California Geography Domain 3.1- The Physical Geography – Flashcards

California is a land of varied climate, topography, critical resources, and great natural beauty. The third-largest state in land size, California covers an extensive area of 163,693 square miles. While its coastal climate is mild and even cool along the central and northern coast, the southeastern part of the state is hot and dry. Across much of this region stretch the parched and hostile landscapes of the Mojave and Colorado deserts.

The profile of the northern part of the state contrasts with that of the southern. Rainfall varies throughout the north from 15 inches to 50 inches per year. At the extreme end of the scale, the redwood forests of the northern coast can receive more than 100 inches of rain. California's high mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, and the Trinity Alps, receive snow during the winter months. Here resorts like Lake Tahoe and Mount Shasta can receive more than 10 feet of snow per year—and often more in a given winter season.

This precipitation feeds California's most significant rivers, including the Trinity River in the far northern part of the state, the Colorado River, and the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, which converge into a geographically rare inverted delta in the northern Central Valley. Also notable is the largest alpine lake in the United States, Lake Tahoe, shared by California and Nevada.

A. California extends approximately 800 miles from north to south and ranges from 150 to 350 miles east to west. B. California borders Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico.

Mount Whitney, at 14,495 feet, is the highest peak in the continental United States. Death Valley is the lowest point, at 282 feet below sea level.

California shows dramatic changes in topography across the state: rugged mountain peaks, fertile valleys, dense forests, ocean boundaries, and extensive deserts.

California geology evidences faulting, folding, alluvial and sedimentary deposition, and volcanic activity.California is a region of frequent seismic activity. The San Andreas Fault system extends for 500 miles. Its movement is largely horizontal, with the west side of the fault moving northward and the east side moving southward.

Growing seasons extend throughout the year. In many areas of the state, there are just two distinct seasons: a mild, wet winter and a relatively long, dry summer.

Southern California's climate is characterized as Mediterranean and is unique in the United States. The state has many diverse microclimates, though generally the coastal climate is mild and the interior is much more extreme. The interior basins have the most extreme temperatures

Few California rivers are navigable. Notable rivers are the San Joaquin and the Sacramento (and their tributaries), and the Colorado.