5/9/2017 DATES TO REMEMBER Regional Landscape Studies NORTHLANDS <<<For each region: NORTHEAST COAST Until May 26: Course evaluation period. 1. Know its physical MEGALOPOLIS Check your Hunter e-mail for instructions. geography. Smartphone: www.hunter.cuny.edu/mobilete Computer: www.hunter.cuny.edu/te CANADA’S NATIONAL CORE May 12: Last day to hand in REQUIRED ROADTRIP AMERICA’S HEARTLAND 2. Identify its unique EXERCISE without late penalty. APPALACHIA and the OZARKS characteristics. THE SOUTH 3. Be able to explain the May 16: Last class lecture and last day for GREAT PLAINS and PRAIRES human imprint. pre-approved extra credit (paper or other project). MOUNTAINS, PLATEAUS and May 23: Exam III: The Final Exam BASINS: The Empty Interior 4. Discuss its sequence – From 9 to 11 AM << note different time from class DESERT SOUTHWEST occupancy and eco- NORTH PACIFIC COAST nomic development. – Same format as exams I and II. HAWAII – Last day to hand in Exam III extra credit exercise and “Landscape Analysis” extra credit option. 2 The Desert Southwest Extends along the Mexican border Regional Landscapes of the from the Gulf of Mexico United States and Canada to the Pacific Ocean. The Desert Southwest Includes parts of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Prof. Anthony Grande Utah, Arizona, Nevada ©AFG 2017 and California. Parts of Chapters 2, 3, 10, 18, 19 Overlaps the Empty Interior and includes the in American Landscape South Pacific Coast (Monterey - San Diego), Texas High Plains and South Texas Gulf Coastal Plain.4 No humidity/arid conditions Mexican border area Desert Southwest Spanish place names OVERVIEW Southern California When you think about this region, Cactus Varied, harsh topography: plateaus/mountains/basins. what images come into your mind? Cliff dwellings Grand Canyon Climatic aridity is a physical unifier. Sunny skies Navajo Human adaptation to aridity is the cultural unifier. Distinct Tri-Cultural Region with unique characteristics, place names and acculturation: Spanish with roots in Mexico: settlement and colonial heritage (language/religion) are chief regional identifiers. Native American: historic settlement and Indian culture is a secondary unifier. European-American: late arriving but dominant population o International Zone: cultural and economic landscapes integrated with that of northern Mexico, but a politically tense closely monitored border area from end to end. 5 6 1 5/9/2017 The Border The Four Corners Landscape El Paso-Juarez Crossing A unique political geography and photo opportunity! Mexico USA Beach at San Diego Crossing at Arizona desert Matamoras- area Brownsville, TX 7 8 Review map handout from Physiography of the “Empty Interior” The San Andreas Fault Desert Southwest FAULT 1. Mountains (W Texas, E New Mexico) BLOCK San Andreas fault SOUTHERN ROCKIES Southern 2. Plateaus (S CO, S UT, NW NM, N AZ): California Zone COLORADO PLATEAU 3. Fault Block Structures (Southern California, W Arizona, S. Nevada): BASIN and RANGE EXOTIC RIVER: (a perman- 4. Coastal Ridges (SW California): ent river flowing through a desert) PACIFIC COAST RANGES Colorado River (with the Green and Gila) and Rio San Andreas Fault: Cuts through Grande (with the Pecos) Southern California from the Gulf of are the major exotic rivers California to San Francisco Bay. flowing through the south- Sections of the fault east of LA are west desert region. “locked” (have not moved in hundreds of years) 9 and are closely monitored by geologists. 10 C a l I f o r n I a Salton Basin Salton Landscape: Combo Geology of Natural and Human Factors Salton Basin occupies a During the 1905 spring floods the Colorado depressed fault block that R. broke its banks and flowed downhill by is >200 ft. below sea level. way of an irrigation canal into Salton Basin, • It once was the northern creating a freshwater lake. Each year the lake’s Desert Arizona water has become saltier. Filling the breach in 1906 by dumping end of the Gulf of Califor- rock from railroad cars into the gap. nia and contained sea All-American Canal Desert water (blue area). provides the area with • It was blocked from the fresh water for irrigation gulf as sediment from the from the Colorado R. El Centro, Colorado Plateau (brown California Dashed line = area) carried by the Colo- ancient shoreline rado River collected and enlarged its delta at the Mexicali, Mexico head of the gulf. 11 12 2 5/9/2017 • Area of semi-arid (BS) and Climate desert (BW) climates. Hot and Southwest Deserts dry most of the year. • Mediterranean climate (Cs = 1. The Mojave Desert is located at summer dry, winter wet) is found the south end of the Great Basin. in coastal So. California. 2. The Sonoran Desert occupies an area south of the Colorado • Arizona-California-Nevada 1 border area is the hottest, Plateau extending into Mexico. driest part of N. America. 