Place of Origin of the Salinian Block, 

California, as Based on Clast Compositions 

of Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary 

Conglomerates

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101
Place of Origin of the Salinian Block, 

California, as Based on Clast Compositions 

of Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary 

Conglomerates

By VICTOR M. SEIDERS and BRETT F. COX

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1526

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1992
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Dallas L. Peck, Director

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is

for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement

by the U.S. Government

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Seiders, Victor M.

Place of origin of the Salinian block, California, as based on clast compositions of Upper Cretaceous and Lower 

Tertiary conglomerates / by Victor M. Seiders and Brett F. Cox. 

p. cm. (U.S. Geological Survey professional paper ; 1526) 

Includes bibliographical references 

Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.16:1526

1. Conglomerate California. 2. Conglomerate Mexico Baja California. 3. Conglomerate Arizona. 

I. Cox, Brett F. II. Title. III. Series. 

QE471.15.C6S45 1993

5§2'.5 dc20 92-12530

CIP

For sale by the Book and Open-File Report Sales, U.S. Geological Survey, 

Federal Center, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225
CONTENTS

Introduction ............... ..-...-..-.............. ....... ..«-.....--...-.....

Methods ................. ...................

Conglomerate from the Salinian and Nacimiento blocks 

Point San Pedro 

Santa Cruz Mountains 

Point Reyes 

Carmel ______________________________

Piggon Point . . .. « _ .- _ ...

Biff Sur coast -- . _ ..... . .«

^Vrrovo Seco ........................ .................-...............

The Indians Ranch 

Central Santa Lucia Range 

Page 

2 

2 

5

^

7

7

8

8

9 

Q 

Q

9

10

1 1

11

12

12

Cuyama River gorge

Caliente Range

Stanley Mountain area

Central San Rafael Mountains 12

Frazier Mountain block 12

Conglomerate from the Golden Gate - Gilroy block 13

Conglomerate from the Diablo and Temblor Ranges 13

Cretaceous conglomerate 13

Paleocene conglomerate 13

Eocene conglomerate 14

Cantua Sandstone Member 14

Shallow-water marine deposits 14

Point of Rocks Sandstone Member of the

Kreyenhagen Formation 14

Conglomerate of the Peninsular Ranges 15

Northern Santa Ana Mountains 15

San Diego 16

Upper Cretaceous conglomerate in Baja California 16

Baja California north of Ensenada 17

Punta Banda and Punta Santo Tomas 17

Punta Camalu 17

Punta Baja 17

Cabo Vizcaino 17

Paleocene conglomerate in Baja California 18

Eocene conglomerate in Baja California- 18

Conglomerate of the southwestern Transverse Ranges 18

Cretaceous conglomerate 18

Simi Hills . ................. ...... 19

Santa Monica Mountains 19

Conglomerate of the southwestern Transverse Ranges Con. 

Paleocene conglomerate 

Simi k.711111 Hills J..U11D ___ -»«-«- «.. - - ____.._._

Santa Monica Mountains and Gold Creek 

Eocene conglomerate

OcLULcL iH6Z~~ ~ ~~~~~~~""~~~~~~"~~~""~~~~~~~"""~~"'"~*"""~'""" "'"" ~ ~""~~~"

San Marcos Pass 

Simi Valley

Conglomerate in and near the Mojave block 

Southern end of the Sierra Nevada 

IGJOU

J? Ol*lkl£LLlOH -«-- » » '" - » - «-» " "" « "" "

Eastern Transverse Ranges

\_/£yon A £LSS «« " «" « « " " " " «" " """""""

Liebre Mountain block

Pinyon Ridge block

Orocopia Mountains 

Southeastern California and adjacent Arizona

McCoy Mountains Formation

Winterhaven Formation 

Conglomerate comparisons across faults 

San Gregorio fault

San Andreas fault, northern part 

San Andreas and related faults, southern California 

Liebre Mountain block

\JL OCOpl£L JVLOXlTlLcLlIlS "» «« " «" «»» "« » " "" " « " "" 

Place of origin of the Salinian block and related terrane

Regional conglomerate comparisons

Cretaceous conglomerate

Paleocene conglomerate

Eocene conglomerate 

Summary and interpretation

Salinian block relationships

Southwestern Transverse Ranges and Peninsular 

Ranges relationships

Golden Gate-Gilroy block relationships 

\_/onciu.sion ««-- .. .. . «» »»» »»«. . ..«««».. ». » « -«« ««

Page

20

20

20

21

21

21

21

21

21

21

21

22

22

23

23

23

23

24

24

24

26

26

26

27

28

29

30

32

32

33

33

34

34

35

35

35

35

37

38

39

40

40

Supplemental information. Locations of sampled

in
IV CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

FIGURE 1. Map of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico showing geologic provinces and some major faults 3

2. Pre-late Cenozoic palinspastic reconstruction of western California (after Powell, in press) showing areas where

/»nTicr1mncki*Q4*cfc \t\jiif2±\juj.d. CLvc U/QC w CLO cairmlo/l __ otimjjjmu _ __ _ _ _ _ _ - ._ . .__ . . . . . .__ _ ._«_ ._ . ._ . . ._ . . . ._ , .____ ._ ._ , . . . . __ ____________________ _________».»__-.»__ __-_ __-_ «____ __-_-__-_ __« ««« _ A._.

3. Pre-late Cenozoic palinspastic reconstruction of western California (after Powell, in press) showing generalized Late

Cretaceous paleocurrent directions 5

4. Pre-late Cenozoic palinspastic reconstruction of western California (after Powell, in press) showing generalized Paleocene

pcU.Goci.irrGUI curecuons « ---- -----«- ----------- - --»- ----------- - »---------«« '"« -"»« --« - '-"»» » """ """' """"' " """"»"" "" " o

5. Pre-late Cenozoic palinspastic reconstruction of western California (after Powell, in press) showing generalized Eocene

Y\olcfcrW JJCUCUVflU. vl'IT*1*CfcTl4* L Cllli UJJ. f^ 1 T*C»/*f"l dflnUllD rtTI C----------"" -- ---------» ---- ------------" --------------------- - --" "«" """ "" ""-"" "" " "" »""" " _ _______ ___ _ _______ < * .** _*__._._.__ » * -_- 7|

6. QVG diagram showing the compositions of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Salinian, Nacimiento, and

Golden Gate-Gilroy blocks 54

7. QIC diagram showing the compositions of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Diablo and Transverse

Ranjzes " -- --" - - ---- --.. . ........................................................................................................ 53

8. QVG diagram showing the compositions of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Diablo and Transverse

Ran£fes -- -- - .... ... ._......................................................................................................... 58

9. QIC diagram showing the compositions of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Peninsular Ranges 59

10. QVG diagram showing the compositions of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Peninsular Ranges 59

11. QIC diagram showing the compositions of JurassicC?) and Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Winterhaven

Formation and from the McCoy Mountains Formation - 62

12. QVG diagram showing the compositions of JurassicC?) and Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Winterhaven

Formation and from the McCoy Mountains Formation 62

13. QVG diagram showing the compositions of Paleocene conglomerate suites from the Salinian block 64

14. QVG diagram showing the compositions of Paleocene conglomerate suites from outside the Salinian block 64

15. QVG diagram showing the compositions of Eocene conglomerate suites from the Salinian block 68

16. QIC diagram showing the compositions of Eocene conglomerate suites from outside the Salinian block 70

17. QVG diagram showing the compositions of Eocene conglomerate suites from outside the Salinian block 70

18. QVG diagram showing the compositions of conglomerate suites of uncertain Tertiary (Paleocene or Eocene) age from

+Vick meQalinian kjcuijiiaii Klnr»lr............... njiiiWA -.-«-..---.-.....«..-.........-..-..-.-......-...........-.-..-.-...........-..-.-.»...-..-««...-..-.....-...-....-.-.--.-....-....-..... ... _ _...._......_......_...__.__.__..._.._.___.. 7^| ij

19. QVG diagram showing the compositions of selected conglomerate suites juxtaposed by restoration of San Gregorio

fault displacement as shown in figure 2 27

20. QVG diagram showing the compositions of selected conglomerate suites juxtaposed by restoration of Rinconada fault

displacement as shown in figure 2 28

21. QFL diagram showing the compositions of sandstone of the Butano Sandstone and the Point of Rocks Sandstone 

Member of the Kreyenhagen Formation, compared with the compositions of sandstone of the German Rancho 

Formation and the combined Cantua Sandstone Member of the Lodo Formation and the Gatchell Sandstone from 

Graham and Berrv (1979) ----- - - --.-. . ... . ..................................................................................... 29

22. QKP diagram showing the compositions of sandstone of the Butano Sandstone and the Point of Rocks Sandstone

Member of the Kreyenhagen Formation, compared with the compositions of the German Rancho Formation and 

the combined Cantua Sandstone Member of the Lodo Formation and the Gatchell Sandstone from Graham and

23. QVG diagram showing the compositions of selected conglomerate suites juxtaposed by restoration of San Andreas

fail It disDlfl.CGin.6iit 8.S shown in ficriiT*^ 2"~ ~~ ~ "-" ""~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~"~~"""~""~~"""~*~""~-"t~""~"~"~~""""~*~i"~~"~"~"" 32

24. QVG diagram showing the compositions of selected conglomerate suites juxtaposed by restoration of San Andreas

and related fault displacements in southern California as shown in figure 2 33

25. Summary QIC diagram showing the compositions of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Diablo and

Peninsular Ranges, Salinian block, and nearby regions 75

26. Summary QVG diagram showing the compositions of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Diablo and

Peninsular Ranges, the Salinian block, and nearby regions 75

27. Summary QIC diagram showing the compositions of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the McCoy

Mountains Formation, the Salinian block, and nearby regions 76

28. Summary QVG diagram showing the compositions of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the McCoy

Mountains Formation, the Salinian block, and nearby regions 76

29. Summary QIC diagram showing the compositions of Paleocene conglomerate suites from the Salinian block and

neai"bV I*6£n.OnS ~~ i- *' * ******'-**** * ** * * ** **** *''*'*** -* ** -** ****-* *** * *-*'*-*'*************!^** m~m»~* m*~m ~»~m~ »~ ~ ~~*~ * ~m ~ m 77

30. Summary QVG diagram showing the compositions of Paleocene conglomerate suites from the Salinian block and

TIGflrbV rGEfiOnS " *^~^^^"^^^^''^^^^»^''^»^^»^^^^^mm^^,^^^»»»m^^^^»mmm^mm^^»^m^^»m^^»^^^^m^^»^m^^m^^^m^»^^^^mmm^^fmm^^^»»m^»»m»m»^^^^^^^^^^^^»^^^^^^^^^m^m^^m^»mmmmmmm 77

31. Summary QIC diagram showing the compositions of Eocene conglomerate suites from the Salinian block and nearby

rgcrionS ------------------------« _-«««_- _ «- «- « «- « -« -.«»..».._.»«» _«-_«»_»-»-.«-»-»»..«...._»«»»..» 7ft

32. Summary QVG diagram showing the compositions of Eocene conglomerate suites from the Salinian block and

^^^'-^^^^ ^^^ '^"-^ ^ ^^-^^-^ ^^ '^^^^^-^^^^^ ^^^-^ ^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^ mmm^m^m^mm mm m m ^^m^ ^ ^^^ ^^m mmm^ mifm^m ^mmmmm^m^mmmmm 7ft
CONTENTS

Page

FIGURE 33. Summary QVG diagram showing the compositions of the Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suite from the Salinian

block and the Paleocene suite from the southernmost Sierra Nevada and the Liebre Mountain block 79

34. Map showing the Late Cretaceous distribution of Mesozoic lithotectonic belts and generalized sediment distribution

oaths _ _» _. . . ...-.. - .--.--.-.- - .. -- _-_...................._.~- - - .- -_........... 36

35. Map showing the Early Tertiary distribution of Mesozoic lithotectonic belts and generalized sediment distribution

paths ____________________________________________________________________ 37

36. Summary QIC diagram showing the compositions of Upper Jurassic through mid-Cretaceous conglomerate suites

from the Franciscan assemblage and Great Valley sequence in California and from correlative rocks in southwestern 

Oregon 39

TABLES

Page

TABLE 1. Pebble counts of Upper Cretaceous conglomerates from the Salinian, Nacimiento, and Golden Gate-Gilroy blocks 55

2. Pebble counts of Upper Cretaceous conglomerates from the Diablo Range and southern and Baja California 60

3. Pebble counts from the McCoy Mountains and Winterhaven Formations 63

4. Pebble counts of Paleocene conglomerates from the Salinian block 65

5. Pebble counts of Paleocene conglomerates outside the Salinian block 66

6. Pebble counts of Eocene conglomerates from the Salinian block and the Frazier Mountain block - 69

7. Pebble counts of Eocene conglomerates from outside the Salinian block - 71

8. Pebble counts of conglomerates of uncertain Tertiary age (Paleocene or Eocene) from the Salinian block 74

9. Sandstone petrology of the Butano Sandstone and the Point of Rocks Sandstone Member of the Kreyenhagen Formation 31

10. Summary of conglomerate clast compositions - -- - 80

PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK, CALIFORNIA,

AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF 

UPPER CRETACEOUS AND LOWER TERTIARY CONGLOMERATES

By VICTOR M. SEIDERS and BRETT F. Cox

ABSTRACT

More than 250 pebble counts were done on conglomerates from 

the Salinian block and nearby terrane in California, Baja California, and Arizona. The regional pattern of conglomerate compositions suggests that the Salinian block originated adjacent to the 

Mojave block and is not an exotic terrane as interpreted from paleomagnetic results.

Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eocene conglomerates in the 

Salinian block consist of two remotely derived detrital suites. The 

principal suite is rich in clasts of felsic volcanic rocks with subordinate amounts of granitic rocks and quartz sandstone. Granitic 

rocks are more abundant in lower Tertiary conglomerates of this 

suite. The second suite, only found locally near the base of the 

sequence, is rich in quartz sandstone. Both suites are very poor in 

chert.

Conglomerates of the Salinian block contrast with those in regions which were located to the north and south before San Andreas fault displacement. Cretaceous and lower Tertiary 

conglomerates in the Diablo and Temblor Ranges to the north and 

Cretaceous conglomerates in the Peninsular Ranges to the south 

are richer in chert than are Salinian block conglomerates. Lower 

Tertiary conglomerates both to the north and south are poorer in 

granitic rocks than are Salinian conglomerates.

Salinian conglomerates are compositionally similar to conglomerates in native North America in areas bordering directly on the 

western part of the Mojave block. Although there are no remotely 

derived Upper Cretaceous conglomerates in the western Mojave 

region instead only locally derived basal conglomerates conglomerates in the overlying and onlapping Paleocene sequence are 

similar to the principal Cretaceous conglomerate suite of the Salinian block. Paleocene conglomerates in the Tehachapi and El 

Paso Mountains and in the San Gabriel Mountains are very similar to Paleocene conglomerates of the Salinian block. An Eocene 

conglomerate in the San Emigdio Mountains, located at the south 

end of the San Joaquin Valley and near the western Mojave, is 

similar to Eocene conglomerates in the Salinian block.

Jurassic or Cretaceous conglomerates composed of volcanic 

rocks and chert in the lower half of the McCoy Mountains Formation of southeastern California and adjacent Arizona are very 

similar to conglomerates in the Winterhaven Formation in extreme southeastern California. This supports other evidence indiManuscript approved for publication February 19, 1992.

eating that the edge of the proposed Santa Lucia-Orocopia 

allochthon, which includes the Salinian block, does not lie between these two areas. Upper Cretaceous conglomerates rich in 

quartz sandstone clasts in the middle part of the McCoy Mountains Formation are similar to an areally restricted second suite 

of Cretaceous Salinian block conglomerates. Stratigraphically 

higher Cretaceous conglomerates in the McCoy Mountains Formation are rich in quartz sandstone, volcanic rocks, and granite 

and are similar to Upper Cretaceous conglomerates in the southwestern Transverse Ranges. Other conglomerates in the southwestern Transverse Ranges are rich in volcanic rocks and are 

similar to conglomerate in the northern Santa Ana Mountains of 

the Peninsular Ranges just to the south, with which there are 

close stratigraphic ties. These observations suggest a link between the Peninsular and southwestern Transverse Ranges and 

the Mojave block.

The geographic pattern in conglomerate compositions suggests a 

palinspastic reconstruction with the Salinian block restored adjacent to the western Mojave block by backslipping the San Andreas 

fault system. The restored Salinian block formed an interior part 

of the Cordilleran magmatic arc that may have become exposed to 

the ocean when hypothesized mid-Cretaceous left slip on the 

Nacimiento fault displaced southward the adjacent western part of 

the arc. Streams flowing westward off the magmatic arc north and 

south of the Salinian block transported gravel containing volcanic 

rocks derived from the magmatic arc and chert derived from prebatholithic rocks in the western part of the arc. In the Salinian 

block, volcanic-rich gravel with little chert may have been derived 

from the segment of the magmatic arc where the western belt of 

pre-batholithic rocks was absent because of Nacimiento fault displacement. Gravel rich in quartz sandstone and relatively poor in 

volcanic rocks was probably derived from the eastern Mojave area 

and transported southward to the southwestern Transverse Ranges, crossing the magmatic arc where it was most narrow. Volcanicrich gravel in the northern Santa Ana Mountains may have been 

transported northward along the magmatic arc by streams following the trace of the Nacimiento fault. The abundance of granitic 

rocks in conglomerate of the Salinian block may have resulted 

from uplift and deep erosion attending Late Cretaceous and Paleogene subduction of oceanic crust beneath the thick continental 

crust of the breached arc.

The detailed comparison of conglomerate pairs separated by the 

San Gregorio, Rinconada, and San Andreas faults generally 

supports previously determined magnitudes of displacement. 

Some pairs, most notably the Eocene Butano Sandstone and the 

Point of Rocks Sandstone Member of the Kreyenhagen Formation,
PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

are found to be compositional mismatches and on this basis 

should no longer be used as reference points in estimating fault 

displacements.

INTRODUCTION

The Salinian block (fig. 1) is one of many Cordilleran suspect terranes (Coney and others, 1980) for 

which an exotic place of origin relative to North 

America has been suggested based on the low inclinations determined from paleomagnetic analyses of 

Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene strata (Champion 

and others, 1984). The Salinian block consists of 

high-grade metamorphic and deep-seated granitic 

rocks (Ross, 1977, 1978, 1984; James and Mattinson, 

1988) overlain by Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary sedimentary rocks (Howell and others, 1977; Vedder and 

others, 1983). In this report, conglomerate compositions in Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary rocks 

of the Salinian block are examined and compared 

with those of nearby regions as a way of evaluating 

the place of origin of the Salinian block.

Neogene displacement on the San Andreas fault 

system has moved the Salinian block from a position 

in southern California adjacent to the Mojave block 

(fig. 1). If the Salinian block is allochthonous, it may 

have docked with North America in southern California during the Eocene as the Santa Lucia-Orocopia 

allochthon of Vedder and others (1983). Therefore, we 

evaluate our data in terms of the Salinian block's location with San Andreas displacement restored, using the reconstruction of Powell (in press; fig. 2). 

Paleocurrent directions for the Late Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eocene, largely from the literature, are 

plotted on the same reconstruction (figs. 3, 4, and 5). 

We also use Powell's (in press) terms for geographic 

areas in the region.

