The Rocky Mountain Region - Essay Example

The Rocky Mountain Region is a vast cordillera that occupies the western interior of North America. Specifically, the Rocky Mountains run from New Mexico in a northerly direction to the most northern reaches of British Columbia in Canada. The Rocky Mountain Region is bordered by the Great Plains to the east and the Intermontane Region to the west. The Rocky Mountain Region is defined by striking physical features and an uneasy and ever-changing relationship with human settlement and population. The origins of the Rocky Mountains accounts for the dramatic topography of the region. The Rocky Mountains were once covered by a shallow sea. A prolonged era of uplift resulted in dramatic peaks that had much of their surface materials eroded down slope into the valleys. This is still the typical topography of the region today. Some areas of the Rocky Mountain Region consist of gently rolling hills and broad valleys, but these areas are outside the norm. The constant forces of uplift and erosion have created topography in the region where steep slopes and narrow valleys are typical. Glaciation has created picturesque and dramatic peaks and u-shaped valleys, adding to the spectacular scenic nature of this region. Volcanic activity has also played a part in forming the peaks and valleys we now witness in the Rocky Mountain Region. The Rocky Mountain Region can be further divided into several sub-regions based on the geomorphology of the mountains. These regions include the Southern Rockies, the Middle Rockies, the Northern Rockies, the Columbia Mountains and the Canadian Rockies. Each sub-region is defined by how it was formed and how it is slightly unique from the other sub-regions. For example, Southern Rockies are fond mostly in Colorado. The peaks here reach the greatest altitude of the entire mountain system. The Middle Rockies are found in Utah and feature the only significant range of mountains, the Unitas, that run from east-to west. The Northern Rockies of western Montana run in great linear ranges with broad valleys in between. The Columbia Mountains of Canada follow a similar pattern of topography as the Northern Rockies, but many of the valleys are occupied by long, narrow lakes. Finally, the Canadian Rockies are geologically different than all the other regions. They are mostly uplifted sedimentary rocks that have been glaciated. This geomorphic activity has created many spectacular mountain peaks and valleys. The Canadian Rockies is still home to many mountain top glaciers. These sub-regions help geographers to better understand the Rocky Mountain Region by classifying the differences present within the mountain system while recognizing the overarching themes of the region, namely a dramatic and varied topography and sparse human settlement. Topography plays a key role in the climate of the Rocky Mountain Region. Vertical zonation is a greater factor in how climate affects the vegetation and settlement of the region more than latitude. Other factors such as the direction of the prevailing wind in relation to the windward or lee slope of the mountains also greatly affect climatic determinants such as seasonal precipitation and native vegetation. The region of the Rocky Mountains is basically forest. Coniferous forest predominates but some regions are associated with other types of trees and vegetation. The Wyoming Basin of the Middle Rockies is well known for its sage, resulting in the ubiquitous imagery of the tumbleweed blowing through towns of the American West. The vertical nature of climate in the Rocky Mountain Region results in bands or zones of vegetation that change with altitude. Many of the mountains in this region extend above the tree line, resulting in barren peaks that are snow covered throughout the year. Botanists and evolutionary biologists have done much to differentiate between the flora of these roughly horizontal bands in the Rocky Mountain Region. Of recent interest is the migration upslope of certain plant and animal species as a result of global climate change. While the details of these studies are interesting, the most prevalent climatic reality in the Rocky Mountains is the ever-present reality of vertical zonation of climate. Much of the Rocky Mountain Region is arid. This fact is caused by two geographic realities. The first reality is the prevailing winds for the region come from a westerly direction. Most of the air masses have been forced over the mountains of the Intermontane Region. As a result, much of the moisture has been forced out of the air by the time it has made it to the Rocky Mountains. Add to that the further uplifting of air by the Rocky Mountains themselves, and you have a situation where the lee slopes of the Rocky Mountains are much more arid than the windward slopes. This pattern of precipitation results in vegetation patterns when the valleys are devoid of trees, the slopes where rain falls are forested and then once again barren once the peak crosses the altitudinal threshold of the tree line. The intense sunshine of summer also affects the precipitation of the Rocky Mountain Region. The region has a net loss of precipitation for the summer months due to the high rate of evapotranspiration. (Critchfield) This is reversed in the winter. Even though precipitation is light in the winter, it is almost entirely received in the form of powdery snowfall. This snowfall with remain throughout the winter without melting due to the severe low temperatures of the winter months. This water resource melts in the spring and provides the irrigation many of the dry valleys in the Rocky Mountain Region depend on to sustain the human population and their agricultural endeavors. The extreme topography and challenging climate has made the Rocky Mountain region one of the most