The Carolina Piedmont has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters. Average summer temperatures are in the low 90s F while winter temperatures are around 50F. The region receives around 45 inches of rain annually. Notable rivers in the Piedmont include the New River and Neuse River. The landscape is characterized by gently rolling hills underlain by metamorphic rocks like slate and schist, with red clay soils. Plant life includes various oak, hickory and pine tree species while common animal species are white-tailed deer, black bear and birds.

1. Carolina Piedmont
by Kalidou Diouf

2. Task 1: Location Map #1
 Source: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/collections/cede/nc_map_provinces.png

3. Task 1: Map #2
 Source: http://www.northcarolinavisitorsnetwork.com/central/

4. Task 1: Map #3
 Source: http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaID=NCTRPIE&CU_ID=1

5. Task 2 a&b: Climograph
 Sources: http://www.usclimatedata.com/images/climate-chart/usnc0121-climate-charlotte.gif

6. Task 2 a&b: Climograph #2
 Source:
http://envygeography.wikispaces.com/file/view/eugene_climograph.JPG/60292344/642x505/eugene_
climograph.JPG

7. Task 2: Temperature and
Precipitation
 “Average temperatures during the height of the summer are
in the low nineties in most of the North Carolina Piedmont
Plateau. While average temperatures in the winter are in the
forties. Precipitation in the North Carolina Piedmont Plateau
is similar to that of the Coastal Plain. Most of the
precipitation comes in the form of rain, and once or twice a
year there is some snow and sleet. The northern part of the
North Carolina Piedmont Plateau receives the most snow.
Averaging about ten inches a year in the northwestern
section. The rest of the North Carolina Piedmont Plateau
receives an average of one to four inches of snow per year.”
 Source: http://placesofvalue.com/north-carolina-map-and-climate/north-carolina-the-piedmont-area/

8. Task 3: Atmospheric Disturbances
 “Located along the Atlantic Coast, the Carolina Piedmont is no
stranger to hurricanes. Many hurricanes that come up from the
Caribbean Sea make it up the coast of eastern America, passing by
the Piedmont. On October 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck North
Carolina, at that time it was a category 4 hurricane within the Saffir-
Simpson Hurricane Scale. Hazel caused significant damage due to its
strong winds. A weather station at Oak Island reported maximum
sustained winds of 140 miles per hour (230 km/h), while in Raleigh
winds of 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) were measured. The hurricane
caused 19 deaths and significant destruction. Hazel was described as
"the most destructive storm in the history of North Carolina" in a 1989
report. In 1996, Hurricane Fran made landfall in North Carolina. As a
category 3 hurricane, Fran caused a great deal of damage, mainly
through winds. Fran's maximum sustained wind speeds were 115
miles per hour (185 km/h), while North Carolina's coast saw surges of
8 feet (2.4 m) to 12 feet (3.7 m) above sea level. The amount of
damage caused by Fran ranged from $1.275 to $2 billion in North
Carolina.”
 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_Carolina_hurricanes

9. Task 3: Storm Tracks
 Divisions 5-8 are the ones that affect the Carolina Piedmont
Source: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Tropics/TropicalRainfall/tropical_Rainfall.php

10. Task 4a: Evapotranspiration &
Precipitation
 Precipitation: “There is an average of forty-five inches of rain a year
(fifty in the mountains). July storms account for much of this
precipitation. As much as 15% of the rainfall during the warm season
in the region can be attributed to tropical cyclones.[ Mountains usually
see some snow in the fall and winter. Moist winds from the southwest
drop an average of 2,000 mm of precipitation on the western side of
the mountains, while the northeast-facing slopes average less than
half that amount” “There are no distinct wet and dry seasons in the
Piedmont region of Carolina, the average rainfall varies around the
year. Over the Mountains of the western Piedmont, frozen
precipitation sometimes occurs in connection with low pressure
storms, and in the extreme west with cold front passages from the
northwest. Average winter snowfall over the State ranges from about
inch per year on the outer banks and along the lower coast to about
10 inches in the northern Piedmont and 16 inches in the southern
Mountains. Some of the higher mountain peaks and upper slopes
receive an average of nearly 50 inches a year.”
 Source: http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/climate/ncclimate.html#precip

11. Task 4b: Precipitation (Snow)
 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ncsnowjanuary2000.gif

12. Task 4: Mean Annual Precipitation
 Source: http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/North-Carolina/average-yearly-precipitation.
php#b

13. Task 4: Net Moisture Regimes
 Source:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/wri004093/graphics/fig
03.gif

