1. California’s Mineral, Energy, and Soil Resources
Chapter 13A, Section 1

2. Geology of California
Some of the features of the California landscape formed as the result of tectonic processes that took place deep beneath the surface
Wind, water, ice, and other agents of erosion at the surface carved other features of the landscape
Millions of years ago, the subduction of an oceanic plate beneath the North American plate forming large pools of magma and later crystallizing
Uplift and erosion eventually exposed these batholiths to form the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Surface processes formed places like the Central Valley (used to be an inland sea)

4. California’s Mineral Resources
California’s major mineral resources include sand, gravel, crushed stone, building stone, gold, silver, iron, evaporite minerals, and clay
Sand and gravel are California’s most valuable industrial minerals, used in road-building and construction
Gold, silver, and iron are the major metallic minerals mined in California
The most productive gold mines include the Sierra Nevada, the Klamath Mountains, and the Mojave Desert
Silver is mined in the Sierra Nevada
Iron is from the Mojave desert region
We also have an abundance of non-metallic minerals, including: borates, gypsum, and clay
Small quantities of gemstones, such as tourmaline, garnet, agate, and jade

5. California’s Mineral Resources

6. Concept Check What does the term mineral resources mean?
Natural resources that include minerals, rocks, and sediment

7. California’s Energy Resources
California’s major energy resources—oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy—are the result of geologic processes that occur deep beneath the surface
Source Rocks – rocks in which oil forms
Reservoir Rocks – porous rocks in which oil collects and becomes trapped
Geothermal Field – an area of land where magma lies relatively close to the surface and heats the groundwater

8. Geothermal Energy

9. Concept Check What is a geothermal field?
An area where magma that is close to the surface heats the groundwater.

10. California’s Soil Resources
The soils of California include soils of the Sierras, soils of the Coast Ranges and Cascades, valley soils (including the Central Valley), and desert soils
CA’s fertile valley soils are its most important soil resource
In northern CA, heavy rains wash away the nutrients from the soil
In southern CA, the soils contain more nutrients, due to the small amount of rainfall
Every year, many acres of farmland are lost or damaged because of soil erosion or the spread of urban areas
It can take over 500 years to build up 2.5 cm of soil

11. California’s Soil Resources

12. Assignment Read Chapter 13A (pg. CA 4 – CA 26) Ch 13 Assessment