Difference between revisions of "Earth Science 7- North America- Period 1"

Revision as of 22:15, 25 February 2012

Earth Science 7-Regions

Countries in North America

The countries in North America are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic,El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama,Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and United States.

Latitude and Longitude Ranges

The latitude ranges are 15 to 75 degrees North and the longitude lines 180 to 60 degrees West.

Elevation Range

The range of elevation is from 282 feet below sea level to 20,320 feet above sea level. The lowest point in North America is Death Valley located in California,United States,and the highest point is Mount McKinley located in Alaska, United States.

Large Bodies of Water and Rivers

The large bodies of water in North America are the Great Bear Lake, the Great Slave Lake, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba, Great lakes, and Salt Lake. The Seas are the Gulf of Alaska, the Gulf of California, the Labrador Sea, the Hudson Bay, the Baffin Bay, the Beaufort Sea, the Chukchi Sea, the Gulf of St.Lawrence, the Caribbean Sea, Bay of Fundy, and Gulf of Mexico. The Rivers in North America are the Alsek River, the Apalachicola River, the Chattahoochee River, the Flint River, the Colorado River, the Columbia River, the Okanagan River, the Kettle River, the Pend Oreille River, the Kootenay River, the Canoe River, the Kicking Horse River, the Dean River, the Embudo River , the Fraser River, the Pitt River, the Thompson River, the Chilcotin River, the Quesnel River, the Nechako River, the Liard River, the Mackenzie River, the Slave River, the Peace River, the Athabasca, the Mississippi River, the Missouri River, the Yellowstone River, the Platte River, the Ohio River, the Nass River, the Rio Grande River, the Sacramento River, the Pit River, the Feather River, the Saskatchewan River, the Skagit River, the Skeena River, the Babine River, the Bulkley River, the Morice River, the Kitwanga River, the Zymoetz River, the Squamish River, the St. Johns River, the St. Lawrence River, and the Yukon River.

Vegitation

Main types of vegetation in North America include conifers and other types of common trees wild grasslands that are found in the prairie's plains and everything from flowers to bushes but there are not many jungles or very large rain-forests.

Topographical Features

The Major Mountains include the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre Oriental, Alaska Range, Cascade Range, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.The Major Waterfalls are the Niagara Falls and the International Falls. Other Topographical features include the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, Central Plains, the Grand Canyon Central lowlands, Mississippi Delta, and Canadian Shield.

Bordering Oceans

The bordering oceans are the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.

Climate Zones

The climate zones for North America are Subtropical Humid, Continental Humid, Mid-latitude Humid, Mediterranean, Desert, Marine West Coast, Subarctic Continental, Tundra, Ice Sheet, and Highlands.

Average Rainfall

The average is 20 cm or 8 in per year.

Average Temperature

The average temperature is 48.8°F.

Factors That Affect Climate

Proximity to water can cause the precipitation levels to rise. North America is located in the Mid-Latitudes and Northern Latitudes so the area located in the Mid-Latitudes is warm while the area located in the Northern Latitudes is cold. Also the area in the Mid-Latitudes is subject to hurricanes. Topography and elevation affect climate because temperature decreases with altitude. The vegetation affects the climate through transpiration. The high and low pressure areas affects the direction of the wind which then affects the direction the air masses and weather travels. The prevailing winds are the Prevailing Southwesterlies and Prevailing Northeasterlies. The warm and cold currents make the coasts of North America colder or warmer.

Geology

Minerals

Minerals that are found in Canada are Cubanite, Polybasite, Hessonite Garnet, Pyromorphite, Lazulite, Tremolite, Wardite, and Vesuvianite.

Minerals from Mexico are Sphalerite, Mimetite, Barthite, Creedite, Ludlamite, Koettigite, Helidor, Amethyst, Arsenopyrite, Endichite, Epidote, Hematite, Adamite, Axinite, Danburite, Manganadamite, Boleite, Silver, Fluoraparite on Quartz, Legrandite, and Hyalite on Topaz.

Minerals found in The United States are Malachite, Autunite, Andradite, Hematite, Smoky Quartz, Millerite, Sphene, Silver, Copper, Cyanotrichite, Rhodochrosite, Ferberite, Stilbite, Endlichite, Hemimorphite, Malachite after Azurite, Hemerkimer Diamond, Orpiment, Ilvaite, Chalcanthite, Gold, Aquamarine, Fluorite, Idocrase, Sulphohalite, Benitoite and Neptunite, Wulfenite, Aurichalcite, Barite, Rutile, Datolite, Tourmaline, Apatite, Inesite, Benitoite, Epidote, Witherite, Chryscolla after Azurite, Bixbyite, Riebeckite, and Linarite.

