CALIFORNIA GEOGRAPHY –
EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE – SPRING 2009
BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, DESCRIBE AND GIVE AN EXAMPLE FOR THE FOLLOWING TERMS/CONCEPTS
General Background
Location of California – latitude/longitude
Basic climatic systems
Population: Areas of population clustersEthnic mix
California’s geographic perspectives:
General isolation from rest of U.S. due to deserts, mountains
Few natural deep harbors
Westward looking – trade with Circum Pacific nations
California’s Physiographic perspectives - dominated by mountains
Great Central ValleyVolcanic regionsArid regions
California’s spatial distribution of water resources
Geologic History/Geologic Hazards
Age of California – source of materials
Timing of mountain-building events – CoastalRanges – Sierra Nevada – PeninsularRanges – TransverseRanges
Geologic timeline for California
Plate tectonicsTheoryCrustal Plate movementLayers of the earth
Boundary interaction: Convergent – Divergent – Transform)
Types of landforms created along each boundary
Volcanoes? Earthquakes? Mountain-building
Southern California’s tectonic plate? Northern California’s tectonic plate?
Dividing line – “fault”? Type of activity possible?
Earthquakes:Northridge, 1994 Earthquake. Loma Prieta, 1989, WhittierNarrows, 1987, Sylmar 1971
Types of earthquakes – type of fault movement
San Andreas Fault: earthquakes along this fault? Expected movement?
Volcanoes: Mt.Shasta, Mt.Lassen, Shastina, Medicine Tablelands, LongValley Caldera (Mammoth)
Amboy Crater
Tsunami: likely occurrence? Possible cause?
Floods: which Rivers? Likely location – northern or southern California? Difference between Northern
and Southern California river systems during major rain storms/flood conditions?
Landform Provinces – Natural Resources
Resources: Oil, gold, water, natural gas: location – use – capacity
Mountain ranges: Name and identify each mountain range in California- location – type of material (igneous, sedimentary, meta-sedimentary, meta-igneous) – formation – age - climatic consequences
Glaciation – location – rock type - classification
Valleys – name and identify – processes leading to formation - resources
Mojave Desert: Resources – location – tectonics – vegetation – elevation – uniqueness - resources
Sierra Nevada: Formation and age – type of rock material – “Spalling” – YosemiteNational Park problems - resources
Trans-Sierra: geologic history – mineral resources
Death Valley – geologic formation and age – resources – history (cultural) – economic value
LargePleistoceneLakes in eastern California: names – sources – depths – climatic changes – glacial melt/runoff
Mountain ranges that dominate southern California: TransverseRange and PeninsularRanges – ages – rock types – formation – climatic consequences
Coastal Plains – location of suburban and urban centers – agriculture
Northern and Southern California Rivers: ephemeral – year-round
CALIFORNIA GEOGRAPHY
QUIZ 1 MAPPING STUDY GUIDE
Be prepared to locate and label the following places/ features/regions on assorted maps of California
GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS
Southern CaliforniaMojave DesertCentral ValleyColorado Desert
Sierra NevadaSan Francisco areaTrans-SierraNorthwest
NortheastCentralCoast
PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES AND GEOMORPHIC REGIONS
Lake TahoePeninsular RangesMt.ShastaCoastal Ranges
OwensLakeLos Angeles LowlandKlamathMountains Lassen Peak
Cascade MountainsTransverseRangesMonoLake Salton Sea
Basin and RangesShastaLakeSan JoaquinValley
SacramentoValley
COUNTIES OF CALIFORNIA
Los AngelesSan BernardinoRiversideOrange
San DiegoImperialInyoHumboldt
KernSanta BarbaraVenturaTulare
San FranciscoMontereyModocFresno
FAULTS IN CALIFORNIA
San Andreas FaultElsinore FaultNewport-Inglewood Fault
Garlock FaultBig Pine FaultOwens Valley/Sierra Nevada Fault
HaywardSan Jacinto Fault
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V. Drake