The Canadian Shield constitutes the largest mass of exposed Precambrian rock on the face of Earth . The region, as a whole, is composed of ancient crystalline rocks whose complex structure attests to a long history of uplift and depression, mountain building (orogeny), and erosion.
Why is it called the Great Canadian Shield?
The Canadian shield gets its name from its shape, which resembles an ancient shield, raised and ready to defend North America . The Canadian shield’s bare surface makes it much more useful for mining, logging, hydroelectric power generation, and similar operations that do not require deep earth.
What makes the Canadian Shield unique?
The Canadian Shield is one of the world’s richest areas in terms of mineral ores. It is filled with substantial deposits of nickel, gold, silver, and copper . Throughout the Shield there are many mining towns extracting these minerals. The largest, and one of the best known, is Sudbury, Ontario.
What is the Canadian Shield in simple words?
The Canadian Shield refers to the exposed portion of the continental crust underlying the majority of North America . The crust, also known as the North American Craton, extends from northern Mexico to Greenland and consists of hard rocks at least 1 billion years old.
What does the Canadian Shield consist of?
The Canadian Shield is the ancient core of the North American Continent. It is composed mainly of highly metamorphosed granite, with smaller areas of metamorphosed sedimentary and igneous rocks and some areas of relatively horizontal but still quite ancient sedimentary rocks.
What are some fun things to do in the Canadian Shield?
Canadian Shield Adventures: Outdoor Kayaking, Biking, Hiking and Wildlife Sighting trips exclusively for families.
Can you farm in the Canadian Shield?
This is also an area where you couldn’t survive very well as a farmer. Farmers need more soil, so if you plan to farm, then either move out west to the plains or the cordillera, further south or to the St Lawrence, Great Lakes region. Besides, if you don’t like cold climates, the Canadian Shield is not for you !
Where do most Canadians live?
More than half of Canadians live in just two provinces: Ontario , where one in three Canadians live, and Quebec where almost a quarter of Canadians live. The combined population of Canada’s three territories (Northwest, Yukon and Nunavut) is less than the population of Canada’s smallest province (Prince Edward Island).
Is Niagara Falls in the Canadian Shield?
The Niagara Region is located on a portion of a great plain which runs east to west from the northern Laurentian Highlands (Canadian Shield) approximately 161 kilometres north of Toronto, Ontario to the southern Allegheny Plateau which form the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains.
What animals are in the Canadian Shield?
Characteristic wildlife include moose (Alces alces), caribou (Rangifer tarandus), black bear (Ursus americanus), lynx (Lynx canadensis), snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), wolf (Canis lupus), sharp-tailed grouse (Tympahuchus phasianellus), ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), American black duck (Anas rubripes) and wood ...
What is the most common mineral in Canada?
The four main minerals and metals mined in Canada and used to make these products are cobalt, graphite, lithium and nickel . Quebec is the only province that is currently producing lithium and graphite, and is the largest supplier of cobalt. In 2018, Canada produced 3,500 tonnes of cobalt valued at $332 million.
What is a Canadian Shield lake?
Fishing Canadian Shield Lakes. Fishing Canadian Shield Lakes. By Richard Sims. Imagine pristine, wilderness surrounded, deep, rocky lakes teeming with species like northern pike, walleye, yellow perch and smallmouth bass, and you’re seeing a Canadian Shield lake. These are usually formed by glaciers millions of years ...
How cold is the Canadian Shield?
Typical Canadian Shield: pines, lakes, bogs, and rock. In the southern parts, the climate is seasonal; the average temperature in the winter is -. 4 degrees F (-18 degrees C) , and in the summer it is 77 degrees F (25 degrees C).
What are the main industries in the Canadian Shield?
Natural Resources / Industries in the Canadian Shield Region today: 1) Furs – from fur bearing animals (hunting and trapping is still a large industry). 2) Minerals – this makes a lot of sense because the Shield is solid rock. Canadians extract copper, gold, nickel , zinc and lead from this area.
Is the Canadian Shield granite?
The Shield is made of hard rocks like granite . However, Eastern Georgian Bay is made up mostly of gneiss (pronounced ‘nice’). Gneiss and granite are similar, but gneiss has bands or stripes in it.
