Editing Geography of California (section)

==Northern California==
[[File:Mtshasta-large.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Mount Shasta from [[Interstate 5]]]]
{{main|Northern California}}

Northern California usually refers to the state's northernmost 48 counties.

The main population centers of Northern California include [[San Francisco Bay Area]] (which includes the cities of [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], and the largest city of the region, [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]), and [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] (the state capital) as well as [[Greater Sacramento|its metropolitan area]]. It also contains [[Sequoia sempervirens|redwood]] forests, along with the [[Sierra Nevada]] including [[Yosemite Valley]] and [[Lake Tahoe]], [[Mount Shasta]] (the second-highest peak in the [[Cascade Range]] after [[Mount Rainier]] in [[Washington state|Washington]]), and the northern half of the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]], one of the world's most productive agricultural regions. The climate can be generally characterized by its [[Oceanic climate|marine]] to warm [[Mediterranean climate]]s along the coast, to a somewhat continental Mediterranean climate in the valley to alpine climate zones in the high mountains.  Apart from the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] and [[Sacramento metropolitan area]]s (and some other cities in the Central Valley), it is a region of relatively low population density. Northern California's economy is noted for being the de facto world leader in industries such as high technology (both software and [[semiconductor]]), as well as being known for [[Environmental engineering|clean power]], biomedical, government, and finance.

===Klamath Mountains===
[[File:Canyon Creek Lakes (3618410685).jpg|thumb|upright|Alpine tarn in the [[Trinity Alps]]]]
The [[Klamath Mountains]] are a [[mountain range|range]] in northwest California and southwest Oregon, the highest peak being [[Mount Eddy]] in [[Trinity County, California]], at {{convert|9037|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=1223|title=Klamath Mountains|work=Peakbagger|access-date=2015-12-16}}</ref> The range has a varied geology, with substantial areas of [[Serpentine group|serpentine]] and [[marble]]. The climate is characterized by moderately cold winters with heavy snowfall and warm, very dry summers with limited rainfall.<ref>{{cite book|year=2006|first1=C.N.|last1=Skinner|first2=A.H.|last2=Taylor|first3=J.K.|last3=Agee|chapter=Klamath Mountains bioregion|title=Fire in California's Ecosystems|editor1-first=N.G.|editor1-last=Sugihara|editor2-first=J.W.|editor2-last=van Wagtendonk|editor3-first=J.|editor3-last=Fites-Kaufman|editor-first4=K.E.|editor4-last=Shaffer|editor-first5=A.E.|editor-last5=Thode|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley, CA|pages=170–194}}</ref> As a consequence of the geology, the mountains 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 [[Wisconsin glaciation|last ice age]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://botany.si.edu/projects/cpd/na/na16c.htm|title=KLAMATH-SISKIYOU REGION, California and Oregon, U.S.A.|work=North America Regional Centre of Endemism|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|access-date=2011-11-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606112322/http://botany.si.edu/projects/cpd/na/na16c.htm|archive-date=2011-06-06}}</ref>

===Cascade Range===

The [[Cascade Range]] is a mountainous region stretching from the [[Fraser River]] in [[British Columbia]], Canada down to south of [[Lassen Peak]], California.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cascade Alpine Guide: Columbia River to Stevens Pass|page=11|first=Fred W.|last=Beckey|year=2000|publisher=Mountaineers Press}}</ref> The Cascades (as they are called for short) are part of the Pacific [[Ring of Fire]], the ring of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean.<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers|first1=Pratap|last1=Singh|first2=Umesh Kumar|last2=Haritashya|page=111|publisher=Springer|year=2011}}</ref> All of the known historic eruptions in the contiguous United States have been from either Cascade volcanoes or near [[Mono Lake]].<ref name=firemountains>{{cite book|last=Harris|first=Stephen L.|year=2005|title=Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes|url=https://archive.org/details/firemountainsofw00harr|url-access=registration|edition=3rd|publisher=Mountain Press Publishing Company|isbn=978-0-87842-220-3}}</ref>{{rp|7}} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1998/fs173-98/|title=Eruptions of Lassen Peak|id=Fact Sheet 173-98|publisher=United States Geological Survey|access-date=2011-11-26}}</ref>

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.<ref name=firemountains/>{{rp|99}}

===Modoc Plateau===
In the northeast corner of the state lies the [[Modoc Plateau]], an expanse of [[lava]] flows that formed a million years ago and now lie at an altitude of {{convert|4000|to|5000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ModocWAP/> The plateau has many [[cinder cone]]s, [[juniper]] flats, [[pine]] forests, and seasonal lakes.<ref>{{cite book|title=Fire in California's ecosystems|first=Neil G.|last=Sugihara|page=225|publisher=University of California Press|year=2006}}</ref> The plateau lies between the Cascade Range to the west and the [[Warner Mountains]] to the east.<ref name=ModocWAP>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/WAP/docs/report/ch12-modoc.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502233858/http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/WAP/docs/report/ch12-modoc.pdf|archive-date=2009-05-02|title=Modoc Plateau Region|work=California Wildlife Action Plan|publisher=California Department of Fish and Game|year=2007}}</ref> The [[Lost River (California)|Lost River]] watershed drains the north part of the plateau, while southern watersheds either collect in basin reservoirs or flow into [[Big Sage Reservoir]] and thence to the [[Pit River]].

