Final answer:
California is comprised mainly of the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. The Pacific Plate is moving northward relative to the North American Plate, which is causing cities like Los Angeles to gradually move northward. This movement at the plate boundaries also has implications for the geography and future of regions like the Juan de Fuca plate and the Cascade Range.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two major tectonic plates that comprise California are the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. The San Andreas Fault is the transform boundary between these two plates. The Pacific Plate is moving northward relative to the North American plate.
This movement is significant because it impacts the geography and cities along the West Coast, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. Los Angeles, which is on the Pacific plate, is gradually moving northward. Over time, this movement could lead to Los Angeles becoming an island off the coast of San Francisco if the current rates of motion continue.
Along the West coast of North America, the types of plate boundaries vary from the Gulf of California northwards to British Columbia, typically involving transform and convergent boundaries. The Juan de Fuca plate, located off the coast of Washington and Oregon, is bounded by such zones and is predicted to eventually be subducted beneath the North American plate due to these interactions. This process will affect the tectonic landscape, as seen with the formation of the Cascade Range through volcanic and tectonic activity associated with the nearby plate boundaries.