Atlantic Coastal Plain

a lowland in North America that stretches along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to the tip of the Florida Peninsula. The Atlantic Coastal Plain, which ranges in width from 30 to 350 km, is composed of a complex of Anthropogenic marine sediments up to 1,000 m thick (limestones, sandstones, sands, and clays). The plain has elevations to 100 m. In the north the coast is dissected by large embayments—the Delaware and Chesapeake bays. The Southern coasts are dotted with lagoons and marshes, and there are coral reefs at the southern tip of Florida. Marine terraces are cut by the broad, swampy floodplains of rivers. The warm Gulf Stream flows along most of the coast. The Atlantic Coastal Plain has a subtropical, monsoonal climate except for southern Florida, which has a tropical climate with dry winters. The winter is warm and rainy, with the mean January temperature ranging from 0° to 20° C. Frosts occur almost everywhere. The summer is hot and humid, with the mean July temperature ranging from 22° to 28° C. Annual precipitation reaches 1,000 to 1,400 mm.

There are predominantly red podzolic, yellow podzolic, alluvial, soddy, and marsh soils. The natural vegetation is pine and mixed pine-oak forests; yew and swamp cypress forests are encountered in marshy regions. Forests of palms, Ficus, bayberry, and other tropical trees are found in southern Florida. Mangrove thickets occur along the shores. In places where the forests have been cleared, there are cotton and tobacco fields; apple, peach, and citrus fruit orchards; and plantings of early vegetables. The major cities along the plain are New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, and Norfolk.