Difference between revisions of "3221: Landscape Features"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Jump to: navigation, search
(added missoula flood section)
m ({{w|Juan de Fuca plate}})
(9 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 14: Line 14:
 
This comic is a map of the United States, explaining some of the most significant geologic/human activity in each region. It claims that, in each area, there is one major mechanism (plate tectonics, erosion, volcanism, etc.) which is responsible for the majority of interesting formations and features.
 
This comic is a map of the United States, explaining some of the most significant geologic/human activity in each region. It claims that, in each area, there is one major mechanism (plate tectonics, erosion, volcanism, etc.) which is responsible for the majority of interesting formations and features.
  
−
The title text plays off the fact that a large part of geology concerned with activity in the mantle, so explaining that there is speculation that something is "due to a mantle hotspot" is not giving much information. Saying this would let a distracted geologist buy for time while responding to a missed question. The area of the map in upstate New York marked with question marks is the {{w|Adirondack Mountains}}, which are theorized to have been caused by uplift from such a mantle hotspot.
+
The title text plays off the fact that a large part of geology concerned with activity in the mantle, so explaining some geologic feature by saying "there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot" does not give much information. Saying this would let a distracted geologist buy time while responding to a missed question. Many of Earth's seemingly out-of-place features (e.g., {{w|Hawaii hotspot}}, {{w|Iceland}}, the {{w|Snake River Plain}} in Idaho, etc.) form from such mantle hotspots. Thus, it's an easy go-to explanation for many of the geological features people are often most curious about.
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
Line 27: Line 27:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Most of northern conterminous U.S.
 
| Most of northern conterminous U.S.
−
| Glaciers
+
| glaciers
 
| During the {{w|Last Glacial Period}}, this area was covered by {{w|Laurentide Ice Sheet|an ice sheet}} that left its marks on the landscape, in the form of {{w|moraines}}, {{w|eskers}}, {{w|glacial erratics}}, etc.
 
| During the {{w|Last Glacial Period}}, this area was covered by {{w|Laurentide Ice Sheet|an ice sheet}} that left its marks on the landscape, in the form of {{w|moraines}}, {{w|eskers}}, {{w|glacial erratics}}, etc.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Appalachian Mountains
 
| Appalachian Mountains
−
| Continents colliding
+
| continents colliding
 
|  
 
|  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Near Mississippi & Ohio Rivers
 
| Near Mississippi & Ohio Rivers
−
| Rivers
+
| rivers
 
|  
 
|  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Southeastern U.S.
 
| Southeastern U.S.
−
| Farming
+
| farming
 
|  
 
|  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Southern Florida
 
| Southern Florida
−
| Ongoing disputes between limestone and water
+
| ongoing disputes between limestone and water
 
|  
 
|  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas
 
| Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas
−
| Geology
+
| geology
−
|  
+
| {{w|Ozark Mountains}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Central column of U.S.
 
| Central column of U.S.
−
| Farming
+
| farming
 
|  
 
|  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Central Idaho/Yellowstone
 
| Central Idaho/Yellowstone
−
| A supervolcano
+
| a supervolcano
−
|  
+
| The {{w|Snake River Plain}} is an area of high-elevation flat plain in the otherwise contigious Rocky Mountains. It was formed by the movement of the contenential plate over the {{w|Yellowstone Hotspot}}.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Eastern Washington
 
| Eastern Washington
−
| A megaflood
+
| a megaflood
−
| Most likely a reference to the {w|Missoula floods}, a series of floods caused by glacial ice dam failures causing massive lakes to flood large regions of present-day Eastern Washington.
+
| Most likely a reference to the {{w|Missoula floods}} and the {{w|Bonneville flood}}, a series of floods caused by glacial ice dam failures causing massive lakes to flood large regions of present-day Eastern Washington.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| West Coast
 
| West Coast
−
| A plate tectonic speedrun
+
| a plate tectonic speedrun
−
|  
+
| Most likely a reference to the significant tectonic activity on the western coast of the US, caused by the collisions of the {{w|Juan de Fuca plate}}, {{w|Pacific plate}}, and the {{w|North American plate}}.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Desert Southwest
 
| Desert Southwest
−
| Water and time
+
| water and time
 
|  
 
|  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Northern Alaska
 
| Northern Alaska
−
| Geology
+
| geology
 
|  
 
|  
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Aleutian Islands
 
| Aleutian Islands
−
| Volcanoes
+
| volcanoes
−
|  
+
| The Aleutian Islands are a continuation of the Alaskan {{w|Aleutian Range}}, and form part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}. Most of the islands in the chain bear signs of being formed by volcanos, and many volcanic cones still exist on the islands today.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Southeast Alaska
 
| Southeast Alaska
−
| Glaciers
+
| glaciers
 
| This part of Alaska (including {{w|Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park}}) and western Canada has many glaciers that are still carving the landscape.
 
| This part of Alaska (including {{w|Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park}}) and western Canada has many glaciers that are still carving the landscape.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Hawaiian island chain
 
| Hawaiian island chain
−
| Volcanoes
+
| volcanoes
−
|  
+
| Hawaii, including the {{w|Northwest Hawaiian Islands}}, and seamounts northwest of it were formed by a tectonic plate moving over a hotspot, with volcanoes erupting and forming land as it went. The entire chain can be seen [https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0555574,-176.5939317,4904085m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D here].
 
|}
 
|}
  

Revision as of 19:53, 18 March 2026

Landscape Features
'Well, there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot.' --a geologist who's trying to cover up the fact that they didn't hear your question
Title text: 'Well, there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot.' --a geologist who's trying to cover up the fact that they didn't hear your question

    Explanation

    Ambox warning blue construction.png This is one of 76 incomplete explanations:
    This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

    This comic is a map of the United States, explaining some of the most significant geologic/human activity in each region. It claims that, in each area, there is one major mechanism (plate tectonics, erosion, volcanism, etc.) which is responsible for the majority of interesting formations and features.

