Sierra Nevada (US)

The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range that is mostly in eastern California. The range is also known as The Sierra or The Sierras.

Geography

The Sierra Nevada stretches 400 miles (650 km), from Fredonyer Pass in the north to Tehachapi Pass in the south. It is bounded on the west by California's Central Valley, and on the east by the Great Basin.

Related Topics:
Fredonyer Pass - Tehachapi Pass - California - Central Valley - Great Basin

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In west-east cross section, the Sierra is shaped like a non-equilateral triangle: the altitude gradually increases as you travel east, until you reach the crest, whereupon the altitude rapidly decreases, forming a steep escarpment. Thus, the crest runs principally along the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada range. Rivers flowing west from the Sierra crest eventually drain into the Pacific Ocean, while rivers draining east flow into the Great Basin and do not reach any ocean. However, water from several streams and the Owens River is redirected to the city of Los Angeles (see Los Angeles Aqueduct). Thus, some east-flowing river water does make it to the Pacific Ocean.

Related Topics:
Escarpment - Pacific Ocean - Owens River - Los Angeles - Los Angeles Aqueduct

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There are several notable geographical features in the Sierra Nevada:

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• Lake Tahoe is a large, clear freshwater lake in the northern Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 6225 feet (1,897 m) and an area of 191 square miles (489 km²). Lake Tahoe lies between the main Sierra and the Carson Range, a spur of the Sierra.
• Hetch Hetchy Valley, Yosemite Valley, and Kings Canyon are beautiful, glacially-scoured canyons on the west side of the Sierra.
• Yosemite National Park is filled with stunning features, such as waterfalls and granite domes.
• Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4,421 m), is the highest point in the continental United States.
• Groves of Giant Sequoias occur along a narrow band of altitude on the western side of the Sierra Nevada. Giant Sequoias are the most massive trees in the world.

The height of the mountains in the Sierra Nevada gradually increases from north to south. Thus, the crest near Lake Tahoe is roughly 9000 ft (2,700 m) high, the crest near Yosemite National Park is roughly 13000 ft (4,000 m) high, and the entire range attains its peak at Mount Whitney. South of Mount Whitney, the range quickly diminishes in elevation.

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