Although the southern limit of the Salinian block is 

commonly taken at the Big Pine fault (Ross, 1978), 

for convenience of discussion we include the Frazier 

Mountain block just to the south (fig. 1), which includes Eocene conglomerates compositionally similar 

to those of the Salinian block. The Nacimiento block, 

located west of the Salinian block and with a basement composed of the Franciscan assemblage, was 

joined to Salinia at least by Late Cretaceous time 

(Vedder and others, 1983), and we include with the 

Salinian data a few Upper Cretaceous conglomerate 

compositions from the Nacimiento block. The Golden 

Gate-Gilroy block of the San Francisco Bay area, also 

with a Franciscan basement, also has some Upper 

Cretaceous conglomerate that we include with the 

Salinian block data.

METHODS AND DEFINITIONS 

METHODS

We chose pebble counts as a method of evaluating 

the place of origin of suspect terrane because conglomerate compositions have been shown to be geographically distinctive (Seiders and Blome, 1988). 

Although conglomerate contains actual pieces of rock 

from the source area, rather than disaggregated mineral grains as in sandstone, it nonetheless can be a 

very difficult task to find a unique bedrock source for 

a given suite of conglomerate clasts. The problem is 

compounded when the potential source area is large 

and the conglomerate is old. Instead, we have chosen 

to study the clast compositions of conglomerates in 

suspect terranes and to compare them with the compositions of conglomerates in known paleogeographic 

settings.

Pebbles were counted in the size range 0.4-6.0 cm, 

mainly 0.4-3.0 cm. It is important that pebble counts 

be restricted to a limited size range because the clast 

compositions can vary greatly with size within the 

same conglomerate. In particular, the abundance of 

granitic rocks is commonly greater in the cobble and 

boulder sizes than in pebbles. Although we have not 

systematically tested for compositional variation as a 

function of size, the internal consistency of our results suggests that the variation is generally small 

within the range of sampled clast sizes.

Small pebbles were selected partly to reduce the 

volume of material to be processed, but as an added 

advantage they include fewer locally derived clasts. 

The resulting systematic bias in favor of remotely derived siliceous- resistate clast suites facilitates largescale regional correlation.

Pebbles were collected from the outcrop by disaggregating and collecting all pebbles within the selected size range until an appropriate number, usually 

about 350, was obtained. Outcrops with more than a 

few decomposed pebbles were not sampled. Conglomerate that would not disaggregate was sawed.

Pebbles or sawed slabs were etched overnight in 

five percent hydrofluoric acid solution. Usually the 

sample was first placed in dilute hydrochloric acid to 

dissolve away any attached calcite and to test for 

clasts of limestone or marble, which were removed 

and counted. After etching in hydrofluoric acid, the 

sample was placed overnight in 3 percent hydrochloric acid solution to remove a white crust, probably 

calcium fluoride, that forms on some pebbles. Identifications were done in reflected light using a low-power 

microscope. The etched surface has a low relief and 

little reflectivity, which facilitates identification. The
122°

METHODS AND DEFINITIONS

118° 114° 110°

COLORADO.

San GregorioHosgri fault

Monterev

XV-LL L L L V- L V \

^^^^L \)

Frazier Mountain block ' L '- L L L L L ' L

"ojaye_block_ __ l- L \

San Gabriel Mountains block, v- LLLLL

__ LjYuma

EXPLANATION

^ Arrows show relative movement along fault

FIGURE 1. Map of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico showing geologic provinces, some major faults, and selected

localities mentioned in the text.
PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

Goler 

brmation

Stanle 

Mo'untain 

Jarea

Central 

San Rafael 

Mountains

Santa Barbara

Wheeler Gorge'simi Hill 

60

Santa Mon 

Mountains

100 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

Pre-Tertiary igneous and metamorphic rock

Jurassic through early Tertiary sedimentary 

rock including the lightly metamorphosed 

McCoy Mountains and Winterhaven 

Formations

Franciscan assemblage

method is at least as fast and is more accurate than 

identifications done on the outcrop with a hand lens.

The pebble counts are presented in tables 1-8 and 

the data are presented graphically in triangular diagrams (figs. 6-20). The diagrams are of two types representing the compositions in terms of their most 

significant constituents, either quartz sandstone, 

chert, and all igneous rocks (Q-C-I) or quartz sandstone, volcanic rocks, and granitic rocks (Q-V-G). Following a method applied by Ingersoll and others 

(1977) to sandstone petrology, the diagrams show for 

each conglomerate group the mean composition and an 

envelope or dispersion field produced by the standard 

deviations of each of the three constituents. Although 

such diagrams contain some inherent distortion (Philip and Watson, 1988) and cannot be used as tests of 

statistical probability (Philip and others, 1987) they 

are, nevertheless, a convenient way to visually compare the compositions of conglomerate suites.

DEFINITIONS

Mudstone as used in this report includes both gray 

argillite that is gradational to chert, and tan, commonly silty mudstone of possible intraformational origin. Quartz sandstone is taken to mean sandstone 

with quartz grains making up more than about 80 

percent of the framework grains. Other sandstone 

contains more than 20 percent of other constituents, 

including mineral grains, as well as chert and other 

rock fragments. Siltstone and fine conglomerate are 

included with sandstone. Metamorphic quartzite is 

included in quartz sandstone only if there is relict 

texture or some other indication that it formed from 

a detrital sedimentary rock rather than from chert. 

Otherwise, it is included in "other," a category that 

includes other metamorphic and unidentified rocks, 

usually in small abundance.

The line between felsic and other volcanic rocks is 

arbitrary and probably inaccurate because of the difficulty in making this distinction in small pieces of 

rock. We include diabase, usually rare or absent, 

with other volcanic rocks. Likewise, minor diorite 

and gabbro are included with granitic rocks. For a 

few samples where these rocks are abundant, diaFIGURE 2. Pre-late Cenozoic palinspastic reconstruction of 

western California (after Powell, in press) showing study 

areas described in the text. Other study areas are shown 

on figure 1 and detailed sample locations are given in the 

"Supplemental Information." About 90° of clockwise rotation of the southwestern Transverse Ranges, which we 

would restore, is not fully restored in this reconstruction.
CONGLOMERATE FROM THE SALINIAN AND NACIMIENTO BLOCKS

50 100 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

Pre-Tertiary igneous and metamorphic rock

Jurassic through early Tertiary sedimentary 

rock including the lightly metamorphosed 

McCoy Mountains and Winterhaven 

Formations

Franciscan assemblage

base as well as combined diorite and gabbro are listed separately.

In describing conglomerate compositions, we have 

characterized component abundances with words 

such as "rich," "poor," and "abundant." These terms 

are used to describe the abundance relative to other 

samples of this study. Thus, a conglomerate with 30 

percent granitic rocks or 20 percent quartz sandstone, components generally present in smaller abundance, would be described as rich in these rocks, 

whereas a conglomerate with 20 percent felsic volcanic rocks, usually the most abundant kind of clast, 

would be characterized as poor in this component.

CONGLOMERATE FROM THE SALINIAN AND 

NACIMIENTO BLOCKS

GUALALA

A thick sequence of turbidites of Late Cretaceous 

and early Tertiary age crops out west of the San Andreas fault in a narrow, 50-km-long coastal strip near 

Gualala (figs. 1 and 2; Wentworth, 1966, 1968; Ross 

and others, 1972). The basement is a spilite of uncertain affinities. Wentworth (1966, 1968) divided the 

Upper Cretaceous rocks into two interfingering facies 

based on the kind of contained detritus. The strata of 

Stewarts Point, mainly exposed to the south, include 

K-feldspar arkose and conglomerate in which the plutonic clasts are largely granitic. The strata of Anchor 

Bay to the north contain plagioclase arkose and conglomerate with relatively abundant mafic plutonic 

clasts. Overlying lower Tertiary rocks include both 

Paleocene and lower to middle Eocene strata. Paleocurrent directions in both Cretaceous and Tertiary 

rocks are mainly to the northwest (Wentworth, 1966, 

1968; figs 3-5).

Kanter and Debiche (1985) interpreted paleomagnetic 

determinations on lower Tertiary rocks of the area to 

indicate about 1,800 km of northward translation.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Pebble counts from Upper Cretaceous rocks are 

shown in table 1 and are represented graphically in

FIGURE 3. Pre-late Cenozoic palinspastic reconstruction of 

western California (after Powell, in press) showing generalized Late Cretaceous paleocurrent directions. See text for 

sources of information. Note that about 90° of clockwise 

rotation of the southwestern Transverse Ranges, which we 

would restore, is not fully restored in this reconstruction.
PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

Goler 

: ormation

Caliente Range

100 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

Pre-Tertiary igneous and metamorphic rock

McCoy Mi 

Formations

Franciscan assemblage

figure 6. Five silicic conglomerates from the strata of 

Stewarts Point, like most other Salinian block conglomerates, are composed mainly of felsic volcanic 

rocks (mean 61.5 percent). Relative to other Salinian 

block conglomerates, this suite is richer in quartz 

sandstone (mean 15.6 percent). The two stratigraphically lowest conglomerates are richest in quartz 

sandstone (29.2 and 19.6 percent; in table 1 the suite 

is arranged in ascending stratigraphic order). In figure 6 the variation in quartz sandstone is shown in 

the elongation of the dispersion field parallel to the 

Q-V (quartz sandstone-volcanic rock) side of the triangle. Granitic rock content (mean, 10.0 percent) is 

low, as in most other Cretaceous suites of the Salinian block. This contrasts with Wentworth's (1968) description of abundant granite. His observations 

probably reflect a greater abundance of granite 

among cobble and boulder-size clasts, which are excluded here.

Three pebble counts from the Cretaceous strata of 

Anchor Bay show less abundant felsic volcanic rocks 

than the Stewarts Point suite (mean 41.0 versus 61.5 

percent) and are much richer in intermediate to mafic volcanic rocks and diabase (mean 25.7 versus 1.3 

percent). Plutonic rocks of granitic (mean 16.9 percent) and mafic (mean 5.6 percent) composition are 

more abundant than in the Stewarts Point suite 

(means 10.0 and 0 percent, respectively) and quartz 

sandstone is lower (mean 2.0 versus 15.6 percent). 

The Anchor Bay suite is unusual for its abundance of 

intermediate to mafic volcanic and plutonic rocks. It 

shows some similarity with a conglomerate from an 

unnamed formation in the Golden Gate-Gilroy block 

(table 1, locality WO-268).

The basal Paleocene conglomerate is approximately 

similar to the underlying Cretaceous conglomerate in 

the strata of Stewarts Point, but stratigraphically 

higher Paleocene conglomerates show an abrupt increase in granite content (mean 29.3 versus 11.7 percent; table 4 and fig. 13). These rocks also contain a 

mean of 3.3 percent chert, which is unusually high 

for the Salinian block. Eocene conglomerates are similar to the youngest Paleocene conglomerates, but are 

somewhat more variable in composition and not rich 

in chert (mean 0.9 percent; table 6 and fig. 15).

FIGURE 4. Pre-late Cenozoic palinspastic reconstruction of 

western California (after Powell, in press) showing generalized Paleocene paleocurrent directions. See text for sources 

of information. Note that about 90° of clockwise rotatiorf of 

the southwestern Transverse Ranges, which we would restore, is not fully restored in this reconstruction.
CONGLOMERATE FROM THE SALINIAN AND NACIMIENTO BLOCKS

izier Mountain 

block

100 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

Prc-Tertiary igneous and metamorphic rock

Jurassic through early Tertiary sedimentary 

rock including the lightly metamorphosed 

McCoy Mountains and Winterhaven 

Formations

Franciscan assemblage

POINT SAN PEDRO

A sequence of Paleocene turbidites perhaps 900 m 

thick rests on granitic basement at Point San Pedro, 

just south of San Francisco (figs. 1 and 2; Morgan, 

1981; Nilsen and Yount, 1981, 1987). Paleocurrent indicators point west-northwest (Nilsen and Yount, 

1981; fig. 4). Champion and others (1984) reported 

paleomagnetic determinations and interpreted about 

2,000 km of northward displacement for these rocks.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Three pebble counts from the sequence at Point 

San Pedro (table 4 and fig. 13) show abundant felsic 

volcanic (mean 42.6 percent) and granitic (mean 25.7 

percent) rocks, with moderately abundant quartz 

sandstone (mean 14.2 percent), and a slight enrichment in chert (mean 2.0 percent). The composition is 

similar to the granite-rich conglomerate occurring 

low in the Paleocene sequence, but not at the base, 

at Gualala (fig. 13). Coarse-grained conglomerate 

that is well exposed in a highway roadcut at Point 

San Pedro contains abundant granite boulders. We 

sampled only the pebble-size clasts in the interstices 

between the boulders at this locality (BP-73-1D).

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

In the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco (fig. 2) the Eocene Butano Sandstone is widely distributed (Clark, 1981; Brabb and Pampayan, 1983; 

Brabb, 1989). The formation is as much as 3,000 m 

thick and consists of turbidites of deep-sea fan facies 

with mainly north-directed paleocurrent indicators 

(Nilsen and Simoni, 1973; Nilsen, 1985). The Butano 

overlies the Locatelli Formation of Paleocene age, 

which consists of about 270 m of siltstone resting on 

granitic basement (Clark, 1981).

Clark (1981) gave the age of the Butano Sandstone 

as ranging from Penutian (early Eocene) to Narizian 

(middle and late Eocene), but he noted that the lower 

part of the formation is not well dated and could be 

older. Kanter (1988) discussed new data supporting

FIGURE 5. Pre-late Cenozoic palinspastic reconstruction of 

western California (after Powell, in press) showing generalized Eocene paleocurrent directions. See text for sources of 

information. Note that about 90° of clockwise rotation of 

the southwestern Transverse Ranges, which we would restore, is not fully restored in this reconstruction.
PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

an early and middle Eocene age for the formation. In 

an effort to better date the lower part of the Butano, 

we collected foraminiferal mudstone from a locality 

(grid 4,110,800N, 572.040E) stratigraphically just below two of our conglomerate localities near the base 

of the formation (BP-80-1 and BP-78-1D). R. Z. Poore 

(written commun., 1989) identified planktic foraminifers and calcareous nannofossils of early Eocene age 

(foraminiferal zones P7-P9, nannofossil zone NP11), 

which confirms the previous age assignments of the 

lower part of the Butano.

Paleomagnetic determinations on the Butano Sandstone are interpreted by Kanter and Debiche (1985) 

and Kanter (1988) to indicate that, aside from San 

Andreas fault displacement, no large northward 

translation is required.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of five pebble counts of conglomerate in 

the Butano Sandstone (table 6 and fig. 15) shows 

abundant felsic volcanic rocks (57.0 percent), quartz 

sandstone (19.1 percent), and granitic rocks (14.5 

percent). Relative to other Eocene conglomerate of 

the Salinian block, conglomerate in the Butano Sandstone is relatively rich in quartz sandstone and poor 

in granitic rocks.

We also present sandstone petrology from the Butano Sandstone (table 9 and figs. 19 and 20). This is 

discussed in a later section.

POINT REYES

In a small area on the tip of Point Reyes (fig. 2) 

about 200 m of graded sandstone, conglomerate, and 

minor siltstone of Paleocene age overlies granitic 

basement (Galloway, 1977; Clark and others, 1984). 

West to northwest sediment transport (fig. 4) is suggested by channel orientations and paleocurrent data 

(Clark and others, 1984).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Three pebble counts from the Point Reyes Conglomerate of Galloway (1977; table 4 and fig. 13) 

show abundant felsic volcanic rocks (mean 69.6 percent) and modest amounts of quartz sandstone (mean 

8.4 percent) and granitic rocks (mean 14.4 percent). 

Compared with the Paleocene conglomerate at 

Gualala, the conglomerate at Point Reyes is more 

like the granite-poor conglomerate at the base of the

Paleocene section than the granite-rich conglomerate 

higher up.

CARMEL

Paleocene rocks of the Carmelo Formation of Bowen (1965) are well exposed near Carmel, just south 

of Monterey, where they rest on granitic basement 

(figs. 1 and 2; Clark and others, 1974; Clifton and 

Hill, 1987). Good exposures are found both in the 

Point Lobos State Reserve south of Carmel Bay and 

at the north edge of the bay along the Pebble Beach 

Golf Course. The formation is about 220 m thick 

(Clark and others, 1984) and consists of turbidites interpreted as the fill of a submarine canyon (Clifton, 

1981; Clifton and Hill, 1987). Paleocurrent directions 

both to the northwest and to the southwest are reported (Clifton, 1981; fig. 4).

The few fossils that have been found in the Carmelo Formation of Bowen (1965) indicate a Paleocene 

age (Nili-Esfahani, 1965; Bowen, 1965). We sampled 

a microfossiliferous calcareous concretion from the 

beach at the south end of the Point Lobos Reserve 

(grid location, 4,040,530N, 595,090E). N. L. Frederiksen examined the sample and reported the following 

palynomorphs, which indicate a Paleocene to earliest 

Eocene age (written commun., 1989):

Betulaepollenites sp.

Momipites aff. M. microfoveolatus

Momipites coryloides group

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Seven pebble counts from the Carmelo Formation 

of Bowen (1965; table 4 and fig. 13) are very rich 

in felsic volcanic rocks (mean 82.6 percent) with 

little quartz sandstone (mean 3.2 percent) or granite (mean 9.9 percent). A basal boulder conglomerate, exposed on the north edge of Carmel Bay, is 

very rich in granite clasts; however, the size range 

is largely above the range used in this study, and a 

count was not done. The volcanic-rich conglomerate, because it is so low in granite, is more typical 

of Cretaceous rather than Paleocene conglomerate 

in the Salinian block. Similar conglomerate of Cretaceous age is exposed nearby on the Big Sur 

coast, and there is also a granite-rich basal conglomerate not far to the south. Because of this similarity with Cretaceous conglomerate, we collected 

more fossils, but, as noted above, the Tertiary age 

was confirmed.
CONGLOMERATE FROM THE SALINIAN AND NACIMIENTO BLOCKS

PIGEON POINT

Upper Cretaceous rocks of the Pigeon Point Formation are well exposed along a 16-km stretch of the 

coast near Pigeon Point, west of the San GregorioHosgri fault, south of San Francisco (figs. 1 and 2). 

It is not clear if the basement under the Pigeon 

Point consists of granitic rocks of the Salinian block 

or of the Franciscan assemblage (subduction complex) of the Nacimiento block (Howell and Joyce, 

1981). Fossils of Campanian or Maestrichtian age 

have been reported (Hall and others, 1959; Saul and 

Popenoe, 1962; Saul, 1983; Elder, 1989). Most recently, the sequence was considered upper Campanian (Elder, 199la). The sedimentary rocks are about 

3,300 m thick and are of deep-sea fan facies passing 

up into slope and shelf facies (Howell and Joyce, 

1981). Paleocurrent directions (Howell and Joyce, 

1981), corrected for rotations suggested by paleomagnetic observations (Champion and others, 1984), 

are both to the west and to the south (fig. 3). Paleomagnetic observations are interpreted by Champion 

and others (1984) to indicate 2,500 km of northward 

translation.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Like most Cretaceous conglomerates of the Salinian block (table 1 and fig. 6), four samples counted 

from the Pigeon Point Formation are rich in felsic 

volcanic rocks (mean 80.7 percent) and low in quartz 

sandstone (mean 1.5 percent) and granitic rocks 

(mean 11.7 percent). Like other Cretaceous conglomerates they are also low in chert (mean 1.5 percent). 

