In the 19th century, the peak was called Mount Bache, a name given in honor of
Alexander Dallas Bache; the name is no longer in use.[4]
From 1955 to 2005, the mountain was the longtime site for the transmitter tower of San Jose television station
KNTV. In September 2005, it moved its transmitter 83 kilometres (52 mi) northwest to
San Bruno Mountain after it became the Bay Area's
NBC affiliate.
Geology
Loma Prieta is the tallest peak in the
Santa Cruz Mountains and it is common to see snow on the mountain during the winter.
Loma Prieta and other nearby mountain peaks are pushed upward by local collision forces associated with a left bend in the
San Andreas fault. Starting near
Uvas Canyon, the fault stops trending northwest but instead bends west-northwest for about eight miles before continuing its northwest direction. This left bend is renowned among geologists as an archetypal
restraining bend which acts to oppose
strike-slip motion along the fault.[5] From the perspective of Loma Prieta and other mountains atop the
Sierra Azul block, the
Pacific Plate is trying to shear them off the
North American Plate but can't break them off. Rather, the resulting
transpression force pushes up the local terrain and helps explain why these are the highest peaks in the
Santa Cruz Mountains.[6]
Astronomy
From 1976 through 1990 amateur astronomer
Donald Machholz set up his telescope an average of 120 times a year on the south slope of this mountain to search for comets. From this site he discovered three new comets that bear his name, including Periodic Comet Machholz 1
96P/Machholz on May 12, 1986.
The first official West Coast
Messier marathon was conducted from this site in March 1979.
Loma Prieta (the peak just right of center) and other nearby peaks are festooned with television broadcast towers and other communication towers, serving the
Santa Clara Valley. Fog-shrouded
Monterey Bay and the
Monterey peninsula are visible in the background in this late-afternoon approach to
San José International Airport.