Ohio's Physiographic Regions

Ohio's Physiographic Regions. Ohio's Five Physiographic Regions Have Unique Geological Profiles. , LAKE PLAINS , ■ A narrow strip of land along the Lake Erie coast in northeastern Ohio, it broadens significantly west of Cleveland. , ■ Once the bottom of a much larger ancient lake known as Lake Maumee, this region is an extremely flat plain. , ■ As water levels rose and fell, sandy beach ridges and dunes formed along the shore. , ■ The northwestern area of the region was called the Great Black Swamp-marked by rich, black soils and poor drainage., GLACIATED APPALACHIAN PLATEAU , ■ Carved by glaciers and ancient streams, this region is less hilly and lacks the rugged quality of the unglaciated landscape. , ■ Following glaciation, many streams reversed their flow, cutting new paths throughout the region. , ■ Evidence of the region's glacial past includes bogs, kettle lakes, and a landscape marked by small hills of sand and gravel called "kames". , ■ Today, the area is marked by smaller tracts of forests, ranging from a few acres to hundreds of acres., UNGLACIATED APPALACHIAN PLATEAU , ■ Untouched by glaciers, this region features deep valleys, high hills and winding streams. , ■ Sandstone, resistant to erosion and common in the region, supports a variety of cliffs, gorges, natural bridges and waterfalls. , ■ Although the region has thousands of forested acres, the topography is rough and much of the soil is infertile. , ■ On the eastern edge running from Monroe to Columbiana County, a belt of high hills divides eastward and westward flowing streams., TILL PLAINS , ■ This fertile region is not as flat as the Lake Plains region, and is characterized by gently rolling hills. , ■ Most hills are a series of moraines, which are glacier created mounds of rock and soil that are up to 100 feet high and 6 miles wide. , ■ A hilly belt of bedrock in Bellefontaine rises 1,549 feet above sea level- the highest point in the state, called Campbell's Hill. , ■ Glaciers created terraces along valley sides and new drainage patterns including today's Ohio River., BLUEGRASS , ■ Covering a small part of extreme southwestern Ohio, the region is mostly represented by a triangular shaped area in Adams County. , ■ Flat-topped hills and uplands rimmed by cliffs define the area. , ■ Limestone, dolomite and shale bedrock are characteristic of the region and its landscape moves from gentle slopes to steep slopes, depending on erosion., ■ Some uplands are marked by sink holes or depressions that formed in rocks composed mainly of chalk.