14. Task 5: Climate
 Most of the Carolina Piedmont region has a humid subtropical
climate. Only the very high elevated areas within the region are
considered to have a subtropical highland climate. For most areas in
the state, the temperatures in July during the daytime are around 32
°C. In January the average temperatures range near 50 °F. The
mountains of the Piedmont usually experience some snowfall during
fall and winter , while there is an average of over 45 inches of rain a
year.
 “ The weather of North Carolina results from the interaction of cold
air masses from the north, warm moist air masses from the south and
cyclonic storms coming mainly from the west. The storms are largely
guided by the air flow in the general westerly current of the mid-latitudes,
which commonly has a wavelike motion - the Rossby waves
- in the middle atmosphere. Above this is the polar front jet stream, a
ribbon of fast moving air. This is often responsible for causing
changes in the Rossby wave pattern and is a major player in the
development of our frontal depressions.” (UNC)
 Source: http://www.unc.edu/courses/2008ss2/geog/111/001/NCSynthesis/NCSynthesis.htm

15. Task 6a: Rock Types
 “Today, the Piedmont, which cuts a broad northeast/southwest swath across nearly a
third of the state, has few spectacular geological features. The highest terrain is less
than 1,500 feet above sea level. There are scattered monadnocks--tall, isolated hills
that are the lasting remains of ancient mountain chains--but for the most part the
Piedmont is gently undulating landscape with many rivers and streams that continue
to slowly wear away at native soil and rock. If you scrape through the topsoil almost
anywhere in the Piedmont, you're bound to find thick, moist red clay within a few
inches of the surface. Like the hills, this clay has its own story to tell, and it also
disguises a variety of rocks and minerals that lie hidden below.”(hiltonpond)
 “The predominant underlying bedrock of the Piedmont is metamorphic--slates,
schists, and gneisses, with occasional granite intrusions--all the result of intense
pressure and heat from subterranean movement. Some of the red clay that covers
these Piedmont rocks was deposited over time as flowing water swept sediment
down from higher altitudes, but most of it formed from beneath as "weathering"
changed the nature of the subsoil through mechanical and chemical
processes.”(hiltonpond)
 “Its geology is complex, with numerous rock formations of different materials and
ages intermingled with one another. Essentially, the Piedmont is the remnant of
several ancient mountain chains that have since been eroded away.”(wikipedia)
 Sources: http://www.hiltonpond.org/ArticleMineralsSCMain.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piedmont_(United_States)#Geology

16. Task 6b: Geologic Map #1(Piedmont)
 Source:http://www.wncvitalityindex.org/sites/default/files/natural_geology_generalizedgeologicmap.jpg

17. Task 6b: Geologic Map #2 (Charlotte Area)
 Source:http://www.ncgeology.com/Rocks_of_NC/pages/home.html

18. Task 7: Crust
 The Carolina Piedmont was formed through a long history of
plate tectonics and ancient mountains: “Essentially, the
Piedmont is the remnant of several ancient mountain chains
that have since been eroded away. Geologists have identified at
least five separate events which have led to sediment
deposition, including the Grenville orogeny (the collision of
continents that created the supercontinent Rodinia) and the
Appalachian orogeny during the formation of Pangaea. The last
major event in the history of the Piedmont was the break-up of
Pangaea, when North America and Africa began to separate.
Large basins formed from the rifting and were subsequently
filled by the sediments shed from the surrounding higher
ground. The series of Mesozoic basins is almost entirely
located inside the Piedmont region.”
 Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piedmont_(United_States)#External

19. Task 7: Crust
 Source: http://pubs.usgs.gov/ha/ha730/ch_l/gif/L009.GIF

20. Task 8
 No wasting or weathering.

21. Task 9: Streams, Rivers and
Associated Landforms
 Source: http://geology.com/lakes-rivers-water/north-carolina.shtml

22. Task 9b
 Rivers and Streams: There are plenty of different streams and rivers
in the Carolina Piedmont region, but also a lot of lakes, especially in
the south of the North Carolina Piedmont. Most of the rivers in the
area got straightened or redirected to adjust them to the city patterns
of the highly populated Piedmont region. One of the oldest in the
world, and probably the most popular river of the Piedmont region is
the so called “New River”, while the “Neuse River” is also kind of
famous for their redfishing.
 Landforms: The Carolina Piedmont is generally a low, rolling plateau
strung with shallow valleys. It is characterized by hilly land at the foot
of a mountain range, but the elevation varies between 300 and 1,500
feet, depending on the distance to the mountain range. “ Along this
are, rivers flow from the older, harder rocks of the Piedmont to the
softer rocks of the coastal Plain. Along the fall line, rivers form shoals,
low waterfalls, and rapids. Below the fall line, streams are usually
sluggish and smooth-flowing. Above the fall line, the streams are
rocky and shallow, making boating difficult. The land of the Piedmont
is called a plateau because it is high and mostly, some kind of flat.”
 Sources: http://www.visitnc.com/rivers-lakes
http://thomaslegion.net/threenorthcarolinageographicregionscoastalplainthepiedmontandthemountai
nsmaps.html

