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.
What is the Canadian Shield best known for?
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 unique about the Canadian Shield?
The Canadian Shield’s most notable physical features are thousands of small lakes, thin layers of soil and rolling hills . Lakes are largely the result of glacial erosion during the last ice age.
What does the Canadian Shield do?
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 are 3 fun facts about the Canadian Shield?
- A total of four different mountain ranges rise from the Canadian Shield.
- The Precambrian rocks of this shield are estimated to be around 570 million years old.
- The Canadian Shield is also known as the Precambrian Shield and the Laurentian Plateau.
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.
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.
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 the Canadian Shield good for farming?
As a matter of fact there isn’t a lot of depth to the soil. ... 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 !
What type of rocks are found in Canadian Shield?
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.
Which mountains are very old in Canada?
Fun Fact: The Laurentian Mountains consist of Precambrian rocks over 540 million years old, making its soft peaks among the oldest in the world.
What kind of animals live 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 Canadian Shield kids?
The Canadian Shield is a broad region of Precambrian rock (pictured in shades of red) that encircles Hudson Bay. It spans eastern, northeastern, and east-central Canada and the upper midwestern United States. ... It is a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks (geological shield).
Where does the Canadian Shield start?
Canadian Shield, one of the world’s largest geologic continental shields, centred on Hudson Bay and extending for 8 million square km (3 million square miles) over eastern, central, and northwestern Canada from the Great Lakes to the Canadian Arctic and into Greenland, with small extensions into northern Minnesota, ...
What are some landmarks in the Canadian Shield?
- CN Tower, Toronto. Pierre Ogeron / Getty Images. ...
- Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City. ...
- Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. ...
- The Canadian Rockies, British Columbia and Alberta. ...
- Banff National Park, Alberta. ...
- Parliament Hill, Ontario. ...
- Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick. ...
- Niagara Falls, Ontario.
