The+Highlands

//** Important Ideas **//
//-erosion has a huge effect on mountains // // -mountains are first formed by the collision of tectonic plates // // -we talk about mountains being "younger" or "older" // // -mountains effect the way we live //  -//"A core of ancient rock, surrounded by lowlands and then highlands on three sides." This may be a simple description, but it summarizes the diversity of Canada's physical landforms.// // Canada's three highland areas lie to the east, north, and west of the Shield and lowlands areas. Each of these three striking, mountainous areas - the Appalachians, the Innuitians, and the Western Cordillera - has a different geological history and appearance. //

** Appalachian Mountains **
media type="file" key="Appalachian Moutanins.mp3" width="240" height="20" The Appalachian Mountains stretch from the state of Georgia in the southern United States through the Maritimes to Newfoundland in the north. They are the oldest highland region in Canada, and formed about 300 million years ago. Layers of sedimentary rock were uplifted and folded at the end of the Paleozoic era when North America collided with Europe and northern Africa during the formation of Pangaea. Rocks found in the Appalachians of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are similar to rocks found in Wales and Scotland. The layers of sedimentary rock are rich in deposits of non-metallic minerals such as coal. Volcanic activity and faulting created igneous and metamorphic rock in certain areas of the Appalachians. Plateaus of this rock contain metallic minerals such as iron and zinc.

 Millions of years of erosion have reduced the Appalachians' once jagged peaks to rolling mountains and hills. In recent geologic times, glaciation has played a part in this erosion, grinding down the peaks and separating the hills and mountains with wide glacial valleys.  During the last Ice Age, the weight of the ice pressed the Appalachians down. As the land sank, and the ice melted, the small inlets along the east coast were flooded by the sea. The long bays that were created form a "drowned coastline" These long bays have provided deep harbours for ocean freighters, and some have become today's sites of major cities. Other settlement is located mainly in the fertile river valleys and along the seacoast.

 1. Use your own words to describe how the Appalachian Mountains were formed.  2. Why does the Appalachian region have many excellent harbours?

 Innuitian Mountains
media type="file" key="Innutian Moutanins.mp3" width="240" height="20"

The Innuitian Mountains stand like icy watch towers in Canada's far north. In some locations they measure over 2500 metres in height. Their present form was shaped in the middle of the Mesozoic era when the North American plate moved northward. The Innuitians contain igneous and metamorphic rocks, but for the most part are composed of sedimentary rock.  They are younger than the Appalachians, and so erosion has not had time to reduce them to rounded hills. They are also barren because trees can neither survive the extremely cold winter temperatures, nor grow during the short summer. Vast areas are covered by ice and permanent snow. The Innuitian Mountains resemble the Appalachians in composition and, as you might expect, contain similar types of minerals. The mineral resources have not been greatly exploited, however, because the region's remote location makes development too costly when cheaper alternatives exist further south.

 3. a) Describe the composition and appearance of the Innuitian Mountains.  b) Why has this region not been developed as much as other regions?

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> Western Cordillera
media type="file" key="Western Cordillera.mp3" width="240" height="20" <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">The Western Cordillera stands along the western edge of Canada like a great wall: range after range of mountains separated by plateaus and valleys. The great height and rugged appearance of these ranges tell us that they are geologically young. The collision of the North American and the Pacific plates is responsible for uplifting this region into several mountain ranges about 680 km wide. The heavier Pacific plate forced its way under the lighter North American plate causing much folding, faulting, and volcanic activity. The result was the Western Cordillera. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> The mountains and valleys of the Western Cordillera run in a north-south direction. This presents an obstacle to transportation because main travel routes across the Cordillera must run in an east-west direction. There are only a few passes, or gaps, in the ranges of the cordellera which are low enough to allow highways and railways to cross over. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> Since it is so mountainous, the Cordillera is lightly populated. Most people live in the farming and mining towns located in the river valleys. Vancouver and Victoria, the largest cities in the Western Cordillera, are built on flat land in coastal locations. Towns such as Banff and Jasper thrive because of tourists who come to see the beautiful majesty of the mountains, as well as participate in related sports like skiing and rock climbing. The glaciers in the mountains of the Western Cordillera are the only remaining glaciers in Canada apart from those in the Arctic. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> The Western Cordillera has three areas, they are the Eastern Mountains, Interior Plateau, and Coast Mountains.

<span style="background-color: #e2dcdc; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">4. Why would the Western Cordillera be lightly populated? What sort of economic activity could you NOT do in this region?

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">EASTERN MOUNTAINS
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> The eastern division of the cordillera consists of two main mountain ranges - the Rocky and the Columbia Mountains separated by a deep valley. On the east are Canada's youngest, and most famous mountains, the Rockies, formed about 65 million years ago. The Rocky Mountains are formed of folded and faulted sedimentary rock which contains many fossils and deposits of coal. Today, the Rockies stand as much as 4000 m above sea level. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> The Rocky Mountain Trench is a deep valley separating the Rockies from the second main range, the Columbia Mountains. This valley was created by erosion along a zone of faults. It is only about 10 km wide, 1600 km long, and almost 2000 m lower than the mountains on either side. On the western side of the Rocky Mountain Trench in southern British Columbia are three mountain ranges separated by trenches.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> INTERIOR PLATEAUS
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> In the center of the Cordillera is a series of rugged plateaus between 1300 m and 2000 m in height among high bills and small mountains. The area is composed of metamorphic and igneous rocks due to past volcanic activity. It contains many valuable metallic minerals such as copper, gold, and zinc. The lava plateaus have been deeply cut by major rivers creating deep valleys that make transportation across them difficult. Glacial and river deposits have, however, made excellent farmland of many of the valleys. One of these is the Okanagan Valley.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> COAST MOUNTAINS
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> Like the eastern mountains, the Coast Mountains are divided into two ranges separated by a deep trough. The Coast Mountain Range is on the mainland, while the Island Mountain Range is located on the offshore islands. The two ranges are separated by a deep trough that is occupied by an area of the Pacific Ocean. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> The Coast Mountains have been formed by the movement of the North American and Pacific plates. Since the heavier Pacific plate is sinking below the lighter North American plate, the pressure has caused magma to rise into the earth's crust where it bas cooled to form igneous rock. The magma also melted some of the overlying crust to form metamorphic rock. The movement of the two plates against one another bas uplifted this massive block of igneous and metamorphic rock to form the Coast Mountains. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> The continuing movement of the North American and the Pacific plates in this area makes the West Coast of Canada the most active earthquake region in the country. The plates are moving relative to one another at speeds of 2 cm to 10 cm per year.

<span style="background-color: #e2dcdc; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">5. Explain why the West Coast of Canada has so many earthquakes. <span style="background-color: #e2dcdc; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> 6. Find and examine photos or descriptions of the Appalachians and the Rockies. Which mountains are older? How can you tell?

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">IN CLOSING...

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> The movement of the earth's plates, and the resulting folding, faulting, and volcanic activity, have combined with the forces of erosion and glaciation to create a variety of landscapes that affect the way we live.