Geomorphic Regions of California

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California Geography

• Geomorphic Regions of California

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Sierra Nevada
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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California Geomorphic Regions

• Californias Coastal Ranges
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges

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California Geomorphic Regions

• Northern Coast Ranges
• Location - part of the Pacific Border province
• Great Valley on East
• Pacific Ocean on West
• Extends from Klamath Mts. in the north to San
  Francisco Bay

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• North Coastal Range
• Mountains
• elevation 4-7000 feet
• rounded non-glaciated peak carved by fluvial or
  water erosion
• individual ranges
• King Range, Mayacamas Mountains, South Fork
  Mountains South Yolla Bolly Mountains
• Mountain Peaks
• Mount St. Helen, Mt. Konocti, Anthony Peak (6963
  ft.)

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• North Coastal Range
• Geomorphology
• Complex set of independent ranges valleys
• parallel set of faults
• South Fork Mt. is on a thrust fault
• Tomales Bay
• mostly Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary
  metamorphic rock
• Mt. Konocti of the Clear Lake Region is volcanic
  with geothermal vents

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• North Coastal Range
• Fluvial Features
• San Francisco Bay
• separates North Coast Range from South Coastal
  Range
• Rivers
• deeply carved with high erosion
• Eel Rivers drains Mendocino area empties at
  Eureka
• Russian River originates in Mendocino and empties
  at Pt. Reyes.

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• North Coastal Range
• Special Features
• Mt. Konocti
• ancient strato volcano

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Sierra Nevada
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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California Geomorphic Regions

• Central Coastal Ranges
• Location - part of the Pacific Border province
• Great Valley on East
• Pacific Ocean on West
• Extends from North Coast Mts. in the north to
  Transverse Range in the south
• 70 miles wide

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Central Coastal Range
• Coastal Regions
• Monterey Bay
• San Luis Bay
• Santa Barbara
• Point Conception

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Central Coastal Range
• Mountains
• Mountain Peak
• Mount Diablo 1,173 meters,

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Central Coastal Range
• Mountains
• elevation 2-4000 feet
• rounded non-glaciated peaks carved by fluvial or
  water erosion

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Central Coastal Range
• Mountains
• individual ranges
• Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Range Diablo
  Range, San Rafael Mountains, Sierra de Salinas,
  Sierra Madre Mountains Temblor Range

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Central Coastal Range
• Geomorphology
• Complex set of independent ranges valleys
• parallel set of faults
• San Andreas, Hayward, Calaveras Sur faults
• mostly Mesozoic-Paleozoic sedimentary
  metamorphic rock
• Morro Rock Seven Sisters of Central Coast
  Region are volcanic

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Central Coastal Range
• Fluvial Features
• San Francisco Bay
• separates North Coast Range from South Coastal
  Range
• Rivers
• wide valleys coastal depositional plains
• Salinas River follows Salinas Valley to Monterey
  Bay
• Santa Maria River south of San Luis Obispo is an
  important ag. Region
• Nacimiento River
• Estrella River

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Central Coastal Range
• Special Features
• Morro Rock
• ancient volcanic neck

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Southern Coastal Range
• Special Features
• San Andreas Fault
• The Carrizo Plain

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Sierra Nevada
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Central Valley

Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley
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California Geomorphic Regions

• Great Central Valley
• Location -
• Coastal Ranges on west
• Sierra Nevada on east
• Klamaths on north
• Transverse on south

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Great Central Valley
• Sedimentary Valley with deposits of river
  alluvium or soil
• 0-600 ft. in elevation
• sediment is up to 10 miles thick on west very
  thin in east due to sediment mainly from the
  Sierra Nevada Range

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Great Central Valley
• Geomorphology
• Cenozoic non marine sediments alluvial deposits
• Agricultural Treasure Chest
• Oil in San Joaquin Valley
• Natural Gas in Sacramento Valley

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Great Central Valley
• Individual Mountain
• Sutter or Marysville Buttes
• Volcanic landscapes
• 3 million ybp small volcanoes rose
• Maryville Buttes (2131 feet)-
  erupted during last ice age
• Cinder cones near Red Bluff

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Great Central Valley
• Natural History
• When Sierra Nevada rose the Great Valley became
  the coastline.
• As Sierra Nevada eroded it filled the valley with
  sediment

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Great Central Valley
• Natural History
• As the Coast Ranges rose, the valley became a
  vast inland sea.
• 10 million years ago it was almost dry
• During the ice age, glacial runoff from the
  Sierras created a huge fresh water lake.
  Gradually it dried too.

