Transcript THE EMPTY INTERIOR

THE EMPTY INTERIOR
(CHAPTER 13)
INTRODUCTION
• The largest area of sparse population in sub arctic
•
•
•
•
•
North America
Sparse population is the key identifiable feature of
the region.
Population is mostly of Northern European stock,
with Hispanic Americans and American Indians
being dominant in some areas.
Economic activities are not evenly distributed.
Key activities include irrigated agriculture, ranching,
lumbering, mining, and tourism.
The region is outlined on the map on page 291.
EMPTY
INTERIOR
BRYCE CANYON
GARDEN OF THE GODS
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
• Mountains
– Have much greater variation in local relief
compared to eastern mountains
– Much higher and more rugged.
– Dominate the physical landscape,
– Impact greatly on regional climate
– Impede transportation.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
• Plateau Country
– Occupies most of the region
– Varies in relief, but most of the area is
underlain by gently dipping sedimentary
rocks
– Major landscape features within are created
by “exotic streams.”
• Colorado and Snake Rivers
CANYON LANDS
NORTH
AMERICA
PHYSIOGRAPHY
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
• Lake Bonneville
– Previously the largest of lakes in the plateau area
– Resulted from the melting of alpine glaciers during the
latter part of the Ice Age
– Originally covered more than 9,500 mi2, mainly in
northern Utah
– Diminished in size because stream flow depends on
annual precipitation
– Remnant is Great Salt Lake, which is about 1,900 mi2
and has a salt content much higher than the oceans
LAKE BONNEVILLE
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
• Climate
– The region includes much of the area within
North America that is classified as desert.
– Precipitation generally relates to
topography, with the greatest amounts
occurring at higher elevations.
– The region is strongly dependent upon
surface water that flows down and outward
from the mountains.
HUMAN IMPRINT
• Public Land Ownership
– Map on pg 296 reveals that much of the land in the
region still remains under government control
– 90% of Nevada remains in government hands.
Why?
• (1) The lands were the last to be settled.
• (2) The area is largely unsuitable for agriculture.
• (3) An effective conservation program was initiated
by President Roosevelt in the early 1900s which
encompassed much of the region.
HUMAN IMPRINT
 Public Land Ownership
─National Parks
 A substantial number of National Parks are found
in the Empty Interior.
 They include vast acreage of unique landscapes.
─Forest Lands
 Not known for their productivity, but serve as
areas where the multiple-use concept is applied
 Host activities include grazing and recreation as
well as forestry.
NATIONAL PARKS
HUMAN IMPRINT
 Public Land Ownership
─Indian Lands
 Reservations are generally the poorest quality lands
 Changing due to the presence of minerals (coal and
uranium)
 Sizable acreage is situated in Arizona and New Mexico.
─Public Concerns
 Historically - no property tax on government lands.
 Undeveloped areas are widespread.
 Grasslands have suffered misuse - overgrazing.
 Widespread belief that the region is unable to plan and
control its own destiny.
HUMAN IMPRINT
• Mormon Influence
─After moving from New York, church founder
Joseph Smith was killed in Illinois in 1844,
prompting a continuation of westward migration.
─Initial settlement was in the Wasatch Valley of
Northern Utah
─The population has increased dramatically through
natural processes.
─The Mormons were innovative agriculturalists who
adapted well to the environment and were pioneers
with irrigation and dry farming.
SALT LAKE CITY
MORMON INFLUENCE
HUMAN IMPRINT
• Agriculture
– Much of the southern half of the region must rely
on the Colorado, Gila, and Salt Rivers for
irrigation.
– In the north, the Snake and Columbia Rivers
drain major agricultural areas.
 Producing regions and products
 Columbia River Valley
 alfalfa, sugar beets, and potatoes
 apples are key in Washington
HUMAN IMPRINT
 Producing regions and products (cont)
─Snake River Valley
 potatoes and sugar beets, especially in the Plains
region of Idaho
─Colorado River Valley
 alfalfa, sugar beets, and potatoes
 peaches important in Colorado
─Imperial Valley
 boasts 300 frost-free days
 vegetables, lettuce, grapes, cotton, and alfalfa
 Double cropping is possible with some crops.
HUMAN IMPRINT
 Producing regions and products (cont)
─Coachella Valley (north of the Salton Sea)
 a major producer of grapes, grapefruits, and dates
─Yuma Valley (along the lower Colorado)
 a major producer of cotton, sugar beets, and oranges
─Salt River Valley
 lettuce (winter type), with oranges and cotton also being
significant
HUMAN IMPRINT
• Transportation Routes
– Take on an East-West orientation
– Appear to pass through rather than serve the region
– Larger towns developed from early rail service
centers.
• Tourism
– Appears to be a mixed blessing
– Generates income but also has an impact on the
quality of the natural environment
– Somewhat seasonal (except for Las Vegas) and is
focused on the National Parks and ski resorts
HUMAN IMPRINT
• Mining
– Gold was initially important.
– Copper is found in Arizona, Utah, and Montana.
• It provides significant employment since it is low
grade and requires smelting.
– Lead and zinc are second and third in order of
importance and are concentrated in British
Columbia.
– The distribution of oil shale is shown on page 309.
KEY TERMS
• Wilderness Act of 1964
– Initially designed to secure lands for
protection and preservation and to administer
these lands for use and enjoyment as
wilderness
– Implies that humans must honor a "hands-off"
approach to managing such areas
– A significant amount of acreage within the
Empty Interior falls into this category.
KEY TERMS
• Transhumance
– Refers to the seasonal movement of people and
their livestock, in search of pastures
– Winters are spent in snow-free lowlands.
– Summers are spent in the cooler uplands.
– Within North America, the practice is found only in
the Empty Interior.
– Movement may be either vertical between lower
and higher elevations, or horizontal, where
precipitation patterns determine the availability and
quality of pasture.
KEY TERMS
• Oil Shale
– A potential resource existing in vast deposits in
the Green River Formation of Utah, Wyoming,
and Colorado
– A fine textured sedimentary rock from which
kerogen (a waxy hydrocarbon) or shale oil can
be extracted
– When crushed and heated, kerogen can be
liquefied and refined.
NORTH
AMERICA
FOSSIL FUELS
NORTH
AMERICA
FOSSIL FUELS
THE EMPTY INTERIOR
(CHAPTER 13)