Yakima Ridge is a long

anticline In structural geology, an anticline is a type of Fold (geology), fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest Bed (geology), beds at its core, whereas a syncline is the inverse of an anticline. A typical anticline is convex curve, c ...

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...

Yakima County Yakima County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 256,728. The county seat and most populous city is Yakima, Washington, Ya ...

and Benton County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. From its western end just north of the city of

Yakima Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The ...

, the ridge runs east-southeast through the

Yakima Training Center The Yakima Training Center (YTC) is a United States Army training center, used for maneuver training, Land Warrior system testing and as a live fire exercise area. It is located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Washington, boun ...

to its eastern end at

Hanford Reach National Monument The Hanford Reach National Monument is a national monument in the U.S. state of Washington. It was created in 2000, mostly from the former security buffer surrounding the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The area has been untouched by development o ...

and the

Hanford Site The Hanford Site is a decommissioned nuclear production complex operated by the United States federal government on the Columbia River in Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington. It has also been known as SiteW and the Hanford Nuclear R ...

. Yakima Ridge is paralleled on the north by

Umtanum Ridge Umtanum Ridge is a long anticline mountain ridge in Yakima County and Kittitas County in the U.S. state of Washington. It runs for approximately 55 miles east-southeast from the Cascade Range, through the Yakima Training Center to the edge of th ...

and on the south by the

Rattlesnake Hills The Rattlesnake Hills, also known as Rattlesnake Ridge, is a 16-mile (26 km) long anticline mountain ridge in Yakima County, Washington, Yakima County and Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Wash ...

Moxee Valley Moxee is a small suburban community southeast of Yakima, Washington. Yakima and Moxee are both north of the Yakama Indian Reservation in Yakima County, Washington, Yakima County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population of M ...

and Black Rock Valley lie south of Yakima Ridge. Yakima Ridge is part of the

Yakima Fold Belt The Yakima Fold Belt of south-central Washington, also called the Yakima fold-and-thrust belt, is an area of topographical folds (or wrinkles) raised by tectonic compression. It is a structural-tectonic sub province of the western Columbia Plat ...

of east-tending long ridges formed by the folding of

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

Columbia River basalt flows. The Yakima River cut a

water gap A water gap is a gap that flowing water has carved through a mountain range or mountain ridge and that still carries water today. Such gaps that no longer carry water currents are called wind gaps. Water gaps and wind gaps often offer a pract ...

through Yakima Ridge at Selah Gap. The river cut through other ridges at locations including

Umtanum Ridge Water Gap Umtanum Ridge Water Gap is a geologic feature in Washington (U.S. state), Washington state in the United States. It includes the Yakima Canyon (or "''Yakima River Canyon''"), and is located between the cities of Ellensburg, Washington, Ellensb ...

and

Union Gap Union Gap is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,568 at the 2020 census. Union Gap has become the retail hub for the entire Yakima Valley as a result of Valley Mall and other thriving businesses being locat ...

at Ahtanum Ridge.

References

External links

* * Geography of the Yakima Valley Landforms of Benton County, Washington Ridges of Washington (state) Ridges of Yakima County, Washington {{YakimaCountyWA-geo-stub