Unit I: Mississippi Geography
Coach Johnston
1. Location – every place has a specific location on earth.
2. Place – every place has physical (natural) and cultural (man made) characteristics.
3. Human-Environment Interaction – how humans use and interact with the environment.
4. Movement – the ways we are linked with regions, cultures, and people beyond our immediate environment
5. Regions – Regions are defined as areas with similar characteristics
Four GeographicalRegions Delta Hills Piney Woods Gulf Coast
MS has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and winters are cool. State is humid and has ample rainfall
MS climate & rainfall helped create an agricultural state
Avg. Temp. in MS is 62°F Highest Ever 115°F Lowest Ever - 19°F
Avg. Precipitation is 52’’ per year 60’’ on the Gulf Coast
T-Storms are frequent and can result in flooding
Lightning is a problem in MSTornadoes – measured on the Fujita Scale
(F1-F5)Hurricanes – measured by the Saffir-
Simpson Scale (1-5)Earthquakes – low chance, but NW MS
does sit near the New Madrid Fault
Fujita Scale
Saffir-Simpson Scale
Hurricane Katrina
Atmosphere – The Earth’s gases.Lithosphere – all of the Earth’s
land.Hydrosphere – all of the Earth’s
water.Biosphere – all of the Earth’s life.
Surface Water – trapped in lakes, ponds, rivers, oceans, etc.
Groundwater – below the earths surface.Aquifers – when groundwater
accumulates & is brought to the surface through springs or wells.
MS River makes up most of MS’s western border. The river is 2,438 miles long.
MS River drains the interior of the U.S. between the Rocky & Appalachian Mts.
MS has 9 major river systems Yazoo, Big Black, Homochitto, & Bayou Pierre-Coles
Creek Rivers drain into the MS Noxubee-Tombigbee, Pearl, Amite, Pascagoula, &
Biloxi-Wolf-Jourdan rivers drain into the south.
Reservoirs are used as flood control measure. They capture and hold flood waters.
MS has 6 major Reservoirs1. Pickwick Lake 4. Enid Lake2. Arkabulta Lake 5. Grenada Lake3. Sardis Lake 6. Ross Barnett
Reservoir
MS Rivers
MS Rivers Drainage
MS is part of the Gulf Coastal Plain All lands in MS are fairly low elevation The highest point in MS is Woodall Mountain (806 ft
above sea level) MS has 10 landform regions
Tombigbee Hills Loess Hills (Bluff Hills)Black Prairie Yazoo Basin (Delta)Pontotoc Ridge Jackson PrairieFlatwoods Pine Hills (Piney Woods)North Central Hills Gulf Coastal Meadows
Black Prairie
Tombigbee Hills
Jackson Prairie
Flatwoods
North Central Hills
Loess BluffPontotoc Ridge
Yazoo Basin (Delta)
Coastal Meadow
Pine Hills (Piney Woods)
MS has historically been an agricultural state.
MS has 4 general soil regions.
1. Hills2. Alluvial Plain
(Delta)3. Loess Hills4. Black Prairie
MS has very few mineralsPetroleum and Natural Gas in SouthGravel & SandLimestoneFire Clay
Biota describes the Flora & Fauna of a region
Flora MS is 55% forested Magnolias, Oak, Hickory, Pine, Gum, Cypress
Fauna MS has squirrels, white-tailed deer, rabbit,
raccoons, opossums, foxes Freshwater and saltwater fish & migratory birds.
MS Forest Types
MS has 4 major Ecoregions1. Coastal Meadows2. Hilly Coastal Plain3. Loess/Bluff Hills4. Alluvial Plain
Coastal Meadows Mainly flat plains, barrier islands, marshes, lagoons,
swampy lowlands Hilly Coastal Plain
½ of MS Land. Forest, Pasture, & Crops Loess/Bluff Hills
Forest & Cropland. Portions great for Agriculture Alluvial Plain
Fertile Soil. Large wetland system. Levees control flooding