Canadian Landforms. Canada’s Landforms Canada is made up of three distinct types of landforms: The Canadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield HighlandsHighlands

Canadian Canadian LandformsLandforms

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Canada’s LandformsCanada’s Landforms

Canada is made up of three distinctCanada is made up of three distinct

types of landforms:types of landforms:

• The Canadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield

• HighlandsHighlands

• LowlandsLowlands

The Canadian The Canadian ShieldShield

• The Canadian Shield is a large geographic area The Canadian Shield is a large geographic area in eastern and central Canada composed of in eastern and central Canada composed of bare rock dating to the Precambrian Era (about bare rock dating to the Precambrian Era (about 2 billion years old)2 billion years old)

• It is also called the Precambrian Shield, or It is also called the Precambrian Shield, or Laurentian Shield. Laurentian Shield.

• it covers approximately 8 million square it covers approximately 8 million square kilometers. kilometers.

• The Canadian Shield is made up of some of the The Canadian Shield is made up of some of the planet's oldest rock, largely granite and gneissplanet's oldest rock, largely granite and gneiss

• It covers about half of CanadaIt covers about half of Canada

How Did How Did The Canadian Shield Form?The Canadian Shield Form?

• from the eruptions of ancient volcano belts in from the eruptions of ancient volcano belts in the Precambrian erathe Precambrian era

• Over the years the area was eroded. Over the years the area was eroded. Mountains have deep 'roots', and float Mountains have deep 'roots', and float on the denser mantle below. As on the denser mantle below. As mountains erode, their roots rise, and mountains erode, their roots rise, and are slowly eroded as well. The rocks are slowly eroded as well. The rocks that now form the surface of the that now form the surface of the Canadian Shield were once far below the Canadian Shield were once far below the earth's surface. earth's surface.

• the last ice age, glaciers covered the area and the last ice age, glaciers covered the area and scraped the rock clean as they movedscraped the rock clean as they moved

Who HousesWho HousesThe Canadian Shield?The Canadian Shield?

• Manitoba Ontario• Quebec• Northwest Territories• Nunavut• Greenland • Duluth (Minnesota)• Wisconsin (Green Bay, St. Paul)





Major CitiesMajor Cities

• SudburySudbury• TimminsTimmins• Thunder BayThunder Bay• Chicoutimi-Chicoutimi- JonquiéreJonquiére



The Shield’s TopographyThe Shield’s Topography• The topography varies because of the vast

area that it covers• Boreal forest is the common vegetation. Flora in the Canadian Shield is more suited to the thin, sandy soil. There are some deciduous trees, which benefit the pulp and paper industry. There are no trees above tree-line due to the growing season being too short, lack of precipitation, and permafrost.

The Shield’s TopographyThe Shield’s Topography

• Chaotic patterns of bodies of water• Therefore, the major industries include pulp

and paper, mining and hydro-electric plants• The rocks in this region are old.The region

is full of igneous rock, which later

turned into metamorphic rock. The region is well above sea level, as it is in a very mountainous area.

The rocks in this region are old.The region is full of

igneous rock, which later turned into

metamorphic rock. The region is well above sea

level, as it is in a very mountainous area.

The Shield’s TopographyThe Shield’s Topography

Igneous RockIgneous Rock

•Igneous rocks are formed Igneous rocks are formed from molten rock called from molten rock called magma. They are mostly magma. They are mostly crystalline (made up of crystalline (made up of interlocking crystals) interlocking crystals) and usually very hard to and usually very hard to break.break.





Pumice Granite


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BasaltBasalt GabbroGabbro

Metamorphic RocksMetamorphic Rocks

• Metamorphic rocks were once igneous or sedimentary rocks, but have been changed (metamorphosed) as a result of intense heat and/or pressure within the Earth’s crust. They are crystalline and often have a squashed (foliated or banded) texture









MarbleMarbleGneissGneiss

SlateSlate SchistSchist

How were mineral deposits How were mineral deposits formed in the rock of the Shield?formed in the rock of the Shield?

• Minerals were present in magma beneath the earth’s crust

• As it rose toward the surface, it forced its way into cracks and cavities in the shield rock

• This took millions of years• As it cooled, some minerals were

deposited in the magma itself

MineralsMinerals• GoldGold

• NickelNickel

• CopperCopper

• ZincZinc

• LeadLead

• DiamondsDiamonds







• Mining companies are attracted to Mining companies are attracted to the Shield because of the presence the Shield because of the presence of metallic mineralsof metallic minerals

• The mineral ores are smelted to The mineral ores are smelted to remove waste materialsremove waste materials

Formation of lakes, Formation of lakes, rivers, oceansrivers, oceans

• The action of glaciers - the scraping and gouging action of ice crated depressions in the bedrock

• these depressions filled with water to form the hundreds of thousands of lakes

• the sand, gravel, and clay deposited from the glaciers dammed up rivers

• bodies of water were forced to flow in different directions and resulted in a very disorganized pattern of winding rivers, lakes, and swamps

Where does our water go?Where does our water go?Canada’s Drainage BasinsCanada’s Drainage Basins

• A drainage basin is an area that drains all precipitation received as a runoff or base flow (groundwater sources) into a particular river or set of rivers.

• Canada’s major drainage regions are:• Atlantic Ocean• Hudson Bay• Arctic Ocean• Pacific Ocean• Gulf of Mexico



The Pacific Ocean DrainageThe Pacific Ocean Drainage

• The Pacific Ocean drainage area drains the area west of the Rocky Mountains. The Fraser, Yukon and Columbia rivers are the largest rivers draining this region.

The Arctic Ocean DrainageThe Arctic Ocean Drainage

• The Arctic Ocean drainage area is the area flowing directly into the Arctic Ocean or into the channels of the Arctic Islands. The Mackenzie River dominates the Arctic Ocean drainage area.

The Hudson Bay DrainageThe Hudson Bay Drainage

• The Hudson Bay drainage area is a huge The Hudson Bay drainage area is a huge area that captures about 30% of total area that captures about 30% of total Canadian runoff. Many of its river systems Canadian runoff. Many of its river systems such as the Nelson and Churchill River (of such as the Nelson and Churchill River (of Manitoba) drain eastwards from the Manitoba) drain eastwards from the continental divide to Hudson Bay. As well, continental divide to Hudson Bay. As well, many large rivers drain from the south and many large rivers drain from the south and east into Hudson Bay or James Bay. The east into Hudson Bay or James Bay. The extensive area of drainage into Ungava Bay extensive area of drainage into Ungava Bay is also considered to be part of the Hudson is also considered to be part of the Hudson Bay drainage area.Bay drainage area.

The Atlantic Ocean DrainageThe Atlantic Ocean Drainage

• The Atlantic Ocean drainage area is The Atlantic Ocean drainage area is dominated by the Great Lakes-St. dominated by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system but there are other Lawrence system but there are other significant drainage basins such as significant drainage basins such as those of the Churchill River (of those of the Churchill River (of Labrador) and the Saint John River in Labrador) and the Saint John River in New Brunswick.New Brunswick.

Gulf of Mexico DrainageGulf of Mexico Drainage

• Gulf of Mexico drainage area is a Gulf of Mexico drainage area is a small portion of southern Alberta and small portion of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan drains south into the Saskatchewan drains south into the Mississippi system which ultimately Mississippi system which ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexicodrains into the Gulf of Mexico

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Canadian Landforms. Canada’s Landforms Canada is made up of three distinct types of landforms: The Canadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield HighlandsHighlands