North Coastal Santa Lucia Range
Contents
North Coastal Santa Lucia Range (Bailey)
Subsection 261Aj, coastal part (Robert Ettner) Lithology and Stratigraphy
This subsection is mostly on the Salinian Block, between the San Andreas and Nacimiento faults. It is predominantly Mesozoic granitic and pre-Cretaceous metamorphic rocks. There is some Cretaceous sedimentary rock of the Great Valley Sequence, considerable Miocene marine sediments, and some other Tertiary sediments. Also, there are some rocks of the Franciscan Complex on the southwest edge where the subsection crosses the Sur-Nacimiento fault zone.
Subsection 261Aj, Carmel Valley watershed (Patsy Miles) Geomorphology
This is a subsection of northwest trending mountains with rounded ridges, steep sides, and narrow canyons. Remnants of marine terraces are present along the coast and nonmarine terraces on the Monterey Peninsula, but they are not extensive. The subsection elevation range is from sea-level up to 5862 feet on Junipero Serra Peak. Mass wasting and fluvial erosion are the main geomorphic processes.
Subsection 261Aj, west of Greenfield (Scott Miles) Soils
The soils are mostly shallow Typic Xerorthents, Entic and Pachic Ultic Haploxerolls, and Pachic Argixerolls. On Cretaceous and Miocene sedimentary rocks they are Lithic Xerorthents and Calcic and Pachic Ultic Haploxerolls. Typic Natrixeralfs and Ultic Palexerolls are present on nonmarine terraces on the Monterey Peninsula. The soils are well drained, and most of them are leached free of carbonates. The soil temperature regimes are mostly thermic, mesic at higher elevation, and some isomesic near the coast. Soil moisture regimes are mostly xeric, and possibly some ustic.
Subsection 261Aj, west of Greenfield (Patsy Miles) Vegetation
The predominant natural plant communities are Douglas-fir - tanoak series, with some Redwood series in canyons on the southwest side of the subsection; Coast live oak series on north-facing and California sagebrush - black sage series on south-facing slopes near the northwest end of the Santa Lucia Range and inland; Canyon live oak series on steep canyon sideslopes; and Chamise series and Live oak shrublands on shallow soils inland and at higher elevations. There are smaller amounts of Blue oak series adjacent to the Salinas Valley, Valley oak series in Carmel Valley, California sagebrush series and California oatgrass series near the ocean, and with some Mixed conifer series at higher elevations. Monterey pine series on the Monterey Peninsula and Santa Lucia fir series on the coastal side of the mountain range are not extensive but are of special interest.
Characteristic series by lifeform include:
Climate
The mean annual precipitation is about 16 to 60 inches. It is practically all rain, except for some snow on at higher elevations. Mean annual temperature is about 50° to 58° F. The mean freeze-free period is about 225 to 300 days.
Surface Water
Runoff is rapid and all but the larger streams and streams in the southwest part of the subsection are generally dry during the summer. Streams on the seaward side of the mountains may be perennial. There are no lakes in the subsection.
