Without exception, all the continents on our planet, including South America, are unique in their geological structure. The relief of this area is divided into two parts: mountainous and flat, with large lowlands. Thanks to this structure of the earth's crust, this continent has become the greenest on the planet and the wettest, but in parallel with the tropical forests, there are the most arid desert valleys and very high snowy peaks. Well, let's take a closer look at what the relief of South America is and how it is related to the climate of this area.
Geology and its foundations
It is known that the basis of all terrestrial landscapes are lithospheric plates. In some places they diverge, due to which they form depressions. In others, they overlap, forming mountains and hills. South America is not without such a phenomenon. The relief of the mainland is usually divided into the Westand East. The first is presented in the form of mountains and arid valleys, the second is continuous plains with lowlands.
The reasons for this difference lie in the history of the formation of the Earth. The eastern part of the continent is located on the oldest flat platform, which is unshakable. The western part is located at the junction of the continental and oceanic plates, which still seem to push against each other. Thanks to this process, the Andes, the longest mountain range in the world, was formed and continues to form. It can be concluded that the relief of South America in the western part is still being formed. The height of the mountains is constantly rising, and volcanic processes and earthquakes do not subside.
East and its plains
This geological region occupies most of the mainland of South America. The relief here, as we have already said, was formed billions of years ago, and now it is firmly held on a single lithospheric plate, which is seismically stable. In general, the east of the continent consists of six parts. Most of the territory is occupied by the Brazilian and Guiana plateaus. They are located on the shields of the South American lithospheric plate. There are three lowlands on the plates: La Plata, Amazonian and Orinoco. The last component of the relief is Patagonia. This is a stepped plateau, the height of which rises to 2000 m. It is located in the southeast of the continent, in the possession of Argentina.
Eastern Plains climate
The landforms of South America in the eastern part are such that there are no mountains or high hills. Because the wind andcyclones from the Atlantic freely penetrate the land, irrigating it with rain, rewarding with fogs and thick clouds.
Above this area is a zone of low pressure, which is “feeded” by the Atlantic trade winds. As a result, the highest amount of precipitation in the world falls here. Thanks to them, the channels of the Amazon, the largest river in the world, are so deep. And they are surrounded by impenetrable tropical jungles inhabited by unique evergreens.
Building the West
This part of the continent is very narrow, and at the same time it seems to be elongated from north to south. It is still being formed, because earthquakes happen here almost every year, and volcanoes erupt every 10-15 years. Here, the relief of the mainland of South America is usually divided into two parts: the Andes mountains and the lowland Atacama desert. The length of the ridge is 9000 kilometers - it is the longest in the world. The highest point is Mount Aconcagua, its height is 6962 meters. This ridge is not only a watershed, but also a barrier to Pacific cyclones. Cold winds from the Antarctic currents that pass here reach only the Atacama Hills, without falling deep into the continent.
Climate data
The Andes occupy the entire western coast of mainland South America. The terrain is divided into three parts: North, Center and South. The first of them is the wettest - there is an atmospheric dynamic minimum. The amount of precipitation per year sometimes reaches 7000 mm, and on average - 4000 mm. The middle part of the Andes is the mostwide (up to 500 km), and the pressure here is gradually increasing. The amount of precipitation per year is up to 1500 mm, sometimes there are droughts up to 500 mm. Temperature differences are sharper both at the foothills and in the zone of high zonation. This is due to the fact that nearby is the Atacama - the driest desert in the world. In some parts of it, there were no rains and fogs for 400 years. The southern Andes are the driest. The temperature drops here are maximum, and sometimes reach 40 degrees. Rainfall - 250 mm.
South American Landscapes
The geological structure of any continent as a whole determines its flora and fauna, creates the landscape of the area. The landscapes that we can meet in South America are incredibly diverse, and at the same time, every corner of this continent remains unique, because nowhere else can such beauties be found.
So, the eastern shores, which are washed by the Atlantic, are gently sloping beaches. Gradually they turn into small hills (a typical example is Rio de Janeiro). At other points on the continent, the terrain is completely flat (Buenos Aires). In the center of the mainland, the level drops, which contributes to the formation of wooded areas and numerous rivers. These are the famous South American jungles and the Amazon. The West appears in the form of tall mountains covered with perennial snows and glaciers. Closer to the shores of the Pacific Ocean, they turn into hills, where the earth literally cracked from years of drought. There are often canyons of rocks of a reddish hue, which only in spring are covered with herbs and flowers, and in summer they turn intointo the windy desert.
Results
We briefly reviewed what it is, the relief of South America. Grade 7 is the period when children study in detail the structure of the various continents of our planet. In order for them to assimilate the material, it is best to provide illustrations of each separate section of the continent, so that the brain can associate general information with visual images.
