Natural Resources Canada

This map shows the location of the Shield physiographic regions. The Shield is divided into five great regions: Kazan Region, Davis Region, Hudson Region, James Region and Laurentian Region. Each of these five regions is divided by subareas, and each of these subareas has its own geological...

Nine zones indicate the areas where various trees, shrubs and flowers are most likely to survive. These zones are calculated based on average climatic conditions and altitude of each area. The harshest zone is 0 and the mildest is 8. Each major zone is divided into subzones a and b (for example...

Most unconsolidated materials covering the Canadian landmass have glacial origins. Some sediments were entrained by glaciers and deposited at a distance without being sorted. Other sediments were picked up and reworked by glacial melt water, or transported and deposited by river or wind action....

An earthquake is the rapid shaking of the Earth’s surface that follows the sudden release of energy within the Earth. They are most commonly caused by movements along the edges of the plates that make up the Earth’s crust. Each year, more than 3500 mostly small earthquakes are recorded in or near...

Landslides are the downslope movements of sediment and rock. They can be found in any part of Canada, even in areas with very little relief. They happen in bedrock or in loose sediment, on land or under water. They can be large or small, rapid or slow, and generally occur without warning. This...

Avalanches are a mass movement of snow and ice down a hillside. They occur when unique circumstances of climate and topographic factors come together. This maps shows major avalanches beginning with the Rogers Pass avalanche in 1906 and extending to the 1999 avalanche in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Quebec.

Hail is precipitation consisting of ice pellets with a diameter of 5 millimetres or more. Hailstorms can occur anywhere in Canada. The most common period when hailstorms occur is from May to July, usually occurring with afternoon thunderstorms. Hailstorm with large hail pellets is spectacularly...

« Hurricane » is one of the names given to a tropical storm whose winds revolve around a center of low pressure called the eye, at a minimum speed of 120 kilometres per hour. At a center of hurricanes vortex - the eye - there is calm area of blue sky. Around this central column, there are very...

Tornadoes are columns of air that spin at a high rate of speed. They are small in scale but can be very violent. The area affected by a tornado's passage is between about 40 and 400 metres in width and between 1.7 and 36 kilometres in length. During a tornado the damage is due to wind as well as...

The magnetic field of the Earth is influenced by the electromagnetic environment of the solar system. The disturbed interplanetary environment changes the conditions of the natural electromagnetic environment of our planet and affects normal operation of space and ground technological...

The magnetic field of the Earth is influenced by the electromagnetic environment of the solar system. The disturbed interplanetary environment changes the conditions of the natural electromagnetic environment of our planet and affects normal operation of space and ground technological...

Storm surges occur in coastal areas when strong onshore winds and low atmospheric pressure during passing storms raise water levels along the shore above predicted levels. Storm surges occur on all four Canadian coasts (Pacific, Arctic, Atlantic and Great Lakes). The most severe known surges in...

A tsunami is a sea wave or series of waves produced by large disturbances of the sea floor that are of relatively short duration. Such disturbances cause the water column to move vertically and the resulting wave energy to spread outwards across the ocean surface at high speed. Although tsunami...

There are many geologically active volcanoes along the Canadian Cordillera in British Columbia and the Yukon. Recurrent earthquakes below our feet and gigantic mountain ranges rising majestically upward remind us that this part of Canada is geologically active. The possibility of an eruption,...

Protected areas are composed of land, freshwater and marine areas set aside through legislation to protect representative examples of Canada’s ecosystems. They are created and managed by the federal, provincial and territorial governments. A small but increasing number is also administered by...

A protected area is a geographically defined area that is designated, regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives. Canada has a long history of establishing protected areas. The first such area, Banff National Park, was created in 1885. Although there was a conscious effort...

The typical retreat of the sea ice cover from the late winter to late summer is shown on this map. Sea ice is any form of ice that is found at sea and has originated from the freezing of seawater. Melting of sea ice begins in spring in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and East Newfoundland, retreating...

Typical advance of sea ice over from late summer to late winter is shown on this map. Sea ice is any form of ice that is found at sea and has originated from the freezing of seawater. Formation of sea ice begins in mid-September in the Canadian Arctic and advances southward through the onset of...

Typical sea ice types are shown here at the end of the summer melt season, as well as how often sea ice has been present at any location on September 10 over the last 30 years . Based on the observations of sea ice extent and types over the last 30 years, this map shows how frequently sea ice has...

Typical sea ice types are shown here near the end of the winter season. Also shown is how often sea ice has been present at any location on the 26th February over the last 30 years. Based on the observations of sea ice extents and ice types over the last 30 years, this map shows how frequently...