 | Term | Definition |
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Pacific Ocean |
1/3 of earth's surface- 70 million sq. mi; largest ocean, avg. depth 14000', deepest part 36,000', misnamed |
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Atlantic Ocean |
2nd largest ocean avg depth 12,000 |
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Gulf of Mexico |
body west of florida, oil deposits tapped by offshore wells, 700000 sq. miles, 12714 deep |
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Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario) |
border between US/Canada, rich in furs, glacier-carved, largest body of fresh water, 95000 sq mi, HOMES |
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Great Salt Lake |
41*N 112*W, remnant of Lake Bonnevile, salt and magnesium chloride, 1000 mi, largest body of salt water |
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Chesapeake Bay |
200 mile long inlet east of DC, fed by many rivers,drowned mouth of Susquehanna River, protection from rough Atlantic |
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San Francisco Bay |
50 mi. long by 3 to 13 mi., wide mouth to Pacific, Sir Francis Drake 1579 |
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Hudson River |
Empties into NY harbor, Erie canal connects it to Great Lakes |
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Mississippi River |
Largest River by volume, NS tranportation, fish and shrimp 2350 mi long, 1 mi wide |
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Ohio River |
Forms a border between Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky |
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Missouri River |
border between Iowa/Nebraska, Big muddy, 2265 mi, Mississippi R. swallows it near St. Louis ;) |
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Colorado River |
Grand Canyon, 1450 mi, 1000 mi of canyons, 6.5 inches of rain per 1000 years, controversies with Mex. about water |
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Rio Grande River |
Border between Mexico and US, small at El Paso, Col. and NM use its water, unnavigable and hot |
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St. Lawrence River |
Lake ontario to Atlantic, US/Canada bordder, canals for navigation, 744 miles, hydro-electric power |
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Columbia River |
forms border between 2 nw states, flows into Pacific, 1210 mi from Brit. Columbia, swallows Snake River, Explored by L&C, finishs Oregon Trail, silt deposit problem |
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Great Plains |
between Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River, N. Canada to Texas, vast inland sea, high grassland region, rich soil, wheat |
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Great Basin |
desert region between Rocky MTs. and Sierra Nevada, short steep mtns, Death Valley lowest point at 282 ft., flash floods |
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Cape Cod |
landform at 40* N like fishhook, 1620 Pilgrims landed, glacier carved, inlets and bays, a peninsula:not cape |
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Gulf Coastal Plain |
flatlands that circle N and W of Gulf of Mexico, low, sandy, marshy, bayou flooding |
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Atlantic Coastal Plain |
Chesapeake bay to Florida |
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Central Valley |
between Sierra Nevada and Coast Range, rich farmlands after 49ers gave up gold, most farms and vineyards in US, 450 by 50 mi |
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Appalachian Mountains |
from St. Lawrence River to Alabama, old, rolling hills, good for farming, natural barrier,Mt. Mitchell tallest peak 6684 ft, geologic folding |
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Rocky Mountains |
3000 miles from alaska to mexico, young, jagged peaks, some volcanoes, Mt. Elbert highest peak at 14431 Ft, some permanent snow, continental divide |
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Sierra Nevada Mountains |
separates California and Nevada, 430 mi. long, Bakersfield to Lassen, largest peak is Mt. Whitney 14494 ft. highest point in US (excluding Alaska), major source of CA water, young, |
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Mt. Mckinley (Alaska Range) |
Southern range in Alaska, tallest mountain in Alaska 20320 ft., called Denali, Park is size of Massachusetts, glaciers |
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Cascade Range |
Northern CA to British Columbia, 700 mi, volcanic peaks, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier tallest at 14410 ft, 27 Separate Glaciers, rich timber for logging industry |
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Coast Range |
along Pacific Coast from Alaska to Baja, formed by faults and folds, friction between two plates, young |
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Brooks Range |
Only E-W range, north of Alaska, can see Arctic Ocean, northern slo |
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Mauna Loa |
Southern part of Big Island: Hawai'i, lava flow causes growth of Island, 4169 ft sister peak Mauna Kea is taller at 4205 ft |