Some chert pebbles, however, have well-preserved radiolarians, whereas the chert in most Cretaceous conglomerate is typically recrystallized and lacks 

identifiable radiolarians. Grove (1989) reported that 

radiolarians in two pebbles in the Pigeon Point are 

Late Jurassic in age. This contrasts with the Triassic 

age of most chert in upper Mesozoic conglomerate in 

California (Seiders and others, 1979; Seiders and 

Blome, 1988). The Late Jurassic age, coupled with 

the observation that some pebbles are red, suggests a 

source in the Franciscan assemblage. The recycling of 

Franciscan rocks, including chert, into Upper Cretaceous rocks of the Franciscan itself is well documented (Cowan and Page, 1975; Seiders and others, 

1979), but reports of Franciscan detritus in other 

Cretaceous sedimentary rock units are rare. The apparent absence of other distinctive Franciscan detritus, such as blueschist, casts doubt on the source of 

the chert.

BIG SUR COAST

Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks resting on Salinian basement and including conglomerate have 

been mapped along the Big Sur coast south of Monterey (figs. 1 and 2; Trask, 1926; Reiche, 1937; Howell 

and others, 1977; Seiders and others, 1983). The 

rocks have not been studied in detail but Upper Cretaceous fossils have been reported from them (Trask, 

1926; Nomland and Schenck, 1932).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The most northern of two conglomerates sampled 

from this area (table 1 and fig. 6) is typical of the 

Salinian block Cretaceous conglomerates, with abundant felsic volcanic clasts (82.0 percent) and relatively 

little quartz sandstone (3.8 percent) and granite (12.5 

percent). The other conglomerate is a basal conglomerate rich in locally derived granite (39.9 percent) and 

metamorphic rocks (29.9 percent, included in "other" 

in table 1), with few felsic volcanic rocks (13.4 percent).

ARROYO SECO

A small area of Paleocene rocks is exposed near Arroyo Seco, inland from the Big Sur coastal area (fig. 

2; Dickinson, 1965; Seiders and others, 1983). The sequence contains Paleocene megafossils and consists 

of about 30 m of conglomerate overlying about 250 m 

of mudstone, siltstone, and sandstone resting on crystalline basement (Dickinson, 1965).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Two pebble counts from the conglomerate near Arroyo Seco (table 4 and fig. 13) are very rich in quartz 

sandstone (mean 55.4 percent) with moderately abundant granitic rocks (mean 20.7 percent) and unusually 

few felsic volcanic clasts (mean 19.3 percent). This is 

not a basal conglomerate and the unusual composition 

does not result from the local derivation of quartz 

sandstone clasts. The pebbles are well rounded and 

include quartz sandstone with well-preserved clastic 

textures, unlike the highly tectonized metasandstone 

found in the basement of the Salinian block.

THE INDIANS RANCH

Near the Indians Ranch, in the northern Santa 

Lucia Range (fig. 2; Seiders and others, 1983), a
10 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

lenticular conglomerate body about 300 m thick is incised into proximal turbidites of the Reliz Canyon 

Formation (Graham, 1979a, b). The conglomerate 

represents a slope channel complex with southwestdirected paleocurrent indicators (fig. 5) and middle 

Eocene fossils. Graham (1979a) assigned the conglomerate to the Church Creek Formation, but Seiders and Joyce (1984) considered it part of the Reliz 

Canyon Formation. Underlying Paleocene beds (not 

sampled) show southwest-directed paleocurrents (fig. 

4; Reutz, 1979).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of three pebble counts from conglomerate near the Indians Ranch (table 6 and fig. 15) is 

similar to other Eocene conglomerates of the Salinian 

block, with abundant felsic volcanic (54.9 percent) 

and granitic (25.6 percent) rocks and moderately 

abundant quartz sandstone (12.2 percent). In outcrop, large boulders of locally derived basement rocks 

are conspicuous.

CENTRAL SANTA LUCIA RANGE

Upper Cretaceous strata are widely exposed in the 

central Santa Lucia Range (fig. 2; Jennings, 1958), 

whe,re they occur both depositionally above Salinian 

block basement and as tectonic klippe on Franciscan 

assemblage rocks of the Nacimiento block (Page, 

1970). The stratigraphy in the Burnett Peak quadrangle (Seiders, 1989) is the basis for the stratigraphic assignment of most of the conglomerates 

studied in this area. This stratigraphy has been carried beyond that quadrangle through mapping by one 

of us (Seiders) and by correlation with rocks in other 

areas (Durham, 1968a, b; Howell and others, 1977; 

Seiders, 1982; Grove, 1986, 1989).

In the Burnett Peak quadrangle (Seiders, 1989), 

two slightly different stratigraphic sequences are exposed on opposite flanks of a faulted syncline. On the 

southwestern flank, the Steve Creek, Italian Flat, 

and Shut-in Formations, listed in ascending order, 

comprise about 2,500 m of turbidites, with abundant 

conglomerate in the Steve Creek and the Shut-in. 

The Steve Creek is not well dated and could be as old 

as Campanian, but the two overlying formations 

have yielded foraminifers, pollen, and dinoflagellates 

of late Maestrichtian age. On the northeast limb of 

the syncline, the El Piojo Formation is about 1,300 m 

thick and contains both microfossils and megafossils 

of Maestrichtian, largely late Maestrichtian, age 

(Saul, 1986; Seiders, 1986; Sliter, 1986). The upper

part of the El Piojo consists of deep-water turbidites 

and the lower part is shallow-marine facies rocks 

(Grove, 1986; Seiders, 1986).

Paleocurrent indicators in Cretaceous rocks (fig. 3) 

in the western part of Lake Nacimiento point southwest (Seiders, unpub. data) and in the eastern part of 

the lake point mainly south (Howell and others, 1977; 

Grove, 1986). South of Lake Nacimiento some paleocurrent indicators are directed west (McClure, 1969).

In the eastern part of Lake Nacimiento, strata of 

late Maestrichtian age are succeeded without interruption by beds with Paleocene fossils (Durham, 

1968b; Grove, 1986; Saul, 1986). We tentatively assign three conglomerate exposures in this area to the 

Paleocene based on along-strike projection from a Paleocene fossil locality.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The Steve Creek and Shut-in Formations, units exposed on the southwest limb of the syncline mentioned above, have similar clast compositions and are 

like many other Cretaceous conglomerates of the Salinian block (table 1 and fig. 6). Conglomerate from 

the El Piojo Formation on the northeast side of the 

syncline, however, is more like Paleocene conglomerates of the Salinian block. Compared with the mean 

of 16 pebble counts from the Steve Creek and Shut-in 

Formations, the mean of 12 counts from the El Piojo 

is lower in felsic volcanic rocks (66.4 versus 84.6 percent) and is higher in quartz sandstone (7.8 versus 

2.9 percent) and granitic rocks (20.4 versus 6.8 percent). The reason for this difference is not known 

with certainty, but it could be that the El Piojo, although also Maestrichtian in age, is nevertheless 

slightly younger than the Shut-in Formation. The 

deposition of granite-rich gravel, which in other areas started in the Paleocene, began in the El Piojo 

just before the end of the Cretaceous.

A geographic variation in the composition of conglomerates from the El Piojo Formation is shown in 

table 1, where the localities are listed in order from 

northwest to southeast. The seven more northwestern conglomerates are richer in granitic rocks than 

the five southeastern ones, exposed in the eastern 

part of Lake Nacimiento. The latter are closer in 

composition to Cretaceous conglomerate in the La 

Panza Range, with which they are juxtaposed when 

45 km of displacement on the Rinconada fault is restored as suggested by Graham (1978).

The one Upper Cretacous conglomerate from the 

Atascadero Formation in the southern part of the region (table 1, locality Y-160) is unusual because it is
CONGLOMERATE FROM THE SALINIAN AND NACIMIENTO BLOCKS 11

composed entirely of volcanic and plutonic rock clasts 

with no sedimentary rock clasts at all. The reason for 

this is unclear.

The three conglomerates of questionable Paleocene 

age from the central Santa Lucia Range (table 4 and 

fig. 13) have abundant felsic volcanic rocks (mean 

53.7 percent), quartz sandstone (mean 17.5 percent), 

and granitic rocks (mean 24.0).

LA PANZA RANGE

East of the Rinconada fault, a thick and extensive 

sequence of Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary 

sedimentary rocks overlies granitic basement of the 

La Panza Range (figs. 1 and 2). These rocks have 

been mapped by Vedder and others (1986a, b, c) and 

the sedimentary rocks are discussed by Howell and 

others (1977) and Grove (1989). The Cretaceous sequence probably is late Campanian and (or) Maestrichtian in age (J.G. Vedder, written commun., 1991) 

and begins with fluvial deposits, succeeded by shallow-marine facies rocks, and then deep-water turbidites. The overlying lower Tertiary rocks are of 

undifferentiated Paleocene or Eocene age and are a 

deep-sea fan facies. Paleocurrent indicators in the 

Cretaceous beds (fig. 3) are mainly south directed. 

Paleomagnetic observations on basal Upper Cretaceous strata are interpreted by Whidden and others 

(1991) to indicate formation within five degrees of 

the expected position as part of North America.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

In the northeastern part of this area, on Pozo 

grade and in American Canyon (Howell and others, 

1977), three Cretaceous conglomerates from the lower 300 m of the section have a mean composition (table 1 and fig. 6) unusually rich in quartz sandstone 

(59.9 percent), very low in felsic volcanic rocks (2.7 

percent), and moderately low in granitic rocks (12.4 

percent). A basal conglomerate to the west, north of 

Santa Margarita Lake (Vedder and others, 1986a), 

and one to the southeast, on Chimineas Ranch (Vedder and others, 1986c), are compositionally similar 

but not quite so poor in felsic volcanic rocks (23 and 

12.7 percent). The abundant quartz sandstone clasts 

in these conglomerates, like those in the Paleocene 

conglomerate at Arroyo Seco, are not of local derivation. The clasts are well rounded and many quartz 

sandstone clasts have well-preserved clastic textures, 

unlike the highly deformed, generally feldspathic 

metasandstones in the basement of the Salinian

block. Both gray and pink quartz sandstone clasts 

are present.

The mean composition of six samples of Cretaceous 

conglomerates higher in the section (table 1 and fig. 

6) are typical of Salinian block Cretaceous rocks, 

with abundant volcanic clasts (80.8 percent) and 

small amounts of quartz sandstone (7.5 percent) and 

granite (8.2 percent). A conglomerate of probable Cretaceous age in the southeastern part of this region is 

compositionally similar but richer in granitic clasts 

(25.9 percent).

Five conglomerates of early Tertiary age, either Paleocene or Eocene, fall into two suites (table 8 and 

fig. 18), one relatively low in quartz sandstone (mean 

of three, 8.2 percent) and the other higher in quartz 

sandstone (mean of two, 20.5 percent). Felsic volcanic 

rocks (mean 59.0 and 50.1 percent) and granitic 

rocks (mean 29.2 and 26.3 percent) are present in 

amounts typical of the lower Tertiary rocks of the Salinian block. Plotted on the geologic map of Vedder 

and others (1986a), the low quartz-sandstone suite is 

seen to underlie the high quartz-sandstone suite.

CUYAMA RIVER GORGE

Lower Tertiary turbidites are widely exposed in the 

region lying east of the Sur-Nacimiento fault zone 

north and south of the Cuyama River (Vedder and 

others, 1988, 1989b). These rocks are continuous 

with beds that form the upper part of the Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary sequence that rests on La 

Panza Range basement farther north. Some rocks are 

early Eocene in age and others can be dated no more 

precisely than either Paleocene or Eocene (J.G. Vedder, oral cummun., 1990). Near the Cuyama River 

and southward through the Sierra Madre Mountains, 

paleocurrent indicators point mainly to the west and 

west-southwest (fig. 5; Chipping, 1972).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Two conglomerate suites, one early Eocene in age 

and one Paleocene or Eocene in age (tables 6 and 8 

and figs. 15 and 18), are found in the area. Eight 

pebble counts from the Eocene suite have a mean 

composition that is low in quartz sandstone (5.3 percent) and rich in felsic volcanic (64.3 percent) and 

granitic (25.0 percent) rocks. The mean of four pebble 

counts from the Paleocene or Eocene suite is much 

richer in quartz sandstone (32.1 percent) and relatively lower in felsic volcanic (45.5 percent) and granitic (16.8 percent) rocks. Locally, conglomerate of
12 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

the high quartz-sandstone suite appears to overlie 

the low quartz-sandstone suite, but this relationship 

is not certain.

CALIENTE RANGE

In the southeastern Caliente Range (fig. 2), as 

much as 1,000 m of Paleocene siltstone, sandstone, 

and conglomerate were mapped as the Pattiway Formation by Vedder and Repenning (1975). The base of 

the unit is not exposed. Paleocurrent measurements 

by Sage (1973) indicate south-directed currents.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Three pebble counts from the Pattiway Formation 

(table 4 and fig. 13) have a mean clast composition 

that is rich in felsic volcanic (59.9 percent) and granitic (22.2 percent) rocks with moderate amounts of 

quartz sandstone (13.0 percent).

STANLEY MOUNTAIN AREA

West of the Sur-Nacimiento fault zone, near Stanley Mountain and close to the Cuyama River (Vedder 

and others, 1989a), and in the northwestern San 

Rafael Mountains 25 km to the southeast (Vedder 

and others, 1967; fig. 2), conglomerate occurs in beds 

of Late Cretaceous age. The precise age of the rocks 

near Stanley Mountain is not known (Hall and Corbato, 1967), but the conglomerate to the southeast is 

Campanian or Maestrichtian in age and a shallowmarine to nonmarine facies (Vedder and others, 

1983). Underlying mid-Cretaceous (Cenomanian to 

Santonian) sedimentary rocks, together with an ophiolite at the base of the section, have paleomagnetic 

signatures interpreted by McWilliams and Howell 

(1982) to indicate formation near the equator.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Three pebble counts of conglomerates from this 

area (table 1 and fig. 6) have a mean composition 

showing 15.4 percent quartz sandstone, 64.1 percent 

felsic volcanic rocks, and 8.3 percent granite. Relative 

to Cretaceous conglomerates of the Salinian block, 

this composition is only slightly high in quartz sandstone and slightly low in volcanic rocks. The granite 

content of the southeastern conglomerate (10.1 percent), like the others, is low. This contrasts with 

mention of abundant granite by Vedder and others

(1977, 1983), which probably stems from observations 

on larger clasts.

CENTRAL SAN RAFAEL MOUNTAINS

A thick sequence of Upper Jurassic through lower 

Tertiary rocks was mapped in the central San Rafael 

Mountains (fig. 2) by Vedder and others (1967). The 

sampled Upper Cretaceous rocks are west of the SurNacimiento fault zone and come from a sequence of 

beds that contain late(?) Campanian and Maestrichtian fossils (J.G. Vedder, written commun., 1991). Two 

samples (BP-597 and BP-598) are from the upper 500 

m of the Mesozoic section, just below a depositional 

contact with lower Tertiary rocks. Paleocurrent indicators in some Upper Cretaceous rocks of the area point 

west and south-southwest (Howell and others, 1977).

The lower Tertiary samples are from just east of 

the Sur-Nacimiento fault zone and are early Eocene 

in age (J.G. Vedder, oral commun., 1990). These rocks 

are a southward continuation of the Eocene beds in 

the Cuyama River area to the north.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

One Cretaceous conglomerate from the San Rafael 

Mountains (table 1 and fig. 6), like most Salinian 

block conglomerates, is rich in felsic volcanic rocks 

(78.7 percent), with subordinate quartz sandstone 

(5.5 percent) and granitic rocks (13.9 percent). Two 

other samples taken high in the stratigraphic section 

are unusually rich in granitic rocks (mean 48.1 percent), with subordinate felsic volcanic rocks (mean 

39.7 percent) and minor quartz sandstone (mean 4.8 

percent). The richness in granitic rocks does not reflect a local source, because the pebbles are small 

and well rounded.

Two lower Eocene samples are compositionally similar to the lower Eocene conglomerate in the Cuyama 

River area (table 6 and fig. 15), with a mean composition rich in felsic volcanic rocks (65.9 percent) and 

granite (28.6 percent), with minor quartz sandstone 

(3.0 percent).

FRAZIER MOUNTAIN BLOCK

In the Frazier Mountain block, situated between 

the Big Pine and Pine Mountain faults (figs. 1 and 

2), about 4,300 m of Eocene nonmarine to shallowmarine facies sedimentary rocks overlie a basement 

of granitic and metamorphic rocks (Givins, 1974). 

Conglomerate occurs abundantly in the Juncal For-
CONGLOMERATE FROM THE GOLDEN GATE - GILROY BLOCK 13

mation of early and middle Eocene age, the thick basal unit of the sequence. Sedimentary structures 

were interpreted by Jestes (1963) and Howell (1975) 

to indicate sediment transport to the south and 

southwest.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of six pebble counts from the Juncal Formation (table 6 and fig. 15) shows abundant felsic volcanic (51.1 percent) and granitic (39.2 percent) rocks 

with minor quartz sandstone (4.8 percent).

CONGLOMERATE FROM THE GOLDEN 

GATE - GILROY BLOCK

Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks with mappable bodies of conglomerate occur in the Santa Cruz 

Mountains about 80 km southeast of San Francisco 

(fig. 1; McLaughlin and others, 1988; Brabb, 1989). 

Late Campanian fossils are reported from these rocks 

(Elder and Miller, 1989; Elder, 199Ib). The Cretaceous 

rocks structurally overlie the Franciscan assemblage.

Farther north, 24 km south of San Francisco, adjacent to the Pilarcitos fault where it is crossed by 

Highway 92, pebbly sandstone occurs in rocks 

mapped as the Franciscan assemblage by Brabb and 

Pampayan (1983). These rocks contain rudistid fragments but have not yet been dated paleontologically. 

The assignment of these rocks to the Franciscan assemblage seems uncertain.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean composition of three samples of conglomerate from the area 80 km southeast of San Francisco (table 1 and fig. 6) is similar to Cretaceous 

conglomerates of the Salinian block, with abundant 

felsic volcanic rocks (70.5 percent) and little quartz 

sandstone (2.8 percent) or granite (3.1 percent). The 

abundance of mafic and andesitic volcanic rocks in 

two of the three samples (mean 12.5 percent) is 

exceptional.

The composition of the more northern locality of 

uncertain stratigraphic assignment (table 1, locality 

WO-268) is unusual for the large abundance of other 

than felsic volcanic rocks (39.9 percent), including 

16.7 percent diabase, and for the scarcity of all but 

igneous rock clasts. This shows some similarity with 

conglomerate of the Anchor Bay strata of the Gualala 

area and with the sample from the Atascadero Formation of the central Santa Lucia Range (table 1).

CONGLOMERATE FROM THE DIABLO 

AND TEMBLOR RANGES

CRETACEOUS CONGLOMERATE

Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in this area 

belong to the Great Valley sequence, the thick and 

extensive deposits of Late Jurassic through Cretaceous age that accumulated largely as turbidites in an 

elongate forearc basin (Ingersoll, 1978, 1988). In order 

to make comparison with Cretaceous conglomerates of 

the Salinian block, only Campanian and Maestrichtian rocks were sampled, although conglomerate of that 

age range is not abundant in this region. We sampled 

widely along nearly 200 km of strike, wherever we 

found reference in the literature to accessible conglomerate. In the northern part of the Diablo Range 

(fig. 1), Schilling (1962) mapped conglomerate of 

Maestrichtian age near Pacheco Pass. Not far to the 

south, Saul (1983) noted two conglomerate localities 

with Maestrichtian fossils and one other is described 

by Bennison and others (1991). In the southern Diablo 

Range, conglomerate was mapped by Marsh (1960) 

and Tamesis (1966) in the Red Man Sandstone of 

Marsh (1960) of Campanian or Maestrichtian age.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Six pebble counts yield a mean composition (table 2 

and figs. 7 and 8) that is rich in felsic volcanic rocks 

(50.1 percent), with moderate chert (16.2 percent) 

and little quartz sandstone (6.8 percent) or granite 

(4.9 percent). This composition is similar to the composition of conglomerate in underlying, mainly Albian 

through Santonian beds of the Great Valley sequence 

(Seiders and Blome, 1988, and unpub. data), and indicates no major change in the source area throughout Late Cretaceous time. The composition differs 

from Cretaceous conglomerates of the Salinian block 

in the much higher abundance of chert and the 

slightly fewer granitic rocks.

