Missouri Topography

Today I drove through the Ozark foothills through mid Missouri. I was struck by the difference in the topography of Missouri. I snapped the first picture to show the rocky terrain and rolling hills. If you look closely at a Missouri map, you can identify an angular line that shows where the hilly land drastically changes to flat land. The edge of the hills is named Crowley Ridge. We have fault lines near the ridge.

Yesterday I took the second picture as I was driving in the Bootheel region of Missouri. I felt at home, but also noticed how unusual the land looked. From the picture, you see flat land, lots of good farmland, open spaces and a few stands of trees. It is where I grew up. As a child I'd get carsick after we moved about 50 miles west to the more hilly region (Ozark foothills) and would travel back to the Bootheel to visit our grandparents. It would be interesting to have students compare and contrast the variety of topography found in the state of Missouri.