Nine percent of the plateau is protected as reserves or wilderness areas,<ref name=ModocWAP/> such as the [[Modoc National Wildlife Refuge]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/modoc/|title=Modoc National Wildlife Refuge|publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service}}</ref> The plateau supports large herds of [[mule deer]] (''Odocoileus hemionus''), [[Rocky Mountain Elk]] (''Cervus canadensis''), and [[pronghorn]] (''Antilocapra americana'').<ref name=ModocWAP/> Herds of wild horses and livestock grazing have altered the original high desert ecosystem of the plateau.<ref name=ModocWAP/>

===Basin and Range===
[[File:Mono Lake from Mount Dana (1).jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Mono Lake]]
To the east of the Sierra is the [[Basin and Range Province|Basin and Range geological province]], which extends into [[Nevada]]. The Basin and Range is a series of mountains and valleys (specifically [[Horst (geology)|horst]]s and [[graben]]s), caused by the extension of the Earth's crust.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/province/basinrange.html|title=Basin and Range Province|publisher=United States Geological Survey|access-date=2012-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125163038/http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/province/basinrange.html|archive-date=2009-01-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> One notable feature of the Basin and Range is [[Mono Lake]], which is the oldest lake in [[North America]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Harris|first=S.L.|year=2005|title=Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes|publisher=Mountain Press|isbn=978-0-87842-511-2|page=61}}</ref> The Basin and Range also contains the [[Owens Valley]], the deepest valley in North America (more than 10,000 feet (3&nbsp;km) deep, as measured from the top of Mount Whitney).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Genny|first2=Jeff|last2=Putnam|year=1976|title=Deepest Valley: a Guide to Owens Valley, its roadsides and mountain trails|edition=2nd|publisher=Genny Smith books|isbn=0-931378-14-1}}</ref>

In the eastern part of the state, below the Sierra Nevada, there is a series of dry lake beds that were filled with water during the last ice age (fed by ice melt from [[glacier|alpine glacier]]s but never directly affected by [[glaciation]]; see [[pluvial]]).<ref>{{cite web|publisher=United States Geological Survey|title=Shoreline Butte: Ice age Death Valley|url=http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/deva/ftsho1.html|work=Death Valley Geology Field Trip Shoreline Butte|date=30 June 2000|access-date=2009-09-10|archive-date=2015-04-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430063530/http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/deva/ftsho1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many of these lakes have extensive [[evaporite|evaporite deposit]]s that contain a variety of different [[salt (chemistry)|salt]]s. In fact, the salt sediments of many of these lake beds have been [[mining|mined]] for many years for various salts, most notably [[borax]] (this is most famously true for [[Owens Lake]] and [[Death Valley]]).

In this province reside the [[White Mountains (California)|White Mountains]], which are home to the oldest living organism in the world, the [[bristlecone pine]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/methuselah/explore.html|title=Explore the Methuselah Grove|work=NOVA Online: Methuselah Tree|publisher=PBS|last=Bain|first=G. Donald|year=2001}}</ref>

===Coast Ranges===
[[File:San Francisco Bay Area Skyline Blvd.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Skyline Boulevard, along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains]]

To the west of the Central Valley lies the [[Coast Ranges (California)|Coast Ranges]], including the [[Diablo Range]], just east of [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], and the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]], to the south of San Francisco.  The Coast Ranges north of San Francisco become increasingly foggy and rainy. These mountains are noted for their [[coast redwood]]s, the [[List of tallest trees|tallest trees]] on earth, which live within the range of the coastal [[fog]].

===Central Valley===
California's geography is largely defined by its central feature—the [[California Central Valley|Central Valley]], a huge, fertile [[valley]] between the coastal mountain ranges and the [[Sierra Nevada]]. The northern part of the Central Valley is called the [[Sacramento Valley]], after its main river, and the southern part is called the [[San Joaquin Valley]] {{IPAc-en|ˌ|s|æ|n|_|w|ɑː|ˈ|k|iː|n}}, after its main river.  The whole Central Valley is watered by mountain-fed rivers (notably the [[San Joaquin River|San Joaquin]], [[Kings River (California)|Kings]], and [[Sacramento River|Sacramento]]) that drain to the [[San Francisco Bay]] system. The rivers are sufficiently large and deep that several inland cities, notably [[Stockton, California|Stockton]], and [[Sacramento]] are seaports.

The southern tip of the valley has interior drainage and thus is not technically part of the valley at all. [[Tulare Lake]], with an area of {{convert|570|mi2|km2|0}}, once filled much of the area. In modern times, it is usually a [[dry lake]] and partially covered with agricultural fields. The lake reappears during unusually high levels of rainfall or snow melt such as the winter of 2022 and early spring of 2023.

===Sierra Nevada===
[[File:Little Lakes Valley.jpg|thumb|[[Rock Creek (Owens River)|Little Lakes Valley]] in the eastern Sierra Nevada]]
In the east of the state lies the [[Sierra Nevada]], which runs north–south for {{convert|400|mi|km}}. The highest peak in the contiguous United States, [[Mount Whitney]] at 14,505 feet (4.42&nbsp;km), lies within the Sierra Nevada. The topography of the Sierra is shaped by uplift and glacial action.

The Sierra has 200–250 sunny days each year, warm summers, fierce winters, and varied terrain, a rare combination of rugged variety and pleasant weather.  The famous [[Yosemite Valley]] lies in the Central Sierra. The large, deep freshwater [[Lake Tahoe]] lies to the North of Yosemite. The Sierra is also home to the [[Giant Sequoia]], the most massive trees on Earth.

The most famous hiking and horse-packing trail in the Sierra is the [[John Muir Trail]], which goes from the top of Mt. Whitney to Yosemite valley. This is part of the [[Pacific Crest Trail]] that goes from [[Mexico]] to [[Canada]]. The three major national parks in this province are [[Yosemite National Park]], [[Kings Canyon National Park]], and [[Sequoia National Park]].

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