America’s Environmental Landscape

1. America’sEnvironmental Landscape • What are the broad patterns of landforms, climate, hydrology, natural vegetation, and ecosystems of North America? • How have these patterns helped shape human settlement?

2. Topography • Very large topographic regions • Based on physical relief • Regions are generally oriented north-south • Tectonics & Volcanism

3. Glaciation

4. Hydrology

5. Topography: Soils • Mixture of weathered rock, OM, water, air • Shaped & altered by the physical environment over time • Described in terms of distinguishing properties… • color • texture • structure • ability to hold water and air • degree of acidity or alkalinity Where soils are well developed vertical zonation may occur producing distinct layers or soil horizons

6. Soils

7. Weather & Climate • Geographic controls • Latitude • Land-water relationship • Relief (elevation) • Air pressure & orographic precipitation • Air masses and wind systems

8. Latitude • Temperature is a function of an area’s exposure to the direct rays of the sun • Maximized exposure at equator; minimized at poles • Yearly earth-sun relationship (seasonality)

9. Land and Water Relationship • Land tends to heat faster and cool faster than water • Annual temperature ranges • Continentality • Maritime influence

10. Relief • Orographic Precipitation • Higher elevations are cooler than lower elevations • Adiabatic cooling rate of rising air: 5.5º per 1,000’ • Temperature

11. Air Masses

12. North American Air Masses

13. Air Masses and Wind Systems • North American wind patterns = distinct climatic patterns • North American Pattern • Western US: topography is the key control • East: latitude is significant in determining variations in temperature and precipitation

14. Precipitation Regime: Winter

15. Precipitation Regime: Summer

16. Climate Zones • Based on Köppen Classification • Most widely used climate classification system • Vegetation types are a direct response to climate • Regional boundaries show temperature and precipitation associations with vegetation limits

18. PermafrostRegions

19. Biogeography & Ecology

20. Bioregions

21. Ecosystems & Watersheds

23. Mineral Resources • Metallic Minerals • Fossil Fuels (oil, gas, and coal) • Oil and Gas Fields • Coal • Major Fields • Appalachian • Eastern Interior • Western Interior • Western

24. FOSSIL FUELS

25. Quick Reading • Ratzel, F., Wissler, C., & Sauer C. O. Culture Area Research & Mapping. • A brief overview of combining geotechniques and regional geography

26. Discussion Questions How could North American environmental patterns affect human settlement? Besides the ecoregion and biome concepts, can you think of any other technique to classify physical geography characteristics?

27. Related Books • Diamond, Jared. 1997. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Society. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. • Pulitzer Prize winning book by a converted geographer. It discusses the human and environmental history of Earth in a lively manner. • Marsh, William M. 2005. Landscape Planning: Environmental Implications, 4th ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons. • A guidebook of sorts, focusing on how different environmental states affect land use planning in North America. • Orme, Anthony R. ed. 2002. The Physical Geography of North America. New York: Oxford University Press. • 25 articles by well-respected authors detailing current information about regional environments of North American systems.

28. WebSources • Physical Geography Introduction/Overview http://www.physicalgeography.net/home.html • National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (US Department of Commerce) http://www.noaa.gov/ • Hurricane Information http://hurricanes.noaa.gov/ http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/ • U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program http://www.usgcrp.gov/