Alabama Landscapes
Landforms and Physiographic Regions
Physiographic Regions
North American can be divided into 8 distinct physiographic regions (Figure L2):
Figure L2. Physiographic Regions of North America (raised relief map: United States Geological Survey)
The classification of physiographic landscapes on a regional scale is based on the similarity and differences between one group of landforms and adjacent groups of landforms.
Physiographic regions are the largest landscape (or first order) divisions recognized on a continent. They are based on rock type and age, geologic structure and history and generally parallel major geologic units. They can be thought of as the landscape divisions that can be seen from space: plains, mountain ranges, etc (Figure L2). At closer examination, each region can be divided into physiographic provinces, each being an area within a region whose pattern of relief features or landforms differs significantly from that of adjacent provinces. On even closer examination a physiographic province can be divided into physiographic sections, each of which is an area within a province based on geographic distribution. Each section can be divided into physiographic districts, each of which is an area in a section based on local landforms