Chapter 2 - Geographic Patters of the Physical Environment

Santa Barbara is commonly known as the "American Riviera" because of its likeness to the French Riviera's climate and geography. Santa Barbara is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. These mountains are an east to west trending range with peaks as high as 4,864 feet. These mountains are covered with chaparral (a shrub plant) and sandstone. Snow falls on these mountains occasionally but never stays.

The climate of Santa Barbara is categorized as a Mediterranean climate which includes warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cold, wet winters. Much of the California coastline experiences this kind of climate. The onshore breezes from the ocean are often very inviting for Santa Barbara's inhabitants and visitors alike.

Santa Barbara has a wonderful, moderate climate.

Santa Barbara is located in Pacific Mountains and Valleys physiographic region as determined by Figure 2.1 in the textbook (page 19).

Another physiographic regional map.

A very unique feature of the Santa Barbara coastline is that it actually faces south and not west and because of this, the sun sets in the North.

Because of Santa Barbara's Mediterranean climate and its past attempts at farming have led to the degradation of its vegetation accompanied with gully and surface erosion.

Beach erosion.

The soils of Santa Barbara are vertisol, which is rich with clay, salinity, and sodium contents. The vegetation is categorized as ecotonal, which means it transitions between two ecological communities. The vegetation includes grasslands, shrubbery, and many other plants and flowers that can be seen at Santa Barbara's Botanical Gardens.

Santa Barbara has large deposits of sandstone, limestone, and petroleum. The world's largest natural oil seepage, called Coal Oil Point, is located in the Santa Barbara Channel.

Tar "patties".

[Sources]

http://www.usclimatedata.com/

http://www.geo.wvu.edu/~mfinkenbinder/Geol%20321/handouts.htm

http://guides.library.ucsb.edu/erosion

http://quarriesandbeyond.org/states/ca/quarry_photo/ca-santa_barbara_photos.html

http://www.countyofsb.org/energy/information/naturalseepinventoryfinalreport.htm