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What are two types of geologic
processes that formed the major
features of the California landscape?
 What is the difference between
renewable and nonrenewable
resources?

Do Now

What are two types of geologic processes that
formed the major features of the California
landscape?
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Tectonic Processes – beneath the surface
Agents of Erosion – on the surface
What is the difference between renewable and
nonrenewable resources?


Renewable Resources – can be replenished over a
fairly short time – months, years or decades
Nonrenewable Resources – cannot be easily
replenished over a short time – millions of years
Key Words
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Interactions
Landscape
Industrial
Geologic
Fertile
Fossil Fuel
Accumulate
Vocab Words
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Geothermal Field
Reservoir Rocks
Source Rocks
Geology of California
• Each of California’s
regions is defined by the
major geologic features
within that region.
• Some of the features of
our landscape was
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
Geologic Processes Inside Earth
Forming our Mountains
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Millions of years ago,
the subduction of an
oceanic plate beneath
the North American
formed large masses of
igneous rock.
Uplift and erosion
eventually exposed
these rocks, which now
form the Sierra Nevada
Mountain Range.
Forming our Volcanic Mountains
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Subduction of the Juan de Fuca
plate beneath the North
American plate produced the
volcanoes in the Cascade Range.
The coast ranges are also a result
of these plates moving, when
large slabs of crust were accreted
on the North American plate.
The San Andreas Fault was
formed by the uplifted
mountains.
The Central Valley and the
Basin and Range regions were
formed as portions of the crust
dropped down.
Surface Geologic Processes

Erosion helped shaped the surface of
California
 Water: Mountains, hillsides and river
valleys
 Glacial Ice: Carved mountain peaks
and vast U-shaped valleys.
 Deposition of Sediment: Mojave
Desert and the Central Valley
California’s Mineral Resources

Include: Sand, Gravel, Crushed Stone,
Building Stone, Gold, Silver, Iron,
Evaporite Minerals, and Clay
 Evaporite Minerals are minerals
formed as a solution containing
dissolved salt evaporates.
 Industrial, Metallic, Nonmetallic
and Gemstones
Industrial Minerals
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Sand and Gravel are
California’s most
valuable industrial
minerals.
Another important
mineral is crushed
stone, mainly
limestone. It is used
to make cement.
Most of Granite
comes from Sierra
Nevadas.
Metallic Minerals
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Gold, Silver and Iron are
the major metallic minerals
mined in California.
Most productive gold
mining areas in California
today include the Sierra
Nevada, the Klamath
Mountains and the Mojave
Desert.
Silver is mined in the Sierra
Nevada range.
Iron is mined in the Mojave
Desert region.
Nonmetallic Minerals
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Three most significant are
borates, gypsum, and clay.
Mostly used in building.
Borates: fiberglass,
detergents, glass,
ceramics, and insulation.
Gypsum: wallboard,
plaster and cement.
Clay: ceramics and bricks
Gemstones
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Tourmaline, Garnet, Agate, and Jade.
State Gem: Benitoite found in the
Diablo Range in San Benito County.
California’s Energy Resources
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Oil, Natural Gas and Geothermal Energy
 Oil: Rock in which the oil forms are called source
rocks, mostly shale. Oil migrates from the source
rocks into nearby porous rocks called reservoir
rocks and becomes trapped.
 Natural Gas: Forms along with oil and is mixture of
several gases, including methane. Used for gas in
houses.
 Geothermal Energy: Magma close to surface heats
groundwater, steam is trapped and used as energy.
San Bernardino runs off geothermal energy.
California’s Soil Resources
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Include the soils of the Sierra, Coast
Ranges/Cascades, Central Valley soils and
desert soils.
 Most fertile are in the central valley, where
most agriculture occur.
 Lowest in nutrients are in the desert regions.
 Coastal regions are wetter but nutrients are
washed away from all the moisture.
If we don’t conserve our soil we will lose
agriculture which is a big money maker for
California.
Nonrenewable vs. Renewable
Renewable resources can be
replenished over fairly short spans of
time, such as months, years, or
decades.
 Nonrenewable resources take millions
of years to form and accumulate.
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Fossil Fuels
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Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons that may
be used as fuel, including coal, oil, and
natural gas.
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Fuels derived from tar sand and oils shales could
become good substitutes for dwindling petroleum
supplies.
Group Challenge Questions
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You are a farmer planning to buy some farm
land. You have a choice of two available
farms, one in a wide valley and the other on
the side of a steep mountain slope. Which
would probably be better for growing crops?
Explain.
Some people predict that tar sands and oil
shale will one day supply much of our
energy needs. Are tar sands and oil shale a
good long-term energy solution? Explain.