Editing Pacific Northwest (section)

==Geography==
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The Pacific Northwest is a diverse geographic region, dominated by several mountain ranges, including the [[Coast Mountains]], the [[Cascade Range]], the [[Olympic Mountains]], the [[Columbia Mountains]], and the [[Rocky Mountains]]. The highest peak in the Pacific Northwest is Mount Rainier, in the Washington Cascades, at {{convert|14410|ft|m|0}}. Immediately inland from the Cascade Range are broad, generally dry plateaus. In the US, this region is known as the [[Columbia Plateau]], while in British Columbia, it is the [[Interior Plateau]], also called the [[Fraser Plateau]]. The Columbia Plateau was the scene of massive ice-age floods, and as a consequence, there are many [[coulee]]s, canyons, and the [[Channeled Scablands]]. Much of the plateau, especially in eastern Washington, is [[irrigated]] [[arable land|farmland]].<ref name="schillinger2010">{{cite book | last1 = Schillinger | first1 = W.F. | last2 = Papendick | first2 = R.I. | last3 = McCool | first3 = D.K. | chapter = Soil and Water Challenges for Pacific Northwest Agriculture | title = Soil and Water Conservation Advances in the United States | series = SSSA Special Publications | year = 2010 | volume = 60 | pages = 47–79 | doi = 10.2136/sssaspecpub60.c2 | editor-last1 = Zobeck | editor-first1 = T.M. | editor-last2 = Schillinger | editor-first2 = W.F. | isbn = 9780891188520}}</ref> The Columbia River cuts a deep and wide gorge around the rim of the Columbia Plateau and through the Cascade Range on its way to the Pacific Ocean.

Because many areas have plentiful rainfall and mild summers, the Pacific Northwest has some of North America's most lush and extensive forests, which are extensively populated with [[Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii|Coast Douglas fir]] trees, the second tallest growing [[evergreen]] [[conifer]] on earth. The region also contains specimens of the [[List of tallest trees|tallest trees]] on earth, the [[Sequoia sempervirens|coast redwoods]], in southwestern Oregon, but the largest of these trees are located just south of the California border in northwestern California. Coastal forests in some areas are classified as [[temperate rainforest]].

Coastal features are defined by the interaction with the Pacific and the North American continent. The coastline of the Pacific Northwest is dotted by numerous fjords, bays, islands, and mountains. Some of these features include the [[Oregon Coast]], [[Burrard Inlet]], [[Puget Sound]], and the highly complex fjords of the [[British Columbia Coast]] and [[Southeast Alaska]]. The region has one of the world's longest [[fjord]] coastlines.<ref name="Howe2010">{{cite book|last=Howe|first=J. A.|title=Fjord Systems and Archives|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rTOvGGUYNokC&pg=PA144|year=2010|publisher=Geological Society of London|isbn=978-1-86239-312-7|pages=144–150}}</ref>

The Pacific Northwest contains an uncountable number of islands, many of the smaller ones being unnamed. The vast majority of such islands are in British Columbia and Alaska. Vancouver Island is by far the largest island in the area, but other significant land masses include the [[Haida Gwaii]], vast and remote [[Princess Royal Island]], [[Prince of Wales Island (Alaska)|Prince of Wales Island]] and [[Chichagof Island]]. The [[Salish Sea]] located close to major populated areas contains smaller but more frequently visited and well known islands. These include [[Whidbey Island]], [[Salt Spring Island]], and [[Texada Island]], along with dozens of smaller islands in the [[San Juan Islands|San Juan]] and [[Gulf Islands|Gulf Island]] chains.

The major cities of Vancouver, [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Seattle]], and [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] all began as [[seaport]]s supporting the logging, mining, and farming industries of the region, but have developed into major technological and industrial centers (such as the [[Silicon Forest]]), which benefit from their location on the [[Pacific Rim]].

If defined as British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, the Pacific Northwest has four [[List of National Parks of the United States|US National Parks]]: [[Crater Lake National Park|Crater Lake]] in Oregon, and [[Olympic National Park|Olympic]], [[Mount Rainier National Park|Mount Rainier]], and [[North Cascades National Park|North Cascades]] in Washington. If a larger regional definition is used, then other US National Parks might be included, such as [[Redwood National and State Parks]], [[Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve|Glacier Bay National Park]], [[Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve|Wrangell–St. Elias National Park]], [[Grand Teton National Park]], and parts of [[Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park]] and [[Yellowstone National Park]]. There are several [[National parks of Canada|Canadian National Parks]] in the Pacific Northwest, including [[Pacific Rim National Park]] on the west coast of Vancouver Island, [[Mount Revelstoke National Park]] and [[Glacier National Park (Canada)|Glacier National Park]] in the Selkirk Range alongside [[Rogers Pass (British Columbia)|Rogers Pass]], [[Kootenay National Park]] and [[Yoho National Park]] on the British Columbia flank of the Rockies, [[Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site|Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve]] in Haida Gwaii, and the [[Gulf Islands National Park Reserve]] in the Strait of Georgia. There are numerous [[List of protected areas of British Columbia|protected areas in British Columbia]] and [[Protected areas of the United States|in the United States]].