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Great Central Valley
• Fluvial Features
• The Valley is mostly fed by Sierra Nevada runoff
• Rivers
• San Joaquin river flows north to the Delta
• Sacramento river flows south to the Delta
• Both old age rivers have created a wide river
  plain
• meanders, oxbow lakes (horseshoe lake) alluvial
  fans shaped deposits

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The Delta
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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Great Central Valley
• Very Dry Valley
• Sacramento averages 6-14 inches of rain per year
• San Joaquin is considered a desert with under 10
  inches
• playas - dried lake beds
• Tulare Lake Basin
• Buena Vista

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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Sacramento Valley
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Sacramento River
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Sacramento Valley
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San Joaquin Valley
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Sierra Foothills
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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Sierra Nevada
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Basin Range
• bounded on east by Sierra Nevada
• bounded on south by Garlock fault north by
  Nevada border
• Great temp. range
• Death Valley very hot
• White Mts. Cold high

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Basin Range Complex
• Mountains
• intervening mountains individual ranges
• Over 40 different mountain ranges
• Cottonwood Mountains, Inyo Mountains, Marble
  Mountains, Panamint Range, Warner Range, White
  Mountains
• Mountain Peak
• White Mountain 14,242 ft
• Glass Mountain 11,127 ft
• Wancoba Mountain 11,217 ft.
• Telescope Mountain 11,045 ft.

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Basin Range
• Geomorphology
• Complex set of independent ranges valleys
• Complex Geology
• Paleozoic sedimentary volcanic rocks
• Cenozoic non marine sedimentary rocks alluvial
  deposits
• Mesozoic granite
• Cenozoic volcanic rocks

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Basin Range
• Geology (continued)
• Volcanic lava flows activity along Highway 395
• bombs, lava flows, columnar lava (Devils
  Postpile) cinder cones (Mono Lake)
• Faulting
• Entire area a series of parallel faults
• uplifted blocks (horst)bounded by faults with
  valleys of sediment filled down dropped (graben)
  fault blocks
• Northern Warner Range Horst
• Surprise Valley is a graben
• Death Valley is a huge graben

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Basin Range
• Fluvial Features
• intermittent streams, features of deposition
• alluvial fans, bajadas, talus slopes, salt pans
• Owens lake playas
• Drainage is mostly small streams draining into
  playas.

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Sierra Nevada
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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California Geomorphic Regions

• Transverse Ranges

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California Geomorphic Regions

• Transverse Ranges

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California Geomorphic Regions

• Transverse Ranges
• East/West Range that includes the Channel Islands
• 40-60 miles in width
• San Andreas Fault forms the northern boundary

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Transverse Ranges
• coastal influences
• mild temperature
• precipitation is rain
• coastal greater than inland
  

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Transverse Ranges
• Location
• located south of Coastal Ranges, Central Valley
  and Sierra Nevada Range
• extends transversely East to West

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Mountains
• elevation 5-9000 feet
• individual ranges
• Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Monica Mountains
  including the Channel Islands, San Bernardino,
  San Gabriel Mts.

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Transverse Ranges
• Geomorphology
• Cenozoic Sedimentary Rocks
• contains abundant marine fossils
• Some precambrian rocks of all types
• Substantial lifting folding (crumpling) of land

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Transverse Ranges
• Fluvial Features
• Rivers (drier climate) Santa Ynez, Santa Clara
• Lakes
• Pyramid Lake
• Alluvial Fans
• Earth Slides

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Transverse Ranges
• Special Features
• Channel Islands
• Santa Cruz
• Anacapa
• Santa Catalina

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Californias Channel Islands
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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Sierra Nevada
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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California Geomorphic Regions

• Mojave Desert
• high desert sandwiched between the Garlock Fault
  and San Andreas fault
• North are Basin Range Sierras

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Mojave Desert
• inland in the rain shadow of the Transverse and
  Sierra Nevada Mountains
• great temperature ranges
• cold high desert winter
• hot summers

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Mojave Desert
• very little precipitation
• much less than 10 of rain
• some snow
• Geomorphology
• sedimentary rock overlaying granitic base
• cenozoic non marine alluvium deposits
• Mountains
• Calico Mts. Ord Mts. Chocolate Mts.,

