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Social StudiesChapter 2

Canada’s Physical Landscape

Introduction

Canada’s geography – its

landforms and climate - has a great

impact on Canadians’ sense of

identity.

Planet Earth

• The earth is divided into layers:• Core:

• the center • Made of 2 layers: a hot solid inner layer

and a liquid outer core

• Mantle:• the middle layer of the earth; made

up of magma (melted rock). When Magma erupts from the Earth through an opening or crack it is called lava.

• Crust:• the solid outer layer of the earth

Plate Tectonics

• Continental Drift:

• Movement of the Earth’s continents on the Earth’s plates

• Plate Tectonics:

• Concept of convection currents and plate movement. The theory that plates

move together to cause earthquakes,and form volcanoes and mountains.

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The Theory of Continental Drift

and Plate Tectonics

First suggested by the German geologist and

meteorologist Alfred Wegener in 1915.

The theory states that the Earth's crust is

divided into plates that move slowly due to convection currents in the mantle.

Wegener hypothesized that there was a gigantic supercontinent 200 million years ago, which he named Pangaea, meaning

"All-earth".

Evidence to support

Wegener’s theory:

The fit of the land masses

Presence of similar fossils in rocks separated by an ocean

Matching rocks on the either side of the Atlantic Ocean

Canada’s Crust

Located on the

northern part of the North American

Plate

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Moving 2-4cm a

year to the west, separating from

the Eurasian plate creating a separation on

the sea floor called the Mid-

Atlantic Ridge

The Pacific Coast is located on the western

edge of the North

American Plate. The Pacific Plate moves in a

north-easterly direction.

This creates a subduction zone an

area of the earth’s crust

where one plate slides beneath another.

This creates volcanoes and cause earthquakes

to occur.

Earthquakes in Canada

British Columbia experiences

approximately one-fifth of Canada’s

thousand or so earthquakes.

Earthquakes occur along faults: the

area where two plates meet

Convection Currents Movement of liquid

caused by heat (ex. water bubbling as it boils)

The heat of the Earth’s interior creates convection currents in the mantle

Convection currents move the tectonic plates forming different landforms

Landforms

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What are Landforms?

Landforms are the topography, or natural

features, of the land’s surface.

Baffin Island - Lawren Harris

(Group of Seven) 1931

A landscape is an

area’s landforms together with its

cover of vegetation, water, ice, and rock.

Landscape also

includes the activities of humans

and other animals. Clarence Gagnon. In the Baie

St. Paul Valley, Charlevoix. 1920

There are urban and rural landscapes.

Landscapes directly affect people’s lives, influencing what they eat, how they earn

a living, and many other factors of daily life.

Topography can be described

using the following terms:

• Elevation – height of land above sea level.

• Relief – difference in elevation between two points on the earth’s surface

• Gradient – refers to the steepness of slopes

• Geology – the types of rocks and the history of those rocks

• General appearance – the description of landforms

How are Landforms Built?

The earth’s surface is built of material that

comes from beneath the crust,

or it is formed by the movement of the

Earth’s crust itself.

How Are Landforms Shaped?

Canada’s topography is the result of four

forces:

Mountain Building (building up force)

Weathering – the breakdown of rock (wearing down force)

Erosion – wearing down due to running water, wind, waves and glaciers (wearing down force)

Deposition – depositing of eroded rock to make new landforms

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Volcanic

Mountains

Formed when

magma moves towards the

surface. It pushes up the crust but then cools and

hardens as it nears the surface.

Mont Saint-Hilaire, an intrusive

mountain in Quebec

Fold

Mountains

formed when two

plates collide and one moves

upward.

Herbert Lake in Banff National Park,

Alberta, Canada.

Block Mountain

and Rift Valley

When the land between

two parallel faults is pushed up, a landform

called a block mountain is formed.

The process can also

result in a block of land being pushed down,

forming a rift valley.

Plateau a large highland

area of fairly level land separated from surrounding land by steep slopes.

Some plateaus lie between mountain ranges. Others are higher than surrounding land.

Plain

flat land under a

lake or sea that is exposed when the

water recedes

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Canada’s Landform Regions

Canada is so large that geographers

divide it into regions to make it easier to study.

A region is an area that is defined on the basis of the presence or absence of certain characteristics.

