologically young (
Era). Many people use the term ‘
the
are just a small part of the Western Cordillera. SEE FIG._______________
The mountains run in a
an
‘ to describe the Western Cordillera - but, in truth,
-
-
direction This creates a PROBLEM, all travel routes run in
direction so there are only a few
through the region. This makes it lightly
.
Most people live in
Many
the sea
towns located in river valleys
or
(__________ and
or gaps to allow travel
).
were created as glaciers scraped out
the valleys. The region thrives on
SECTION REVIEW QUESTIONS: Western Cordillera
When was it formed?
What is the geology of the area?
What does it look like?
How was it created?
Why is it important?
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. When the glaciers melted
.
SUMMARY OF ERAS AND MAJOR EVENTS:
Many geological events occurring over hundreds of millions of years have created Canada's diverse landforms.
Canada could be described as a "
” surrounded by lowlands and then
highlands on three sides.
Profile of Southern Canada's Landform Regions
Ordovician
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ADDITIONAL NOTES:
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