Geologic History:

Divergent plates create ridges and convergent(subduction zones) create trenches.

Tsunamis are created by an underwater earthquake created at a subduction zone, that causes a large wave.

Wegener developed the theory of continental drift; 300 million years ago there was constant motion of Earth's land masses and formed one supercontinent called Pangea.

Plate tectonics is the theory that the Earth's outer shell is made up of 20 slow-moving plates, floating on a layer of hot rock because of convection currents.

Evidence for Wegener's theory includes the jigsaw fit, same fossils, similar mountains, and ice sheets.

Plate tectonics have shaped Canada in many ways such as development of mountains, formation of fossil fuels, etc.

Geologic time consists of 4 eras: cenozoic, mesozoic, paleozoic, and precambrian.

Understanding of Canada's landforms is shown by: TECSMERG ( Tectonic forces, erosion, conflict, sedimentary rock, metamorphic rock, economic activity, recent events, and glaciers). *See notebook for details*

The Canadian Shield, Appalacians, and Western Cordillera are mountains affected by erosion, two of which formed by collision of tectonic plates.

Canada's Landforms

The Canadian shield:
-oldest and most eroded igneous and metamorphic rock
-rich diamond and metallic mineral deposits
-thin soil
-recreation and tourism
-disorganized drainage pattern
-hydro power

Interior Plains:
-covered by shallow inland seas, sediments were deposited and compressed
-oil and gas
-mineral deposits under newer rocks and glacial deposits
-rolling hills, deep wide river valleys
-three different levels of elevation
-deep and fertile soil
-agriculture and beef products

Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Lowlands:
-bedrock formed in Paleozoic era
-rolling landscape
-flat plains with glacial hills and deep river valleys
-agriculture
-transportation routes and development of cities
-most densely populated

Hudson Bay-Arctic Lowlands:
-flat, low area covered with swampy forest
-layers of sedimentary rock rest on top of shield rock and waters had covered the lowland
-arctic lowlands have gently rolling landscape
-harsh climate

Appalachian Mountains:
-all types of rock
-sedimentary rock were uplifted and folded at end of Paleozic during formation of Pangea
-non metallic minerals
-plateaus of igneous and metamorphic contain metallic minerals
-rolling mountains and hills
-fertile river valleys and drowned coastline

Innuitian Mountains:
-Mesozoic era, North american plate moved northward
-mostly sedimentary
-cold temperatures and permafrost
-too remote for mineral exploitation

Western Cordillera
-collision of North American and Pacific plates
-all types of rock in three major divisions
-plateaus and valleys
-limits growth of cities
-difficult to have transportation routes because of the direction of mountains & valleys
-lightly populated
-farming and mining
-tourism

Canada's Climate

1. Canada is large;extends a vast distance from north to south and east to west.
2.Different elevations produce different climate conditions.
3.Coastal regions have different climates than inland regions.
4.Wind and pressure systems move weather conditions to one part of the country to other parts.

Latitude:Places closer to the poles have colder climates than places near the equator because the same amount of energy from the Sun must be spread over a larger area.

Ocean currents:An ocean's temperature affects the temperature of air that passes over it. An ocean current's temperature in comparison to water around it determines its temperature.

Winds and air masses: Air masses take on the climatic conditions of the area where they are formed and carries those characteristics as they are moved, by prevailing winds.

Elevation: Temperature decreases as elevation increases because air masses expand and cool as they rise, turn into water vapour, condense into clouds and may form precipitation. Heat is released through the process of condensation and the air mass slows its cooling process as it rises.

Relief: When air moves up the windward slope of a mountain, the rates of condensation and precipitation increase but when air moves down the leeward slope the evaporation rate increases and creates a drier climate.
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Near water: Large bodies of water moderates temperatures of the land near them which have a maritime climate. Continental climates take place in areas far from bodies of water and have great temperature ranges.

Great Lakes are far from oceans but they influence climate of land by reducing temperature and being a source of moisture, called modified continental.

Maritime:
- - >1000mm
-max. precipitation in winter (large difference=west, small=east)

Continental:
- >25C
- -max. rain in summer

9 Geography Note on Geo Summary , created by A P on 12/01/2014.