Other outstanding natural features include the [[Columbia River Gorge]], [[Fraser Canyon]], [[Mount St. Helens]], [[Malaspina Glacier]], and [[Hells Canyon]]. The south-central Coast Mountains in British Columbia contain the five largest mid-latitude [[icefield]]s in the world.

===Climate===
The main general climatic types of the Pacific Northwest are temperate; cool temperatures and frequent cloudy skies are typical. Under the [[Köppen climate classification]], a [[warm-summer Mediterranean]] (''Csb'') designation is assigned to many areas of the Pacific Northwest as far north as central Vancouver Island and the [[Gulf Islands]], including cities such as [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], Vancouver (coast area), Seattle, and Portland.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peel |first1=M. C. |last2=Finlayson |first2=B. L. |last3=McMahon |first3=T. A. |date=July 4, 2010 |title=Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification |url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html |journal=Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=1633–1644 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |s2cid=9654551 |access-date=August 18, 2010 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Other climate classification systems, such as [[Trewartha climate classification scheme|Trewartha]], place these areas in the oceanic zone (''Do'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Global Ecological Zoning for the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/ad652e/ad652e07.htm |access-date=August 18, 2010 |work=Fao.org}}</ref> An [[Alpine climate]] dominates in the high mountains. [[Semi-arid]] and [[arid]] climates are found east of the higher mountains, especially in [[rainshadow]] areas. The [[Harney Basin]] of Oregon is an example of arid climate in the Pacific Northwest. [[Humid continental]] climates occur inland on windward sides, in places such as [[Revelstoke, British Columbia]]. A [[subarctic climate]] can be found farther north, especially in Yukon and Alaska.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/North_America_K%C3%B6ppen_Map.png|title=North America Köppen Map}}</ref>

The lack of rain in the hot season is associated with [[High-pressure area|high atmospheric pressure]]. The shadows of the mountains also greatly decrease the amount of precipitation. West of the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]], the marine climates have a much greater precipitation than the west coast of [[Europe]] due to [[orographic lift]], with some regions seeing as much as 3,500&nbsp;mm (138&nbsp;in) of precipitation per year. Winters are very mild for the region's latitude. The growth of ''[[Arbutus]]'', an evergreen broad-leafed tree, is possible on Vancouver Island due to the mild winters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/weather/2014/07/the_pacific_ocean_and_oregons.html|title=Portland cooldown coming: Oregon's summer Mediterranean climate explained (video)|last=Tomlinson|first=Stuart|date=July 15, 2014|website=oregonlive.com|language=en-US|access-date=February 15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/04/opinion/seattle-on-the-mediterranean.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Seattle on the Mediterranean|last=Egan|first=Timothy|date=July 3, 2015|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 15, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vegetation-regions|title=Vegetation Regions|website=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]|access-date=September 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/on-vancouver-island-summer-droughts-are-the-new-normal|title=On Vancouver Island, Summer Droughts Are the New Normal|website=www.cbc.ca|language=en|access-date=February 15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arbutusridge.ca/climate/|title=Climate|website=Arbutus Ridge Active Adult Retirement Community|language=en-US|access-date=February 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215215758/https://www.arbutusridge.ca/climate/|archive-date=February 15, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-characteristics-of-an-oceanic-type-of-climate.html|title=What Are The Characteristics of an Oceanic Type of Climate?|website=WorldAtlas|date=February 5, 2018|language=en|access-date=February 15, 2019}}</ref>

