California is a U.S. state on the western coast of North America. Covering an area of 163,696 sq mi (423,970 km2), California is among the most geographically diverse states. The Sierra Nevada, the fertile farmlands of the Central Valley, and the arid Mojave Desert of the south are some of the major geographic features of this U.S. state. It is home to some of the world's most exceptional trees: the tallest, most massive, and oldest. It is also home to both the highest and lowest points in the 48 contiguous states. The state is generally divided into Northern and Southern California, although the boundary between the two is not well defined. San Francisco is decidedly a Northern California city and Los Angeles likewise a Southern California one, but areas in between do not often share their confidence in geographic identity. The US Geological Survey defines the geographic center of the state at a point near North Fork, California.
The Wasatch Range or Wasatch Mountains is a mountain range in the western United States that runs about 160 miles (260 km) from the Utah-Idaho border south to central Utah. It is the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region. The northern extension of the Wasatch Range, the Bear River Mountains, extends just into Idaho, constituting all of the Wasatch Range in that state.
The Humboldt River is an extensive river drainage system located in north-central Nevada. It extends in a general east-to-west direction from its headwaters in the Jarbidge, Independence, and Ruby Mountains in Elko County, to its terminus in the Humboldt Sink, approximately 225 miles away in northwest Churchill County. Most estimates put the Humboldt River at 290 miles (470 km) long however, due to the extensive meandering nature of the river, its length is more closely estimated at 380 miles (612 km). It is located within the Great Basin Watershed and is the third longest river in the watershed behind the Bear River at 355 miles (570 km) and the Sevier River at 325 miles (523 km). The Humboldt River Basin is the largest sub-basin of the Great Basin encompassing an area of 16,840 square miles (43,615 km2). It is the only major river system wholly contained within the state of Nevada.
The Walker River is a river in west-central Nevada in the United States, approximately 62 miles (100 km) long. Fed principally by snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, it drains an arid portion of the Great Basin southeast of Reno and flows into the endorheic basin of Walker Lake. The river is an important source of water for irrigation in its course through Nevada; water diversions have reduced its flow such that the level of Walker Lake has fallen 160 feet (49 m) between 1882 and 2010. The river was named for explorer Joseph Reddeford Walker.
The Shoshone Mountains, in west central Nevada, make up one of the longest mountain ranges in the state. The range runs in a general north-south direction in Nye and Lander counties. The range has a length of about 66 miles (106 km) and a width of about 6 mi (9.7 km) with an area of approximately 400 sq mi (1,000 km2).
The Pancake Range is located in east-central Nevada in the United States. The range extends as an irregular sinuous line for approximately 90 miles (140 km) with a roughly north-south trend in Nye and White Pine counties. The range reaches an elevation of 9,240 feet (2,820 m) at Portuguese Mountain. Neighboring ranges include the White Pine, Grant and Quinn Canyon ranges across Railroad Valley on the east-southeast; and Park and Hot Creek ranges across Big Sandy Springs and Hot Creek valleys on the west-northwest. The south end of Newark Valley lies at the extreme north end of the range. The Lunar Crater Volcanic Field lies at the southwestern end of the chain with the Reveille Range to the south.
The Cortez Mountains are located in north central Nevada in the United States. The range lies in a southwest-northeasterly direction between Crescent Valley and Pine Valley. Mount Tenabo is the principal peak of the range, at 9,153 feet above sea level. Surrounding ranges include: the Shoshone Range to the northwest, the Pinon and Sulphur Springs ranges to the east, the Simpson Park Mountains to the south and the Toiyabe Range to the southwest across the narrow Cortez Canyon. The northeastern end of the range reaches the Humboldt River at Palisade about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) southwest of Carlin.
The Hot Creek Range is a volcanic mountain range in Nye County, in central Nevada in the western United States. From the historic community of Warm Springs, the range runs north-northeast for approximately 43 miles (69 km).
Fishing Creek is a 29.98-mile (48.25 km) long tributary of the Susquehanna River in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It joins the Susquehanna River near the census-designated place of Rupert and the town of Bloomsburg. The watershed has an area of 385 square miles (1,000 km2).
The Augusta Mountains are a small mountain range in Pershing, Churchill and Lander counties of Nevada.
The Antelope Range is a mountain range in Nye County, Nevada. A small part of the range extends north into southern Eureka County. The community of Eureka is about 35 km (22 mi) to the northeast of north end of the range.
The 1915 Pleasant Valley earthquake occurred at in north-central Nevada. With a moment magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), it was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the state.
The Sahwave Mountains are a mountain range in Pershing County, Nevada. The Sahwaves are a north – south trending range typical of the Basin and Range Province.
The Antelope Valley of west Lander County is a small, 25 mile long, mostly arid valley in central Nevada, USA. A fourth valley of the same name Antelope Valley lies in southern Eureka County, east of the Monitor Range. The Lander County valley lies south of the Humboldt River and with Antelope Creek, is a western tributary valley to the north-flowing Reese River.
The Antelope Valley of southern Eureka County is a small 35 mi long valley, surrounded by four mountain ranges. Antelope Wash flows north, to endorheic flatlands at the valley's north end. Eureka, Nevada lies 20 mi east nestled among mountain ranges. From Eureka U.S. Route 50 travels west through the north end of the valley on a route to Austin.
The Clover Valley of Nevada, is a 37-mile (60 km) long valley located in central-southeast Elko County. Wells, Nevada lies at its north end, on I-80.
The Grass Valley of Pershing and Humboldt counties in northern Nevada, United States, is a 30-mile (48 km) long valley. The north section of the valley is part of the southwest portion of Winnemucca on the Humboldt River. Clear Creek flows down the valley center, north-northwesterly and joins the Humboldt at Rose Creek, Nevada, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Winnemucca. The census-designated place of Grass Valley, with a population of 1,161, occupies the central 8 miles (13 km) of the valley.
The Battle Mountains or Battle Mountain Range is a mountain range in western Lander and southeastern Humboldt counties of Nevada. The communities of Battle Mountain and Valmy lie just to the east and north respectively along Interstate 80 in the Humboldt River valley. Nevada State Route 305 runs along the southeast side of the range from Battle Mountain toward Austin to the south.
In 1954, the state of Nevada was struck by a series of earthquakes that began with three M 6.0+ events in July and August that preceded the M 7.3 mainshock and M 6.9 aftershock, both on December 12. All five earthquakes remain some of the largest in the state, and the largest since the Cedar Mountain earthquake of 1932 and Pleasant Valley event in 1915. The earthquake was felt throughout much of the western United States.
