Landform
Ottawa is in the Great Lakes/ St. Lawrence Lowlands region. It is located in the southern parts of Ontario and Quebec. This is the smallest geological landform region in Canada. The Great Lakes/ St. Lawrence Lowlands region was formed by faulting. When the glaciers melted it left the great lakes. Ottawa is not on the edge of a tectonic plate. It is located in the North American plate. (Canada's Regions)
Climate
Ottawa is in the southeastern climate region. This region has moderately cold winters and warm summers. This region has continental characteristics with a wide range of temperatures. The prevailing winds bring storms from the west and storms from the south move up from the Gulf of Mexico. (Thames Valley District School Board.) There are no effects of elevation in this region due to its far proximity from the Equator. Ottawa is located at approximately 45.4°N. (Canada Lat Long Map). The farther away a location is from the equator, the less exposure to heat it receives. This region has a humid climate, dry cold winters and hot summers. Ottawa does not have any large bodies of water near by. The mouth of the St. Lawrence river is in Ottawa, but that is the biggest body of water in Ottawa. Because there is no large body of water near Ottawa, there is a larger temperature range. This is because the water would absorb heat from the summer keeping it warmer for longer.
Soil and Vegetation
Ottawa is located in the wet climate area. Ottawa has a leached soil profile. “Ottawa’s natural vegetation is mixed forestry. Ottawa is in a transition zone between boreal and taiga forests.” The human induced changes that occur in Ottawa’s vegetation are lumbering, transportation, urban development and farming (Clark, B. W., Wallace, J. K., & Earle, K. M.). Humans change the soil in Ottawa by paving over it, changing the drainage patterns, and farming the land.