Tag Archives: terrain

Tallest & most prominent volcanic plugs/necks in the USA

Chat.openai.com defines and describes a volcanic plug as follows: “A volcanic plug, also known as a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a type of volcanic landform that forms when magma hardens inside a volcanic vent or conduit. When a … Continue reading

Posted in ecosystems, environment, geography, Geology, hiking, history, land use, mountains, natural history, nature, pictures, placemaking, recreation, spatial design, Statistics, topography, toponymy, tourism, trails, Travel, volcanoes, walking, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The 50 largest canyons in the USA by land area

Below are the 50 largest canyons in the United States, ranked by land area. Using chat.openai.com, the list was generated and known errors were removed/corrected. *In addition, several parks containing multiple canyons, like Canyonlands, Cedar Mesa, Zion, Bryce, and Grand … Continue reading

Posted in ecosystems, environment, fun, geography, Geology, hiking, historic preservation, history, land use, Maps, mountains, natural history, nature, place names, recreation, rivers/watersheds, spatial design, Statistics, topography, toponymy, tourism, Travel, walking, water, Wilderness, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

America’s highest altitude commercial passenger airports

The following list identifies the loftiest airports in the United States with current commercial passenger air service. Eight (8) states are represented on the list – none located east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Colorado leads the … Continue reading

Posted in aerospace, air travel, airport planning, airports, aviation, business, cities, commerce, economic development, Economy, geography, history, infrastructure, land use, logistics, nature, planning, spatial design, Statistics, topography, tourism, Trade, transportation, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Working list – America’s tallest and grandest mesas

The following is a working list that will be updated from time to time until complete. Those mesas shown in bold are the tallest in that state. Most data remaining to be added are from Arizona and New Mexico. Mesa … Continue reading

Posted in archaeology, environment, geography, Geology, Native Americans, nature, recreation, Statistics, topography, trails, Travel, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Favorite names of mesas in America’s Old West

  There are certain names and terms that conjour up images of places. In the vast, rugged, and lovely landscapes of the American West, mesas are one of the most iconic topographic and geologic features. While in the process of … Continue reading

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Cities and towns named for a river bend

The following list identifies whose cities and towns with “bend” in their name. In nearly all cases, the term “bend” refers to a significant bend in a river, but a few pertain to lakes and or bays. Only two (2) … Continue reading

Posted in cities, ecosystems, environment, fun, geography, Geology, history, Maps, nature, place names, rivers/watersheds, spatial design, topography, transportation, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Bu-tte-ful” Town Names

Below is a list of cities, towns, villages, hamlets, and census-designated places in the United States and Canada that are named for one of my favorite geographic/geologic landforms – the butte  (okay, quit snickering). The photo above aptly shows the … Continue reading

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Cities and Towns that Get the Point!

The following city and town names include the word “point.” Sometimes this term refers to a point of land extending into a body of water. Other times it may refer to a craggy hill or prominent point of land. Still, … Continue reading

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Puddle jumpers – America’s smallest commercial airports

Below is a list of America’s smallest commercial airports (those served by airlines) as measured by by acreage. These are the airports most likely to be served by puddle jumpers, even if they are nowhere near a large water body. … Continue reading

Posted in aerospace, air travel, airport planning, airports, aviation, cities, commerce, Communications, economic development, geography, history, infrastructure, land use, Maps, planning, spatial design, Statistics, topography, tourism, Trade, transportation, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Does geography contribute to a healthier downtown?

Over the years as both a planner and a traveler, I have noticed that compact downtown areas tend to be more vibrant and healthy than those that are spread out across the landscape. Examples include Manhattan, which is hemmed in … Continue reading

Posted in bicycling, Biking, cities, density, downtown, economic development, entertainment, geography, history, humanity, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, skylines, spatial design, sustainability, topography, traffic, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment