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The Cascade Mountains

Cascade Range is a mountainous region stretching


from the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada down
to south of Lassen Peak, California in the Sierra Nevada
mountain range. The Cascades (as they are called for
short) are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the ring of
volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean. They were formed
by volcanoes unlike the other mountain ranges in
California and support one still-active volcano; Lassen
Peak. All of the known historic eruptions in the
contiguous United States have been from either
Cascade volcanoes or near Mono Lake. Lassen Peak was
the last Cascade volcano to erupt in California, from
1914 to 1921. Lassen is the most southerly active
volcano of the Cascade chain.
This region is located in the northeastern section of
the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, mostly north of
the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain
range. The area is centered on Mount Shasta, near the
Trinity Alps. Mount Shasta is a dormant volcano, but
there is some evidence that it erupted in the 18th
Century

ModocPlateau
InthenortheastcornerofthestateliestheModocPlateau,anexpanse
oflavaflowsthatformedamillionyearsagoandnowlieatanaltitude
of4,000to5,000feet(1,200to1,500m).Theplateauhasmanycinder
cones,juniperflats,pineforests,andseasonallakes.Theplateaulies
betweentheCascadeRangetothewestandtheWarnerMountainsto
theeast.TheLostRiverwatersheddrainsthenorthpartoftheplateau,
whilesouthernwatershedseithercollectinbasinreservoirsorflowinto
BigSageReservoirandthencetothePitRiver.
Ninepercentoftheplateauisprotectedasreservesorwilderness
areas,suchastheModocNationalWildlifeRefuge.Theplateau
supportslargeherdsofmuledeer(OdocoileusHemionus),Rocky
MountainElk(CervusCanadensis),andpronghorn(Antilocapra
Americana).Herdsofwildhorsesandlivestockgrazinghavealtered
theoriginalhighdesertecosystemoftheplateau.

Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains are a mountain range in
northwest California and southwest Oregon, the
highest peak being Thompson Peak (2,744 m /
9,002 ft) in Trinity County, California. They have
a very varied geology, with substantial areas of
serpentine and marble, and a climate
characterized by moderately cold winters with
very heavy snowfall, and warm very dry
summers with limited rainfall. They consist of
several small, forested ridges that are higher
and steeper than the coastal ranges farther
south. These ridges are separated by deep
canyons and valleys. As a consequence of the
geology, they have a unique flora including
several endemic or near-endemic species, such
as Lawson's Cypress (Chamaecyparis
lawsoniana) and Foxtail Pine (Pinus balfouriana).
Brewer's Spruce (Picea breweriana) and
Kalmiopsis (Kalmiopsis leachiana) are relict
species, remaining since the last ice age.

PeninsularRanges
ThesouthernmostmountainsofCaliforniaarethe
PeninsularRanges,whichareEastofSanDiegoand
continueintoBajaCalifornia(Mexico)intheSierra
SanPedroMartir.ThePeninsularRangescontainthe
LagunaMountains,theSanJacintoMountains,the
SantaRosaMountains,theSantaAnaMountainsand
thePalomarMountainRange,notableforitsfamous
Palomarobservatory.SanJacintoPeak'seastern
shoulderhasacabletramthatrunsfromthedesert
floortonearlythetopofthemountainwhereriders
cansetoffhikingorgocrosscountryskiing.

SierraNevada
TheSierraNevadarange,mostlywithinCaliforniaandbarelyextendinginto
Nevada,risessharplyfromthearidbasinandrangeontheeastandslopes
gentlytowardtheCentralValleyofCaliforniaonthewest.TheSierra
Nevadamountainrangerunsabout430milesfromnorthtosouthand
formingagiantwallrisingtoover14,000feet.Vegetationatlower
elevationsisdominatedbylodgepolepineontheeastandponderosapineon
thewest,withfir,spruce,andalpinetundraathigherelevations.
SouthernSierrastartedtoformintheTriassicperiodwhenanislandarc
collidedwiththeWestcoastofNorthAmericaandraisedasetofmountains.
Atroughlythesametime,theoceanicplatestartedtodivebeneaththeNorth
Americanplate.Magmafromthemeltingoceanicplateroseinplumes
(plutons)from115millionto87millionyearsagodeepunderground,their
combinedmassformingwhatiscalledtheSierraNevadabatholith.By65
millionyearsago,theprotoSierraNevadawasworndowntoarangeof
rollinglowmountains,afewthousandfeethigh.
Twentymillionyearsago,crustalextensionassociatedwiththeBasinand
RangeProvincecausedextensivevolcanismintheSierra.About4million
yearsago,theSierraNevadastartedtoformandtilttothewest.Rivers
startedcuttingdeepcanyonsonbothsidesoftherange.TheEarth'sclimate
cooled,andiceagesstartedabout2.5millionyearsago.Glacierscarvedout
characteristicUshapedcanyonsthroughouttheSierra.Thecombinationof
riverandglaciererosionexposedtheuppermostportionsoftheplutons
emplacedmillionsofyearsbefore,leavingonlyaremnantofmetamorphic
rockontopofsomeSierrapeaks.

BasinandRange
TheBasinandRangeisalargephysiographicareacoveringmostofNevada,
partofeasternCalifornia,westernUtah,andsoutheastIdaho.Itliesinthe
rainshadowoftheSierraNevada,southoftheColumbiaPlateauandnorthof
theMohaveDesert,andisamosaicofxericbasins,scatteredmountains,and
saltflats.Itishotterandcontainsmoreandhighermountainsthanthe
ColumbiaPlateau,withmoreperennialstreamsandponderosapineforestat
thehigherelevations.ComparedtotheMojaveDesert,itisnotashotandis
moredominatedbyshrublandandlessbygrassland.

ColumbiaPlateauisanaridsagebrushsteppeand
grasslandsurroundedonthenorth,west,andeastbymoister,predominantly
forested,mountainousecologicalregions.Itisanoddlyshapedphysiographic
areathatcoversportionsofWashington,Oregon,Idaho,Nevada,andasmall
pieceofnortheastCalifornia.Itconsistsofaridtablelands,intermontane
basins,dissectedlavaplains,andwidelyscatteredlowmountains.Thereisa
moresubtletransitiontotheBasinandRangetothesouthinwhichhotter
lowlandsaredissectedbyisolatedmountainranges

TransverseRange(TheLosAngelesRanges)

GreatValley(SanJoaquinValley)

SouthernCaliforniaisseparatedfromtherestofthestatebytheeastwest
trendingTransverseRanges,includingtheTehachapi,whichseparatethe
CentralValleyfromtheMojaveDesert.ThePeninsularRangeslocatedto
thesouthcoverthesouthwesterntipofthestate.UrbanSouthernCalifornia
interspersesthevalleysbetweentheSantaSusanaMountains,SantaMonica
MountainsandSanGabrielMountains,whichrangefromthePacificCoast,
eastwardover100miles(160km),totheSanBernardinoMountains,north
ofSanBernardino.ThehighestpointoftherangeisMountSanGorgonioat
11,499feet(3,505m).TheSanGabrielMountainshaveMountWilson
observatory,wheretheredshiftwasdiscoveredinthe1920s.

California'sgeographyislargelydefinedbyitscentralfeaturetheCentral
Valley,ahuge,fertilevalleybetweenthecoastalmountainrangesandthe
SierraNevada.ThenorthernpartoftheCentralValleyiscalledthe
SacramentoValley,afteritsmainriver,andthesouthernpartiscalledtheSan
JoaquinValleyafteritsmainriver.ThewholeCentralValleyiswateredby
mountainfedrivers(notablytheSanJoaquin,Kings,andSacramento)that
draintotheSanFranciscoBaysystem.Theriversaresufficientlylargeand
deepthatseveralinlandcities,notablyStockton,andSacramentoareseaports.

TheTransverseRangesincludeaseriesofeastwesttrendingmountain
rangesthatextendfromPointConceptionatthewesterntipofSantaBarbara
County,eastward(andabitsouth)totheeastendoftheSanJacinto
MountainsinwesternRiversideCounty.TheSantaYnezMountainsmake
upthewesternmostranges,extendingfromPointConceptiontotheVentura
RiverjustwestnorthwestofOjai,inVenturaCounty.PineMountainRidge,
NordhoffRidgeTopatopaMountains,RinconPeakRedMountain,Sulphur
Mountain,SantaPaulaRidge,SouthMountainOatMountainSantaSusana
Mountains,SimiHills,ConejoMountainsSantaMonicaMountainsareall
partoftheWesternTransverseRanges,inVenturaandwesternLosAngeles
Counties.
TheLiebreMountainsoccupythenorthwestcornerofLosAngelesCounty,
andrepresentanorthwesternextensionoftheSanGabrielMountains,both
onthePacificPlatesideoftheSanAndreasFault.ThefaultdividestheSan
GabrielMountainsfromtheSanBernardinoMountainsfurthertotheeastin

Thesoutherntipofthevalleyhasinteriordrainageandthusisnottechnically
partofthevalleyatall.TulareLake,once570squaremiles(1,476square
kilometers)andnowdryandcoveredwithagriculturalfields,oncefilled
muchofthearea.
Thisisafertileareathatextends500milesfromthenorthwesttothe
southeast.Farmlandislocatedinthisregion.TheSanJoaquinandthe
Sacramento,twoofthestate'slargestriversystemsarelocatedintheCentral
Valley.TotheeastoftheCentralValleyistheSierraNevadaregion,a400
milelongareaofmassivegraniterock.Thehighestpointinthecontinental
UnitedStates,Mt.Whitney,withanelevationof14,495feet,islocatedhere.
Mt.ShastaandMt.Lassen,twovolcanicpeaks,lietothenorthoftheSierra
Nevada.TheyarepartoftheCascadeMountains.
TheCentralandSouthernCaliforniaCoastandValleyscoversthecentraland
southerncoastofCalifornia,includingtheSanFranciscoBayandextending
totheMexicanborder.IntheinterioritincludestheCentralValleyand
foothillsoftheSierraNevada.Chaparralistheclimaxvegetationofareas

SanBernardinoCounty.
ItispossibletosurfinthePacificOceanandskionamountainduringthe
samewinterdayinSouthernCalifornia.

CoastalRanges
TheseRangesinthenorthreachinland20to30milesextend
fromtheKlamathMountainsinthenorthsouthtoSantaBarbara.
TheDiabloandSantaCruzMountainsarelocatedintheCoastal
Ranges.NapaValleyseparatestheseranges.Thelegendary
RedwoodsandtheSanAndreasFaultarelocatedintheCoastal
Ranges.TheSanAndreasFaultentersCaliforniafromthe
PacificOceannearPortArenaandextendssoutheastintothe
state.Earthquakesarecausedbymovementoftheearth'scrust
alongthisfault
SouthernPacificRainforestsextendsfromthePacificcoastline
ofWashingtonandOregoninlandtothecrestoftheCascade
Mountains.ItendsarbitrarilyattheCanadianborder,andalso
includesthecoastalrangesofnorthwesternCalifornia.Savefor
coastalestuariesandsomeinlanddriervalleys(theWillamette
andthePugetTrough),thenaturalvegetationisconiferous
forest.Therearesixconiferousforesttypes,definedbyelevation
andlatitude,includingthecoastalSitkasprucezone,low

characterizedbyaMediterraneanclimate.Variousoaksandotherevergreen
treesdominatemanyofthefoothills.TheCentralValleywasawetland
grasslandcomplexdissectedbyriparianstrips.Thisisadiverseareawitha
highdegreeofendemism.

GreatBasinRegion
TheGreatBasinRegionispartofalarger
areathatextendsintoNevadaandOregon.In
northernCalifornia,itisalavaplateau.Tothe
south,itisanareaofwastelandsthatinclude
theMojaveDesertandtheColoradoDesert.
NorthAmerica'slowestpoint,DeathValley,
282feetbelowsealevel,islocatedintheGreat
Basin.

elevationwesternhemlock/westernredcedar,midelevation
Pacificsilverfirzone,subalpinemountainhemlock,amixed
coniferzoneintheKlamath/SiskiyouMountains,andthe
redwoodforestofnorthwestCalifornia

ColoradoDesert
TotheeastofthepeninsularrangeslietheColoradoandSonoranDeserts,
whichextendintoArizonaandMexico.
Thegroundelevationisgenerallylowerandinsomeareaswascompressed
downward,thereforetheeasternCoachellaandImperialValleysnorthofthe
U.S.Mexicanborderarebelowsealevel,thelowestcommunityintheU.S.
isCalipatria,Californiaat160feet(49m)belowsealevel.TheSonoran
Desertreceivesalowandunevenlydistributedamountofprecipitationover
extensiveplainsandisolatedmountainssurroundingthenorthernendofthe
GulfofCalifornia.IntheUnitedStatesitiscenteredinsouthwestArizona
andsoutheastCaliforniaandextendssouththroughmostofBajaCalifornia
NorteandSurandthewesternhalfofthestateofSonora.Vegetationis
sparseanddiffersfromotherAmericandesertsbyagreaterdominanceof
trees,includingarborescentcactisuchasthesaguaro.Creosoteisacommon

MojaveDesert
Inthe"GreatAmericanDesert"oftheSouthwest,theMohaveliesbetween
andisintermediateinnaturebetweentheGreatBasintothenorthandthe
SonoranDeserttothesouthandeast.ItismostlyinsoutheastCaliforniabut
extendsalsointosouthernNevada,northwestArizona,averysmallpartof
southwestUtah,andliesintherainshadowoftheSouthernCaliforniaRanges
tothewest.Itsmostprominentfeaturesarebroad,sparselyvegetatedplains.
However,italsoincludesdrylakes,sharplyrisingbuttesandrelativelysmall
mountainranges,anditseasternportioniscutthroughbytheColoradoRiver.
ItisgenerallyahigherelevationdesertthantheSonoran,althoughelevation
descendsto300minDeathValley.Lowprecipitation,mostfallinginwinter,
withlowwinterandhighsummertemperaturesarecharacteristic.TheGreat
BasinRegionispartofalargerareathatextendsintoNevadaandOregon.In
northernCalifornia,itisalavaplateau.Tothesouth,itisanareaof
wastelandsthatincludetheMojaveDesertandtheColoradoDesert.North

andwidelydistributedshrub.

America'slowestpoint,DeathValley,282feetbelowsealevel,islocatedin
theGreatBasin.

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