Geography of South Dakota
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The Geography of South Dakota describes the terrain, regions, climate and ecology of the U.S. state of South Dakota.
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[edit] Location and size
South Dakota is situated in the north-central United States, and is usually considered to be a part of the Midwest, although the Great Plains region also covers the state. Additionally, South Dakota is at times considered to be a part of the West. The state has a total land area of 77,116 sq. miles (199,905 km²), making it the 17th largest in the Union.[1] South Dakota is bordered to the north by North Dakota; to the south by Nebraska; to the east by Iowa and Minnesota; and to the west by Wyoming and Montana.
[edit] Regions
South Dakota has four major land regions: the Drift Prairie, the Dissected Till Plains, the Great Plains, and the Black Hills.
The Drift Prairie covers most of eastern South Dakota. This is the land of low hills and glacial lakes. This area was called Coteau des Prairies (Prairie Hills) by early French traders. In the north, the Coteau des Prairies is bordered on the east by the Minnesota River Valley and on the west by the James River Basin. The James River Basin is mostly flat land, following the flow of the James River through South Dakota from north to south.
The Dissected Till Plains lie in the southeastern corner of South Dakota. This area of rolling hills is criss-crossed by many streams.
The Great Plains cover most of the western two-thirds of South Dakota. The Coteau de Missouri hills and valleys lie between the James River Basin of the Drift Prairie and the Missouri River. West of the Missouri River the landscape becomes more rugged and consists of rolling hills, plains, canyons, and steep flat-topped hills called buttes. These buttes sometimes rise 400 to 600 feet (120 to 180 m) above the plains. In the south, east of the Black Hills, lie the South Dakota Badlands.
The Black Hills are in the southwestern part of South Dakota and extend into Wyoming. This range of low mountains covers 6,000 square miles (15,500 km².) with mountains that rise from 2,000 to 4,000 feet (600 to 1,200 m) above their bases. The highest point in South Dakota, Harney Peak (7,242 ft or 2,207 m above sea level), is in the Black Hills.[2] This is the highest point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.[3] The Black Hills are rich in minerals such as gold, silver, copper, and lead. The Homestake Mine, the largest and deepest gold mine in North America, is located in the Black Hills and has produced over $1 billion in gold since it started operation in 1876.[4]
South Dakotans also divide the state at the Missouri River into two general regions, known as West River and East River. The river serves as a somewhat stark boundary in terms of geographic, social and political differences between the two regions. West River features a more arid landscape, an economy largely based on tourism and ranching, and, aside from the Indian Reservations, a very conservative political climate. East River, on the other hand, is more densely populated, agriculture there is based more on farming than ranching, and the region is more politically moderate.[5][6]
[edit] Rivers and lakes
The Missouri River is the largest and longest river in the state. Other major South Dakota rivers include the Cheyenne, the James, the Big Sioux, and the White. Essentially all of South Dakota's rivers are part of the Missouri River Valley. Dams on the Missouri River create four large reservoirs: Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, Lake Francis Case, and Lewis and Clark Lake.
The vast majority of South Dakota's natural lakes are located in the eastern half of the state, and most are the product of the most recent ice age.[7] The title of largest natural lake is somewhat disputed; Lake Thompson is larger than Lake Poinsett, but Lake Poinsett has maintained its current size for a much longer period of time. Other major natural lakes include Lake Kampeska, Waubay Lake, Lake Madison, Lake Whitewood, and Lake Herman. Additionally, two large lakes, Big Stone Lake and Lake Traverse, form part of the border between South Dakota and Minnesota. The continental divide separating areas that drain into Hudson Bay from areas that drain into the Gulf of Mexico is situated between these two lakes.[8]
- See also: List of rivers in South Dakota and List of lakes in South Dakota
[edit] Ecology
Much of South Dakota, with the notable exception of the Black Hills, is dominated by a temperate grasslands biome.[9] Although grasses and crops cover most of this region, deciduous trees such as cottonwoods, elms, and willows are common near rivers and in shelter belts.[10] Mammals in this area include bison, deer, pronghorn, coyotes, and prairie dogs.[11] The state bird, the ring-necked pheasant, has adapted particularly well to the area after being introduced from China, and growing populations of bald eagles are spread throughout the state, especially near the Missouri River.[12][13] Rivers and lakes of the grasslands support populations of walleye, carp, pike, and bass, along with other species.[11] The Missouri River also contains the pre-historic paddlefish.[14]
Due to higher elevation and precipitation, the ecology of the Black Hills differs significantly from that of the plains. The mountains are thickly blanketed by various types of pine, mostly of the ponderosa and spruce varieties.[15] Black Hills mammals include mule deer, elk (wapiti), bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and mountain lions, while the streams and lakes contain several species of trout.[11][16][17]
[edit] Climate
South Dakota has a continental climate with four very distinct seasons ranging from typically very cold winters and hot summers. During the summers, the average high temperature throughout the state is close to 90 °F for the high temperature, although it often cools down to close to 60 °F at night. It is not unusual for South Dakota to have severe hot, dry spells in the summer with the temperature climbing above 100 °F for the high temperature for days or weeks at a time. Winters are cold with high temperatures in January averaging below freezing and low temperatures averaging below 10 °F in most of the state.