Landform Regions

Geographers classify landform regions

based on a combination of characteristics:

Age of rock

Type of rock

Relief

Gradient

Process that has shaped the area

Canada’s Landform Regions

Canada is made up of three distinct

landform regions:

Canadian Shield

Highlands

Lowlands

Within these landforms there are smaller sub-regions which have different

characteristics

Canada’s Landform Regions

Canadian Shield

Highlands:

Appalachian Mountains

Western Cordillera

Innuitian Mountains

Lowlands:

Interior Plains

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands

Hudson Bay Lowlands

Arctic Lowlands

Canadian Shield

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Canadian Shield

The geological core of the country, from

which all the other areas were created

4 billion years old in some areas

Used to be a huge mountain range

Over time was worn down by erosion, and

now is nearly flat with rounded hills of rock

Canadian Shield

Made of different minerals and metals

which were formed in the igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Shield

Due to these mineral deposits, many towns and cities have been built on top of it (ie. Sudbury ON, Thompson MN.)

The Shield is not well suited for farming, as the soil is thin on top of the rock, from glacial erosion. As well, water does not drain well as the Shield is rock, and impervious to water.

Appalachian Mountains

These mountains are

the oldest highland region in Canada,

formed about 300 million years ago.

Appalachian Mountains

Tectonic folding forced

the layers of rock upwards as the North

American plate collided with the plates of Europe and Africa during the

formation of Pangaea.

Appalachian Mountains

Millions of years of erosion has worn the

peaks of the Appalachians down into rolling hills and mountains.

During the last ice age, the weight of the glaciers on the region forced the plate downwards, and allowed the flooding of

the lower areas by the ocean. As a result, the coastline of the area is dotted with

deep inlets.

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The Innuitian Mountains

These mountains

were formed in the Mesozoic era, by the

northward movement of the North American

plate.

The Innuitian Mountains

Since these mountains are younger than

the Appalachians, they have not been worn down as dramatically.

Due to their location and climate, the mountains

are barren as trees cannot survive on them.

Mineral deposits in this region have been found,

but are not commercially feasible, due to the remoteness of their location.

The Western Cordillera

This region, on the

Western coastline of Canada, is made up of

tall, rugged mountains. These features tell us that the mountains here

are still geologically young.

The Western Cordillera

The interaction of the Pacific and North

American plate led to the uplifting of the region into several mountain ranges.

The large cities in this region (Victoria, Vancouver, etc.) are built in the flatter coastal area.

Tourist towns, such as Banff and Jasper, offer tourists a view of the beauty of the mountains.

Glaciers still exist in the northern and elevated areas of the region.

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A Common Misconception of

the Cordillera Region

There are three distinct and different mountain

ranges in this region:

The Eastern Mountains (Rocky & Columbia

Mountains)

The Interior Plateaus (Okanagan Valley,

etc)

The Coast Mountains

The Western Cordillera is therefore not only the Rocky Mountains, but several other ranges.

The Lowlands

There are three lowland regions in Canada, surrounding the Shield:

The Interior Plains

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands

The Hudson Bay-Arctic Lowlands

The bedrock of these regions was formed by the eroded material of the shield being deposited by the seas which covered parts of Canada. These sediments were gradually compressed over time into rock.

Interior Plains

This region

stretches from the 49th parallel (the

U.S.-Canada border) up to the Arctic Ocean

(about 2700 km)

Interior Plains

At the southern point, the plains stretch

1300 km east to west, but are only about 275 km wide in the Northern regions.

The soil that has developed in

this region is fertile and deep, and has allowed the growth of

many crops in the Prairie region (Canada’s “breadbasket”)

The region was also shaped by glaciation, and lakes such as

Lake Winnipeg were formed as a result of glacial forces.

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence

Lowlands

South of the

Canadian Shield, this region is made

up of two different parts, which are intersected at one

point (near Kingston) by the

Shield.

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Great Lakes-St. Lawrence

Lowlands

South of this point, the Great Lakes lowlands are found. The region is relatively flat and made up of sedimentary rocks left by glaciers. The Great Lakes were themselves gouged out of the landscape by glacial movement.

The St. Lawrence lowlands were formed as a result of tectonics, in a process called faulting. Two plates moving apart left a valley in between, which became flooded with water. The St. Lawrence River is a result of this process.

The warm climate and good soil of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region allow agriculture to prosper.

In addition, these factors have allowed the growth of large cities, which are well situated for trade on the major waterways.

About 50% of Canada’s population live in this region, and 70% of the countries manufacturing takes place here.

Hudson Bay & Arctic Lowlands

The Northern regions of

Canada are also relatively flat and

formed from glacial debris and sediment.

The harsher climate of

this region makes it difficult for agriculture,

as the ground remains frozen in many areas, year round.

The Hudson Bay

lowlands are located near the

southwestern shore of Hudson Bay and James Bay.

The Arctic lowlands

refer to the islands scattered across

Canada’s far north.

Climate

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Classwork: Read p. 33 to 40

Define:

Meteorology

Climate

Dewpoint

Front

Jetstream

Microclimate

Climograph

Questions:

1. What are the 4

types of air masses?

2. What are the 3

types of precipitation?