====The Big Dark====

'''The Big Dark''' is a term for winter in the Pacific Northwest. At a latitude of almost [[48th parallel north|48 degrees north]], Seattle has sunsets before 6 PM between October and March, and fewer than nine hours of daylight for many weeks around the winter solstice.<ref name=Clarridge2019/><ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[KCPQ-TV|Fox 13 Seattle]] |title='The Big Dark'; Wednesday marks last 6 p.m. Seattle sunset until March |date=October 26, 2022 |url=https://www.q13fox.com/news/the-big-dark-wednesday-marks-last-6-p-m-seattle-sunset-until-march |accessdate=December 17, 2022}}</ref> The darkness contributes to [[seasonal affective disorder]] among people living in northern cities, including those in the [[Puget Sound region]].<ref>{{cite news |title=How to beat 'The Big SAD'; Seasonal Affective Disorder in Western Washington |date=October 28, 2022 |publisher=Fox 13 Seattle |url=https://www.q13fox.com/news/how-to-beat-the-big-sad-seasonal-affective-disorder-in-the-puget-sound |accessdate=December 17, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[KUOW-FM]] |location=Seattle |work=Seattle Now |title=The big dark and the big SAD are here |date=November 16, 2021 |author1=Patricia Murphy |author2=Caroline Chamberlain Gomez |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-now-the-big-dark-and-the-big-sad-are-here |accessdate=December 17, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work=Right as Rain |publisher=[[UW Medicine]] |title=How to Survive — and Thrive — in the Pacific Northwest's Cold, Dark Months |author=McKenna Princing |date=December 19, 2019 |url=https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/mind/mental-health/winter-motivation-tips |accessdate=December 17, 2022}}</ref> The darkness is enhanced by a return from dry summers to extremely cloudy and wet weather characterized by recurring [[atmospheric river]]s and [[Pacific Northwest windstorm]]s.<ref name=Clarridge2019>{{cite news |newspaper=The Seattle Times |title=First of six weather systems rolls into Seattle area; at least a week of rain ahead |date=October 16, 2019 |first=Christine |last=Clarridge |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/brace-yourselves-seattle-the-big-dark-is-coming/ |accessdate=December 17, 2022 |quote=The expression "The Big Dark" has been used by [[National Weather Service|[National] Weather Service]] staffers in the past to refer to this period between October and March when it feels like there's constantly gray overhead. ... At about 47 degrees latitude, Seattle has one of the most extreme dark seasons in the continental United States. We get fewer than 8 ½ hours of daylight on the shortest day in December, and what little daylight we get is often shrouded by clouds.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Mass |first=Cliff |authorlink=Cliff Mass |website=Cliff Mass Weather Blog |date=October 18, 2017 |accessdate=December 17, 2022 |title=The First Significant Storm of the Season |url=https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-significant-storm-of-season.html |quote=The Seattle Times called it the onset of the "Big Dark", but those who know Northwest weather call it the "Big Normal".   Right on time we are enjoying the stimulating strong winds and heavy rain of a potent Pacific front.}}</ref>

===Ecoregions===
[[File:Cascades panorama from the upper meadow below Park Butte.jpg|thumb|The Cascades range]]
Much of the Pacific Northwest is forested. The [[Georgia Strait]]–[[Puget Sound]] basin is shared between western British Columbia and Washington, and the [[Pacific temperate rain forests]] ecoregion, which is the largest of the world's [[temperate rain forest]] [[ecoregion]]s in the system created by the [[World Wildlife Fund]], stretches along the coast from Alaska to California. The dry desert inland from the [[Cascade Range]] and [[Coast Mountains]] is very different from the terrain and climate of the coastal area due to the [[rain shadow effect]] of the mountains, and comprises the Columbia, Fraser and Thompson Plateaus and mountain ranges contained within them. The interior regions' climates largely within Eastern Washington, south central British Columbia, Eastern Oregon, and southern Idaho are a part of the [[Great Basin Desert]], although by their northern and eastern reaches, dry land and desert areas verge at the end of the Cascades' and [[Coast Mountains]]' [[rain shadow]]s with the boreal forest and various [[Alpine tundra|alpine flora regimes]] characteristic of eastern British Columbia, the [[Idaho Panhandle]] and western [[Montana]] roughly along a longitudinal line defined by the Idaho border with Washington and Oregon. The [[North American inland temperate rainforest]] is in the so-called interior wet-belt, approximately 500–700&nbsp;km inland from the Pacific coast on western, windward mountain slopes and valley bottoms of the [[Columbia Mountains]] and the [[Rocky Mountains]]. The interior wet-belt refers to a discontinuous band of humid forest patches, that are scattered over 1000&nbsp;km between [[Purden Lake Provincial Park|Purden Lake]] in Canada's [[British Columbia]] (54° North) and Montana and Idaho's [[Bitterroot Mountains]] and Idaho's [[Salmon River Mountains]] (45° North).<ref>Goward, Trevor; Spribille, Toby (2005). "Lichenological evidence for the recognition of inland rain forests in western North America". Journal of Biogeography. 32 (7): 1209-2010.</ref> It is closely associated with the [[North Central Rockies forests]] [[ecoregion]] designated by the [[World Wildlife Fund|WWF]], which extends over a similar range but incorporates various non-temperate rainforest ecosystems.