Why (Part of) the World Is Flat

I hate flat lands.  Let me just state that for the record.  I don't mind table-top flatness with mountains in the background, but endless land without relief, I can't stand.  So you'll understand why I felt a bit sorry for Chris when I learned he's lived in mostly flat places.

I may abhor flat lands, but I loved Chris's explanation of how they got that way.  If you'd missed it, check it out.  It turns out there's a great many ways for the world to be flat, which is something that hadn't really impinged upon my awareness until now.

And when you're done perusing that post, move on to his co-blogger Anne's fascinating post on The Driftless Area.  It's got me burning with curiosity: how did that bit of topography dodge the ice bullets again and again and again?  And it's beautiful to place those two posts side-by-side, to really see how glaciers or lack thereof influence the way the land lies.