What are upland and lowland?
Q: What are upland and lowland?
A: Upland and lowland are terms used in ecology, physical geography and geology to describe the relative height of land above sea level. Uplands have rivers and streams which are fast-flowing, clear, and with plenty of oxygen while lowlands usually have warmer, slow-flowing waters carrying lots of sediment and with poor oxygen content.
Q: How do upland rivers differ from lowland rivers?
A: Upland rivers run fast and cut through rock while lowland rivers meander slowly towards the coast. They also carry different amounts of soil; upland rivers having less than those in the lowlands which are a dark colour. Therefore the fish and other animals which live in the river are quite different according to the two stages or types of river.
Q: What is an example of an upland river?
A: An example of an upland river is the Colorado River.
Q: What is an example of a lowland river?
A: An example of a lowland river is the Mississippi River.
Q: How does plate tectonics affect land height?
A: Plate tectonics can cause huge sections of Earth to be lifted up above sea level creating highlands, or on trailing edges it can cause land to be lower creating large areas that are below sea level such as Amazon, St Lawrence River/Great Lakes basin, Mississippi, La Plata etc.. This pattern can be seen in other continents too such as Congo and Indus Rivers but Australia's mountain ranges being very ancient means recent plate tectonics there has not been so significant as elsewhere.
Q: What is orogeny?
A: Orogeny is mountain building; when mountains form due to geological forces such as earthquakes or volcanic activity over long periods of time causing them to rise up from their original position at ground level