3. The U.S. portion (northern end) of 2 the Chihuahua Desert covers Death Valley is here. El Paso the Rio Grande Valley from “The Monsoon” occurs in 3 Albuquerque, NM to the July/August. It is just a series Precipitation Edwards Plateau of Texas. of thunderstorms created as Elevation interrupts the desert in AZ, Pacific Ocean moisture is NM and northern Mexico. sucked in by low pressure over the Colorado Plateau. 13 14 Chihuahua Desert Arroyo in northern Arizona Southwest Southwest Deserts Deserts Many dry river (arroyo) and lake Each area has unique flora (playa) beds exist and are prone to flash flooding. and fauna. Oasis: Area where water is close Saguaro and Organ Pipe to the surface. Becomes the focus cacti are native to the Sonoran. of life in the area: wildlife/human. Joshua Trees are found in Sand dunes make up a small per- the Mojave. centage of the desert landscape. White Sands NMon, NM Saguaro Organ Pipe Joshua Tree Palm Springs, CA 15 16 Santa Ana Santa Ana Winds Winds and Fire Low humidity, hot temperature plus wind creates a severe fire hazard. Smoke plume 3 hrs later 17 18 Adiabatic warming of already hot, dry winds. 3 5/9/2017 Los Angeles LA Basin Inversions Smog P 2. Hot Mojave Desert air forms a lid over Smog (smoke + fog) is a type of air A LA Basin>>> C pollution created when by- I 4 products of combustion mix Desert F 3 with atmospheric moisture. Coast Ranges I (Originally caused by the mixing of C soot with fog in coal burning areas.) In the Los Angeles Basin Los Angeles smog is caused the problem is heightened by when vehicle emissions react a combination of natural local 1. Weak ocean winds push polluted weather and topographic LA air against the mountains. with sunlight to form photo- 3. The winds cannot break through chemical pollution. This mix conditions that prevent the dispersion of contaminants. the layer of hot Mojave desert air. includes particulates and ozone. 4. Winds (and pollution) are forced to double back over the LA Basin, warm- ing as they descend, and trapping 19 20 pollution within the inversion. Area of Water Deficiency and Competition Desert Area Urban Sprawl Because of the climate and Phoenix, AZ Albuquerque, NM the increase in urban Percent Irrigated Farmland by County populations plus irrigated agriculture, there is a great competition for water. The metro areas of El Paso, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas are growing at a fast rate. Southern California Conurba- tion (Santa Barbara-San Diego) needs water from outside its area. https://earthshots.usgs.gov/earthshots/Las- Vegas#ad-image-1 21 22 Colorado River The Central Water Use Arizona Project Population and economic booms in Nevada, Arizona and southern California need water. Delta region of In 1915 nearly the entire flow of the Mexico Colorado R. allocated mainly to Arizona Water is diverted from the Gila River Basin and California. In 2015 half the flow Morelos Dam is the last US dam on the and moved to the Phoenix and Tucson areas. Colorado before it crosses into Mexico goes to upstream states. International agreement provides Mexico with a minimum flow to US irrigation canal seasonally flush the delta region. Allocation formula is now facing severe strains due What’s left to years of below-average precipitation in the basin of the and high rates of population growth in the region. Colorado R. 23 24 4 5/9/2017 Glen Canyon Dam Human Geography: and Lake Powell Three Population Groups Native population Hispanic population dates (1% of total population) has a long history in back more than 400 years the region. with arrival of Spanish • Ruins are scattered explorers and missionaries. throughout the area. • Today’s population (25% of • The Navajo are the total population) is mainly of largest of the area’s tribes. Mexican heritage and experiencing rapid growth. European-Americans are the largest group (74% of total). • Arrived in mid-1800s with American expansion westward Lake Powell • Population is mainly northern European heritage. Evidence of drought 25 26 American Indians Chaco Culture of the Southwest Four Corners area is the center of Chaco • Earliest inhabitants of region but Culture, an advanced Native American least integrated into U.S. society. (In part to preserve their culture.) society that thrived from AD 900 to 1200. • They are located in areas that Anglo Numerous national and state parks preserve the ruins, culture and memory of these ancient people. settlers rejected because of dryness. The area has been declared a World Heritage Site. Largest groups: • Many different tribes live on . Navajo . Apache Evidence of urbanization: reservations in the region. Pueblo . Papago monumental public/ceremonial buildings . Hopi distinctive multi-level multi-family houses . Utes kivas for religious ceremonies Navajo hogan storage buildings = trade/commerce network of carefully built roads Indications of advanced engineering know-how 27 28 Chaco Culture Mesa Verde Nat’l Park National Historic Park 29 30 5 5/9/2017 Canyon de Chelly Nat’l Mon.