Pinnacles National Park’s wide landscape of dramatic rock formations and craggy spires looks otherworldly, especially in golden hour light. But few people who visit the park, located in Central California, southeast of the San Francisco Bay Area, are aware that the rock formations were once at the center of one of the most fierce debates in the history of California geology.
Bear Divide is strategically positioned along the Pacific Flyway, a significant north-south migratory route used by birds traveling between Alaska and Patagonia. The geographical features of the San Gabriels provide an ideal resting and feeding ground for these birds, making Bear Divide a crucial stopover during their long journeys.
The Blythe Intaglios—have long puzzled anthropologists and captivated the imagination of those who visit them or view them from the sky.
The Channel Islands of California, an enchanting archipelago, offer a fascinating natural laboratory for the study of island biogeography. This field of biology, which explores the distribution of species and ecosystems in island environments, finds a perfect case study in these islands.
The Island Fox’s journey from the brink of extinction to a conservation success story is a testament to the power of dedicated conservation efforts. It also highlights the importance of maintaining ecological balance in sensitive environments like the Channel Islands.
While an atmospheric river storm in 2023 significantly eased California’s drought conditions for the time being, there is widespread concern that serious drought conditions will soon return and become the new norm.
Since its inception in 1962, originally as the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (as it was previously known), it has been on the forefront of scientific discovery in numerous scientific disciplines. It is truly one of the nation’s great scientific institutions, being at the forefront of numerous major discoveries that have deeply impacted – and will impact – the world.
Roadcuts in California, those slices through hills and mountainsides made during the construction of roads, are like open books to geologists. They reveal the intricate and often dramatic geological history of the state.
Standing tall against the backdrop of the sun-scorched Mojave Desert, the Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) is an emblematic figure of resilience and beauty. With its twisted, bristled limbs reaching towards the sky, this iconic species is not just a tree but a symbol of the untamed wilderness that is California’s desert landscape.
In the heart of Los Angeles, on a seemingly ordinary spring day in 1985, a sudden explosion tore through the
