Unit 2 Notes

Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics – Lesson 1

Continental Drift
• In the early 1900’s Alfred Wegener, a German geographer, noticed interesting patterns on the
Earth's surface:
1. Continents fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle
2. Mountains separated by oceans were made up of the same rock layers of the same age
in the exact same order
3. Fossils of dinosaurs were found on continents now separated by oceans
4. Glacial scarring was found in places that now have tropical (very hot) climates.

Many scientists did not believe Wegener because he could not explain how they moved

Plate Tectonics
• In the 1960’s a Canadian scientist named J. Tuzo Wilson proved that Wegener had been right.
▫ Earth is like a cracked hard boiled egg.
▫ The cracked plates move over liquid rock (magma)

Convection Currents

Some Geology Terms

• Continents: are pieces of land on the Earth’s surface
• Pangaea: means “all lands” was the name given to the continents when they were connected
together

Shaping of the Earth

• Building Actions
▫ Folding: where plates force layers of rock upward to create mountains.
▫ Subduction: the process where one plate moves under another plate which can cause
volcanoes, earthquakes, and deep ocean trenches
▫ Faulting: where two plates rub together, sometimes forcing one over the other, creating
new landforms
• Wearing Down (Erosion) Actions
▫ Wind, Water, Chemical reactions, Glaciers, and Temperature changes

Geologic Eras – Lesson 2

 Geologic Time
In the space below complete a time line of your life. Start at the year you were born and continue along the line
until the present moment. Next, fill in the major events that have happened in your life. What is important in
your life? When you graduated from elementary school or when your baby brother was born? Be prepared to
share with the class.

Birth ______
(year) Present

Major events have also happened in the life of the planet and scientists have divided each chapter of the world’s
life into sections. Follow along the Power Point presentation with Mr. Meyer and complete the organizer below.
For each of the Geologic Eras ensure you record the the major geologic events and what Canada would have
looked like at that time.

Era Major Geological Events What did Canada look like during this time?
Precambrian Mountain building, volcanism, and Only the Canadian Shield existed
(earliest life) erosion during this time period
4600mya –
570mya

Paleozoic Sedimentary rock around the The Appalachian mountains of

(ancient life) shield was formed when sediments Canada formed during this time
570mya –
were moved by rivers and period when the continent collided
245mya deposited in shallow seas to be to create the supercontinent of
later compressed Pangaea
Mesozoic North American and Pacific plates Canada just had the Rocky
(middle life) collided causing high amounts of Mountains and the Innuitian
245mya –
magma to rise within a few mountains form
66mya kilometers of the surface of the
North American plates.
Cenozoic During this period the interior Canada looks the way we know it
(recent life) plains land rose causing the seas in today
66mya -
the interior plains to recede.
Present Glaciers scraped and gouged the
land they covered rounding the
mountains and dumping sand, silt,
clay, gravel in the lowlands

Rock Cycle – Lesson 3

Importance of the Rock Cycle
• Different types of rocks give us different mineral resources
• Geologists know how to identify one rock type from another
• They know the type of rock and the structures within each rock type
• With this knowledge they can advise mining companies where to search for specific minerals
The Rock Cycle
The three main types of rocks and the major processes that create them
Landform Regions of Canada – Lesson 4

Landform Description How was the General Rocks Economic

Region of the Region Formed? Location and and Importance
Region Provinces Minerals
Canadian Contains Formed by volcanic Quebec, Ontario Igneous Lots of
Shield many swamps eruptions (volcanism) N.W.T. and rock mining,
and rivers Nunavut Gold, farming and
silver, camping
nickel
Interior Rolling hills Was covered by a Winnipeg, Sedimentar Mining and
Plains and wide river shallow sea. Sediment Manitoba, y rock farming
valleys was compressed Saskatchewan Potash –
Escarpments creating sedimentary Some of the potassium
(high cliffs) rock Northwest sulphate
Territories
Great Lakes- Low elevation The Canadian Shield Along the Great Sedimentar Lots of
St. Lawrence with some eroded away creating Lakes and St. y rock industry, auto
small rolling sediments that were Lawrence manufacturin
Lowlands
hills deposited in the away. (Ontario and Limestone g plants
The heavy sediment Quebec) and Ski resorts
created sedimentary sandstone and the Bruce
rock. The land also has Trails
many features created
by glaciers (moraine,
till, etc.)
Arctic – Lots of bare Glaciers put lots of Nunavut, Sedimentar Mining
Hudson Bay rock and little pressure on the area Northwest y rock
vegetation flattening the land. Territories Oil and
Lowlands
natural gas
Appalachian Has a mix of The Atlantic and North Eastern Canada Sedimentar Lots of potato
Mountains mountains American plates hit (New Brunswick, y rock farming
and the part each other creating N.F.L., Quebec,
of the mountains (fold etc.
Canadian mountains)
Shield
Innuitian Jagged peaks Mountains formed Nunavut Sedimentar Mining
Mountains when plate hits the y rock
northern plate Oil and gas
Western Has coastal Plate movement folded British Columbia, Coal Skiing
Cordillera mountains, the land Yukon, Alberta Forestry Tourism
and interior Lava flowed between and the Tourism Mining (Coal)
plateau and the costal and rocky Northwest
the rocky mountains creating the Territories
mountains interior plateau
Glaciers – Lesson 5

There are 2 types of Glaciers

1. Continental Glacier: like that on Greenland and Antarctica
2. Alpine Glacier: like that on top of the Rocky Mountains

Glaciers are solid snow and ice but, the weight of the snow and ice creates strong enough pressure that makes
the solid move like a liquid

Glaciers are important because they wear down the earth creating new features on/in the landscape. They can
be used for recreation and some countries even depend on them for fresh water!
Soil and Vegetation – Lesson 6
Canada’s Soil and Vegetation

What is in soil?
 Minerals: come from broken down rock
 Bacteria and Organic Materials: found in dead material
 Humus: decaying organic material – good for holding nutrients and moisture
 Air: helps plants breath and humus decay
 Moisture: Needed for plants, to weather rock, and decay organic material

Leaching: occurs in wet Calcification: occurs in dry

climates. climates.

Water moves nutrients so Water in soil is evaporated

far down the soil profile, causing water further below
plants can’t reach them. to move upward due to
capillary action.

Vegetation
 Natural Vegetation: plants which grow without any human interference
 Moisture and heat both directly affect vegetation
o i.e. warm moist climate = large trees
o i.e. warm dry climate = grasses
 Canada has 7 different vegetation regions
 Each region has one of three types of vegetation:
o Grassland
o Tundra
o Forest (deciduous and/or coniferous trees)

 Transition Zones: An area

where the characteristics
of one region gradually change to another