Texas Landforms & Regions

1. Texas Landforms & Regions

2. Texas, Where are You? • Texas is located in the southern region of the United States • What borders Texas to the south? • What states border Texas on all sides? • The Gulf of Mexico is the largest body of water that borders the state

3. Landforms of Texas • Texas is over 260,000 sq. miles that includes canyons, islands, valleys, and even extinct volcanoes • The four major landforms of Texas are hills, mountains, plains, and plateaus

4. Plains • Areas of flat or gently rolling land without sharp rise or fall in elevation

5. Plateaus • Areas of flat elevated land that drop sharply on one or more sides

6. Landforms of Texas • The plains cover much of the Gulf Coast, the Panhandle, North Texas, South Texas, and West Texas • Forrest covers most of East Texas • West Texas has gently rolling prairies • Central Texas has rugged hills

7. Landforms of Texas • The highest point in Texas is Guadalupe Peak which is apart of the Guadalupe Mountain range • A Range is a group of mountains

8. The Texas River System • Texas has several water features including lakes, rivers, and streams • The largest body of water in Texas is the Gulf of Mexico • The Gulf of Mexico is an important resource for fishing, shrimping, and recreation • All rivers and streams in Texas eventually flows into the gulf. Texas has more than a dozen major rivers and some 11,000 streams

9. Texas River System can be divided into several groups • Northern rivers and streams • Flow into the Mississippi River • i.e. Red River, and Canadian River

10. Groups of Rivers (continued) • 2nd group • Flow parallel directly into the Gulf of Mexico • i.e. Brazos, Colorado, Neches, Nueces, Sabine, and Trinity

11. Groups of Rivers (continued) • The 3rd group • Rio Grande and its tributaries • Tributary • Small stream or river that flows into a larger stream or river • i.e. the Pecos River flowing into the Rio Grande

12. Interesting Facts about Texas Rivers • Longest river: Rio Grande (1,896 mi) • Shortest river: The Comal (less than 3 mi)

13. Texas Lakes and Aquifers • Only a few natural lakes in Texas • Caddo Lake is the largest natural lake in Texas • Most lakes in Texas are reservoirs

14. Reservoirs • Artificial lakes that store water often used as drinking for towns and cities • An example is Sam Rayburn Reservoir of Texas(which is pictured)

15. Reservoirs (other uses) • Recreation • Flood Control • Irrigation

16. Irrigation • Technique used to water crops

18. Aquifers in Texas • Water can also be found in aquifers • Aquifers • Formations of natural gravel, rock, and sand that trap and hold rainwater underground • Refilling or recharging aquifers with water is a slow process

20. Facts about Texas Aquifers • Largest aquifer: Ogallala Aquifer (which stretches from West Texas, New Mexico, North, and South Dakota • 95% of the water is used for irrigation • Edwards Aquifer provides water for San Antonio, Austin, and the rest of Central Texas

21. Check for Understanding • How have Texans used the states’ reservoirs and aquifers?

22. Check for Understanding • Answer: Reservoirs- control flooding, water for drinking, recreation; Aquifers- irrigation and drinking water

23. A Quick Lesson: Climate

24. The Texas Climate: Why is it so Hot? • As we all know, Texas weather can change very quickly and dramatically • But did you know? A state’s climate particularly the temperature is affected by its location • Since Texas is closer to the equator Texas receives more direct rays from the sun • That is the reason Texans experience hot summers and long periods of sunshine

25. The Texas Climate: Why is it so Hot? • The temperature of water rises and falls more slowly than that of land • The land that is near the Gulf of Mexico is cooler than areas that are more inland because of the sea breeze • In the winter, costal lands are warmer than inland areas • Gulf areas experience higher amounts of humidity

26. The Texas Climate: Why is it so Hot? • Humidity • Amount of moisture in the air, • Causes the temperature to feel hotter than what it is actually

27. Weather in the Panhandle • During the winter the Panhandle, & mountains near by, often have cooler temperatures • Why do you think that is?? • Northern winds and its higher elevation • Which produces cold fronts, freezing winds, snow, and ice

28. West Texas and Elevation • Areas with higher elevations have cooler temperatures • Air is less dense and does not absorb heat well • Mountains and higher elevations of West Texas generally have a cooler climate than other parts of the state.

29. Rainfall in Texas • An area’s climate is also determined by precipitation (moisture falling as rain, snow, sleet, hail, or mist) • The amount of precipitation decreases as you travel from east to west of Texas • The main reason for this occurrence is the Gulf of Mexico. When the warmer air of the gulf passes over land, the cooler air meet causing rainfall

30. Rainfall in Texas (continued) • When rainfall is much less than the average it is considered a drought • Long periods without much rain can cause damage to crops. • Most serious droughts occurred during the 1890s, 1930s, 1950s, 1980s, and 90s • Another rain related occurrence in Texas that can cause damage to property is flooding

31. Check for Understanding • How can changes in rainfall affect the economy of Texas? • Answer: Too little rain could cause crops to die so there will be less to sell at market. So the prices charged will be much higher.

32. Vegetation and Wildlife of Texas • West Texas has short brush, cacti, and Ponderosa Pines • Central and Eastern Texas has rich native grasslands • Plains of South Texas is covered by shrubs and small trees • The Panhandle has wild grasses and few trees

33. Lady Bird Johnson • Was the wife of former President Lyndon B. Johnson • Helped to establish the National Wildflower Research Center in Austin • The center helps in the study of soil erosion • Erosion is the loss of soil

34. Wildlife of Texas • The vegetation of Texas provides a habitat for a variety of wild animals • A habitat is environmental home • As the state’s environment has changed many animals’ habitat has been destroyed causing extinction • Extinct • Die out completely or disappear

35. Texans and Geography • Texas is mostly populated by people who have moved from other places • Texans have diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and races who have brought their unique cultural traditions • The movement of people from one country to another is called immigration

36. Natural Resource of Texas • Texas has a wealth of natural resources that have contributed to the state’s growth • Many make their living from agriculture (growing crops and raising livestock)

37. Natural Resources Some of the most valuable natural resources are energy resources i.e. coal, natural gas, and oil. Important because they fuel cars, heat homes, power industry. Oil industry provides many Texans with jobs

38. Nonrenewable Resources • Can not be replaced by Earth’s natural processes • There is a limited supply of these resources (i.e.: coal, natural gas, and oil)

39. Renewable Resources • Easily replaced by Earth’s natural processes (i.e: sunshine, wind, trees)