PALEOCENE CONGLOMERATE

Lower Tertiary sedimentary rocks of the Diablo 

and Temblor Ranges occur widely and comprise both 

shallow-marine and deep-sea turbidite facies. Regional sedimentology and tectonics are discussed by Dickinson and others (1979).

We found only one Paleocene conglomerate, in the 

Meganos Formation near Mount Diablo east of San 

Francisco, in the extreme northern part of the region, 

at a locality described by Cherven and Bodden (1983).
14 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

A pebble count from the conglomerate in the Meganos Formation (table 5 and fig. 14) shows abundant 

chert (41.8 percent) and quartz sandstone (19.8 percent) with few felsic volcanic rocks (7.0 percent) and 

no granite. The composition is exceptional for the 

abundance of vein quartz pebbles (24.0 percent).

EOCENE CONGLOMERATE

CANTUA SANDSTONE MEMBER

The Cantua Sandstone Member of the Lodo Formation is a deep-sea fan deposit of the central Diablo 

Range (Nilsen and others, 1974; Dibblee, 1979) of 

early Eocene age according to Stinemeyer (1974). Paleocurrent indicators are mainly to the north (Nilsen 

and others, 1974). The sediment was apparently derived from the Sierra Nevada and reached the area 

through a submarine canyon located to the southeast 

(Graham and Berry, 1979). Nilsen and others (1974) 

thought that the Cantua Sandstone Member and the 

Eocene rocks of the Gualala area (fig. 1) were deposited on the same submarine fan, the two units becoming separated by movement on the San Andreas 

fault. Graham and Berry (1979), however, argued 

that facies relations and contrasts in sandstone petrology indicate that the Cantua is unrelated to the 

Eocene rocks at Gualala.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean composition of two collections of small 

pebbles from pebbly sandstone in the Cantua Sandstone Member is relatively rich in chert (31.2 percent) and quartz sandstone (14.5 percent), with few 

volcanic (8.1 percent) or granitic (7.1 percent) rocks. 

The chert pebbles are dark gray and are gradational 

to argillite, which is abundant, making up most of 

the mudstone fraction (mean 28.3 percent). The composition contrasts sharply with Eocene conglomerate 

at Gualala, which lacks chert and is rich in volcanic 

and granitic rocks (table 6 and fig. 15), supporting 

Graham and Berry's (1979) conclusion that the two 

units are unrelated.

SHALLOW-WATER MARINE DEPOSITS

In the Diablo Range, conglomerate occurs in lower 

to middle Eocene rocks of shallow-water marine facies in the Domengine Sandstone and Avenal Sandstone and in the lower part of the Los Muertos Creek 

Formation of Wilson (1943). We sampled the Domengine Formation near Mount Diablo (Bodden, 

1983), at the north end of the Diablo Range, and in 

the Vallecitos area of the central Diablo Range, where 

it was mapped undivided with the Yokut Sandstone of 

White (1940) by Dibblee (1979) and Nilsen and Dibblee (1979). The Los Muertos Creek Formation was 

sampled northwest of this area, where it was mapped 

by Wilson (1943) and Dibblee (1979), and discussed 

by Nilsen and Clarke (1975) and Nilsen (1979). We 

sampled the Avenal Formation in the southern Diablo 

Range where it was recently studied by Morelan 

(1988) and at Devils Den at the south end of the 

range, where its rocks were mapped as the Mabury 

Formation by Van Couvering and Alien (1943).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITIONS

Three pebble counts from the Domengine Sandstone have a mean composition (table 7 and figs. 16 

and 17) rich in chert (73.3 percent) and poor in 

quartz sandstone (4.2 percent), volcanic rocks (6.7 

percent), and granitic rocks (0.4 percent). Mudstone 

(mean 10.4 percent), consisting mainly of dark-gray 

argillite, is abundant in one sample (27.8 percent). 

Chert is commonly dark gray, gradational to siliceous 

argillite, but at one locality (PN-478, table 7) red and 

pale-green chert are common. The occurrence of red 

and green chert pebbles in conglomerate, like the 

presence of blue amphibole in sandstone, suggests a 

Franciscan assemblage source (Dickinson and others, 

1979). The gray chert, and probably also the darkgray argillite as well, were derived from the Sierra 

Nevada region.

Pebbles from the Los Muertos Creek Formation (locality GZ-479, table 7) are mainly chert (24 percent), 

mudstone (29 percent), and quartz sandstone (29 percent). One pebble of blueschist was found in this 

sample. The Avenal Sandstone from the southern Diablo Range (locality TD-437, table 7) is much richer 

in felsic volcanic rocks (42.6 percent), with subordinate chert (23.9 percent) and quartz sandstone (18.2 

percent). The Avenal at Devels Den (locality SR-444) 

is unusual, with abundant felsic volcanic rocks (78.8 

percent) and little chert (3.2 percent), quartz sandstone (3.2 percent), or granitic rocks (4.0 percent).

POINT OF ROCKS SANDSTONE MEMBER 

OF THE KREYENHAGEN FORMATION

As much as 900 m of lower and middle Eocene turbidites assigned to the Point of Rocks Sandstone
CONGLOMERATE OF THE PENINSULAR RANGES 15

member of the Kreyenhagen Formation crop out in 

the Temblor Range and southernmost Diablo Range 

(fig. 1), where they were studied by Clarke (1973). 

Paleocurrent indicators point mainly to the westnorthwest. Clark and Nilsen (1973) proposed that the 

Point of Rocks formed as part of the same deep-sea 

fan as the Butano Sandstone of the Santa Cruz 

Mountains near San Francisco (figs. 1 and 2), the 

two units becoming separated by later San Andreas 

fault movement.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Three samples from the Point of Rocks Sandstone 

Member were obtained from the basal part of the 

unit. The mean composition (table 7 and figs. 16 and 

17) is rich in chert (34.8 percent) and mudstone, 

largely argillite (34.3 percent), with subordinate 

quartz sandstone (10.5 percent) and minor felsic volcanic (6.5 percent) and granitic (1.6 percent) rocks. 

One sample with a very small pebble size (location 

CR-466, table 7) is also rich in vein quartz (19.5 percent). The chert is light to dark gray, gradational to 

dark-gray siliceous argillite. The clast assemblage 

contrasts with that of the Butano Sandstone, which 

has little chert (mean 1.8 percent) and is rich in volcanic (mean 57.0 percent) and granitic (mean 14.5 

percent) rocks (table 6). The implications of this for 

the determination of San Andreas fault movement is 

discussed in a later section.

CONGLOMERATE OF THE PENINSULAR RANGES 

NORTHERN SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS

The stratigraphy of this geologically important 

region at the northern tip of the Peninsular Ranges 

(figs. 1 and 2) has been described in detail by 

Schoellhamer and others (1981). The basement 

consists of low-grade metasedimentary rocks of the 

Middle Jurassic Bedford Canyon Formation. The 

basement is overlain by the Santiago Peak Volcanics 

of Late Jurassic(?) and Early(?) Cretaceous age, representative of the late Mesozoic Cordilleran magmatic arc.

The overlying Cretaceous sedimentary rocks correspond to the Great Valley sequence of the Great Valley of California but represent a more eastern basinmargin facies. Whereas the Great Valley sequence in 

the Diablo Range begins with Tithonian (Upper Jurassic) marine deposits, here the sea did not transgress eastward into the area until the Late 

Cretaceous. The oldest deposits are conglomerates

assigned to the Trabuco Formation (nonmarine) and 

the Baker Canyon Conglomerate Member of the Ladd 

Formation (marine) of Turonian (Late Cretaceous) 

age. The overlying Holz Shale Member of the Ladd 

ranges from Turonian to Campanian in age and includes conglomerate called the Mustang Spring Conglomerate Lens by Blake and Colburn (1982), of 

Santonian or Campanian age (Almgren, 1982; Saul, 

1982). The next higher unit, the Williams Formation 

of Campanian age, contains conglomerate in its lower 

member, the Schulz Ranch Sandstone Member. The 

Cretaceous rocks were deposited in nonmarine to 

shallow-water marine environments, with some deeper water outer-shelf and slope deposits, including 

some turbidites (Link and Bottjer, 1982; Saul, 1982). 

Paleocurrent indicators are mainly west directed 

(Blake and Colburn, 1982; Link and Bottjer, 1982).

Paleocene beds of the Silverado Formation overlie 

the Cretaceous rocks with angular unconformity. 

Conglomerate occurs at the base and near the top of 

the formation. Most of the Silverado is nonmarine 

but the upper part is marine in the northeastern 

part of the area. Paleocurrent directions determined 

by Sage (1973) and Davis (1978) vary widely.

The Santiago Formation of early to middle Eocene 

age overlies the Silverado Formation with apparent 

conformity and includes conglomerate at the base. 

The lower part of the formation is marine and the 

upper part may be nonmarine. West-directed paleocurrent indicators were measured by Davis (1978).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Conglomerates in the Bedford Canyon Formation, 

the Santiago Peak Volcanics, and the basal Upper 

Cretaceous sedimentary rocks were studied by Seiders and Blome (1988). The compositional similarity 

of these conglomerates with Upper Jurassic through 

mid-Cretaceous conglomerate suites in the Golden 

Gate-Gilroy and Nacimiento blocks contributed to the 

conclusion that these blocks originated in southern 

California rather than farther to the south, as suggested by paleomagnetic observations.

The oldest conglomerate bearing directly upon the 

present study is in the Mustang Spring Conglomerate Lens of Blake and Colburn (1982) of the Holz 

Shale Member of the Ladd Formation. Two samples 

of this conglomerate have an unusual composition 

rich in sedimentary rock types (table 2 and figs. 9 

and 10). The relative angularity of many clasts as 

well as their lithology points to a local source. This is 

also the conclusion of Colburn and Blake's (1982) 

more detailed study.
16 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

Two samples of conglomerate from the Schulz 

Ranch Sandstone Member of the Williams Formation 

have a mean composition rich in felsic volcanic rocks 

(72.5 percent) with moderately abundant quartz 

sandstone (11.8 percent). The composition is similar 

to Cretaceous conglomerate of the Salinian block, but 

the chert content (2.4 percent) is slightly high and 

the granite content (4.0 percent) slightly low.

The volcanic rock suite in conglomerate of the 

Schulz Ranch Sandstone Member is exceptional because a large number of the volcanic pebbles (mean 

15.8 percent of all volcanic pebbles) contains xenoliths of quartz sandstone, chiefly as exotic clasts in 

volcaniclastic rock. Another stratigraphic unit that 

contains similar pebbles is a middle member of the 

Tuna Canyon Formation of the Santa Monica Mountains, described in a later section, where such rocks 

constitute a mean of 15.5 percent of the volcanic pebbles. Rocks of this kind are rare elsewhere and their 

abundance in both these areas demonstrates strong 

ties between the Santa Monica and northern Santa 

Ana Mountains during the Late Cretaceous.

Conglomerate in the basal part of the Silverado 

Formation of Paleocene age (table 5 and fig. 14), like 

Cretaceous conglomerate in the Holz Shale Member 

of the Ladd Formation, has relatively angular clasts 

and is composed mainly of sedimentary rocks of apparently local derivation. Conglomerate in the upper 

part of the Silverado, however, has well-rounded pebbles and a composition with abundant felsic volcanic 

(69.9 percent) and granitic (23.0 percent) rocks, little 

quartz sandstone (4.5 percent), and no chert. The 

composition is similar to that of some Paleocene conglomerates in the Coal Canyon Formation of the Santa Monica Mountains and to most Paleocene 

conglomerates in the Salinian block. It differs from 

Paleocene conglomerates in the Sepultura Formation 

farther south in the Peninsular Ranges, which have 

more chert (mean 3.5 versus 0 percent) and fewer 

granitic rocks (mean 3.4 versus 23.0 percent).

Conglomerates in the Eocene Santiago Formation 

(table 7 and figs. 16 and 17) are compositionally similar to those in the upper part of the Silverado Formation. They are similar to Eocene conglomerates in the 

Salinian block and contrast with Eocene conglomerates farther south in the Peninsular Ranges, which, 

in large part, are much poorer in granitic rocks.

SAN DIEGO

The geology of the San Diego area has been mapped 

by Kennedy (1975) and Kennedy and Peterson (1975). 

The basement consists of plutonic rocks of the southern California batholith and the Santiago Peak Volcanics, the latter in this area containing Tithonian 

fossils (Fife and others, 1967). Overlying Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks consist of a basal nonmarine 

conglomerate, the Lusardi Formation, medial sandstone and mudstone of the Point Loma Formation, 

and an upper unit of sandstone and conglomerate, the 

Cabrillo Formation. Both magnetostratigraphy and 

megafossils suggest that the Campanian-Maestrichtian boundary lies within the Point Loma and that the 

Cabrillo is entirely Maestrichtian in age (Bannon and 

others, 1989). We sampled the Cabrillo Formation at 

localities described by Nilsen and others (1984a, b). 

The Cretaceous rocks are mainly turbidites with shallow-water marine and nonmarine deposits in the lower part (Nilsen and Abbott, 1984). Paleocurrents were 

to the west, northwest, and southwest (Maytum and 

Elliott, 1970; Arthur and others, 1984).

Eocene rocks in the area are assigned to the La 

Jolla and Poway Groups of Kennedy (1975) and 

Kennedy and Peterson (1975) and the Ballena Gravel 

of Miller (1935). The rocks are of early to late Eocene 

age and show a progression of facies from marine on 

the west to fluvial in the east. Paleocurrent indicators point southwest and west (Minch, 1972; Howell 

and Link, 1979).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Three samples of conglomerate from the Cabrillo 

Formation have a mean composition (table 2 and figs. 

9 and 10) that is rich in felsic volcanic rocks (58.2 

percent) with moderately abundant quartz sandstone 

(15.1 percent) and few granitic rocks (6.9 percent). 

The low chert content is slightly greater than that in 

the Upper Cretaceous rocks of the northern Santa 

Ana Mountains (3.3 versus 2.4 percent) and higher 

than that in the Salinian and Nacimiento blocks (0.5 

percent).

Seven samples of Eocene conglomerate have a 

mean composition (table 7 and figs. 16 and 17) rich 

in felsic volcanic rocks (89.6 percent) and low in 

quartz sandstone (4.0 percent) and granitic rocks (4.6 

percent). The low granite content contrasts sharply 

with Eocene conglomerates in the northern Santa 

Ana Mountains (fig. 17) and in the Salinian block 

(fig. 15).

UPPER CRETACEOUS CONGLOMERATE IN BAJA CALIFORNIA

Upper Cretaceous marine sedimentary rocks are 

widely distributed along the west coast of Baja Cali-
CONGLOMERATE OF THE PENINSULAR RANGES 17

fornia, where they are mainly assigned to the Rosario Formation of Campanian and Maestrichtian age 

(Morris and Busby-Spera, 1990). The marine rocks 

commonly overlie unfossiliferous nonmarine Upper 

Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, which in turn lie on 

 upper Mesozoic volcanic rocks of the Alisitos Formation. The core of the peninsula consists of late Mesozoic batholithic rocks and Paleozoic and Mesozoic 

metamorphic rocks (Gastil and others, 1975). On 

Cabo Vizcaino (fig. 1), Upper Cretaceous sedimentary 

rocks occur at the top of a thick sequence that ranges 

down to the Upper Jurassic and overlies an ophiolite 

(Frizzell, 1984).

BAJA CALIFORNIA NORTH OF ENSENADA

Cretaceous rocks in this area (fig. 1) were studied 

by Yeo (1984a, b). Reddish nonmarine conglomerate 

of the Redondo Formation, correlative with the Lusardi Formation of the San Diego area, is overlain by 

the shallow-water marine to deep-sea turbidite facies 

Rosario Formation of Campanian and Maestrichtian 

age. We collected at localities in the Rosario suggested by Yeo's (1984b) stratigraphic sections. Some of 

the localities may be in rocks considered to be the 

Redondo Formation by Yeo (1984a, b), but none are 

red in color.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of six pebble counts (table 2 and figs. 9 

and 10) shows abundant felsic volcanic rocks (41.3 

percent) and quartz sandstone (20.8 percent) with 

subordinate granitic rocks (8.3 percent). Chert (11.3 

percent) is more abundant than at localities farther 

north in the Peninsular Ranges.

PUNTA BANDA AND PUNTA SANTO TOMAS

Conglomerate occurs in the Rosario Formation on 

Punta Banda, just southwest of Ensenada, and on 

Punta Santo Tomas, a little farther south (fig. 1), 

where it was studied by Acosta (1970), The Rosario 

overlies the Alisitos Formation and consists of shallow-water marine deposits of late Campanian age.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Conglomerate in this area is unusual because it is 

composed almost entirely of igneous rock clasts. The 

mean of four pebble counts (table 2 and figs. 9 and

10) shows 88.8 percent felsic volcanic rocks and 6.2 

percent granitic rocks. Acosta (1970) pointed to the 

underlying Alisitos Formation as the source of the 

volcanic rocks. Many pebbles are poorly rounded, suggesting that the unusual composition results from local derivation in a small drainage basin that did not 

extend eastward much beyond the Alisitos Formation.

PUNTA CAMALU

Near Punta Camalu (fig. 1) the Rosario Formation 

is of shallow-water marine to submarine fan facies 

and is early Maestrichtian in age (Miller and Abbott, 

1989).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of two pebble counts from the Rosario 

Formation (table 2 and figs. 9 and 10) shows abundant felsic volcanic rocks (63.5 percent) with a moderate amount of chert (8.6 percent) and little quartz 

sandstone (3.8 percent) or granitic rocks (2.1 percent).

PUNTA BAJA

On Punta Baja, near El Rosario (fig. 1), the Punta 

Baja Formation of Kilmer (1963) is up to 140 m thick 

and contains early Campanian fossils. It shows south 

and southwest sediment transport directions and is 

interpreted as a deep-water submarine canyon fill 

(Boehlke and Abbott, 1986).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of three pebble counts from Punta Baja 

(table 2 and figs. 9 and 10) is rich in chert (31.6 percent), dark-gray argillite (24.1 percent), and felsic 

volcanic rocks (23.9 percent), with less abundant 

quartz sandstone (8.3 percent) and few granitic rocks 

(1.8 percent).

CABO VIZCAINO

One conglomerate sample was collected from the 

Valle Formation, from beds considered to be Campanian in age by Rangin (1982).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

This conglomerate (table 2 and figs. 9 and 10) is rich 

in felsic volcanic rocks (61.5 percent), with moderately
18 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

abundant chert (14.6 percent) and quartz sandstone 

(12.1 percent) and few granitic rocks (6.7 percent).

PALEOCENE CONGLOMERATE IN BAJA CALIFORNIA

We sampled conglomerate in the Sepultura Formation near Cabo Colonet (fig. 1), where it was studied 

by Miller and Abbott (1988). The formation contains 

Paleocene megafossils, is of shallow-water marine to 

nonmarine facies, and shows west-directed paleocurrent indicators. We also sampled compositionally similar conglomerate on the highway north of El Rosario 

which we tentatively assign to the Sepultura.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Three pebble counts from the Sepultura Formation 

(table 5 and fig. 14) have a mean composition rich in 

felsic volcanic rocks (67.6 percent), with small 

amounts of chert (3.5 percent), quartz sandstone (3.2 

percent), and granitic rocks (3.4 percent).

