18. Geologic Terms and Geographic Divisions Geologic terms For capitalization, compounding, and use of quotations in geologic terms, copy is to be followed. Geologic terms quoted verbatim from published ma- terial should be left as the original author used them; however, it should be made clear that the usage is that of the original author. Formal geologic terms are capitalized: Proterozoic Eon, Cambrian Period. Structural terms such as arch, anticline, or uplift are capitalized when pre- ceded by a name: Cincinnati Arch, Cedar Creek Anticline, Ozark Uplift . See Chapter 4 geographic terms for more information. Divisions of Geologic Time [Most recent to oldest] Eon Era Period Phanerozoic ................ Cenozoic ............................ Quarternary. Tertiary (Neogene, Paleogene). Mesozoic........................... Cretaceous. Jurassic. Triassic. Paleozoic .......................... Permian. Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian, Mississippian). Devonian. Silurian. Ordovician. Cambrian. Proterozoic ................. Neoproterozoic ............... Ediacaran. Cryogenian. Tonian. Mesoproterozoic ............. Stenian. Ectasian. Calymmian. Paleoproterozoic ............. Statherian. Orosirian. Rhyacian. Siderian. Archean ....................... Neoarchean. Mesoarchean. Paleoarchean. Eoarchean. Hadean. Source: Information courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey; for graphic see http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3015/ fs2007-3015.pdf. 343 cchapter18.inddhapter18.indd 334343 111/13/081/13/08 3:19:233:19:23 PPMM 344 Chapter 18 Physiographic regions Physiographic regions are based on terrain texture, rock type, and geologic structure and history. Th e classifi cation system has three tiers: divisions, which are broken into provinces, and some provinces break further into sec- tions. All names are capitalized, not the class; for graphic see http://tapestry. usgs.gov/physiogr/physio.html. Physiographic Regions of the Lower 48 United States Division Province Section Laurentian Upland ...................... Superior Upland. Atlantic Plain ................................ Continental Shelf. Coastal Plain .................................. Embayed. Sea Island. Floridian. East Gulf Coastal Plain. Mississippi Alluvial Plain. West Gulf Coastal Plain. Appalachian Highlands ............. Piedmont ....................................... Piedmont Upland. Piedmont Lowlands. Blue Ridge ...................................... Northern. Southern. Valley and Ridge ........................... Tennessee. Middle. Hudson Valley. St. Lawrence Valley ...................... Champlain. Northern. Appalachian Plateaus .................. Mohawk. Catskill. Southern New York. Allegheny Mountain. Kanawha. Cumberland Plateau. Cumberland Mountain. New England ................................. Seaboard Lowland. New England Upland. White Mountain. Green Mountain. Taconic. Adirondack. Interior Plains ............................... Interior Low Plateaus ................... Highland Rim. Lexington Plain. Nashville Basin. Central Lowland ........................... Eastern Lake. Western Lake. Wisconsin Drift less. Till Plains. Dissected Till Plains. Osage Plains. cchapter18.inddhapter18.indd 334444 111/13/081/13/08 3:19:233:19:23 PPMM Geologic Terms and Geographic Divisions 345 Division Province Section Great Plains .................................... Missouri Plateau, glaciated. Missouri Plateau, unglaciated. Black Hills. High Plains. Plains Border. Colorado Piedmont. Raton. Pecos Valley. Edwards Plateau. Central Texas. Interior Highlands ....................... Ozark Plateaus............................... Springfi eld-Salem Plateaus. Boston “Mountains.” Ouachita ......................................... Arkansas Valley. Ouachita Mountains. Rocky Mountain System ............ Southern Rocky Mountains. Wyoming Basin. Middle Rocky Mountains. Northern Rocky Mountains. Intermontane Plateaus ............... Columbia Plateau ........................ Walla Walla Plateau. Blue Mountain. Payette. Snake River Plain. Harney. Colorado Plateaus ........................ High Plateaus of Utah. Uinta Basin. Canyon Lands. Navajo. Grand Canyon. Datil. Basin and Range ........................... Great Basin. Sonoran Desert. Salton Trough. Mexican Highland. Sacramento. Pacifi c Mountain System ............ Cascade-Sierra Mountains ......... Northern Cascade Mountains. Middle Cascade Mountains. Southern Cascade Mountains. Sierra Nevada. Pacifi c Border ................................ Puget Trough. Olympic Mountains. Oregon Coast Range. Klamath Mountains. California Trough. California Coast Ranges. Los Angeles Ranges. Lower California. Source: Information courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey. cchapter18.inddhapter18.indd 334545 111/13/081/13/08 3:19:233:19:23 PPMM 346 Chapter 18 Geographic divisions Th e Public Land Survey System has a hierarchy of lines. Principal merid- ians and base lines and their related townships, sections, and subdivisions of sections are incorporated in the description of land conveyed by the Federal Government and others. The Principal Meridians and Base Lines of the United States 1 Black Hills Meridian and Base Line. New Mexico Principal Meridian and Base (South Dakota) Line. (New Mexico-Colorado) Boise Meridian and Base Line. (Idaho) Point of Beginning and Geographer’s Chickasaw Meridian and Base Line. Line. (Ohio) (Mississippi-Tennessee) Principal Meridian and Base Line. Choctaw Meridian and Base Line. (Mississippi) (Montana) Cimarron Meridian and Base Line. Salt Lake Meridian and Base Line. (Utah) (Oklahoma) San Bernardino Meridian and Base Line. Copper River Meridian and Base Line. (Alaska) (California-Nevada) Fairbanks Meridian and Base Line. (Alaska) Second Principal Meridian and Base Line. Fift h Principal Meridian and Base Line. (Illinois-Indiana) (Arkansas-Iowa-Minnesota-Missouri- Seward Principal Meridian and Base Line. North Dakota-South Dakota) (Alaska) First Principal Meridian and Base Line. Sixth Principal Meridian and Base Line. (Ohio-Indiana) (Colorado-Kansas-Nebraska-South Fourth Principal Meridian and Base Line. Dakota-Wyoming) (Illinois) St. Helena Meridian and Base Line. Fourth Principal Meridian and Base Line (Louisiana) Wisconsin. (Minnesota-Wisconsin) St. Stephens Meridian and Base Line. Gila and Salt River Meridian and Base Line. (Alabama-Mississippi) (Arizona) Tallahassee Meridian and Base Line. Humboldt Meridian and Base Line. (Florida) (California) Th ird Principal Meridian and Base Line. Huntsville Meridian and Base Line. (Illinois) (Alabama-Mississippi) Uintah Special Meridian and Base Line. Indian Meridian and Base Line. (Oklahoma) (Utah) Kateel River Principal Meridian and Base Umiat Principal Meridian and Base Line. Line. (Alaska) (Alaska) Louisiana Meridian and Base Line. Ute Principal Meridian and Base Line. (Louisiana-Texas) (Colorado) Michigan Meridian and Base Line. Washington Meridian and Base Line. (Michigan-Ohio) (Mississippi) Mount Diablo Meridian and Base Line. Willamette Meridian and Base Line. (California-Nevada) (Oregon-Washington) Navajo Meridian and Base Line. (Arizona- Wind River Meridian and Base Line. New Mexico) (Wyoming) 1 Information courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Geologic Terms and Geographic Divisions 347 Public Land Surveys Having No Initial Point as an Origin for Both Township and Range Numbers 1 Between the Miamis, north of Symmes Purchase. Scioto River Base. (Ohio) (Ohio) Twelve-Mile-Square Reserve. (Ohio) Muskingum River Survey. (Ohio) United States Military Survey. (Ohio) Ohio River Base. (Indiana) West of the Great Miami. (Ohio) Ohio River Survey. (Ohio) 1 Information courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Sources: Manual of Instructions for the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States, Bureau of Land Management, GPO; Initial Points of the Rectangular Survey System, C. Albert White, 1996. See http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/cadastralsurvey.html for more information on prinicipal meridians and base lines. Major Rivers of the World Length Length River (in miles) River (in miles) Nile (Africa) ............................................... 4,160 MacKenzie (Canada) .......................... 2,635 Amazon (S. America) ............................... 4,000 Mekong (Vietnam) .............................. 2,600 Yangtze (China) ........................................ 3,964 Niger (Africa) ....................................... 2,590 Yellow (China) ........................................... 3,395 Yenisey (Russia) ................................... 2,543 Ob-Irtysh (Russia) .................................... 3,362 Missouri (U.S.) ..................................... 2,540 Amur (Asia) ............................................... 2,744 Parana (S. America) ............................ 2,485 Lena (Russia) .............................................. 2,734 Mississippi (U.S.) ................................. 2,340 Congo (Africa) ........................................... 2,718 Murray-Darling (Australia) .............. 2,310 Note.—Information compiled from numerous public domain Web sites; references cite diff erent lengths for the same river depending on origin. Major Rivers of the United States Length Length River (in miles) River (in miles) Missouri ...................................................... 2,540 Ohio ......................................................... 1,310 Mississippi .................................................. 2,340 Red ........................................................... 1,290