Physi ographic Regi ons Page 1 of 3
ilUSGS A Tapestry of Time and Terrain: TAPESTh. "/lAIN PAGE The Union of Two Maps - Geology and Topography ( Physiographic NEW! Solve the Back to Boundaries Puzzle of Regions Regions Require 5 Thsh Plug-in
An interpretati ve tool that can help make sense out of the 1arge am ount of information contained in this map is the regional classification shown here. Geomorphic, or physiographic, regions are broad-scal e subdivi si ons based on terrain texture, rock type, and geologi c structure and history. Nevin Fenneman's (1946) three-tiered classification of the United States - by division, province, and section - has provi ded an enduring spatial organizati on for the great vari ety of physic al features. The composite image presented here clearly shows the topographic textures and generalized geology (by age) from which the physical regions were synthesized. The features we describe represent many of thes e subdivi si ons.
PHYSIOGRAPIDC REGIONS OF THE LO\VER 48 UNITED STATE S
LAURENTIAN UPLAND INTERIOR lllG HLANDS
1. SuperiorUpland 14. Ozark Plateaus a. Springfield-Sal em pl ateaus ATLANTIC PLAIN b. Boston" Mountains" 1 S. Ouachita provinc e 2. Continental Shelf (not on map) a. Arkansas Valley
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3. Coastal Plain b. Ouachita Mountains a. Embayed section b. Sea Island section ROCKY MOUNTAIN SYSTEM c. Floridian section d. East Gulf Coastal Plain 16. Southern Rocky Mountains e. Mississippi Alluvial Plain 17. Wyoming Basin f. West Gulf Coastal Plain 18. Middle Rocky Mountains 19. Northern Rocky Mountains APPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS INTERMONTANE PLATEAUS 4. Piedmont province a. Piedmont Upland 20. Columbia Plateau b. Piedmont Lowlands a. Walla Walla Plateau 5. Blue Ridge province b. Blue Mountain section a. Northern section c. Payette section b. Southern section d. Snake River Plain 6. Valley and Ridge province e. Harney section a. Tennessee section 21. Colorado Plateaus b. Middle section a. High Plateaus of Utah c. Hudson Valley b. Uinta Basin 7. st. Lawrence Valley c. Canyon Lands a. Champlain section d. Navajo section b. Northern section (not on map) e. Grand Canyon section 8. Appalachian Plateaus province f. Datil section a. Mohawk section 22. Basin and Range province b. Catskill section a. Great Basin c. Southern New York section b. Sonoran Desert d. Allegheny Mountain section c. Salton Trough e. Kanawha section d. Mexican Highland f. Cumberland Plateau section e. Sacramento section g. Cumberland Mountain section 9. New England Province PACIFIC MOUNTAIN SYSTEM a. Seaboard Lowland section b. New England Upland section 23. Cascade-Sierra Mountains c. White Mountain section a. Northern Cascade Mountains d. Green Mountain section b. Middle Cascade Mountains e. Taconic section c. Southern Cascade Mountains 10. Adirondack province d. Sierra Nevada 24. Pacific Border province INTERIOR PLAINS a. Puget Trough b. Olympic Mountains 11. Interior Low Plateaus c. Oregon Coast Range a. Highland Rim section d. Klamath Mountains b. Lexington Plain e. California Trough c. Nashville Basin f. California Coast Ranges 12. Central Lowland g. Los Angeles Ranges a. Eastern Lake section 25. Lower California province b. Western Lake section c. Wisconsin Driftless section d. Till Plains
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e. Diss ected Till Plains f. Osage Plains 13. Gre at Plains province a. lv.1i s souri PI ate au, gl aci at e d b. lv.1issouri Plateau, unglaciated c. Black Hills d. High Plains e. PI ain s Border f. Colorado Pi edmont g. Raton section h. Pecos Vall ey 1. Edwards Plateau J. Central Texas secti on l )
us De]W'tmentqfthe Intm·<», us Geological ~ Contact: .A.:im.iniJtI'at<»' 1a:;t M:diJ'ication: 11.April, 2003 (tel) (J$ S Pn·vacv PollCv
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