Читать книгу 101 Hikes in Northern California. Exploring Mountains, Valleys, and Seashore онлайн

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Immediately offshore of Elkhorn Slough is the beginning of Monterey Canyon, California’s deepest submarine canyon. Twisting slightly southwest, it reaches a depth of 6,000 feet less than 15 miles from the shore, almost twice the elevation of Fremont Peak, which is 16 miles from the shore. To create so deep a submarine canyon requires erosive power far greater than that provided by the current rivers that flow into Monterey Bay. To explain its origin, theory holds that in the recent geologic past (up to 5 million years ago) a large amount of California water drained through present-day Monterey Bay unhindered by any Coast Ranges, carving a deep offshore canyon over the course of millions of years. As the San Andreas Fault system moved Monterey Bay north, the rising Coast Ranges limited its drainage basin to its current watershed. Cold water upwelling from March through September funnels nutrient-rich waters up Monterey Canyon, providing sustenance for the incredible diversity of sea life that makes Monterey Bay world famous.