Continental Margin of Northern and Central California: ABSTRACT

Abstract

The geology of the continental margin offshore from northern and central California, though actively studied in recent years, still is very incompletely known. Much of the available data consists of measurements made at the ocean surface from which deductions have been made regarding the rocks and structures on the sea floor. The nature of the young sediments on the surface of the sea floor is moderately well known from dredge sampling, though not nearly End_Page 650------------------------------ so well known as in the broad shelf area off the coast of southern California. Bedrock that underlies these sediments has been sampled only by a few dredgings, but is, of course, exposed in a few islands and along the shore. Although the offshore geology is very complex, the continental margin of northern and central California is unusually youthful, and thus is particularly suited for the study of basic problems of the development of continental shelves and slopes, and of the transition between continental and oceanic crustal rocks and structures. End_of_Article - Last_Page 651------------