The Physical Landscape
There are many ways to organize knowledge about the physical landscape. For some purposes, it is easiest to organize knowledge into the subjects of Geology, Climate, Regolith and Soil, Topography and Physiography, and Hydrology.
For other purposes, organizing the physical landscape knowledge spatially makes more sense. here, our spatial organization focuses on the physiographic provinces:the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, and Appalachian Plateau Provinces.
In this hypertext encyclopedia system,we can show both views. However, we recommend the reader peruse the Geology section first because it provides an excellent overview of the birth of the Southern Appalachians as well as a geologic time table for periods discussed in other sections.
- Geology : The Appalachian mountains are the oldest on the continent. Many of their geologic structures were formed more than 200 million years ago as the African continent collided with the North American continent.
- Climate : The climate of the Southern Appalachians is produced largely by continental arctic air masses from the north during the winter and maritime tropical air masses from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean during the summer.
- Regolith and Soil : The most common soil type of the southern Appalachians are what scientists call inceptisols, an acidic, shallow soil group developed primarily on shale and sandstone beds. However, ultisols dominate the Piedmont Province.
- Topography and Physiography : The Appalachian Highland is one of eight major physiographic divisions of the United States.
- Hydrology : The hydrology of the Southern Appalachians is largely the story of the numerous rivers within the region.
- Appalachian Plateau Province : The Appalachian Plateau Province extends from Alabama to beyond the glacial border in Ohio and Pennsylvania, northwest of the Ridge and Valley Province.
- Blue Ridge Province : The Blue Ridge province is divided into two subprovinces, the Northern Blue Ridge and the Southern Blue Ridge province. The Northern Blue Ridge lies north of the Roanoke River. The Southern Blue Ridge Province extends from the Roanoke River southwestward
- Piedmont Province : The Piedmont province is a dissected plateau, named for its position at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Ridge and Valley Province : The Ridge and Valley province extends from north-central Alabama to beyond the late-Wisconsinan glacial border in Pennsylvania. The southeastern border of the province is a broad, linear lowland called the Great Valley, but most of the province consists o
Encyclopedia ID: p1521
