Eastern Lake section b. Western Lake section c. Ozark Plateaus a. Mildly Warped Many millions of years ago, North America was located far from its present location. As continents crashed together and pulled apart, great mountains and valleys were formed.
Earthquakes rent the land, and lava poured out of the ground.
The results can be seen in the Appalachians, Rocky Mountains and coast ranges. But the Midwest has had a very peaceful ride to its present location. Since dinosaurs evolved, few, if any, mountains have risen or volcanoes erupted here. Like a hibernating bear, the Midwest has slept for many millions of years, safely tucked away far from the edges of a restless continent. Today, the Midwest remains generally flat to gently rolling, with elevations ranging a few hundred feet above sea level in the east to nearly 2,000 feet along the border with the Great Plains.