Peninsular Ranges
| Peninsular Ranges | ||
|---|---|---|
| Highest peak | San Jacinto Peak ( 3302 m ) | |
| location | Mexico , United States | |
| part of | Coast Ranges | |
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| Coordinates | 30 ° N , 115 ° W | |
| rock | granite | |
The Peninsular Ranges (also known as the Lower California Province) are a group of mountain ranges stretching 1,500 km from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Lower California in Mexico . They are also part of the North American Coast Ranges , which run along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. The height of the mountain range varies from 150 to 3500 m.
The rocks in the mountain range are granite boulders from the Mesozoic Era , derived from the same massive batholith that forms the core of the Sierra Nevada in California. They are part of the geological province known as the Salinian Block . It broke off from the North American Plate when the San Andreas Fault and the Gulf of California formed.
The Peninsular Ranges include the Santa Ana Mountains , the San Jacinto Mountains, and the Laguna Mountains in southern California with the Sierra Juarez , Sierra Pedro Mártir , Sierra de la Gigenta, and Sierra de la Laguna in Baja California. Palomar Mountain , site of the Palomar Observatory , is in the Peninsular Ranges in San Diego County . The Peninsular Ranges run mostly from north to south, in contrast to the Transverse Ranges in the north, which run mainly from east to west.
In the Mexican parts, remnants of the Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands are still preserved in some parts of the mountain range , a type of vegetation that is known for its great biodiversity and large number of endemic species .
