Geography of Oregon explained

Oregon is 295miles north to south at longest distance, and 395miles east to west. With an area of 98381sqmi, Oregon is slightly larger than the United Kingdom. It is the ninth largest state in the United States.[1] Oregon's highest point is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11249feet, and its lowest point is the sea level of the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast.[2] Oregon's mean elevation is 3300feet. Crater Lake National Park, the state's only national park, is the site of the deepest lake in the United States at 1943feet.[3] Oregon claims the D River as the shortest river in the world,[4] though the state of Montana makes the same claim of its Roe River.[5] Oregon is also home to Mill Ends Park (in Portland),[6] the smallest park in the world at 452sqin.

Oregon is split into eight geographical regions. In Western Oregon: Oregon Coast (west of the Coast Range), the Willamette Valley, Rogue Valley, Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains; and in Central and Eastern Oregon: the Columbia Plateau, the High Desert, and the Blue Mountains.

Oregon lies in two time zones. Most of Malheur County is in the Mountain Time Zone, while the rest of the state lies in the Pacific Time Zone.

Geology and terrain

See also: Geology of Oregon, List of rivers in Oregon, List of Oregon mountain ranges and List of Oregon state parks.

Western Oregon's mountainous regions, home to three of the most prominent mountain peaks of the United States including Mount Hood, were formed by the volcanic activity of the Juan de Fuca Plate, a tectonic plate that poses a continued threat of volcanic activity and earthquakes in the region. The most recent major activity was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake.[7] Washington's Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, an event visible from northern Oregon and affecting some areas there.[8]

The Columbia River, which forms much of Oregon's northern border, also played a major role in the region's geological evolution, as well as its economic and cultural development. The Columbia is one of North America's largest rivers, and one of two rivers to cut through the Cascades (the Klamath River in southern Oregon is the other). About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon during the Missoula Floods; the modern fertility of the Willamette Valley is largely the result. Plentiful salmon made parts of the river, such as Celilo Falls, hubs of economic activity for thousands of years.

Today, Oregon's landscape varies from rain forest in the Coast Range to barren desert in the southeast, which still meets the technical definition of a frontier. Oregon's geographical center is further west than any of the other 48 contiguous states (although the westernmost point of the lower 48 states is in Washington). Central Oregon's geographical features range from high desert and volcanic rock formations resulting from lava beds. The Oregon Badlands Wilderness is in this region of the state.[9]

Flora and fauna

Typical of a western state, Oregon is home to a unique and diverse array of wildlife. Roughly 60 percent of the state is covered in forest, while the areas west of the Cascades are more densely populated by forest, making up around 80 percent of the landscape. Some 60 percent of Oregon's forests are within federal land.[10] Oregon is the top timber producer of the lower 48 states.[11] [12]

Moose have not always inhabited the state but came to Oregon in the 1960s; the Wallowa Valley herd numbered about 60 .[19] Gray wolves were extirpated from Oregon around 1930 but have since found their way back; most reside in northeast Oregon, with two packs living in the south-central part.[20] Although their existence in Oregon is unconfirmed, reports of grizzly bears still turn up, and it is probable some still move into eastern Oregon from Idaho.[21]

Oregon is home to what is considered the largest single organism in the world, an Armillaria solidipes fungus beneath the Malheur National Forest of eastern Oregon.[22]

Oregon has several National Park System sites, including Crater Lake National Park in the southern part of the Cascades, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument east of the Cascades, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park on the north coast, and Oregon Caves National Monument near the south coast.

Climate

See main article: Climate of Oregon. Most of Oregon has a generally mild climate, though there is significant variation given the variety of landscapes across the state.[23] The state's western region (west of the Cascade Range) has an oceanic climate, populated by dense evergreen mixed forests. Western Oregon's climate is heavily influenced by the Pacific Ocean; the western third of Oregon is very wet in the winter, moderately to very wet during the spring and fall, and dry during the summer. The relative humidity of Western Oregon is high except during summer days, which are semi-dry to semi-humid; Eastern Oregon typically sees low humidity year-round.