The precipitation of the state ranges from semi-arid, in the northwestern part of the state (around 15 inches of annual precipitation) to semi-humid around the southeast portion of the state (around 25 inches of annual precipitation), although a small area centered around Lawrence County has the highest precipitation at nearly 30 inches per annum.
South Dakota summers bring frequent thunderstorms which can be severe with high winds, thunder, and hail. The eastern part of the state is often considered part of tornado alley,[18] and South Dakota experiences an average of 23 tornadoes per year.[19] Winters are somewhat more stable. Severe winter storms, occasionally blizzards, can happen in the winter, although the bulk of the snow which falls in South Dakota tends to be in the late autumn and early spring.[citation needed]
| Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various South Dakota Cities | ||||||||||||
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 21/1 | 28/9 | 40/21 | 57/33 | 70/46 | 79/55 | 85/60 | 84/57 | 73/46 | 59/34 | 39/20 | 26/6 |
| Huron | 25/4 | 31/11 | 43/22 | 58/34 | 70/46 | 80/55 | 86/61 | 84/59 | 75/47 | 61/35 | 41/21 | 29/8 |
| Rapid City | 34/11 | 39/16 | 47/23 | 57/32 | 67/43 | 77/52 | 86/58 | 86/57 | 75/46 | 62/35 | 45/22 | 36/13 |
| Sioux Falls | 25/3 | 32/10 | 44/21 | 59/32 | 71/45 | 81/54 | 86/60 | 83/58 | 74/48 | 61/35 | 42/21 | 29/8 |
| [3] | ||||||||||||
[edit] National Parks and Monuments
South Dakota contains several sites that are protected by the National Park Service. Two national parks have been established in South Dakota, both of which are located in the southwestern part of the state. Badlands National Park was created in 1978.[20] The park features a highly eroded, brightly-colored landscape surrounded by semi-arid grasslands.[21] Wind Cave National Park, established in 1903 in the Black Hills, contains an extensive cave network as well as a large herd of bison.[22] Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills was established in 1925. The well-known attraction features a mountain carved by sculptor Gutzon Borglum to resemble four former U.S. presidents.[23] Other areas managed by the National Park Service include Jewel Cave National Monument near Custer, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, which features a decommissioned nuclear missile silo, and the Missouri National Recreational River.[24]
[edit] References
- ^ Land and Water Area of States (2000). www.infoplease.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ Elevations and Distances in the United States. U.S Geological Survey (29 April 2005). Retrieved on November 7, 2006.
- ^ Elevations and Distances in the United States - Elevations of Selected Summits East of the Rocky Mountains. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
- ^ Yarrow, Andrew L. "Beneath South Dakota's Black Hills", The New York Times, August 9, 1987. Accessed January 11, 2008. "The Homestake Mine, in Lead, has operated continuously since 1876, a year before George Hearst purchased the claim for $77,000. Homestake, which is the largest, deepest and most productive gold mine in North America, has yielded more than $1 billion in gold over the years."
- ^ Hasselstrom, Linda: Roadside History of South Dakota, pages 2-4. Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1994
- ^ Johnson, Dirk. Gold Divides Dakotans as River Did [1] The New York Times. 9 October 1988. (accessed 14 February, 2008)
- ^ Glacial Features (Large). South Dakota State University. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
- ^ Geographical Features and Fossils. South Dakota State University. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
- ^ A Short Introduction to Terrestrial Biomes. www.nearctica.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ South Dakota Flora. Northern State University. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ a b c South Dakota Fauna. Northern State University. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Ring-Necked Pheasant. Northern State University. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Hetland, Cara. South Dakota bald eagles make a comeback [2] Minnesota Public Radio. 8 February 2007. (accessed 22 September, 2007)
- ^ Paddlefish. Northern State University. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Pines of South Dakota. Northern State University. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Mountain Goat. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ General Facts About Mountain Lions. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Tornado Climatology. National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ Climate of South Dakota (CSV). National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ Frequenly Asked Questions (Badlands National Park). National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.
- ^ Badlands. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.
- ^ Wind Cave History. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
- ^ Carving History. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.
- ^ South Dakota. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
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