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Mojave Desert
• Fluvial Features
• Rivers
• intermittent
• Mojave River, Owens River, Colorado River (on
  west created the Salton Sea)
• Lakes
• playas

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Mojave Desert
• Special Features
• Red Rock Canyon

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Mojave Desert

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Sierra Nevada
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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California Geomorphic Regions

• LA Basin
• Between Peninsular Ranges Transverse Ranges
• a plain along the coast

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• L.A. Basin
• coastal influences
• mild temperature
• precipitation is rain
  

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• L.A. Basin

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• L.A. Basin
• Location
• Surrounded by Transverse Ranges
• Coastal Lowland
• Mountains
• gentle sloping plain ranging from 0 to 1000 ft.
• individual hills

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• L.A. Basin
• Geomorphology
• sedimentary lowland
• alluvial soils from San Gabriel and Los Angeles
  Rivers

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• L.A. Basin
• Fluvial Features
• Rivers
• San Gabriel River
• Los Angeles River
• Santa Ana River

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• L.A. Basin

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• L.A. Skyline

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• L.A. Basin
• Special Features
• Half population of state
• Major region of industry

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• L.A. Coastline

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• L.A. Basin
• South Coast

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• L.A. Basin
• Special Features
• Rose Bowl Parade

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Sierra Nevada
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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California Geomorphic Regions

• The Peninsular Ranges
• Runs north south from LA Basin along the coast
  to Baja
• Pacific Border to Salton Trough

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• The Peninsular Ranges
• coastal influences
• mild temperature
• precipitation is very light rain

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• The Peninsular Ranges
• strong N-S influence in features to due faulting
  of San Jacinto Elisinore fault zone

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• The Peninsular Ranges
• Location
• located south of L.A. Basin and west of Salton
  Sink
• Pacific border province

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• The Peninsular Ranges
• Mountains
• elevation 3-11,000 ft.
• Mt. San Jacinto 10,831
• individual ranges - San Jacinto Mts., Santa Ana
  Mts, Laguna Mts., Vallecito Mts., Santa Margarita
  Mts., Palomar Mts.

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• The Peninsular Ranges
• Geomorphology
• extrusive igneous rocks
• a continuation of the Sierra Nevada
• Mesozoic granitic rock was uplifted
• contains abundant marine fossils
• Related to Sierra Nevada Klamaths but unlike
  the Sierra they do not contain gold but contain
  gem stones as a result of heat pressure
• Terraces near San Diego are a result of fall and
  rise of the sea

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• The Peninsular Ranges
• Fluvial Features
• Rivers - Santa Ana River , San Diego River,
  Margarita River
• Lakes- Lake Elsinore, Lake Matthews

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• The Peninsular Ranges
• Special Features

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Sierra Nevada
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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California Geomorphic Regions

• Salton Sink
• also called Salton Trough and the Colorado Desert
  (low desert)

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Californias Geomorphic Regions
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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Salton Sink
• inland in the rain shadow of the Peninsular Mts.
• wide temperature ranges
• little precipitation
• low elevation

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Salton Sink
• Location
• located east of Peninsular Range
• Southeast corner of California
• southern border shared with Mexico
• Plain
• known as the low desert
• much at or below sea level
• individual range - Sand Hills,
• Pumice Buttes (volcanic)
• Obsidian Flats (obsidian flow)

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Salton Sink
• Geomorphology
• Cenozoic non-marine sedimentary lowlands
• Coachella Valley
• Imperial Valley
• many alluvial deposits
• Faulting - cut by many faults including San
  Andreas, San Jacinto Elsinore
• marked by rift valleys, prominent scarps linear
  valleys
• strike slip faults horsts grabens

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Salton Sink
• Fluvial Features
• Rivers
• Alamo River, Whitewater River
• Lakes
• Salton Sea

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Californias Geomorphic Regions

• Salton Sink
• Special Features
• Borrego Badlands

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Klamath Mountains
• Southern Cascades
• Modoc Plateau
• Northern Coast Ranges
• Central Coast Ranges
• Sierra Nevada
• Central Valley
• Sacramento Valley
• San Joaquin Valley

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GEOMORPHIC REGIONS

• Basin Range
• LA. Basin
• The Mojave Desert
• Peninsular Range
• The Salton Sink (Colorado Desert)

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