CALIFORNIA GEOGRAPHY   Term Paper ID:39538 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Describes two aspects of California geography: the Santa Ana winds...... More...

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Paper Abstract: Describes two aspects of California geography: the Santa Ana winds unique to Southern California, and the diversity of the various climates found within the state due to high and low elevations and differing climates of mountains, ocean and deserts. Paper Introduction: California Geography-The Santa Ana Winds Introduction The Santa Ana winds are unique to Southern California and as visitorsand tourists have noted can cause temperatures to rise into the s in thewinter These hot dry winds play havoc with allergies and exacerbatewildfires but are an integral part of the ecology of Southern California as well Analysis The Santa Ana winds occur in the fall and winter and although thewinds themselves bring hot air into the Southern California region theyare actually the result of Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The Coast Range runs from justnorth of Los Angeles to the Oregon border. (2 6). The areas west of the western ranges tend to have maritimeclimates. Analysis California has a vast array of climates, but there is no region thatis properly classified as tropical rainy. Analysis The Santa Ana winds occur in the fall and winter, and although thewinds themselves bring hot air into the Southern California region, theyare actually the result of the movement of cold air elsewhere in the state. Daily Temperature Extremes. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. (2 6). (2 6, September). Pacific storms rarely reach California inthe summer months; instead, these storms are shifted to the north by highpressure. U. The southern mountains and deserts occasionally receiveprecipitation from storms moving north from the Gulf of California, however("Climate of California," n.d.). Retrieved 12 April 2 7 from: .Selby, W. California Geography-Climate Diversity Introduction Anyone who has traveled through California has seen many differentgeographic features; indeed, the highest and lowest elevations in thecontinental United States are less than 1 miles apart another withinCalifornia. Specifically, masses of cold air begin to move into the northern part ofthe state and then into the Great Basin where they settle on coolingsurfaces. Retrieved 12 April 2 7 from: .Michaelson, J. The National Weather Service usually reserves the name "Santa Ana"winds for those winds that exceed 28 miles per hour; gusts of 7 miles perhour are not uncommon, and have reached 115 miles per hour. (2 7, January 9). The Pacific Ocean alsoinfluences climate along the coast with warm winters and cool summers; thefarther one moves inland, the more extreme the temperatures can become evenbefore reaching the mountains. Eventually, the Great Basin Highis formed from dense cold air near Nevada and Utah (Selby, 2 6). A. Retrieved 12 April 2 7 from: .Dutch, S. Retrieved 12 April 2 7 from: .The Santa Ana: California's Evil Wind. The Great Basin extends from the northeastern part of the statesouth to the southern border; the areas east of these mountains tend tohave a continental desert climate with no drainage to the ocean. However, the state does have, atthe other climate extreme, hot and dry deserts. California Climates. These geographic features contribute to the diverse climatesthat are found throughout the state, as does latitude and the ocean. It is significant that two mountain ranges in the north and one in thesouth run parallel to the coast. (n.d.). ReferencesClimate of California. This high pressure is drawn toward the low pressure of the coast in aclockwise motion, but compression occurs as the air is forced downward.This compression results in temperature increases of approximately 5.4degrees Fahrenheit for every 1, feet of descent. It is located generally within5 miles of the Pacific Ocean and forms a natural barrier for the coastalregion. However, theocean's surface temperature cools during these winds as a result of coolerwater being "churned" up; this cooler water brings additional nutrients andmay boost the local fish population as a result ("The Santa Ana," 2 6). University of California at Santa Barbara. At the same time, thisalready-dry air (coming as it does from the desert) loses additionalhumidity to the point that it may fall below 15 percent. Rediscovering the Golden State: California Geography. The Cascades and Sierra Nevada are farther inland, typically about15 miles inland. Thus it is not surprising that some of the mostdevastating fires that have occurred in Southern California have occurredduring Santa Ana conditions. It iseven fairly common for California to have the national high and lowtemperature on the same day in the summertime (Dutch, 2 7). At the same time, ocean temperatures cool more slowly and thepressure gradient reverses. As the air isforced through the various mountain passes and canyons (including the SantaAna canyon which gives the winds their name), it can increase in speed, aswell. Latitude plays an important role in climate in that during the summer,there can be a significant difference in temperatures at the sameelevations along the coast in the north and the south (Eureka and SanDiego, for example); that same difference does not extend inland, however.Inland latitudes of similar elevations tend to be equally hot (lacking theinfluence of the Pacific Ocean) (Michaelson, 2 6). This means that high pressure builds inlandwhile low pressure builds over the coast. Not surprisingly, winds that reach these velocities can cause damage;hot, dry winds can be even more dangerous in a region that is already dryfrom a lack of rain and which has many hills filled with savannah that arevulnerable to wildfires. S. It also boasts semiaridsteppes in the inland valleys of Southern California and Mediterraneanclimates. The Weather Doctor Almanac. Tractor trailer trucks can be sidelined during the Santa Ana winds,and even some passenger vehicles or smaller commercial vehicles can haveproblems. Isotherms follow the contour of themountains, with the result that they move north-south rather than east-west, as is common in most temperate zones. These hot, dry winds play havoc with allergies and exacerbatewildfires, but are an integral part of the ecology of Southern California,as well. It is also notunusual for the Santa Ana winds to have sustained speeds of 4 miles perhour ("The Santa Ana," 2 6). Power outages also can occur during these winds; aircraft andmarine traffic also encounter difficulties as a result. The gap between the Coast Range and the Sierra Nevadaforms the Central Valley; the valley is closed off at the southern end bythe Tehachapi Mountains that eventually join the Coast Range in the south.The Sierra Nevada join the Tehachapi at approximately latitude 35 degreesnorth. Mountain climates are also found in California, ranging fromsnowy forests to alpine climates (Selby, 2 6). California Geography-The Santa Ana Winds Introduction The Santa Ana winds are unique to Southern California and, as visitorsand tourists have noted, can cause temperatures to rise into the 9 s in thewinter. In addition, vehicle traffic moving north and east from SouthernCalifornia must move through the same passes and canyons that the windsuse. A number of mountain ranges are found in California, and form some ofthe most famous topography of the state. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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