sparsely settled regions in the United States and Canada. The history of human settlement in the Rocky Mountain Region is relatively brief. The challenges of climate and topography made the region unattractive to native populations as a site for permanent settlement. European exploration brought trade activities such as the establishment of fur trading outposts and early attempts at extracting the region's vast mineral wealth. The discovery of gold in 1859 led to the establishment of many new towns in the Rocky Mountains. The prospect of instant wealth brought more people to the Rocky Mountain Region in the decade of the 1860's than in all of its previous history (McKnight). Other economic activity brought additional population to the Rocky Mountains, but mining was by far the most important reason for people to permanently settle in the region in the 19th century. Mining as an industry is notorious for its boom-bust cycle. As a commodity, mineral wealth is at the mercy of the international market. A constant cycle of discovery, wealth generation, overproduction and falling prices has affected this industry for many decades. This boom-bust cycle is the cause of one of the iconic human introductions to the Rocky Mountain Region, namely, the ghost town. These abandoned settlements pay tribute to the power commodity prices have over the mining industry and human activity in this region. Some areas have weathered the boom-bust cycle and are still productive today. Most notable are the Couer d'Alene District in Idaho and the Kootenay District in British Columbia. These districts still produce valuable minerals such as gold, lead, zinc and copper. The Couer d'Alene is especially noted for its abundance of silver, making Idaho the leading silver mining state. Mining in the area still is susceptible to boom-bust cycles. This is most noted by the petroleum industry since the 1970's. During the energy crisis of the 1970's, much exploration of oil and gas fields took place, especially in the Wyoming Basin. Coal reserves were also in the beginning stages of development in many areas. The crashing of these markets in the 1980's resulting from a glut of cheap oil from the Middle East and other newer suppliers such as Venezuela and Nigeria brought the exploration and development of these oil and gas fields to a halt. New interest and activity was ignited by the sharp spike in oil prices from 2005-2008. But once again, commodity prices fell steeply as a result of the current global economic crisis. Tows that were once bustling with oil construction revenue now find themselves losing population and mush of the funds that helped fuel recent growth. Other human activities that play a role in the region are forestry, agriculture and stock ranching. These activities are quite limited due to the topographic and climatic constraints of the region. Some valleys, such as the San Luis Valley are centers of irrigated croplands that provide sizable quantities of hay and vegetable crops. Other valleys, such as Canada's Okanagan Valley use existing lakes for irrigation of specialty crops such as soft fruits and orchard crops. In recent years, the most prevalent human activity in the Rocky Mountain Region has become tourism. The Rocky Mountains are attractive to tourists year round. Summer finds tourists flocking to several regions of the Rocky Mountains. In the south, the New Mexico Mountains have long been a resort spot due the much cooler temperatures present in the mountains as compared to the hot, arid valley floors where most of the population is concentrated. Another famous place often visited in the summer is the Yellowstone-Grand Teton area. Yellowstone has the distinction of being the first National Park established in the United States. It is often descries as a motorists park, containing beautiful scenery and horrendous traffic congestion for the summer months. The Grand Tetons, on the other hand is friendlier to hikers and climbers. Both draw tourists from the entire continent and beyond because of the beauty and various outdoor activities available in the region. In Canada, Banff National Park is famous for its remote nature and beautiful scenery. Many of Canada's parks were developed when passenger rail service was completed through the Canadian Rockies. The Rocky Mountains have also become a haven for skiers. The light, powdery snowfall that results from the basically arid climate is preferred by many skiers. Resorts catering to tourists have given rise to the "second home" industry in the Rocky Mountains. Many small tourist locations have grown due to the building of vacation homes. This is typical of human settlement through the history of the Rocky Mountain Region. Even before European settlement, the Native Americans would often visit the region, but found it too inhospitable to settle in the mountains permanently. The future of the Rocky Mountain region is one of uncertainty. As more people come to value the aesthetic beauty of the place and invest in vacation homes, greater demands are being placed on the traditional economic activity of mining to limit environmental degradation. The population still remains sparse but increasing seasonal populations are stressing the natural environment as well. The Rocky Mountain Region still lacks any urban center that is much larger than 100,000 people, so it is a region that has lots of room for human population still. But this potential increase of population may not be healthy for this region of varied topography, stunning scenery and traditionally sparse human population. Works Cited Critchfield, Howard J. General Climatology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1983. McKnight, Tom L. Regional Geography of the United STates and Canada. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1992. Read More