Which factors help explain where Californians live?
Correct answer(s):
- Water, transportation, jobs, climate, and historical settlement patterns
Topic
California Geography
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Quizzes in California Geography
What is a major trade-off of metropolitan concentration?
Correct answer(s):
- It can raise productivity while also increasing congestion and housing demand.
What role has international migration played in California’s development?
Correct answer(s):
- It has contributed to population growth and labor-force development.
What geographic advantage strengthens California tourism?
Correct answer(s):
- Many very different attractions exist within one state.
Which processes help explain California’s varied landforms?
Correct answer(s):
- Tectonics, mountain building, erosion, deposition, and desert processes
What type of landform is the Central Valley in broad geologic terms?
Correct answer(s):
- A sediment-filled structural basin
Why is the Sierra Nevada central to California hydrology?
Correct answer(s):
- It stores significant winter precipitation as high-elevation snow.
How do rain shadows contribute to California deserts?
Correct answer(s):
- Air loses moisture on windward slopes, leaving drier conditions leeward.
Why does latitude alone not explain California’s climate diversity?
Correct answer(s):
- Elevation and ocean influence interact with north-south position.
When does earthquake hazard become major economic risk?
Correct answer(s):
- When active faults intersect dense populations and valuable infrastructure.
What determines the size of wildfire losses besides fire intensity?
Correct answer(s):
- The amount and type of development exposed to fire.
Why is drought considered a slow-onset hazard?
Correct answer(s):
- Its effects build gradually across water, agriculture, ecosystems, and energy.
Why does drought-prone California still need flood management?
Correct answer(s):
- Precipitation varies greatly, and intense wet periods can still cause flooding.
Why is an earthquake hazard not automatically the same as earthquake risk?
Correct answer(s):
- Risk also depends on people, buildings, and infrastructure exposed to the hazard.
Why can Death Valley reach extreme temperatures?
Correct answer(s):
- Its desert climate, low elevation, and surrounding topography favor intense heat.
What is a key seasonal feature of much of California’s Mediterranean-type climate?
Correct answer(s):
- Wetter winters and dry summers
How can mountains create dry regions in California?
Correct answer(s):
- They force moist air upward and can create rain shadows on the leeward side.
Why can winter climate affect California’s water supply months later?
Correct answer(s):
- Sierra Nevada snowpack melts gradually after winter.
Which combination best explains wildfire risk in California?
Correct answer(s):
- Climate, vegetation, wind, settlement patterns, and ignition sources
Why do coastal metros face different planning pressures from remote mountain counties?
Correct answer(s):
- Population density and housing demand differ greatly.