Transcript Geography of Texas Chapter 2, Continued

Geography
of Texas
Geogr aphy of Texas
Fault Line
*Plain a wide flat ar ea sometimes in high
elevation sometimes r olling. gr eat for gr owing
cr ops*
Balcones Escar pment
Plateau
Gr eat Plains
(flat land)
nt
me
p
r
Hil l Countr y
ca
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s
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l co
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Gulf Coast
Plain
(flat Land)
highlight*
Hill Countr y
and Plains Regions
Pa d r e is l a n d
Bar r ier Reef
Chapter 2,
Continued
Water Resources
• We know that resources are natural materials that can
be used by people.
• Texas, like other areas, faces challenges such as little
rainfall, drought, and the need to meet water needs for
its growing population.
• Texas’ water resources
– Gulf of Mexico
– Rivers—Sabine, Neches, Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe,
Nueces, Red, and Rio Grande
– Thousands of streams
– Lakes and Reservoirs
– Aquifers
Texas Rivers
• Rivers are one of the
most important types
of water resources in
Texas. There are over
11,200 streams in Texas
that stretch over
80,000 miles!
Lakes and Reservoirs
• There are about 200
major lakes in Texas.
• All but one were
formed as a result of
human changes to
the landscape
• Reservoirs—humanmade lakes were
created by building
dams in the rivers.
Aquifers
• Aquifers—a layer of rock or gravel that absorbs
rainfall and keeps it flowing underground
• Aquifers are an important water resource in Texas,
but they have been negatively impacted by
human use as they are often pumped out to
supply water to cities.
Aquifers
• Ogalla Aquifer—
The largest in the
state and stretches
from West Texas
and New Mexico to
South Dakota
• Edwards Aquifer—
Stretches through
seven Texas Counties
and serves Central
Texas including Comal
County and SVMS
Texas Climate
• Texas’ climate is diverse and can change
quickly
• Climate is affected by several factors
– Location
– Wind Patterns
– Closeness to the Gulf of Mexico
– Rainfall
Location and Climate
• The relative location of Texas has
significant effects on its climate.
• The Gulf of Mexico has a major
impact on the climate with it’s
gulf breezes that cool the lands in
the summer and warm in the
winter.
• Absolute location is a contributing
factor to weather also.
• Texas likes in mid-latitudes, or
about midway between the
Equator and the North Pole. Since
Texas isn’t very far north of the
Equator, we have mild winters.
Elevation and Climate
• Elevation also affects climate.
• In general, for each 1,000 feet rise in elevation, the
temperature cools by 3 degrees. As elevation decreases,
temperature increases.
• Because El Paso is about 3,700 feet, it makes the
temperatures cooler than in other areas that are the same
latitude.
• Elevation also affects rainfall.
• Warm air holds more moisture than cool air.
• The Davis Mountains of West Texas can receive more rainfall
than the neighboring Chihuahuan Desert 24 miles away
because the air cools as it rises, holding less moisture.
Texas’ Climate
Region
Characteristics
Cause/Reason
All Regions
Hot Summers
Lots of Sunshine
Closeness of
TX to Equator
All Regions
Rainfall Increase Warm, moist
West to East
Gulf air in East
TX
Rio Grande
Valley;
North
Central TX
Hotter
Temperatures
Warm, dry
winds from
the West
Texas’ Climate - Continued
Region
Characteristics
Cause/Reason
Gulf Coast
Cooler Summers,
Warmer Winters,
Higher Humidity
Sea Breezes off
the Gulf of
Mexico (TX Air
Conditioner)
Panhandle
Colder in Winter,
Has Northers
Icy Cold Winds
sweep down
from Canada
West Texas
Cooler at higher
At higher
elevation year round elevations air is
thinner and
absorbs less heat
Extreme Weather
• Texas also gets its share of extreme weather
Extreme Weather
Type
Where It Occurs
Effects on Life and
TX’s Economy
Droughts
Mainly West Texas
Hurts crops, plants,
wildlife and places
heavy demands and
limits on aquifer use
Floods
Along rivers,
especially in the
Hill Country
Hurts people, crops,
plants, wildlife and
damages homes,
businesses and
industries
Tornadoes
Mainly NorthCentral Texas
(Panhandle—
Tornado Alley)
Hurts people, crops,
plants, wildlife and
damages homes,
businesses and
industries
Extreme Weather
Type
Where It Occurs
Effects on Life
and TX’s
Economy
Hurricanes
Along the Gulf
Coast
Hurts people,
crops, plants,
wildlife and
damages homes,
businesses and
industries
Blizzards
Panhandle and
North Texas
Hurts people,
crops, plants,
wildlife and
damages homes,
businesses and
industries
Label on your map (triangles)
• Find and label these
rivers and
waterways:
– Sabine
– Red
– Rio Grande
– Brazos
– Gulf of Mexico
Label on your map
• Find and label
these aquifers:
– Ogalla Aquifer
– Edwards Aquifer
Label on your map
• Find and label
these plains:
– Great Plains
– Gulf Coast Plains
Label on your map
• Find and label these
areas:
– Hill Country
– Balcones Escarpment
– Guadalupe Peak
Label on your map (dots)
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El Paso
Dallas
Fort Worth
Houston
San Antonio
Austin
Amarillo
Galveston