EOCENE CONGLOMERATE IN BAJA CALIFORNIA

Extensive deposits of river gravels, at least partly 

of Eocene age, occur in inland areas of northern Baja 

California, where they were studied by Minch (1972). 

These systems are comparable to the Ballena Gravel 

which formed part of the distributary system that fed 

sediment to the La Jolla and Poway Groups in the 

San Diego area. We sampled the Las Palmas gravels 

70 km north of Ensenada (fig. 1). The Las Palmas 

gravels appear to correlate with the Buenos Aires 

Formation near Tijuana and on this basis were considered Eocene by Minch (1972). We also sampled the 

Table Mountain Gravels of Minch and Abbott (1973) 

on the California-Baja California border 90 km east 

of San Diego. These gravels are undated and may be 

older than the Las Palmas gravels, possibly Cretaceous in age (Minch, 1972; Minch and Abbott, 1973).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Two samples of the Las Palmas gravels have a 

mean composition (table 7 and figs. 16 and 17) rich 

in felsic volcanic rocks (75.7 percent) with little granite (3.7 percent). The composition is similar to that of 

Eocene conglomerate in the San Diego area, except 

that quartz sandstone (8.0 versus 4.0 percent) and 

other sandstone (9.0 versus 0.3 percent) are more 

abundant. Minch's (1972) more numerous (18) pebble

counts of the Las Palmas gravels are also similar, except that he found a higher abundance of quartz 

sandstone (mean 25.7 percent).

The two samples of the Table Mountain Gravels 

(table 7 and fig. 17) are rich in felsic volcanic rocks 

(60 and 58 percent), but also contain abundant granitic rocks (34 and 16 percent). Because of the uncertainty in the age of these gravels, their significance is 

unclear.

CONGLOMERATE OF THE SOUTHWESTERN 

TRANSVERSE RANGES

This block is bounded on the north by the Santa 

Ynez and Santa Ynez River faults, on the south by 

the Malibu coast fault, and on the east by the San 

Gabriel fault. Paleomagnetic data indicate that the 

block has undergone Neogene clockwise rotation of 

about 90° (Luyendyk and others, 1980; Hornafius 

and others, 1986). Conglomerates of Late Cretaceous, 

Paleocene, and Eocene age are exceptional for their 

richness in quartz sandstone or granitic rocks or 

both.

CRETACEOUS CONGLOMERATE

SANTA BARBARA

North of Santa Barbara (fig. 2), a sequence of conglomerate-bearing strata about 620 m thick was assigned to the Upper Cretaceous Jalama Formation of 

Dibblee (1950) by Dibblee (1966), although no fossils 

were found. The Jalama is faulted against the Franciscan assemblage and the base is not exposed. The 

Jalama is overlain by the Matilija Sandstone of Eocene 

age. Paleocurrent indicators, after correction for tectonic rotation, point west (Reed and Campbell, 1991).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Two samples of conglomerate have a mean composition (table 2 and figs. 7 and 8) rich in felsic volcanic 

rocks (46.6 percent) and quartz sandstone (33.5 percent), with moderately abundant granitic rocks (14.9 

percent).

WHEELER GORGE

A sequence of turbidites with layers of conglomerate is exposed near Wheeler gorge (fig. 2), where it 

was mapped unnamed but tentatively correlated with
CONGLOMERATE OF THE SOUTHWESTERN TRANSVERSE RANGES 19

the Jalama Formation by Dibblee (1985, 1987a). 

About 1,400 m of these rocks crop out and their base 

is not exposed. These rocks are overlain by the Eocene Juncal Formation. Rust (1966) reported late 

Campanian or Maestrichtian fossils from these strata. At Wheeler gorge the conglomerate-bearing rocks 

are cut off on the north by the Santa Ynez fault. 

Four kilometers to the west, on Matilija Creek, conglomerate reappears beneath Eocene beds, but its 

correlation with the beds at Wheeler gorge is not certain (Rust, 1966). The Cretaceous rocks are well exposed at Wheeler gorge and have received 

considerable attention by sedimentologists (see Dibblee, 1987b). Rust (1966) and Walker (1975) reported 

paleocurrent indicators which point, when corrected 

for tectonic rotation (fig. 3), to the south and southsouthwest; Howell and others' (1977) adjusted indicators also point to the south and west.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Two samples of conglomerate from this area have a 

mean composition (table 2 and figs. 7 and 8) that is 

rich in quartz sandstone (23.2 percent), felsic volcanic rocks (34.6 percent), and granitic rocks (34.8 percent). The more western sample from Matilija Creek 

(WH-517) differs from the Wheeler gorge sample 

(WH-518) in that it is poorer in quartz sandstone (9.5 

versus 37.0 percent) and richer in felsic volcanic 

rocks (49.8 versus 19.3 percent).

SIMI HILLS

About 1,830 m of thick-bedded sandstone exposed 

in the Simi Hills was named the Chatsworth Formation by Colburn and others (1981a; see also several 

related papers in the same volume). The Chatsworth 

is overlain by the Simi Conglomerate of Paleocene 

age; the base is not exposed. Megafossils give a late 

middle Campanian to early Maestrichtian age (Saul 

and Alderson, 1981). The deposits are interpreted as 

a sand-rich deep-sea fan facies (Link, 1981). Paleocurrent indicators (Trembly and Kraemer, 1981), corrected for tectonic rotation (fig. 3), suggest sediment 

transport mainly to the west. Pebbly sandstone and 

conglomerate (Colburn and others, 1981b) constitute 

a small part of the formation.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of three pebble counts (table 2 and figs. 

7 and 8) shows abundant quartz sandstone (38.4 percent), felsic volcanic rocks (22.8 percent), and granitic 

rocks (23.8 percent), with considerable variation between samples. Granite makes up 42.6 percent of one 

sample of very small pebbles. This is remarkable because granitic rocks, although often concentrated in 

the cobble and boulder size range, are seldom so 

abundant in small sizes.

SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS

A thick sequence of structurally complex Upper 

Cretaceous turbidites has been mapped as the Tuna 

Canyon Formation in the east-central Santa Monica 

Mountains (Yerkes and Campbell, 1979, 1980) and 

farther east as unnamed strata by Dibblee (199la, 

b). The turbidites rest on nonmarine red conglomerate, called the Trabuco Formation by Durrell (1954) 

because of its similarity with the formation of that 

name in the northern Santa Ana Mountains. The 

Trabuco overlies the Upper Jurassic Santa Monica 

Slate. The oldest marine fossils in the Upper Cretaceous beds are Turonian (Popenoe, 1973). We sampled conglomerate mainly in the area near Carey 

and Colburn's (1978, fig. 4) stratigraphic section D, 

in a 1,000-m-thick conglomerate unit (member D of 

Wilson, 1942; cited by Popenoe, 1973). This conglomerate is underlain by beds with Coniacian fossils (Alderson, 1988) and is overlain by upper 

Campanian fossiliferous strata (Popenoe, 1973). The 

strata are of deep-sea fan facies (Carey and Colburn, 1978). Sedimentary structures were interpreted by Carey and Colburn (1978) to indicate that the 

fan sloped, when corrected for tectonic rotation, 

west and south and received sediment from the east 

(fig. 3).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of six pebble counts (table 2 and figs. 7 

and 8) shows abundant felsic volcanic rocks (52.9 

percent) and quartz sandstone (27.9 percent). Granitic rocks are generally low (mean 7.5 percent) and are 

only moderately abundant in the most eastern sample (HW-552, 16.9 percent), which also contains relatively abundant chert (5.9 percent versus a mean of 

1.6 percent). As noted earlier, the felsic volcanic rocks 

in the five samples from the middle part of the Tuna 

Canyon Formation include 15.5 percent pebbles with 

xenoliths of quartz sandstone, a close similarity with 

conglomerate in the Schulz Ranch Sandstone Member of the Williams Formation of the northern Santa 

Ana Mountains.
20 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

PALEOCENE CONGLOMERATE

SIMI HILLS

The Simi Conglomerate has been mapped by 

Squires (1983a) in and near the Simi Hills, where it 

unconformably overlies the Upper Cretaceous Chatsworth Formation of Colburn and others (1981a). The 

Simi locally is overlain by the Paleocene Las Virgenes Sandstone of Nelson (1925) and locally is overlain and interfingers with the Paleocene and lower 

Eocene Santa Susana Formation of Clark (1924). The 

Simi Conglomerate ranges in thickness from a few 

meters up to about 440 m and varies from nonmarine 

in the west to deep-water marine in the east, where 

it contains Paleocene fossils (Parker, 1983; see also 

related papers in the same volume). Paleocurrent indicators show much variability but have a vectormean near north (Parker, 1983), which corrected for 

tectonic rotation suggest westward sediment transport (fig. 4).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The Simi Conglomerate in the Simi Hills is rich in 

quartz sandstone and felsic volcanic and granitic 

rocks. The mean of three samples from low in the 

section, compared with two samples stratigraphically 

higher (table 5 and fig. 14), is richer in quartz sandstone (52.3 versus 18.9 percent), poorer in felsic volcanic rocks (16.7 versus 51.4 percent), and about 

equal in granitic rocks (22.7 versus 23.5 percent).

SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS AND GOLD CREEK

In the central Santa Monica Mountains (fig. 2) 

Yerkes and Campbell (1979) mapped a thin unit of 

nonmarine conglomerate as the Simi(?) Conglomerate. The Simi(?) overlies the Upper Cretaceous Tuna 

Canyon Formation and is overlain conformably by 

the marine Coal Canyon Formation of Paleocene and 

Eocene age. The Coal Canyon is as thick as 450 m 

and includes conglomerate. The Coal Canyon is overlain by the Llajas(?) Formation of Eocene age.

Colburn and others (1988) and Colburn and Novak 

(1989) studied the Paleocene rocks in the eastern 

Santa Monica Mountains and presented several detailed stratigraphic columns and over a dozen pebble 

counts. They mapped all of the dominantly conglomeratic beds at the base of the Tertiary sequence as 

the Simi Conglomerate. Overlying sandstone with 

lenses of conglomerate were mapped as the Las Virgenes Sandstone. The overlying and interfingering

Santa Susana Formation has marine fossils, whereas 

the two lower units were considered nonmarine. The 

Paleocene rocks are overlain unconformably by what 

Colburn and others (1988, fig. 6) show as the Eocene 

Las Llajas Formation and Colburn and Novak (1989, 

fig. 12) show as the Eocene(?) Las Llajas(?) Formation. Colburn and Novak (1989) noted that conglomerate in the lower part of the Simi Conglomerate is 

very rich in reddish quartz sandstone clasts, conglomerate higher in the Simi is rich in felsic volcanic 

rocks, and conglomerate in the Las Virgenes Sandstone is rich in granitic clasts.

In the northeastern part of the area, near the San 

Gabriel fault, Oakeshott (1958) noted conglomerate 

in Paleocene rocks mapped near Gold Creek (fig. 2).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Nine pebble counts were done on Paleocene conglomerates from the combined Santa Monica-Gold 

Creek region. Two pebble counts (table 5 and fig. 14), 

one from the Simi(?) Conglomerate of Yerkes and 

Campbell (1979) and one from the base of the Simi 

Conglomerate of Colburn and others (1988), have a 

mean composition very rich in quartz sandstone (90.5 

percent), with few felsic volcanic (4.0 percent) or granitic (2.6 percent) rocks. This composition is even 

richer in quartz sandstone than beds in the lower 

part of the Simi Conglomerate in the Simi Hills 

(mean 52.3 percent). Quartz sandstone clasts are a 

mixture of gray and red varieties.

One sample of conglomerate from the lower part of 

the Coal Canyon Formation is only moderately rich 

in quartz sandstone (12.9 percent), with abundant 

felsic volcanic (53.4 percent) and granitic (28.9 percent) rocks. This composition resembles that of conglomerate in the upper part of the Simi 

Conglomerate of the Simi Hills.

Five samples of conglomerate from higher beds of 

the Coal Canyon Formation and in the upper part of 

the Simi Conglomerate of Colburn and others (1988), 

together with one sample from the Paleocene of the 

Gold Creek area, have a mean composition that is 

low in quartz sandstone (2.0 percent), with abundant 

felsic volcanic (61.2 percent) and granitic (32.7 percent) rocks. This is similar to conglomerate in the upper part of the Silverado Formation of the northern 

Santa Ana Mountains. It is like most Salinian block 

conglomerate except that it is relatively low in quartz 

sandstone.

We did not sample the granite-rich conglomerate 

described by Colburn and Novak (1989) from the upper part of the Paleocene section, but the very high
CONGLOMERATE IN AND NEAR THE MOJAVE BLOCK 21

granite content reported by them (mean of four, 76 

percent) does not seem inconsistent with the wide 

swings in composition noted in other units from the 

region.

EOCENE CONGLOMERATE

SANTA YNEZ

Dibblee (1950) mapped conglomerate in the Matilija Sandstone on San Lucas Creek (Wons Creek of 

Dibblee, 1950), 7 km southeast of Santa Ynez (fig. 2). 

Dibblee (1988) later mapped the Eocene rocks in this 

area as unnamed marine strata of early(?) to middle 

Eocene age, tentatively correlated with the Anita 

Shale and Matilija Sandstone. These units in this 

area overlie unconformably the Espada Formation of 

Dibblee (1950) of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous 

age and are overlain unconformably by the Monterey 

Shale of Miocene age.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

One pebble count from the Eocene conglomerate 

near Santa Ynez (table 7 and figs. 16 and 17) is rich 

in quartz sandstone (31 percent) and felsic volcanic 

rocks (51 percent), with moderately abundant granitic rocks (14 percent).

SAN MARCOS PASS

Northwest of Santa Barbara (fig. 2), Dibblee (1966, 

1987c) mapped a lens of conglomerate in the marine 

Cozy Dell Shale of late Eocene age. The Cozy Dell 

overlies the Matilija Sandstone of middle to late Eocene age and is overlain by other upper Eocene marine deposits.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Two samples of conglomerate from the Cozy Dell 

Shale have a mean composition (table 7 and figs. 16 

and 17) with abundant chert (28.2 percent), quartz 

sandstone (19.7 percent), and felsic volcanic rocks 

(39.8 percent), with few granitic rocks (8.0 percent). 

The abundant chert, unlike that found as sparse 

clasts in older conglomerate of the region, is little recrystallized and contains moderately well preserved 

radiolarians. This could indicate a source in either 

the Franciscan assemblage or in the chert at the top 

of the Coast Range ophiolite (Hopson and others, 

1981). Few chert pebbles are red, as would be expected if the chert were derived from the Franciscan. Granitic and dioritic rocks, although not abundant in the 

size range counted, are common as cobbles and boulders. The source of these coarse clasts is enigmatic.

SIMI VALLEY

On the north edge of the Simi Valley, just north of 

the Simi Hills (fig. 2), Squires (1981, 1983a, b) 

mapped conglomerate at the base of the Llajas Formation of late early through early middle Eocene 

age. The Llajas is about 545 m thick and disconformably overlies the Santa Susana Formation. It is overlain by the nonmarine Sespe Formation. The Llajas 

includes a basal nonmarine conglomerate overlain by 

shallow-water marine sandstone and some deeper 

water sandstone and siltstone.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

One pebble count from the Llajas Formation (table 

7 and figs. 16 and 17) shows abundant quartz sandstone (54.3 percent) and felsic volcanic rocks (29.3 

percent), with less abundant granitic rocks (11.0 percent).

NEWHALL

In Elsmere Canyon, southeast of Newhall (fig. 2), 

Oakeshott (1958) mapped about 200 m of middle Eocene pebbly to cobbly sandstone as the Domengine 

Formation. The base of the unit is not exposed and it 

is overlain by Pliocene deposits.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

A pebble count from this unit (table 7 and figs. 16 

and 17) shows abundant granitic rocks (67.3 percent), with fewer felsic volcanic rocks (23.6 percent) 

and very little quartz sandstone (0.9 percent).

CONGLOMERATE IN AND NEAR THE 

MOJAVE BLOCK

SOUTHERN END OF THE SIERRA NEVADA

TEJON FORMATION

In the San Emigdio Mountains, near the San Andreas fault (figs. 1 and 2), the basal part of the Tejon 

Formation is occupied by the Uvas Conglomerate
22 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

Member, a nearshore marine deposit as much as 122 

m thick (Nilsen, 1987). The Uvas rests on basement 

rocks and in the western part of the area, where we 

obtained a sample, is of "Capay" or early Eocene age. 

Paleocurrent indicators have a vector-mean direction 

to the west-northwest (fig. 5).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

One sample from a pebbly sandstone in the Uvas 

Conglomerate Member of the Tejon Formation (table 

7 and fig. 17) is rich in felsic volcanic (56 percent) 

and granitic (32 percent) rocks, with a modest 

amount of quartz sandstone (7 percent). The composition is similar to Eocene conglomerates in the Salinian block.

WITNET FORMATION

The Witnet Formation crops out in the southernmost Sierra Nevada near Tehachapi, where it was 

mapped by Dibblee and Louke (1970). The Witnet 

rests on granitic rocks and consists of about 1200 m 

of nonmarine sandstone and siltstone with some conglomerate and pebbly sandstone. It is unconformably 

overlain by the Miocene Kinnick Formation. The Witnet is unfossiliferous. Dibblee and Louke (1970) suggested an early Tertiary age based on correlation with 

the Goler Formation of Paleocene age (see below).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Three pebble counts from the Witnet Formation 

have a mean composition (table 5 and fig. 14) rich in 

felsic volcanic (54.2 percent) and granitic rocks (24.3 

percent) with moderately abundant quartz sandstone 

(11.5 percent). It is compositionally similar to conglomerates in the upper part of the Goler Formation, 

but is relatively richer in granitic rocks (24.3 versus 

14.4 percent) and chert (3.0 versus 0.1 percent). It is 

also similar to Paleocene conglomerates in the Salinian block.

GOLER FORMATION

The Paleocene Goler Formation crops out in the El 

Paso Mountains just north of the Garlock fault and 

east of the southernmost Sierra Nevada (figs. 1 and 

2). It thus lies in the extreme southwestern part of 

the Basin and Range Province. The Goler was named 

and mapped by Dibblee (1952) and more recently has

been mapped and studied by Cox and Diggles (1986) 

and Cox (1987). The Goler is composed of as much as 

4 km of largely fluviatile deposits, divisible into two 

main sequences. The lower part of the formation consists of locally derived canyon fill and alluvial fan 

and plain deposits lain down by southward-flowing 

streams. The upper sequence consists mainly of deposits laid down by west-flowing streams in a deep 

sedimentary basin with marine beds in the upper 

part. Most detritus in the upper sequence is remotely 

derived. Vertebrates and nonmarine mollusks date 

the lower part of the upper sequence as early or late 

Paleocene (McKenna and others, 1987). Dinoflagellates, foraminifers, and mollusks occur in recently 

discovered marine beds in the upper part of the sequence (Cox and Edwards, 1984; McDougall, 1987; 

Squires and others, 1988). The marine deposits, initially thought to be early Eocene, are now known to 

be latest Paleocene (nannofossil zone CP8) based on 

coccoliths (Reid and Cox, 1989).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Sixteen pebble counts were done on conglomerates 

in the Goler Formation. Three pebble counts from the 

lower stratigraphic sequence (table 5 and fig. 14), 

combined with several previous counts by Cox (1982), 

contain widely variable proportions of granitic rocks, 

felsic volcanic rocks, and quartzose sandstone, reflecting local derivation of clasts from the heterogeneous basement terrane of the El Paso Mountains 

region.