The state's southwestern portion, particularly the Rogue Valley, has a Mediterranean climate with drier and sunnier winters and hotter summers, similar to Northern California.[24]

Oregon's northeastern portion has a steppe climate, and its high terrain regions have a subarctic climate. Like Western Europe, Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest in general, is considered warm for its latitude, and the state has far milder winters at a given elevation than comparable latitudes elsewhere in North America, such as the Upper Midwest, Ontario, Quebec and New England.[25] However, the state ranks fifth for coolest summer temperatures of any state in the country, after Maine, Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska.[26]

The eastern two thirds of Oregon, which largely comprise high desert, have cold, snowy winters and very dry summers. Much of the east is semiarid to arid like the rest of the Great Basin, though the Blue Mountains are wet enough to support extensive forests. Most of Oregon receives significant snowfall, but the Willamette Valley, where 60 percent of the population lives,[27] has considerably milder winters for its latitude and typically sees only light snowfall.

Oregon's highest recorded temperature is 119F at Pendleton on August 10, 1898, and the lowest recorded temperature is -54F at Seneca on February 10, 1933.[28]

Climate data

Cities and towns

Oregon's population is largely concentrated in the Willamette Valley, which stretches from Eugene in the south (home of the University of Oregon) through Corvallis (home of Oregon State University) and Salem (the capital) to Portland (Oregon's largest city).[29]

Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River, was the first permanent English-speaking settlement west of the Rockies in what is now the United States. Oregon City, at the end of the Oregon Trail, was the Oregon Territory's first incorporated city, and was its first capital from 1848 until 1852, when the capital was moved to Salem. Bend, near the geographic center of the state, is one of the ten fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States.[30] In southern Oregon, Medford is a rapidly growing metro area and is home to the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport, the state's third-busiest airport. To the south, near the California border, is the city of Ashland. Eastern Oregon is sparsely populated, but is home to Hermiston, which with a population of 18,000 is the largest and fastest-growing city in the region.[31]