23. Task 9c
 Source: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/14258

24. Task 10: Landforms
 The Carolina Piedmont doesn't have any
desert, coastal, glacial or periglacial landforms
in its region. However, the hilly region provides
a beautiful nature with their many forests,
rivers, streams and lakes. Like the rest of the
Piedmont Plateau, the Carolina Piedmont is
relatively flat with almost no real mountain but
lots of hills. Especially the south-eastern part of
the Carolina Piedmont is very flat, which makes
it home to many nationally famous golf courses.
The area is also highly populated: 6 out of the 8
largest cities of North Carolina are in the
Piedmont region.
 Source:http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/socialstudies/elementary/studentsampler/20geography

25. Task 10: Landforms

26. Task 11: Soil
 “Although the soils of much of the Piedmont
have been derived from similar parent
material to those of the mountains, they have
been exposed to higher temperatures and
more severe chemical weathering. Almost all
the Piedmont soils are Ultisols, with light
upper layers and a reddish sub-soil. The most
common local soil (and the "State Soil") is the
Cecil soil, seen here in profile, uprooted, and
with a distribution map. The Upper Piedmont
has rolling terrains, and the distribution of soil
types is frequently akin to that in the
mountains. The soils, however, are warmer
and, generally, redder. The vegetation also
characteristically shows the 3 layers typical of
the southern forests. Not all Piedmont soil is
red, though. Some forest are on a clay soil
which developed in the Triassic basin near
Durham. This grayish, very compact clay soil
is extremely difficult to work, and has been
little used for agriculture.”
 Source: http://www.unc.edu/courses/2009spring/geog/262/001/biosphere/AA_Biosphere_NC.htm#Piedmont

27. Task 11: Soil
 Source: http://www.cropsci.ncsu.edu/maize/research.html

28. Task 12: Plants and Animals
 Plants: “The Carolina
Piedmont is fortunate to
have a great diversity of
woody plant species in its
extensive forests. with
approximately 653 species
of trees, shrubs,
subshrubs, and woody
vines.” The type of plants,
found in the Piedmont
region are typical for the
subtropical humid climate
of the North American
Piedmont region.
 Source: http://ncpedia.org/sites/default/files//vegetation_piedmont.jpg

29. Task 12: Plants and Animals
 Source:http://www.k12tlc.net/content/ncgeoreg.htm

30. Task 12b: Animals
 North Carolina’s classic
Piedmont habitats include old
fields, rock outcrops, streams
and woodlands, where species
diversity for some animal
groups, such as amphibians,
insects, reptiles and birds, is
relatively high. There are also
many mammal species (such
as beavers, black bears,
cougars, squirrels, coyotes,
raccoons, humans etc.) that
live in the region.
 Sources: http://www.piedmontwildlifecenter.org/animals/
http://ncpedia.org/category/subjects/wildlife

31. Master Reference List
 Task #1: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/collections/cede/nc_map_provinces.png ;
http://www.northcarolinavisitorsnetwork.com/central/ ; http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?
areaID=NCTRPIE&CU_ID=1
 Task #2: http://placesofvalue.com/north-carolina-map-and-climate/north-carolina-the-piedmont-area/ ;
http://www.usclimatedata.com/images/climate-chart/usnc0121-climate-charlotte.gif ;
http://envygeography.wikispaces.com/file/view/eugene_climograph.JPG/60292344/642x505/eugene_climogr
aph.JPG
 Task #3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_Carolina_hurricanes ;
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Tropics/TropicalRainfall/tropical_Rainfall.php
 Task #4: http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/climate/ncclimate.html#precip ;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ncsnowjanuary2000.gif ; http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/North-
Carolina/average-yearly-precipitation.php#b ; http://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/wri004093/graphics/fig03.gif ;
 Task #5: http://www.unc.edu/courses/2008ss2/geog/111/001/NCSynthesis/NCSynthesis.htm
 Task #6: http://www.hiltonpond.org/ArticleMineralsSCMain.html ;
http://www.wncvitalityindex.org/sites/default/files/natural_geology_generalizedgeologicmap.jpg ;
http://www.ncgeology.com/Rocks_of_NC/pages/home.html
 Task #7: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piedmont_(United_States)#External ;
http://pubs.usgs.gov/ha/ha730/ch_l/gif/L009.GIF
 Task #9: http://geology.com/lakes-rivers-water/north-carolina.shtml ;
http://thomaslegion.net/threenorthcarolinageographicregionscoastalplainthepiedmontandthemountainsmaps.
html ; http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/14258
 Task #10: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/socialstudies/elementary/studentsampler/20geography
 Task #11: http://www.unc.edu/courses/2009spring/geog/262/001/biosphere/AA_Biosphere_NC.htm#Piedmon
 Task #12: http://www.cropsci.ncsu.edu/maize/research.html ; http://www.k12tlc.net/content/ncgeoreg.htm ;
http://ncpedia.org/category/subjects/wildlife