Geomorphic Provinces
A Delimitation of the Regi
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The Transverse Ranges constitute one of California's 11 geomorphic provinces. Unlike nearly every other mountain range in North America the Transverse Ranges lie on an east-west axis. The Transverse Ranges Province runs for 325 miles "directly across the structural grain of California" (Oakeshott 279). The province extends from Point Arguello and San Miguel Island eastward to the Pinto and Eagle Mountains which end in the Mojave and Colorado Deserts respectively. The province ranges in width from 10 to 50 miles. The narrowest points are at the western extreme in the Santa Ynez Mountains and at the Cajon Pass which separates the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains. The province's broadest point is the distance from the Santa Monica coast, across the Santa Monica, Topatopa and Pine Mountains, to the Tehachapi Mountains. For the most part, the Transverse Ranges Province is fairly well defined physiographically. To the north, the mountains of the Coastal Ranges Province exhibit the more usual northwest-trend--with the exception of a group of west-northwest trending ranges at the south end, whose possible inclusion in the Transverse Ranges Province "is a matter of debate" (Dibblee 8). The boundary between the two provinces, running west to east, is generally accepted as consisting of the Santa Ynez River, the Santa Ynez fault, and the Big Pine fault. The Big Pine fault abuts the San Andreas fault. At this poin
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uctures" that has created the unusual terrain of the Transverse Ranges, a terrain unlike those of regions where deformation took place much earlier (Sharp 8).
But other processes have played important roles in the province's topography. Subsequent deep erosion, for example, has resulted in "high, rough mountainous masses," usually featuring narrow ridges, and deep basins, very often hilly themselves, that are usually quite narrow (Sharp 19). But, the two highest ranges, the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, also feature a number of crest areas with fairly broad summits, indicative of the absence of sufficient running water to erode them.
Rainfall in the province is low, between 10 and 40 inches per annum. But in any year there can be "almost no precipitation or there may be 5 times the mean annual precipitation" (Scott and Williams 7). This has meant that fluvial processes have played a greater role in the province than would be expected from its climate, since major storms on slopes with little vegetation have often produced marked effects. In general, extreme barriers are presented by the continuous ranges, such as the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains. "Rainfall well up on their southern slopes is maxim
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Approximate Word count = 5585
Approximate Pages = 22 (250 words per page)
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