Rock Types

Sedimentary, Igneous, and Metamorphic rocks rocks can be found in many places in North America. There are three types of sedimentary rocks, which are chemical, organic, and clastic. Sedimentary rocks are placed into these types due to how the sedimentary rocks are formed. How the rock forms can also determine where the rock is formed. Clastic sedimentary rocks are formed from sediments that are deposited by a river, streams, or other bodies of water. Then the sediments are cemented together by minerals in the water forming sedimentary rocks. Organic sedimentary rocks are formed from animal and plant remains. Chemical sedimentary rocks are formed when minerals combine in the water to form sedimentary rocks or the water evaporates. One example of where sedimentary rocks can be found in North America is the Grand Canyon. Sedimentary rocks found in North America include coal, limestone, sandstone, shale, and conglomerate. Igneous rocks form when magma cools. The magma can cool underground or the magma can cool at the surface. One example where igneous rocks can be found is at the volcano Popocatepetl. The igneous rocks found in North America include obsidian, andesite, granite, and rhyolite. Metamorphic rocks form through metamorphism which is when there is a huge amount of heat and pressure being put on an already formed rock beneath the surface of the earth. Metamorphic rocks can from other metamorphic rocks, igneous rocks, and sedimentary rocks. There are two types of metamorphism which are regional and local metamorphism. Regional metamorphism occurs over large areas, and local metamorphism occurs over smaller areas. One example of where metamorphic rocks can be found is the Rocky Mountains. Metamorphic rocks found in North America include gneiss, marble, schist, and quartzite.

Mining Resources

In Mexico the main Mining operations are for Silver, Sulfur, Iron and Zinc, and Iron. Oil and Gas depositories are very common on the gulf coast and Ignite and Coal mining operations are scattered in different parts of Mexico. A map of mining in Mexico is found at http://mapasdemexico.org/maps/industry.html.

Mines found in Canada include Diamonds, uranium, gold ,copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum, niobinum, lead, gypsum, chrystolite, magnesium, Potash, salt, coal, molybdenum, and oil sands. A mining map of Canada is found at http://www.mining.ca/site/images/MapofCanada.pdf.

Mining operations in the US include cola, gold, magnesium, zinc, sand and gravel, Portland cement, nickel, boron, silver, coal, clay, copper, limestone, helium, soda ash, Potash, molybendum, salt, gems, Iodine, sulphur, dimension stone, iron ore, gypsum, lead, feldspar, zircon concentrates, lithium minerals, phospate rock, and Masonry cement. A map of mining in the United States id found at http://www.msha.gov/kids/mrhp.htm.

References

National Geographic Society. http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/continents/north-"america/. retrieved 2011-10-14.

World Atlas. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/namera.htm/. retrieved 2011-11-3.

Netshop.http://images.netshops.com/mgen/master:GF075.jpg. retrieved 2011-11-3.

Infoplease. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001763.html. retrieved 2011-11-4.

eNotes. http://www.enotes.com/topic/List_of_rivers_of_the_Americas#North_America. retrieved 2011-11-4.

National Weather Service. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/global/climate_max.htm retrieved 2011-11-18.

Elements of Physical Geography

Blue Planet Biomes http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/climate.htm/. retrieved 2011-11-22

Current Results http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/average-annual-state-temperatures.php/. retrieved 2011-11-22

Centers of Plant Diversity http://botany.si.edu/projects/cpd/na/na.htm. retrieved 2011-12-4

Mineral Resources

Tiger Minerals http://www.tigerminerals.com/noam.html. retrieved 2012-2-22

Maps of Mexico http://mapasdemexico.org/maps/industry.html. retrieved 2012-2-22

The Mining Association of Canada http://www.mining.ca/site/images/MapofCanada.pdf. retrieved 2012-2-25

Volcano Discovery http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/popocatepetl.html. retrieved 2012-2-25

Michael Dallin's Rocky Mountain National Park http://estes.on-line.com/rmnp/articles/metamorp.html. retrieved 2012-2-25