By contrast, thirteen pebble counts from the upper 

sequence of the Goler Formation show limited compositional variation, all being dominated by felsic volcanic rocks. These counts are divided into three 

compositional suites in table 5 and figure 14). The 

oldest suite, assigned to an informal "middle" stratigraphic level, comprises seven samples including one 

from the lower part of the 300- to 1,130-m-thick lower sandstone and siltstone member of Cox and Diggles (1986) and six others from the overlying 650-mthick conglomerate and sandstone unit of Sheep 

Spring of Cox and Diggles (1986). The seven samples 

have a mean composition rich in felsic volcanic rocks 

(78.4 percent), with moderately abundant granitic 

rocks (13.5 percent) and little quartz sandstone (2.5 

percent). Although the samples span a thick stratigraphic interval, there is remarkably little compositional variation. Similar to other suites from the 

upper sequence of the Goler Formation, there is little 

chert (mean 0.6 percent) or mudstone (mean 0.9 percent), although these rock types are abundant in the
CONGLOMERATE IN AND NEAR THE MOJAVE BLOCK 23

locally derived conglomerate of the lower sequence 

and in the underlying basement rocks.

One sample, designated as from a "middle-upper" 

stratigraphic level in table 5, comes from the 760-mthick upper sandstone and siltstone member of Cox 

and Biggies (1986). The composition is rich in both 

felsic volcanic (59.3 percent) and granitic (34.1 percent) rocks, with little quartz sandstone (2.2 percent).

A suite of five samples from an "upper" stratigraphic level comes from the 240-m-thick conglomerate unit of Black Hills of Cox and Biggies (1986), 

which includes a marine mudstone member. The 

mean composition is rich in felsic volcanic rocks (65.4 

percent), with moderately abundant quartz sandstone (13.5 percent) and granitic rocks (14.4 percent).

The three suites of conglomerate in the upper sequence of the Goler Formation span a range of compositions that overlaps strongly with that found in 

the Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary conglomerates of the Salinian block.

EASTERN TRANSVERSE RANGES

CAJON PASS

A thin sequence of sedimentary rocks overlying 

crystalline basement in Cajon Pass, just northeast of 

the San Andreas fault (fig. 2), has been mapped as 

the San Francisquito(?) Formation by Woodburne 

and Golz (1972). Koozer (1980) reported about 125 m 

of section, ranging from alluvial fan facies at the 

base to turbidites in the upper part. Paleocurrent indicators are mainly directed southwest. Koozer 

(1980) noted that a Cretaceous plesiosaur vertebra 

has been preserved for study, whereas a previously 

reported collection of early Tertiary mollusks is now 

lost and conceivably was misidentified.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

One sample collected from the basal conglomerate 

strongly reflects local bedrock. It contains 63.1 percent granitic rocks, 27.7 percent quartz sandstone, 

and only 3.3 percent felsic volcanic rocks (table 2).

LIEBRE MOUNTAIN BLOCK

About 4 km of largely marine sandstone, mudstone, and conglomerate assigned to the San Francisquito Formation are widely exposed in the Liebre 

Mountain block (fig. 2) centered on Warm Springs 

Mountain. The formation rests on crystalline basement rocks and includes a thin sequence of nonmarine and shallow-water marine deposits near the 

base. The bulk of the San Francisquito is of deep-sea 

fan facies with a complex set of paleocurrent directions interpreted by Koozer (1980) to indicate a 

shoreline located to the north. Marine fossils (Koozer, 

1980; Saul, 1983) show that the basal part of the formation is as old as late Maestrichtian and that most 

of the sequence is Paleocene, no younger than middle 

Paleocene.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

One sample collected from Upper Cretaceous beds 

just above granitic basement has a composition (table 

2) that strongly reflects a local source. It contains 

59.1 percent granitic rocks, 12.4 percent quartz sandstone, negligible volcanic rocks (0.3 percent), and unusually abundant vein quartz pebbles (25.6 percent).

Seven samples of Paleocene conglomerate from the 

main part of the San Francisquito Formation have a 

mean composition (table 5 and fig. 14) rich in felsic 

volcanic rocks (62.0 percent) and granitic rocks (24.2 

percent) with moderately abundant quartz sandstone 

(9.4 percent). The composition is similar to that of 

the Witnet Formation, the upper part of the Goler 

Formation, and most Paleocene conglomerates of the 

Salinian block.

PINYON RIDGE BLOCK

A sequence of marine Paleocene beds about one kilometer thick, assigned by Bibblee (1967) to the San 

Francisquito Formation, crops out in the narrow, 

fault-bounded Pinyon Ridge block (fig. 2) southwest 

of the San Andreas fault near Valyermo. The formation here overlies granodiorite and is overlain by the 

upper Tertiary Punchbowl Formation (Noble, 1954). 

The deposits are of deep-sea fan facies and have paleocurrent indicators pointing southward in the lower 

part of the formation and northwestward higher in 

the unit (Koozer, 1980). Koozer (1980) reported that 

the San Francisquito Formation in this area is mainly late middle through late Paleocene in age and 

overlaps in time little, if at all, with the San Francisquito of the Liebre Mountain block.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of three pebble counts (table 5 and fig. 

14) is very rich in granitic rocks (71.6 percent) with 

little quartz sandstone (3.0 percent) or felsic volcanic
24 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

rocks (7.7 percent). The composition is unusually rich 

in vein quartz (8.3 percent). The granite-rich composition is like some basal conglomerate in other areas, 

yet the samples are from well up within a thick turbidite sequence. As noted by Koozer (1980), the composition contrasts sharply with that of conglomerate 

in the San Francisquito Formation of the Liebre 

Mountain block. It is similar to that of conglomerate 

in the Eocene Maniobra Formation of the Orocopia 

Mountains (see below).

OROCOPIA MOUNTAINS

A sequence of Eocene marine beds resting on granitic basement was named the Maniobra Formation 

by Crowell and Susuki (1959). The name comes from 

Maniobra Valley, named by them to commemorate 

the site of World War II maneuvers by troops under 

the command of General George S. Patton, Jr. In 

keeping with California tradition, Crowell and Susuki (1959) translated maneuver into the Spanish maniobra. The formation has been studied by Advocate 

(1983) and Advocate and others (1988), who interpreted the deposits as submarine canyon fill deposited by turbidity currents and other gravity flows with 

west-directed paleocurrents. The Maniobra is 1,460 

m thick, contains early Eocene fossils, and is unconformably overlain by Miocene nonmarine beds.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of five pebble counts from the Maniobra 

Formation (table 7 and fig. 17) is very rich in granitic 

rocks (65.3 percent). The composition and the poor 

rounding of most clasts suggests a relatively local 

source, in spite of the occurrence in a thick sequence 

of turbidites. The mean composition compares closely 

with that of Paleocene conglomerate from the San 

Francisquito Formation in the Pinyon Ridge block.

SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA AND ADJACENT ARIZONA

McCOY MOUNTAINS FORMATION

The McCoy Mountains Formation of Harding and 

Coney (1985) is a very thick sequence of lightly metamorphosed nonmarine sedimentary rocks widely exposed in southeastern California and adjacent parts 

of Arizona (figs. 1 and 2; Harding and Coney, 1985; 

Stone and others, 1987). In the McCoy Mountains, 

the McCoy Mountains Formation is at least 7 km 

thick and rests on volcanic rocks of Early or Middle

Jurassic age. Fossil wood in the upper part of the 

formation is Cretaceous in age (Stone and others, 

1987), and in the Dome Rock Mountains a tuff bed in 

the upper part of the sequence has been dated radiometrically at 78±2 Ma by Tosdal (1988). Thus, the 

upper part of the formation is at least partly Upper 

Cretaceous and the lower part could be as old as Jurassic. The formation consists largely of fluvial deposits with some alluvial fan and lacustrine deposits 

(Harding and Coney, 1985). Paleocurrent indicators 

point mainly to the south.

Harding and Coney (1985) divided the McCoy 

Mountains Formation into six informal members, 

each named for a characteristic lithology. These 

members, in ascending order, are basal sandstone 

member 1, basal sandstone member 2, mudstone 

member, conglomerate member, sandstone member, 

and siltstone member. Conglomerate is found in all 

six members.

Most of our samples are from the McCoy Mountains 

near Blythe, California (Stone and Pelka, 1989), but 

we also obtained material from the Coxcomb Mountains (Calzia and others, 1983) and the Palen Mountains (Stone and Pelka, 1989) in California, and from 

the Dome Rock Mountains (Stone, 1990), the southern 

Plomosa Mountains (Miller, 1970), the Granite Wash 

Mountains (Laubach and others, 1987), the Little 

Harquahala Mountains (Richard and others, 1987), 

and the New Water Mountains (Sherrod and Koch, 

1987) in Arizona. Correlation of samples from these 

other areas with the informal members of the McCoy 

described by Harding (1982) and Harding and Coney 

(1985) in the McCoy Mountains are largely those suggested by the respective authors based on stratigraphy and petrology. However, locality CU- 234 (table 3) 

in the Dome Rock Mountains was correlated by Tosdal 

(1988) and Stone (1990) with Harding and Coney's 

(1985) conglomerate member, whereas we have included it with the sandstone and siltstone members 

based on the composition of the conglomerate.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Conglomerates in the basal part of the McCoy 

Mountains Formation, in basal sandstone member 1, 

are rich in either chert or quartz sandstone (table 3 

and figs. 11 and 12). Two samples have a mean composition rich in chert (90.3 percent), with little quartz 

sandstone (6.5 percent), very few felsic volcanic rocks 

(0.5 percent), and no granite. Three other samples 

have a mean composition with a moderate amount of 

chert (13.8 percent), abundant quartz sandstone (83.4 

percent), and little else.
CONGLOMERATE IN AND NEAR THE MOJAVE BLOCK 25

Six samples of conglomerate from the overlying basal sandstone member 2 have a mean composition 

with abundant felsic volcanic rocks (58.8 percent) 

and moderate amounts of chert (19.8 percent) and 

quartz sandstone (10.5 percent) with few granitic 

rocks (1.2 percent).

Conglomerates in the overlying mudstone member, 

like those in the basal sandstone member 1, are composed chiefly of chert and quartz sandstone but the 

mixture is different. Whereas either chert or quartz 

sandstone is dominant in conglomerate from basal 

sandstone member 1, in two samples from the mudstone member both chert and quartz sandstone are 

abundant in each sample (chert 23.6 and 58.3 percent; quartz sandstone 75.9 and 39.6 percent). There 

are few felsic volcanic (mean 1.1 percent) or granitic 

(mean 0.1 percent) rocks.

A major compositional change is seen in the conglomerate member, where the mean of four samples 

shows for the first time abundant granitic rocks (18.9 

percent) and little chert (2.7 percent). The principal 

component is quartz sandstone (74.8 percent) and 

there are few felsic volcanic rocks (0.7 percent). Both 

gray and pink quartz sandstone clasts are present.

Conglomerates in the overlying sandstone and siltstone members also contain abundant granitic rocks 

but differs in the presence of abundant felsic volcanic 

rocks in most samples. The mean of five pebble 

counts shows abundant quartz sandstone (32.4 percent), felsic volcanic rocks (31.4 percent), and granitic 

rocks (25.8 percent) with little chert (2.6 percent). 

The compositions vary widely and occupy broad fields 

in figures 11 and 12.

Conglomerates in the basal sandstone member 1 

and in the mudstone member are roughly similar in 

composition to conglomerates in some of the older 

strata of the Great Valley sequence and Franciscan 

assemblage of the California Coast Ranges. In the 

northern California Coast Ranges, Great Valley and 

Franciscan conglomerates of Tithonian (Late Jurassic) to Valanginian (Early Cretaceous) age have an 

average composition of 84.7 percent chert and 0.8 

percent quartz sandstone (mean of 72; Seiders, 1991). 

In the Golden Gate-Gilroy and Nacimiento blocks of 

central California, correlative rocks contain two 

suites rich in both chert (46.2 and 64.6 percent) and 

quartz sandstone (35.7 and 19.8 percent; means of 7 

and 37, respectively; Seiders and Blome, 1988, and 

unpub. data). These compositions compare with conglomerate in the basal sandstone member 1 and the 

mudstone member in that they consist chiefly of 

chert and quartz sandstone, but there is little similarity in detail.

Conglomerates in the stratigraphically intervening 

basal sandstone member 2, which are much richer in 

felsic volcanic rocks, compare more closely to younger 

conglomerates found at mid-Cretaceous levels of the 

Great Valley sequence and Franciscan assemblage. In 

the northern California Coast Ranges the mean of 

134 pebble counts is 37.4 percent chert, 5.2 percent 

quartz sandstone, and 32.9 percent felsic volcanic 

rocks (Seiders, 1991). In the Diablo Range a suite of 

68 samples has a mean composition with 16.5 percent chert, 6.6 percent quartz sandstone, and 50.2 

percent felsic volcanic rocks (Seiders and Blome, 

1988, and unpub. data). A suite of seven samples 

from the Golden Gate-Gilroy and Nacimiento blocks, 

together with five compositionally similar samples 

from the northern Santa Ana Mountains, have a 

mean composition with 37.5 percent chert, 19.1 percent quartz sandstone, and 26.5 percent felsic volcanic rocks (Seiders and Blome, 1988). Each of these 

suites compares roughly with the suite from the basal sandstone member 2 of the McCoy Mountains 

Formation but the similarity with the Diablo Range 

suite is closest. In the northern Coast Ranges there 

is also a small suite (23 samples) of largely Lower 

Cretaceous conglomerate composed chiefly of volcanic 

rocks (Seiders, 1991).

In summary, conglomerate composed mainly of 

chert and quartz sandstone occurs in both the basal 

sandstone member 1 of the McCoy Mountains Formation and in the California Coast Ranges in the lower 

part of the Great Valley sequence and the oldest 

Franciscan rocks, but the similarities in detail are 

not close. In both sequences this kind of conglomerate is succeeded by conglomerate that is a mixture of 

chert, quartz sandstone, and felsic volcanic rocks. 

The change back to compositions dominated by chert 

and quartz sandstone, such as occurs in the mudstone member of the McCoy Mountains Formation, 

has no parallel in the Coast Ranges sequence.

Conglomerates in the basal sandstone member 2 of 

Harding and Coney (1985) are very similar to conglomerates in the Winterhaven Formation near 

Yuma, Arizona (see below).

Conglomerates composed of quartz sandstone and 

granitic rocks in the conglomerate member of the McCoy Mountains Formation are compositionally similar to conglomerates in the basal part of the Upper 

Cretaceous sequence of the La Panza Range of the 

Salinian block. Conglomerates in the sandstone and 

siltstone members, composed of abundant quartz 

sandstone and felsic volcanic and granitic rocks, are 

similar to Upper Cretaceous conglomerates of the 

southwestern Transverse Ranges.
26 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

WINTERHAVEN FORMATION

Exposed in the Picacho area of extreme southeastern California, near Yuma, Arizona (figs. 1 and 2), 

the type section of the Winterhaven Formation consists of about 450 m of metamorphosed volcanic and 

sedimentary rocks. As defined by Haxel and others 

(1985), the Winterhaven comprises an 80-m-thick 

lower dacite member, a 60-m-thick middle quartz arenite member, and an upper argillitic siltstone member unit, composed of at least 300 m of argillaceous 

siltstone with some sandstone and conglomerate. We 

sampled conglomerate at the base of the quartz arenite member and at two localities in the upper member. The Winterhaven was assigned a Jurassic(?) age 

by Haxel and others (1985). This age assignment depends upon interpretation of an equivocal basal contact of the dacite member and upon the lithologic 

correlation of the underlying volcanic rocks with isotopically dated rocks elsewhere. It is not clear that 

the age of the dacite member is necessarily the same 

as that of the overlying rocks, since the base of the 

quartz arenite member, which is marked by a basal 

conglomerate, might be an unconformity.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

The mean of three pebble counts (table 3 and figs. 

11 and 12) is rich in felsic volcanic rocks (57.1 percent), with less abundant chert (20.4 percent) and 

quartz sandstone (10.7 percent). This is very similar 

to conglomerates in the basal sandstone member 2 of 

the McCoy Mountains Formation, as shown by the 

overlap of dispersion fields in figures 11 and 12. It 

also is roughly similar to mid-Cretaceous conglomerates in the California Coast Ranges (see discussion 

under "McCoy Mountains Formation").

CONGLOMERATE COMPARISONS ACROSS FAULTS

The geographic distinctiveness of conglomerate 

compositions provides a tool for evaluating fault displacements. Our purpose here is to comment on the 

merits of some proposed fault displacements based 

on comparison of conglomerate compositions across 

the restored faults. No attempt is made at a more 

comprehensive review involving other lines of evidence. This section deals with the detailed comparison of conglomerate located close to the disrupting 

faults. Broader compositional patterns bearing on the 

place of origin of the Salinian block are treated in a 

later section. Our starting point for this discussion is 

the reconstruction of Powell (in press; fig. 2).

SAN GREGORIO FAULT

The San Gregorio fault is the northern segment of 

the San Gregorio-Hosgri fault zone (fig. 1). The reconstruction in figure 2 (Powell, in press) is based 

upon the restoration of 150 km of right slip on the 

San Gregorio fault north of Monterey Bay (Clark and 

others, 1984) and 105 km of right slip south of the 

bay (Graham and Dickinson, 1978a, b; Nagle and 

Mullins, 1983). The difference in displacement is accommodated by restoration of 45 km of right slip on 

the Rinconada fault (Graham, 1978), assuming that 

this fault meets the San Gregorio fault at a low angle 

just north of Monterey Bay (Ross and Brabb, 1973). 

In order to achieve a better fit of the granitic rocks at 

Montara Mountain (just south of Point San Pedro in 

fig. 2), Powell (in press) apportioned the 150-km San 

Gregorio displacement into about 80 km of slip on an 

early strand east of Montara Mountain and the rest 

on the present fault to the west. Otherwise, the granitic rocks at Montara Mountain are left standing 

seemingly too far to the north of similar rocks in the 

Santa Cruz Mountains (see also Champion, 1989).

CONGLOMERATE COMPARISON

The Paleocene conglomerate at Point San Pedro is 

similar in composition to conglomerate at Gualala 

low in the Paleocene section, but not at the base (table 4 and fig. 13). Since both areas have northwesterly directed paleocurrent indicators (fig. 4), the 

conglomerate compositions are fully compatible with 

the reconstruction of Powell (in press). A more northerly location of the Point San Pedro Paleocene rocks, 

one that does not depend on the apportionment of 

movement on both sides of Montara Mountain, is 

also compatible.

The 900-m-thick conglomerate-bearing Paleocene 

sequence of Point San Pedro compares poorly with 

the Paleocene Locatelli Formation of the Santa Cruz 

Mountains, against which it is juxtaposed in the reconstruction (fig. 2). The Locatelli consists of about 

270 m of deep-water siltstone, with a thin basal shallow-water marine sandstone, and no conglomerate 

(Clark, 1981). Conglomerate in the overlying Eocene 

Butano Sandstone contains fewer granitic pebbles 

than the Paleocene conglomerate of Point San Pedro 

(compare tables 4 and 6 and figs. 13 and 15).

Clark and others (1984) restored Point Reyes 45 

km farther south relative to Carmel than is shown in 

figure 2. They compared the Paleocene sedimentary 

rocks at Point Reyes with those at Carmel, suggesting that they may have been deposited in the same
CONGLOMERATE COMPARISONS ACROSS FAULTS 27

embayment and had the same source. Conglomerates 

at Point Reyes and Carmel are significantly different 

in composition (table 4 and fig. 13) and do not support that interpretation.