    The title text plays off the fact that a large part of geology concerned with activity in the mantle, so explaining some geologic feature by saying "there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot" does not give much information. Saying this would let a distracted geologist buy time while responding to a missed question. Many of Earth's seemingly out-of-place features (e.g., Hawaii hotspot, Iceland, the Snake River Plain in Idaho, etc.) form from such mantle hotspots. Thus, it's an easy go-to explanation for many of the geological features people are often most curious about.

    Location Description Explanation
    Adirondack Mountains  ??? The Adirondack Mountains are made of billion-year-old rock but were uplifted relatively recently, within the last 5–10 million years. They’re still rising today despite being far from any plate boundary, forming a dome with no clear tectonic cause, thus the "???" due to an ongoing mystery as to their formation.
    Most of northern conterminous U.S. glaciers During the Last Glacial Period, this area was covered by an ice sheet that left its marks on the landscape, in the form of moraines, eskers, glacial erratics, etc.
    Appalachian Mountains continents colliding
    Near Mississippi & Ohio Rivers rivers
    Southeastern U.S. farming
    Southern Florida ongoing disputes between limestone and water
    Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas geology Ozark Mountains
    Central column of U.S. farming
    Central Idaho/Yellowstone a supervolcano The Snake River Plain is an area of high-elevation flat plain in the otherwise contigious Rocky Mountains. It was formed by the movement of the contenential plate over the Yellowstone Hotspot.
    Eastern Washington a megaflood Most likely a reference to the Missoula floods and the Bonneville flood, a series of floods caused by glacial ice dam failures causing massive lakes to flood large regions of present-day Eastern Washington.
    West Coast a plate tectonic speedrun Most likely a reference to the significant tectonic activity on the western coast of the US, caused by the collisions of the Juan de Fuca plate, Pacific plate, and the North American plate.
    Desert Southwest water and time
    Northern Alaska geology
    Aleutian Islands volcanoes The Aleutian Islands are a continuation of the Alaskan Aleutian Range, and form part of the Ring of Fire. Most of the islands in the chain bear signs of being formed by volcanos, and many volcanic cones still exist on the islands today.
    Southeast Alaska glaciers This part of Alaska (including Glacier National Park) and western Canada has many glaciers that are still carving the landscape.
    Hawaiian island chain volcanoes Hawaii, including the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, and seamounts northwest of it were formed by a tectonic plate moving over a hotspot, with volcanoes erupting and forming land as it went. The entire chain can be seen here.

    Transcript

    Ambox warning green construction.png This is one of 46 incomplete transcripts:
    Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

    comment.png  Add comment      new topic.png  Create topic (use sparingly)     refresh discuss.png  Refresh 

    Discussion

    F1rst P0st!!! R128 (talk) 17:27, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

    The ???? in New York is probably the Adirondack Mountains:

    About 10 million years ago, the region began to be uplifted. It has been lifted about 7,000 feet (2,000 m) and is continuing at about 0.08 inches (2 mm) per year, which is greater than the rate of denudation. The cause of the uplift is unknown, but geologists theorize that it is caused by a hot spot in the Earth's crust.[18] A recent study has revealed a column of seismically slow materials about 30 to 50 miles (50 to 80 km) deep beneath the Adirondack Mountains,[20] which was interpreted to be the upwelling asthenosphere contributing to the uplift of the mountains.

    Zzzt (talk) 17:58, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

    Geology being the cause of geological events is a tautology.--Henke37 (talk) 18:26, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

    It's only a tautology where the plates are separating. It's a "compressology" where they're colliding, etc. ;) 81.179.199.253 21:36, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

    conterguous* 137.25.230.78 20:34, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

    I wonder if we should have a category for Isogloss. (Whether isoseme or some other variation.) I added in the two others 'of this basic illustrative nature' that I remembered off the top of my head, but I think there might be more. 81.179.199.253 21:33, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

    Sections to explain

    I'm not a geologist, so I don't know how to answer these questions, but I will leave this template here to eventually be copied into the article:

    Location Description Explanation
    Adirondack Mountains  ???
    Most of northern U.S. border Glaciers
    Appalachian Mountains Continents colliding
    Mississippi river basin Rivers
    SE U.S. Farming
    Southern Florida Ongoing disputes between limestone and water
    Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas ...geology
    Central column of U.S. Farming
    Central Idaho/Yellowstone A supervolcano
    Eastern Washington A megaflood
    West Coast ...a plate tectonic speedrun.
    SW Water and time
    Northern Alaska ...geology
    Aleutians Volcanoes
    Hawaiian island chain Volcanoes

    Fephisto (talk) 18:59, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

    ...uh, why don't I just copy it into the article blank for now, actually?Fephisto (talk) 19:00, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

    This page should be in Category: Comics with color 50.47.110.240 21:05, 18 March 2026 (UTC)

    New here, and don't know the formatting, but the table is currently missing the Cascade and Sierra Nevada "Vocanoes" region, though it's pretty self-explanatory.

    Also missing the “…geology” section surrounding the supervolcano.
          comment.png  Add comment
    Retrieved from "https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3221:_Landscape_Features&oldid=408403"