3. What are the 7 factors that affect

climate?

Weather

atmospheric conditions on any given day

Climate

patterns of weather conditions over the long term.

Meteorology

the science of studying weather

Climate is a major factor of Canada’s

geography that affects all Canadians and their sense of identity.

W. Kurelek

Factors that influence climate:

Global factors that influence climate

Latitude

Air masses

Winds

Ocean currents

Clouds

Precipitation

Regional factors that affect climate

Altitude

Bodies of water

Mountain barriers

Global Factors that influence Climate

Latitude

As distance

from the Equator

increases, it gets colder due to less

direct sunlight.

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At low latitudes the sun’s rays strike the

earth at a direct angle, are more intense and heat a small area, it is warmer.

At high latitudes, because of the curve of

the earth, radiation strikes the earth at an indirect angle, is spread over a larger area, is less intense, and it is colder.

Air Masses and Wind

Air mass – A huge body of air with the

same temperature and moisture conditions throughout.

Wind – air moving from one place to

another.

Types of Air Masses

Classifying by moisture levels:

Maritime Air – forms over water and is moist

Continental Air – forms over land and is dry

Types of Air Masses

Classifying by temperature:

Tropical Air – warm, originate near the

equator

Arctic Air – cold (Polar Air – cool), originate in

the north/poles

Types of Air Masses These can create different types of air

masses. For example: Maritime Tropical (mT) air is warm and moist.

Ocean Currents

The movement of

large quantities of ocean water, can

be warm or cold, making the surrounding area

the same.

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North Pacific Current – brings warm water/air to coast of British Columbia.

Labrador Current – brings cold water/air to Newfoundland & Labrador.

Gulf Stream – brings warm water/air to Atlantic Canada.

Precipitation

Front:

The leading edge of an air mass Warm front – the leading edge of a

warm air mass.

Cold front – the leading edge of a cold air mass.

Dewpoint The temperature where condensation

occurs

Types of Precipitation

There are 3 types of precipitation:

1. Frontal

2. Convectional

3. Relief or Orographic

Frontal Precipitation

When two air masses meet, the warmer one will rise over the colder one.

As it rises, the air will cool and condense, causing it to rain.

Convectional Precipitation Occurs as a result of

vertical movement

within an air mass.

Occurs over flat land on a hot summer

day. The land will

heat up quickly, the air will rise, cool, and

precipitation will

result

Relief or Orographic

Precipitation

Occurs when moist air moves over a mountain barrier

When moist air comes in off the ocean and it has to rise over a mountain it will cool, condense and rain will occur

The opposite (leyward) side of the mountain is very dry (rain shadow)

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Regional Factors that affect

Climate

Altitude/Elevation:

Temperature decreases as elevation increases.

As you go higher above sea level, the temperature decreases due to the thinning

of the air

Mountain Barriers

Orographic effect (Rain shadow) Winds with moisture cool as they move up the mountain and dry out – windward side

Weather patterns weaken or are even stopped as they move across the mountains – leeward side

Proximity to Water

Water heats up and cools down more slowly than land.

Bodies of water have a moderating effect on temperature.

Places close to large bodies of water will have less extreme temperatures.

In summer the ocean is cooler than the land,

winds from the ocean cools the land. In winter the water keeps the heat longer, and winds

from the ocean warm the land.

Places inland will have more extreme

temperatures.

In summer the land is warm, meaning warm

temperatures. In winter the land is cold,

resulting in colder temperatures. No ocean winds are nearby to moderate the

temperature.

Maritime Climate

located close to the ocean has moderate temperatures

has cooler summers and warmer winters

receives more precipitation

Continental Climate

located away from the ocean has extreme temperatures has warmer summers and

colder winters receives less precipitation

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Climate Zones in Canada

Climate Zones in Canada

A climate zone is an area that

experiences similar weather conditions within its boundaries throughout a year.

Developed in the early 1920’s by WladimirKöppen, a German botanist and climatologist.

Köppen divided the world’s climate into

five types based on

total annual temperatures

and their precipitation,

and their distribution throughout the

year.

The Köppen system recognizes five major

climatic types; each type is designated by a capital letter.

Climate Zone A

Tropical Moist Climates:

all months have average temperatures above 18° Celsius.

not found in Canada

Climate Zone B

Dry Climates:

with deficient precipitation -evaporation and transpiration exceeds

precipitation during most of the year.

Can be cool or warm

Climate Zone C

Warm, moist climates

Mild winters and warm, humid summers

Parts of coastal British Columbia

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Climate Zone D

Cool, moist climates

Most of Canada

Wide range of average temperatures

Climate Zone E

Polar Climates:

Extremely cold winters and cool summers

Very Dry

Climographs260

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