California’s Resources & Natural Hazards

California Geology Sierra Nevada Mountains Volcanoes San Andres Fault Central Valley

Sierra Nevada’s An oceanic plate subducting beneath the N. American plate, causing igneous rock to form Erosion and uplifting exposed mountains

Ore deposits Form when molten igneous rock was injected into older rock GOLD!!! Mostly mined in the Sierra Nevada mountains (also Klamath Mts and Mojave desert)

Central Valley This fault movement caused portions of the crust to drop down Created the CENTRAL VALLEY Sediments were deposited in the valley These sediments made the valley a major agricultural area and source of oil and natural gas

Volcanoes Subduction of Juan de Fuca plate beneath the NA plate produced volcanoes (Cascade Mountains) Mt. Shasta & Lassen Peak

Volcanoes Mt. Shasta, type: Composite volcano, Last active: 1786

Volcanoes Mt. Lassen, type: Volcano dome, Last activity: 1921

San Andres Fault The force that uplifted mountains also caused a transform boundary to form This fault is the SAF Pacific plate is moving NW relative to the NA plate

Natural Disasters in California

Major Californian Earthquakes Major earthquakes of the past 1906 San Francisco Magnitude 8.1, massive damage, many fires burned the city

Major Californian Earthquakes 1989 SF Bay Area Magnitude 7.1, massive damage, bridges and highways collapse.

Major Californian Earthquakes 1994 Northridge Magnitude 6.4, many buildings destroyed

Fires The dry summers and falls make perfect conditions for fires in southern California

Fires In Northern California, the build up of brush create the perfect fuel for fires

Fires Small fires are good, natures way of cleaning itself

Landslides Too much rain all at once could trigger a landslide. example: La Conchita

Coastal Erosion Caused from energy of waves Occurs along coastal cliffs Santa Barbara

Tsunami’s Earthquakes along the Pacific Rim cause seismic sea waves… called TSUNAMIS

Importance of WATER

Water & the Economy California’s Economy relies on Agriculture and Industry These two things require LARGE amounts of water!

CA Water Supply Freshwater supply is from Precipitation Surface Water Groundwater Begins as snow that falls on the Sierra Nevada Mts

Water Projects Projects are created to meet freshwater needs throughout the state Aqueducts Channel where water flows from high elevation to lower elevation Water comes from Sierra Nevada’s & Colorado River

Water Conservation During dry seasons and draughts, conservation is a must water lawns less, shorten showers, use water saving washers, fewer car washes