The reconstruction shown in figure 2 places Cretaceous rocks at Pigeon Point next to Cretaceous rocks 

on the Big Sur coast south of Carmel. In harmony 

with the reconstruction, the conglomerate at Pigeon 

Point is similar in composition to that at Big Sur and 

also to Paleocene conglomerate nearby at Carmel (tables 1 and 4 and fig. 19).

RINCONADA FAULT

Restoration of 45 km of right slip on the Rinconada 

fault (Graham, 1978) places Cretaceous and lower 

Tertiary sedimentary rocks of the central Santa Lucia Range adjacent to the northwest end of the sedimentary sequence of the La Panza Range (fig. 2).

CONGLOMERATE COMPARISON

The base of the Cretaceous sequence in the central 

Santa Lucia Range is not exposed and no conglomerate was found comparable to the quartz-sandstonerich conglomerate near the base of the Cretaceous 

section in the La Panza Range (table 1). The Cretaceous conglomerate in the central Santa Lucia Range 

geographically closest to the restored La Panza 

Range is in the El Piojo Formation. The mean composition of 12 samples of conglomerate from the El Piojo is significantly richer in granitic rocks than 

Cretaceous conglomerate of the main part of the La 

Panza Range sequence (table 1 and fig. 6). In the El 

Piojo, however, granitic rock content decreases toward the southeast (see p. 10). When only the three 

southeasternmost El Piojo conglomerates are compared with six samples from the La Panza Range, 

the compositions are seen to be very similar (fig. 20). 

Lower Tertiary conglomerate, for which the precise 

age is not known in either the Santa Lucia or La 

Panza Ranges, compares less closely than does Cretaceous conglomerate (fig. 20 and tables 4 and 8). 

Two of the three samples from the southeastern part 

of the central Santa Lucia Range are rich in quartz 

sandstone (18.5 and 22.1 percent), similar to the high 

quartz-sandstone suite of the La Panza Range (20.5 

percent). The third Santa Lucia sample is lower in 

quartz sandstone (11.9 percent), closer to the mean of

Carmel (Paleocene) (7) 

Big Sur (Cretaceous) (1) 

Pigeon Point (Cretaceous) (4)

FIGURE 19. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields 

at one standard deviation of selected conglomerate suites juxtaposed by restoration of San Gregorio fault displacement as shown in figure 2 (after Powell, 

in press). Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
28 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

the low quartz- sandstone suite of the La Panza 

Range (8.2 percent). The dispersion field of the three 

Santa Lucia samples lies between the compositions of 

the two La Panza suites but does not overlap either. 

The comparison, nevertheless, is considered compatible with the restoration (fig. 2).

SAN ANDREAS FAULT, NORTHERN PART

Clarke and Nilsen (1973) proposed that the Eocene 

Butano Sandstone in the Santa Cruz Mountains was 

deposited upon the same deep-sea fan as the presumed more distal Point of Rocks Sandstone Member of the Kreyenhagen Formation of the Temblor 

Range (fig. 2). The proposed match between these 

rock units was taken as evidence of about 305 km of 

displacement on the San Andreas fault (compared 

with 295.km in fig. 2). Clarke and Nilsen's (1973) 

conclusion has not been challenged, notwithstanding 

compositional differences between the sandstones of 

the two areas (Clarke, 1973), and despite the fact 

that paleocurrent directions (fig. 5) are different, 

mainly north in the Butano (Nilsen and Simoni, 

1973) and west-northwest in the Point of Rocks 

(Clarke, 1973).

CONGLOMERATE COMPARISON

The mean of five samples from the Butano Sandstone compares poorly with that of three samples 

from the basal part of the Point of Rocks Sandstone 

Member (tables 6 and 7 and figs. 15, 16, and 17). The 

samples from the Butano are much richer in felsic 

volcanic rocks (57.0 versus 6.5 percent) and granite 

(14.5 percent versus 1.6 percent) whereas those from 

the Point of Rocks Sandstone are richer in chert 

(34.8 versus 1.8 percent).

SANDSTONE PETROLOGY

Because pebbles were only obtained from the basal 

part of the Point of Rocks Sandstone Member, the 

sandstone petrology of the two units is also compared. Modal analyses using the Gazzi-Dickinson 

method (Ingersoll and others, 1984) and counting 

about 425 points per sample were done on 19 samples from the Butano Sandstone (table 9). The results, combined with eight point counts by Nilsen (in 

Clarke, 1973), are compared in figures 21 and 22 

with 46 point counts from the Point of Rocks Sandstone Member by Clarke (1973). In both the QFL and

Central Santa Lucia Range 

(Paleocenef?) (3)

La Panza Range 

(Paleocene or Eocene) (2)

La Panza Range 

(Paleocene or Eocene) (3)

Central Santa Lucia Range, 

southeasternmost El Piojo Fm. 

(Cretaceous) (3)

La Panza Range 

(Cretaceous) (6)

FIGURE 20. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard deviation of selected conglomerate suites juxtaposed by restoration of Rinconada fault displacement 

as shown in figure 2 (after Powell, in press). Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = 

granitic rocks.
CONGLOMERATE COMPARISONS ACROSS FAULTS 29

the QKP diagrams the Butano and Point of Rocks 

samples occupy distinct fields, with the Point of 

Rocks samples being comparatively rich in quartz 

and poor in feldspar.

These data for the Butano Sandstone and the Point 

of Rocks Sandstone Member are comparable to results obtained by Graham and Berry (1979) on the 

German Rancho Formation of Wentworth (1966) of 

the Gualala area and the Cantua Sandstone Member 

of the Lodo Formation of the central Diablo Range. 

Graham and Berry (1979) showed that subsurface facies relations indicate that the Cantua was derived 

from the Sierra Nevada to the southeast and they 

disputed the interpretation of Nilsen and others 

(1974) that the Cantua was linked to the German 

Rancho across the San Andreas fault. The petrology 

of the Point of Rocks Sandstone Member is similar to 

that of the Cantua (figs. 21 and 22) and, taken together with the west-northwest paleocurrent directions in the Point of Rocks, suggests a source in the 

Sierra Nevada. The Butano Sandstone is compositionally similar to the German Rancho and, like it, 

had a different source.

INTERPRETATION

The restoration shown in figure 2 (Powell, in press) 

and similar reconstructions (see Graham and others, 

1989) are derived by matching several geologic pairs 

and do not depend alone upon restoration of a single 

Butano-Point of Rocks deep-sea fan. The distinct detrital compositions of the Butano Sandstone and the 

Point of Rocks Sandstone Member do not invalidate 

the restorations, because the paleocurrent directions 

show that the two detrital suites were derived from 

different directions and thus may have been coincidentally deposited side-by-side. The two units apparently were not united within a single depositional 

system, however, and they should no longer be construed as an offset pair fixing San Andreas fault displacement.

SAN ANDREAS AND RELATED FAULTS, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

We will not review here the complex history of 

fault movement that Powell (in press) interpreted to 

produce the reconstruction shown in figure 2.

CantuaGatchell Point of Rocks

Sandstone Mbr. (46)

(Clarke, 1973)

Butano Sandstone (27)

(This report plus Nilsen,

in Clarke, 1973)

German 

Rancho

Graham and Berry (1979)

FIGURE 21. QFL diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard deviation of sandstone of the Butano Sandstone and the Point of Rocks Sandstone Member of the Kreyenhagen Formation. See table 9 for point counts. Shown for comparison is sandstone petrology of 

the German Rancho Formation of Wentworth (1968) and the combined Cantua Sandstone Member 

of the Lodo Formation and the Gatchell Sandstone of Ryall (1974) from Graham and Berry (1979). 

Q = quartz, F = feldspar, L = lithic grains.
30 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

Instead, we will simply test the end product by comparing the composition of juxtaposed conglomerate.

LIEBRE MOUNTAIN BLOCK

The Liebre Mountain block at present occupies the 

northern part of the San Gabriel Mountains block 

(fig. 1). It is bounded by the San Gabriel, San Francisquito, and San Andreas faults.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

A basal conglomerate of Late Cretaceous age in the 

San Francisquito Formation is full of locally derived 

detritus (table 2) and compares poorly with conglomerate at the base of a seemingly thicker Cretaceous 

section in the southeastern La Panza Range, located 

close by to the west in the reconstruction (fig. 2). The 

latter is rich in remotely derived quartz sandstone 

(table 1). These relations are consistent, however, with 

the general eastward transgression that characterizes 

the Upper Cretaceous to lower Tertiary sequence.

The major part of the San Francisquito Formation 

is Paleocene in age and contains conglomerate rich in 

felsic volcanic and granitic rocks. One sample from 

beds well above the base of an unnamed Cretaceous 

formation in the southeastern La Panza Range is 

compositionally similar to the Paleocene conglomerates of the San Francisquito (fig. 23). This conglomerate differs from other Cretaceous conglomerates of 

the La Panza Range in that it is richer in granitic 

rocks (25.9 versus 8.2 percent; table 1). The age of 

the sample is not known but Vedder and others 

(1986c) note that the unit may include Paleocene 

rocks. The Paleocene conglomerates of the San Francisquito compare well with Paleocene conglomerates 

in the Pattiway Formation of the Caliente Range (fig. 

23), located not far to the southeast in figure 2. It is 

also similar to lower Eocene conglomerates in the 

Cuyama gorge area, located to the southwest in the 

reconstruction. Another suite of conglomerate in the 

Cuyama gorge area, of either Paleocene or Eocene 

age, is richer in quartz sandstone and has no counterpart in the San Francisquito (fig. 23). Except for 

this last suite, conglomerate compositions harmonize

CantuaGatche

German 

Rancho

Butano Sandstone (27)

(this report plus Nilsen,

m Clarke, 1973}

Graham and Berry (1979)

FIGURE 22. QKP diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard deviation 

of sandstone of the Butano Sandstone and the Point of Rocks Sandstone Member of the Kreyenhagen 

Formation. See table 9 for point counts. Shown for comparison is sandstone petrology of the German 

Rancho Formation of Wentworth (1968) and the combined Cantua Sandstone Member of the Lodo 

Formation and the Gatchell Sandstone of Ryall (1974) from Graham and Berry (1979). Q = quartz, 

K = potassium feldspar, P = plagioclase.
CONGLOMERATE COMPARISONS ACROSS FAULTS 31

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32 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

well with the restored location of the Liebre Mountain block (fig. 2).

PINYON RIDGE BLOCK

This narrow sliver is restored to a position just 

east of the Leibre Mountain block in figure 2.

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Paleocene conglomerates of the San Francisquito 

Formation of the Pinyon Ridge block are very rich 

in granitic rocks (mean 71.6 percent) and, as previously noted by Kooser (1980), contrast sharply 

with volcanic-rich conglomerate of the San Francisquito Formation of the Liebre Mountain block. 

They are also quite different from Paleocene conglomerates in the Caliente Range, restored not far 

to the south, and seem out of place in the reconstruction. The composition is very similar to that 

of lower Eocene conglomerates of the Orocopia 

Mountains (see below).

OROCOPIA MOUNTAINS

Eocene sedimentary rocks in the Orocopia Mountains are restored relatively far from other sedimentary rocks of similar age and this makes detailed 

conglomerate comparison difficult. Their nearest comparable neighbors are in the Frazier Mountain block, 

restored 37 km to the southeast, and near Newhall, 

restored 55 km to the south-southeast (fig. 2).

CONGLOMERATE COMPOSITION

Conglomerate in the lower Eocene Maniobra Formation is very rich in granitic rocks (mean 65.3 percent, table 7). It compares poorly with Eocene 

conglomerate from the Frazier Mountain block (fig. 

24), although this pair has long been considered a 

factor in estimating San Andreas displacement 

(Crowell, 1962). It is closer in composition, but still 

significantly different from Eocene conglomerate near 

Newhall. The distances between the Orocopia Mountains and the restored positions of these areas, 

however, are so large that it is difficult to draw conCuyama Gorge 

(Paleocene or Eocene) (4)

Caliente Range 

(Paleooene) (3)

Liebre Mtn. / / 

(Paleocene) (7) __ Y

SE. La Panza Range 

(Cretaceous 7)

Cuyama Gorge 

(Eocene) (8)

FIGURE 23. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion 

fields at one standard deviation of selected conglomerate suites juxtaposed 

by restoration of San Andreas fault displacement as shown in figure 2 (after 

Powell, in press). Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic 

rocks.
PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AND RELATED TERRANE 33

elusions regarding the compatibility of the conglomerate compositions.

The composition of the Eocene conglomerates in 

the Orocopia Mountains is very similar to that of Paleocene conglomerates in the Pinyon Ridge block. Not 

only are the major components similarly abundant, 

as evidenced by the overlapping dispersion fields in 

figure 24, but as noted earlier, vein quartz is unusually high in both suites (mean 8.5 and 8.3 percent, 

tables 5 and 7). Restoration of the Pinyon Ridge 

block conglomerates, which are compositionally mismatched as restored in figure 2, to a location near 

the Orocopia Mountains is, therefore, tempting. However, in this location the Paleocene turbidites of the 

Pinyon Ridge block are placed between two areas, 

the Frazier Mountain block and the Orocopia Mountains, where the oldest sedimentary rocks above 

basement are Eocene in age. An alternative interpretation is to consider the two granite-rich suites as local anomalies, coincidentally similar in composition. 

This composition, in spite of its occurrence in thick 

turbidite sections, strongly reflects local bedrock and 

may not have been as widely distributed as the volcanic-rich suites. The granite-rich conglomerate may 

have been deposited in isolated small basins close to 

remotely derived conglomerate suites with contrasting composition.

PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AND 

RELATED TERRANE

INTRODUCTION

In this section the composition of conglomerate 

from broad regions will be compared to test its bearing on the place of origin of the Salinian block. The 

conglomerate suites are divided into Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eocene groups. These age 

groups within each region are then further divided 

into compositionally distinct suites as appropriate. 

For example, Upper Cretaceous conglomerate of the 

Salinian block is divisible into two suites, one of 59 

samples rich in felsic volcanic rocks and one of five 

samples rich in quartz sandstone clasts. The compositions are represented in triangular diagrams (figs. 

25-33) and the numerical parameters for constructing

FIGURE 24. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion 

fields at one standard deviation of selected conglomerate suites juxtaposed 

by restoration of San Andreas and related fault displacements in southern 

California as shown in figure 2 (after Powell, in press). Pinyon Ridge Paleocene conglomerate, not juxtaposed with any of the others, added for comparison. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
34 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

the diagrams are given in table 10. A few basal conglomerates of obviously local origin are excluded from 

the diagrams. These include a Cretaceous conglomerate from the Big Sur coast (table 1, locality PS-399), 

Cretaceous conglomerate at the base of the San 

Francisquito Formation in the Liebre Mountain block 

(table 2, locality WM-450) and at Cajon Pass (table 2, 

locality CJ-498), and three Paleocene conglomerates 

from the lower sequence of the Goler Formation (table 5, localities SD-617, SD-618, and SD-619).

For purposes of discussion, we treat the Salinian 

block, the southwestern Transverse Ranges, and the 

Peninsular Ranges as suspect terranes, possibly derived from remote places. A few conglomerates from 

the Nacimiento block are included with the Salinian 

block data because the Salinian and Nacimiento 

blocks may have been united before the end of the 

Cretaceous (Vedder and others, 1983). Because of 

close affinities between the Golden Gate-Gilroy and 

Nacimiento blocks (Seiders and Blome, 1988), four 

samples from the former area are also included with 

the Salinian block group. Conglomerate suites from 

the northern Santa Ana Mountains, a part of the Peninsular Ranges, are treated separately because they 

are compositionally distinct.

The Diablo and Temblor Ranges, the southernmost 

Sierra Nevada, the southwestern Basin and Range 

Province, and the southeastern Mojave Desert area 

and adjacent parts of southeastern California and 

western Arizona are considered part of North America. Although the Liebre Mountain block of the San 

Gabriel Mountains was placed within the Santa Lucia-Orocopia allochthon by Vedder and others (1983), 

we consider it to be an autochthonous part of North 

America because of a chain of correlations involving 

basement rocks. Frizzell and others (1986) correlated 

a distinctive Triassic megaporphyritic monzogranite 

in the Liebre Mountain block with lithologically similar rock in the San Bernardino Mountains, proposing 

that the monzogranite once formed a single body now 

offset 160 km along the San Andreas fault. In the 

San Bernardino Mountains, the megaporphyritic 

monzogranite is mapped by Dibblee (1964) and Frizzell and others (1986) to within 2 kilometers, without 

intervening faults, of distinctive Proterozoic and Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks correlated by Stewart 

and Poole (1975) with the miogeosynclinal sequence 

of the southern Great Basin. Because of these relations, we include the Paleocene conglomerate of the 

Liebre Mountain block with the suites native to 

North America.

We also include as part of native North America the 

Eocene Maniobra Formation of the Orocopia Mountains. Although this area is also within Vedder and

others' (1983) allochthon, both Hamilton (1988) and 

Powell (1991) argue that faults inboard of the Orocopia Mountains that could have accommodated the 

docking of the allochthon do not exist. This conclusion 

is also supported by the close similarity of conglomerate in the Winterhaven Formation with that in the 

lower part of the McCoy Mountains Formation (see p. 

26), since this lithologic tie spans the Mule Mountains thrust, considered a possible strand of the docking fault system (the Vincent-Orocopia-Chocolate 

Mountains thrust) by Vedder and others (1983).

REGIONAL CONGLOMERATE COMPARISONS

CRETACEOUS CONGLOMERATE

The principal suite of Cretaceous conglomerates 

from the Salinian block and related terrane (59 samples) differs from correlative conglomerates in the Diablo Range (6 samples) and in the main suite from 

the Peninsular Ranges (15 samples) in that chert is 

very sparse in the Salinian block conglomerates, 

whereas it is moderately abundant in conglomerate 

from the Diablo and Peninsular Ranges (fig. 25). A 

suite of two samples from the northern Santa Ana 

Mountains overlaps the Salinian block and Peninsular Ranges fields. A suite of four samples from the 

Peninsular Ranges near Punta Banda is poor in 

chert and plots near the Salinian block suite (fig. 25). 

In detail, however, this suite differs from Salinian 

conglomerates in that it is composed almost entirely 

of igneous clasts (compare tables 1 and 2) and probably had a local source.

A suite of 13 samples from the southwestern 

Transverse Ranges is low in chert, like the main Salinian block suite, but is richer in quartz sandstone 

(fig. 25). A second Salinian suite of five samples from 

the basal part of the La Panza Range sequence is 

still richer in quartz sandstone and plots far from all 

the other conglomerates.

The same conglomerate suites are shown in figure 

26, which presents quartz sandstone, volcanic rocks, 

and granitic rocks as end members. The main Salinian block suite lies near the volcanic rock corner. It 

partly overlaps the fields of the northern Santa Ana 

Mountains and the Diablo and Peninsular Ranges, 

but extends to more granite-rich compositions. The 

suite from the southwestern Transverse Ranges partly overlaps the Peninsular Range field, but is mainly 

richer in granitic rocks and quartz sandstone.

Conglomerates from the upper part (conglomerate, 

sandstone, and siltstone members) of the McCoy 

Mountains Formation of Harding and Coney (1985) 

are poor in chert, like those of the Salinian block, the
PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AND RELATED TERRANE 35

northern Santa Ana Mountains, and the southwestern 

Transverse Ranges (fig. 27). In both figures 27 and 28, 

although the dispersion fields are large, the compositions of the suites from the conglomerate member and 

the combined sandstone and siltstone members of the 

McCoy Mountains Formation are similar, respectively, 

to those from the basal part of the La Panza Range 

section and the southwestern Transverse Ranges. Relative to conglomerates of the main Salinian block 

suite and the northern Santa Ana Mountains, these 

rocks are richer in quartz sandstone.