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/00_SF1/GCTPH1R.US01PR Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density (geographies ranked by total population).
  2. Web site: April 29, 2005 . Elevations and Distances in the United States . U.S. Geological Survey . November 7, 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html . October 15, 2011 .
  3. Web site: Crater Lake National Park . . November 22, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150702015100/http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . July 2, 2015 . live .
  4. Web site: D River State Recreation Site . Oregon Parks and Recreation Department . May 11, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070418091225/http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_214.php . April 18, 2007 . live .
  5. Web site: World's Shortest River . Travel Montana . May 11, 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070702003456/http://montanakids.com/db_engine/presentations/presentation.asp?pid=192 . July 2, 2007 . mdy-all .
  6. Web site: Mill Ends Park . Portland Parks and Recreation . May 11, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120515141102/http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=265&action=ViewPark . May 15, 2012 . live .
  7. News: A Major Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest Looks Even Likelier . The Atlantic . August 16, 2016 . November 1, 2020 . September 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210902173553/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/08/a-major-earthquake-in-the-pacific-northwest-just-got-more-likely/495407/ . live .
  8. News: Oregon volcano may be warming up for an eruption . Christian Science Monitor . March 27, 1980 . Ray, Dewey . October 31, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120629144823/http://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0327/032754.html . June 29, 2012 . live .
  9. Book: Congressional Record Vol. 155 Part 1: Proceedings and Debates of the 111th Congress: First Session . Government Printing Office . 935 . . November 18, 2020 . February 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210220153252/https://books.google.com/books?id=I4OdyBwCpA0C&q=oregon+badlands&pg=PA935 . live .
  10. Web site: Oregon's Forests: Some Facts and Figures . Oregon.gov . Forest Figures . September 2009 . May 30, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170819094338/http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Documents/AboutODF/ForestryFactsFigures.pdf . August 19, 2017 . live .
  11. Web site: Forest Land Protection Program . Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife . November 7, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180708074609/https://www.oregon.gov/LCD/pages/forlandprot.aspx . July 8, 2018 . live .
  12. News: Oregon is top timber producer in worst year . Mail Tribune . September 17, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140302033227/http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20100917%2FNEWS%2F9170329%2F-1%2Fbiz . March 2, 2014 . dead . mdy-all .
  13. Web site: Trees of Oregon's forests . Tree Variety . Oregon Forest Resources Institute . December 28, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161205020419/http://oregonforests.org/content/tree-variety . December 5, 2016 . live .
  14. Web site: Miller . Richard . Managing Western Juniper for Wildlife . juniper.oregonstate.edu/ . Washington State University Cooperative Extension . 19 June 2024.
  15. Web site: Oregon Wildlife Species . Mammals: Pocket Mice, Kangaroo Rats and Kangaroo Mouse . Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife . November 7, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161103001446/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/mammals/pocket_kangaroo_rats_mice.asp#Top . November 3, 2016 . live .
  16. Web site: Oregon Wildlife Species . Mammals: Coyotes, wolves and foxes . Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife . November 8, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161024234949/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/mammals/coyotes_wolves_foxes.asp#Top . October 24, 2016 . live .
  17. Web site: Oregon Wildlife Species . Mammals: Whale, dolphin and porpoise . Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife . November 7, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161118033917/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/mammals/whale_dolphin_porpois.asp . November 18, 2016 . live .
  18. Web site: Oregon Wildlife Species . Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife . February 22, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140314070855/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/index.asp . March 14, 2014 . dead .
  19. News: Oregon's only moose herd thriving, up to about 60 . The Oregonian . September 1, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130904080632/http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/09/oregons_only_moose_herd_thrivi.html . September 4, 2013 . live .
  20. Web site: Wolves in Oregon . ODFW . February 4, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140301041045/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wolves/ . March 1, 2014 . dead .
  21. Web site: Moose enter Oregon, so are grizzlies next? . Tri City Herald . November 1, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140706062635/http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2008/11/01/369722/moose-enter-oregon-so-are-grizzlies.html . July 6, 2014 . mdy-all .
  22. Web site: Beale, Bob. Humungous fungus: world's largest organism?. Environment & Nature News. ABC. April 10, 2003. December 9, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20061231042044/http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_828525.htm. December 31, 2006. live.
  23. Book: Oregon. Hamilton, John. 14. ABDO. 2016. 978-1-680-77443-6.
  24. Web site: Rogue Valley Weather and Climate . Oregon State University . Jones, Gregory V. . December 9, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220120357/http://extension.oregonstate.edu/josephine/sites/default/files/weather_joco_2013_0.pdf . December 20, 2016 . dead . mdy-all .
  25. Web site: Climate of Oregon . Desert Research Institute . December 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161221222524/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/OREGON.htm . December 21, 2016 . live .
  26. Web site: Current Results. Osborn, Liz. Coldest States in America. December 23, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171223161002/https://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/coldest-states.php. December 23, 2017. live.
  27. Web site: Ground-Water Hydrology of the Willamette Basin, Oregon . U.S. Geological Survey . Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5168 . Conlon T.D. . Wozniak, K.C. . Woodcock, D. . Herrera, N.B. . Fisher, B.J. . Morgan, D.S. . Lee, K.K. . Hinkle, S.R. . amp . 2005 . February 19, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150220044838/http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5168/ . February 20, 2015 . live .
  28. Book: Boone, Mary . Uniquely Oregon . Chicago, Illinois . Heinemann Library . 2004 . 978-1-4034-4659-6 . 9.
  29. Web site: 2010 Census Redistricting Data . March 15, 2011 . U.S. Census Bureau . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721034521/http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST13&prodType=table . July 21, 2011 .
  30. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb07-51.html 50 Fastest-Growing Metro Areas Concentrated in West and South.
  31. Web site: Portland State University Population Research Center. https://web.archive.org/web/20180718040535/https://www.pdx.edu/prc/population-reports-estimates. July 18, 2018. live.

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