Physiography is the surface form of the Earth. The Vancouver region includes three main physiographic areas. Mountains (Coast and Cascade Mountains) comprise rugged bedrock ridges and peaks and intervening steep-walled valleys. The larger valleys contain thick deposits of sediments and host major rivers, lakes, or arms of the sea (e.g. Howe Sound). The other two physiographic areas are within the Fraser Valley: gently rolling uplands, ranging from about 15 m to 250 m above sea level, are underlain by thick Ice Age (Pleistocene) sediments, largely of glacial origin; flat lowlands along the Fraser River and its tributaries are underlain by modern (Holocene) sediments less than 10,000 years old.

Photo #16

The three primary physiographic elements of the Vancouver area are visible in this photo taken near the south end of the Port Mann Bridge. The floodplain of the Fraser River, in the foreground, is a lowland area. In the middle distance, beyond the bridge, is a rolling, Ice Age upland on which Coquitlam is located. In the far distance are the southernmost peaks of the Coast Mountains, part of the mountain physiographic area.

	Lowland (modern sediments)
	Uplands (Ice age sediments)
	Mountains (bedrock)

Physiography is the surface form of the Earth. The Vancouver region includes three main physiographic areas. Mountain areas (Coast and Cascade Mountains) comprise rugged bedrock ridges and peaks and intervening steep-walled valleys. The larger valleys contain thick modern and Ice Age sediments and also host large lakes and streams. The other two physiographic areas are within the Fraser Valley. Higher parts of the Fraser Valley are gently rolling uplands, ranging from about 15 m to 250 m above sea level. Uplands are underlain by thick Ice Age sediments, largely of glacial origin. Flat lowlands occur along the Fraser River and its tributaries and are underlain by modern sediments.