The Far Corner: Washington

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The Far Corner Washingtons Geography and Geology
Essential Question
How does Washingtons geography and geology
affect the way we live?
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First Lets reviewDirectionson a map
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Using your thumb in front of your body
Point Which way isNorth
North
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Point Which way isSouth
South
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Point Which way isWest
West
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Point Which way isEast
East
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FirstIn front of your faceDraw a CapitalN
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N
Your fingers moving North
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In front of your faceDraw a CapitalS
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S
Your fingers at the bottom
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In front of your faceDraw a CapitalE
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E
Your fingers moving east
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For WestI can only give youThe wordWE
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W E
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The Northwest Corner

• Washingtons location??
• In the Northwest corner of the
• United States
• Between the 46th and
• 49th parallels north latitude
• Between 117 degrees and
• 125 degrees west longitude

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• Washingtons Boundaries
• Canada makes the north political boundary

• The Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Juan de Fuca
  make natural western boundaries

• The Columbia River makes most of the natural
  southern boundary

• A political boundary separates Washington from
  Idaho on the eastern side

Canada
Northern Border
Eastern Border
Washingtons Coast - Western Border
Washington
Southern Border
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Spatial Patterns

• Coastlines, rivers, deserts, and mountains affect
  where people live and work.
• Humans have had an impact on the land over the
  years.
• Loggers cut down too many trees
• Hunters shot too many wild animals
• Fishermen caught too many salmon
• People changed the land to meet their needs

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The Columbia River

• The Columbia River is one of Washingtons most
  famous physical characteristics.
• Indian tribes and early fur trappers used the
  river for transportation and a source of food.
• The river became the source of a thriving salmon
  industry.

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• The source of the river is at Columbia Lake, high
  in British Columbia, Canada.
• The Columbia has many tributaries and flows into
  the Pacific Ocean.
• The Columbia is the most powerful river in North
  America in terms of hydroelectric energy.

mouth of the Columbia
Columbia Lake
Grand Coulee Dam
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The Pacific Coast

• Washington has 157 miles of ocean coastline.
• The Strait of Juan de Fuca has over 3,000 miles
  of coastline.
• Washington has deep-water harbors that link it to
  the rest of the world.

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• The Pacific Ocean and the Puget Sound are the
  sources of the states fishing industry.
• Salmon, oysters, crabs, shrimp, halibut,
  flounder, tuna, and cod are caught in
  Washingtons waters.
• Winds from the ocean give Washington a mild
  climate.

Puget Sound Area
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What Regionis Washington Part of?

• Regions are
• places that share common features.
• Washington is part of the Pacific Northwest
  region.
• A region of states that share common
• physical, political, and economic features
• Washington is part of the Pacific Rim region.
• A region of all the countries that
• border the Pacific Ocean

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Washingtons Five Regions

• Each region has at least one main physical
  feature but may contain more.
• The Coastal Range
• Narrow region along the Pacific Ocean with
  rainforests, mountains, and other forests

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The Puget Sound Lowlands

• Plains and valleys around the Puget Sound with
  fertile land and access to rivers and seaports

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The Cascade Range

• Includes the Cascade Mountain range with its high
  volcanic peaks and many glaciers

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The Columbia Plateau

• A high, flat plateau on the east side of the
  Cascades with dry land and natural vegetation

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The Rocky Mountain Region

• Steep hills that are foothills of the Rocky
  Mountains in the northern corner of the state

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A Jigsaw Puzzle

• Scientists believe Washington is made of many
  small continents.
• Millions of years ago, they came together because
  of the earths shifting plates.
• Tectonic forces uplifted, tilted, and folded the
  earths crust to create mountains.

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• Tectonic forces left fault lines that shift and
  cause earthquakes every few years.
• Mountains were also formed by volcanic action.

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• The Cascade and Olympic Mountains are part of a
  great Ring of Fire.

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Volcanoes Shaped the Columbia Plateau

• Lava covered the Columbia Plateau.
• Volcanic ash and dust covered parts of the
  Plateau and created rich soil.
• Today, this is the Palouse wheat-growing region
  in eastern Washington.

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The Lessons of Mt. St. Helens

• Mt. St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980.
• The eruption was equal to 21,000 atomic bombs.
• The destruction was great and 57 people lost
  their lives.
• Some people ignored warning signs and stayed near
  the mountain.
• The mountain will erupt again.

http//www.youtube.com/watch?vnjV9ski1gB4
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Ice Age Washington

• About 1 million to 10,000 years ago, an ice age
  covered much of Washington with snow and ice.
• Glaciers grew and shrank as the temperature
  changed.
• Moving glaciers shaped the Puget Sound Lowlands.
• Ice dams blocked rivers and formed prehistoric
  lakes.
• Water broke through dams, causing immense floods.
• Every 50 years or so for 2,000 years, floods
  occurred.
• Grand Coulee was created during the ice age by
  ice and floodwater.

Giant Current Ripples were created by deep, fast
moving water.Columbia River boat for scale
The Ice Age Floods etched many deep canyons and
coulees into the Columbia River Basalt that
blankets much of eastern Washington.
Scabland Channel cut by Glacial Lake Missoula
floodwater.
Stev H. Ominskis interpretation of what Dry
Falls WA would have looked like (not so dry).
Glacier Perito Moreno breaks down Sunday, March
14, 2003 for the first time in 16 years in Lago
Argentino, some 3,200 kilometers, (2,000 miles)
southwest of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Perito Moreno Glacier in the providence of Santa
Cruz, Argentina
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Fossils are Clues to the Past

• Fossils of plant and animal life tell us about
  the region in which they were found.
• Shells and bones from ancient sea life tell us
  that oceans once covered our land.
• Plant fossils in central Washington indicate that
  a large tropical rainforest once flourished
  there.

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• Coal was formed by the combination of prehistoric
  plants, heat, and pressure over millions of
  years.
• Deposits of coal and other fossils that
• can be burned are considered fossil fuels.
• Environmentalists warn that greenhouse gases are
  produced by burning fossil fuels.