PALEOCENE CONGLOMERATE

One conglomerate from the Diablo Range is very 

rich in chert. All other Paleocene conglomerate lies 

close to the Q-I side of the triangle in figure 29, although three samples from the Peninsular Ranges 

with a small amount of chert stand out from the rest. 

Two samples from the Salinian block and five samples 

from the lower part of the Paleocene section in the 

southwestern Transverse Ranges (Simi Hills and Santa Monica Mountains) are rich in quartz sandstone. All 

the rest, including 23 samples from the Salinian block, 

plot near the igneous rock corner of the diagram.

Greater differentiation of conglomerate suites is 

se'en in figure 30, representing quartz sandstone, volcanic rocks, and granitic rocks. The Diablo and Peninsular Ranges suites both are distinctly poor in 

granitic rocks. The main Salinian block field is richer 

in granitic rocks and is broadly overlapped by the 

field of the combined Goler and Witnet Formations of 

the southernmost Sierra Nevada and the San Francisquito Formation of the Liebre Mountain block. 

Conglomerate suites from the southwestern Transverse Ranges are diverse. Two suites are very rich in 

quartz sandstone, one of them very similar to the minor Salinian suite. Two other suites are similar to 

the main Salinian block suite, but are marginally 

richer in quartz sandstone and granitic rocks. Another suite, from the upper part of the Paleocene section 

in the Santa Monica Mountains, is poor in quartz 

sandstone but relatively rich in granitic rocks. One 

sample from the northern Santa Ana Mountains 

plots within the main Salinian block dispersion field 

but is poor in quartz sandstone and lies near the 

quartz-sandstone-poor Santa Monica Mountains 

suite. Three samples from the Pinyon Ridge block are 

very rich in granitic rocks.

EOCENE CONGLOMERATE

Eocene conglomerate from the Diablo and Temblor 

Ranges is chert rich (fig. 31). Some chert may have

been derived from the Franciscan assemblage which 

was uplifted to the west. Most chert was derived 

from the Sierra Nevada area, as inferred from paleocurrent directions and the lithologic character of the 

chert. Two samples of upper Eocene conglomerate 

from the San Marcos Pass area are also rich in chert, 

probably derived from the underlying Franciscan assemblage or the Coast Range ophiolite. All other Eocene conglomerates are chert poor. In figure 31 most 

samples, including 28 from the Salinian block and 9 

from the Peninsular Ranges, cluster near the igneous 

rock corner. Two samples from the southwestern 

Transverse Ranges are richer in quartz sandstone.

Figure 32, representing quartz sandstone, volcanic 

rocks, and granitic rocks, shows a clear distinction 

between Salinian block conglomerates and those of 

the Diablo, Temblor, and Peninsular Ranges. The Salinian block conglomerates are rich in both volcanic 

and granitic rocks, whereas the other suites are poorer in granitic rocks. Significantly, conglomerates from 

the San Emigdio Mountains and from the northern 

Santa Ana Mountains plot within the Salinian block 

dispersion field. Conglomerate from the Orocopia 

Mountains and from the southwestern Transverse 

Ranges near Newhall is richer in granitic rocks. Two 

other samples from the southwestern Transverse 

Ranges are rich in quartz sandstone.

SUMMARY AND INTERPRETATION

SALINIAN BLOCK RELATIONSHIPS

Conglomerate compositions in the Salinian block 

contrast sharply with those in the Diablo and Temblor Ranges and in the Peninsular Ranges. For the 

Late Cretaceous this difference lies mainly in the 

greater abundance of chert in conglomerate of the Diablo and Peninsular Ranges, but there is also a trend 

toward more granite-rich compositions in the Salinian block (figs. 25 and 26). For the Paleocene and Eocene, Salinian block conglomerates differ mainly in 

the greater abundance of granitic rocks (figs. 30 and 

32), although the lack of chert also continues to distinguish them from conglomerates of the Diablo and 

Temblor Ranges (figs. 29 and 31). In the Peninsular 

Ranges, chert only slightly exceeds Salinian abundance in Paleocene conglomerates and it is nearly absent in the Eocene.

Salinian block Paleocene conglomerates with abundant volcanic rocks and moderately abundant granitic rocks are very similar to Paleocene conglomerates 

around the margin of the western Mojave Desert 

(figs. 29 and 30). Eocene conglomerates from the Salinian block are compositionally similar to those in
36 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

the Paleocene and compare well with the one sample 

of Eocene conglomerate found adjacent to the western Mojave area in the San Emigdio Mountains (fig. 

32). The only Cretaceous sedimentary rocks around 

the western Mojave are basal conglomerates with locally derived detritus. The sequence is onlapping, 

however, and Paleocene conglomerates of the western 

Mojave margin are similar to Cretaceous conglomerates of Salinia (fig. 33).

These conglomerate compositional patterns are interpreted by plotting inferred gross sediment distribution paths for the Late Cretaceous and early 

Tertiary on paleogeographic base maps (figs. 34 and 

35) modified from Dickinson (1983). The Late Cretaceous configuration (fig. 34) includes reversal of 195 

km of dextral slip on a proto-San Andreas fault 

(Dickinson, 1983), a restoration that is not included 

in Powell's (in press; fig. 2) reconstruction. A protoSan Andreas fault seems necessary in order to restore basement rocks in the northern part of the Salinian block (Dickinson, 1983), but its existence is not 

critical to our interpretation. Dickinson (1983) 

thought that the proto-San Andreas fault may have 

existed in latest Cretaceous time and that the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks near Gualala (figs. 2 and 34) 

may have been deposited in a linear trough developed along the fault zone. This interpretation is consistent with northwest-directed paleocurrent 

indicators at Gualala (Wentworth, 1966; fig. 3).

The key component of these maps (figs. 34 and 35) 

is the interpretation of 560 km of left-slip on the 

Nacimiento fault in mid-Cretaceous time (Dickinson, 

1983). The Salinian block, in its restored pre-San Andreas position adjacent to the Mojave block, is an interior part of the magmatic arc that became exposed 

to the sea as a result of the displacement. Two 

matching belts in the Sierra Nevada and the Peninsular Ranges are displaced by the Nacimiento fault. 

The western belt consists of pre-batholithic rocks, 

which includes chert-bearing rocks in the Sierra Nevada in the Shoo Fly Complex and the Calaveras 

Complex of Schweickert and others (1977; see for example Schweickert and Snyder, 1981) and in the Peninsular Ranges in various rock units (see for 

example Gastil and Miller, 1984). The eastern belt 

consists of batholithic rocks, probably covered by a 

thick cap of volcanic rocks, especially during Late 

Cretaceous time.

Sediment distribution paths (figs. 34 and 35) in the 

Sierra Nevada leading to the Diablo Range cross 

both the belt of pre-batholithic rocks as well as the 

batholithic belt. Consequently, Upper Cretaceous and 

lower Tertiary conglomerates in the Diablo Range 

contain both abundant chert and volcanic rocks. Sediment distribution paths reaching the Salinian block 

do not cross the belt of pre-batholithic rocks and Salinian conglomerates are poor in chert but rich in volcanic rocks derived from the magmatic arc.

The abundance of granite in Salinian block conglomerates and those found on the fringe of the west50 100 150 200 KILOMETERS
PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AND RELATED TERRANE 37

ern Mojave may result from deep erosion of a rapidly 

uplifted Mojave block. The deep erosion, evidenced by 

the wide exposure of granulite and amphibolite facies 

rocks around the margin of the Mojave block (see 

Ross, 1984, 1989; James and Mattinson, 1988), began 

in Late Cretaceous time, possibly as a consequence of 

the shallowing of the inclination of the subduction 

zone that occurred at that time (Burchfiel and Davis, 

1975). Uplift may have been greatest in this region 

because, in the model of Dickinson (1983), it was a 

place where a more interior and thicker part of the 

continent had been exposed to the Pacific through 

left-slip on the Nacimiento fault.

Salinian block conglomerates rich in quartz sandstone, such as that found at the base of the Cretaceous sequence of the La Panza Range and low in the 

Paleocene section at Arroyo Seco, compare well both 

in overall composition and clast lithology with Upper 

Cretaceous conglomerate in the McCoy Mountains 

Formation near the southern Mojave area. The 

quartz-sandstone rich gravel of the Salinian block, 

like that of the McCoy Mountains, was probably derived from the Mojave area (figs. 28 and 30). In the 

Salinian block this kind of conglomerate only occurs 

locally in basal deposits and was soon replaced by 

volcanic-rich conglomerate.

SOUTHWESTERN TRANSVERSE RANGES AND PENINSULAR 

RANGES RELATIONSHIPS

The northern Santa Ana Mountains, a part of the 

Peninsular Ranges, have strong stratigraphic links 

and conglomerate compositional similarities with the 

Santa Monica Mountains across the Los Angeles basin. These ties are important because they establish 

past connections between the Peninsular Ranges and 

the southwestern Transverse Ranges and, in turn, 

with the Mojave and Salinian blocks.

Cretaceous rocks show close stratigraphic similarities between the northern Santa Ana Mountains and 

the Santa Monica Mountains. In each area the sedimentary sequence begins with a nonmarine conglomFIGURE 34. Late Cretaceous distribution of Mesozoic lithotectonic belts (from Dickinson, 1983, fig. 7) showing generalized sediment distribution paths (arrows). Dense stipples, 

Franciscan assemblage belt; open stipples, Great Valley sequence belt; diagonal lines, pre-batholithic belt; cross 

hatched, batholithic belt. DR, Diablo Range; Ga, Garlock 

fault; GU, Gualala; LA, Los Angeles; MB, Monterey Bay; 

NSA, northern Santa Ana Mountains; PR, Point Reyes; 

PSA, proto-San Andreas fault; SA, San Andreas fault; SH, 

San Gregorio-Hosgri fault; SWTR, southwestern Transverse 

Ranges. Lines representing modern shorelines are shown.

erate overlain by marine beds with Turonian (Late 

Cretaceous) fossils. There is no parallel in the Santa 

Monica Mountains to the locally derived conglomerates of the Holz Shale Member of the Ladd Formation in the Santa Ana Mountains. Conglomerates in 

the overlying Schulz Ranch Sandstone Member of the 

Williams Formation are compositionally similar to

50 100 150 200 KILOMETERS

FIGURE 35. Early Tertiary distribution of Mesozoic lithotectonic 

belts (from Dickinson, 1983, fig. 8) showing generalized sediment distribution paths. See figure 34 for explanation.
38 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

those in the middle part of the T\ma Canyon Formation of the Santa Monicas. The conglomerates in 

these two units are uniquely rich in volcanic pebbles 

with xenoliths of quartz sandstone. Conglomerates of 

the Santa Ana Mountains, however, are richer overall 

in felsic volcanic rocks and lower in quartz sandstone 

(72.5 versus 52.9 percent and 11.8 versus 27.9 percent; table 2).

In both the Santa Ana and Santa Monica Mountains the base of the Paleocene is marked by an unconformity. In the Santa Anas the lower part of the 

Paleocene section contains conglomerates with locally 

derived detritus, whereas the lower Paleocene deposits in the Santa Monicas are rich in remotely derived 

quartz sandstone. Conglomerates higher in the Paleocene section are similarly rich in volcanic and granitic rocks in both areas (table 5 and fig. 14). 

Conglomerates farther north in the southwestern 

Transverse Ranges, in the upper part of the Simi 

Conglomerate in the Simi Hills, are richer in quartz 

sandstone relative to those in the higher part of the 

Paleocene sequence in the Santa Monica Mountains 

(18.9 versus 2.0 percent; table 5).

Eocene conglomerates in the northern Santa Ana 

Mountains, like the underlying Paleocene conglomerates, are rich in volcanic and granitic rocks. Eocene 

conglomerates in the southwestern Transverse ranges are more diverse. Some are quite rich in quartz 

sandstone and others are rich in granitic rocks (table 

7 and fig. 17).

Conglomerate compositions in the southwestern 

Transverse Ranges and the northern Santa Ana 

Mountains accord well with the paleogeographic 

models (figs. 34 and 35). Gravel deposits in the 

southwestern Transverse Ranges were fed by streams 

crossing the magmatic arc at its narrowest point. 

Much conglomerate there is relatively poor in volcanic rocks and rich in quartz sandstone, like conglomerate directly upstream in Upper Cretaceous beds of 

the McCoy Mountains Formation of the lower Colorado River area. Conglomerates in the northern Santa 

Ana Mountains are relatively richer in volcanic 

rocks, possibly because the sediment distribution system was oriented along the trace of the Nacimiento 

fault, subparallel to the magmatic arc. At times the 

north-flowing sediment distribution system of the 

Santa Ana Mountains may have migrated northward, 

and the effect is seen in some volcanic-rich conglomerates in the Santa Monica Mountains, especially in 

the higher Paleocene deposits. Abundant granite 

clasts in both the southwestern Transverse Ranges 

and the northern Santa Ana Mountains came from 

the deeply eroded margin of the nearby Mojave block.

Conglomerate deposited in the Cretaceous on the 

west side of the Peninsular Ranges south of the 

northern Santa Ana Mountains is rich in both chert 

and volcanic rocks because the sediment distribution 

systems had access to both prebatholithic rocks and 

the'volcanic arc. It is not clear why chert disappeared 

from conglomerate in the early Tertiary, but it may be 

that the source area became covered with sediments 

or had a low relief. The sediment distribution systems 

had no access to the rapidly uplifted Mojave block 

and granitic rocks therefore are not abundant.

GOLDEN GATE-GILROY BLOCK RELATIONSHIPS

Upper Cretaceous rocks in the Golden Gate-Gilroy 

block south and southeast of San Francisco (fig. 1) 

overlie a basement composed of the Franciscan assemblage. Conglomerates in the Franciscan assemblage and in older parts of the overlying Great Valley 

sequence are very similar in composition to those in 

the Nacimiento block of the central California coastal 

area (fig. 36). Seiders and Blome (1988) interpreted 

this similarity to indicate that the Golden Gate-Gilroy block originated close to the Nacimiento block. 

The compositional similarity of some conglomerates 

of the Golden Gate-Gilroy and Nacimiento blocks 

with mid-Cretaceous conglomerates of the northern 

Santa Ana Mountains (fig. 36), along with other considerations, led Seiders and Blome (1988) to suggest 

that these two blocks originated in southern California. Following Dickinson's (1983) proposal of 560 km 

of mid-Cretaceous left slip on the Nacimiento fault, 

Seiders and Blome (1988) argued that this displacement may have separated the Golden Gate-Gilroy 

and Nacimiento blocks. In this reconstruction the 

Nacimiento block was displaced southward and juxtaposed against the Salinian block, whereas the 

Golden Gate-Gilroy block was located east of the 

Nacimiento fault and held a position south of the 

Mesozoic deposits of the Diablo Range, with which 

there is a contrast in conglomerate composition.

Conglomerate compositions in Upper Cretaceous 

rocks of the Golden Gate-Gilroy block have a bearing 

on their place of formation. The lack of chert in four 

samples from this area (table 1) indicates that the 

gravel probably was transported by a sediment distribution system that passed south of the source of the 

chert-bearing Cretaceous conglomerates of the Diablo 

Range (figs. 1 and 34). The richness in some of the 

samples of intermediate and mafic volcanic rocks is a 

similarity with the Upper Cretaceous strata of Anchor Bay in the Gualala area, but the similarity is not 

close enough as to demand the correlation. The Greta-
CONCLUSION 39

ceous rocks at Gualala overlie a basement of spilitic 

basalt of uncertain affinities. The basalt contains epidote but metamorphic minerals typical of the Franciscan assemblage, such as pumpellyite, lawsonite, and 

blue amphibole, are not reported (Wentworth, 1966), 

and we doubt that the basalt is part of the Franciscan. It is lithologically similar to some Jurassic rocks 

in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada (see 

Duffield and Sharp, 1975), and correlative rocks 

might be concealed under Quaternary deposits farther south. The presence of pre-Cretaceous metasedimentary rocks in the subsurface near Gualala 

(Hoskins and Griffiths, 1971) suggested to Dickinson 

(1983) affinities with the Sierran foothills belt. If the 

basement at Gualala corresponds to the Sierran foothills, then the Golden Gate-Gilroy block, with a Franciscan basement, by analogy with the expected 

distribution of rocks underneath the San Joaquin Valley, originated farther northwest. It seems likely that 

the Golden Gate-Gilroy block formed somewhere between this buried foothill belt and the exposed upper 

Mesozoic deposits of the Diablo Range to the north. A 

similar location with respect to the Diablo Range was 

indicated by Elder (1991a) based on paleogeographic 

interpretation of molluscan faunas in the Golden 

Gate-Gilroy block.

Right slip on the San Andreas fault system, and 

possibly also on a Late Cretaceous or early Tertiary 

precursor (Suppe, 1970), moved the Salinian and 

Nacimiento blocks northward together. The Golden 

Gate-Gilroy block, originally north of the Salinian 

block, was also displaced northward but by a smaller 

distance. When it reached its present position, the 

San Andreas fault may have stepped to the left, allowing the Salinian block to move northward to the west.

CONCLUSION

Restoration of San Andreas fault displacement puts 

the Salinian block adjacent to the Mojave block

EXPLANATION

i Franciscan assemblage 

Great Valley sequence

NAC (4) 

MAC (4)

GGG (1) 

NAC (16)

NAC (5)

NCR (13) 

/^NCR (10)

I

NCR (25) NCR (East) (12)

FIGURE 36. Summary QIC diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields 

at one standard deviation of Upper Jurassic through mid-Cretaceous (largely Turonian 

and older) conglomerate suites (364 conglomerates) from the Franciscan assemblage and 

Great Valley sequence in California and from correlative rocks in southwestern Oregon. 

Multiple suites in some regions reflect conglomerate of different ages. Data from Seiders 

and Blome (1988), Seiders (1991), and unpublished data. Q = quartz sandstone, I = 

volcanic and granitic rocks, C = chert. DR, Diablo Range; GGG, Golden Gate-Gilroy 

block; NAC, Nacimiento block; NCR, northern California Coast Ranges; NSA, northern 

Santa Ana Mountains; SM, Santa Monica Mountains.
40 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

where Upper Cretaceous to Eocene conglomerate 

compositions compare closely with those in the Salinian block. Salinian conglomerates contrast sharply 

with conglomerates found for long distances to the 

north and south of the Mojave block. If the Salinian 

block is an exotic terrane derived 2,500 km to the 

south, as interpreted from paleomagnetic results 

(Champion and others, 1984), we are driven to the 

unlikely conclusion that it must have docked at just 

the place along the coast where matching conglomerate compositions occur.

The suggested time of docking of the Salinian block 

in latest Paleocene or earliest Eocene time (Vedder 

and others, 1983) is no longer constrained by the reconstruction of an early and middle Eocene ButanoPoint of Rocks deep-sea fan (Nilsen and Clarke, 

1975), because we have shown that the Butano Sandstone and Point of Rocks Sandstone Member of the 

Kreyenhagen Formation are compositionally different 

and were not part of the same fan; nevertheless, the 

same time of docking is indicated by interpretation of 

paleomagnetic data (Kanter and Debiche, 1985; 

Kanter, 1988). However, Paleocene and lower Eocene 

conglomerates in the Salinian block are compositionally alike, giving no hint of an intervening tectonic 

event such as the docking of a large exotic terrane.

The case made here based on conglomerate compositions for an origin of the Salinian block near the 

Mojave region is only one of several studies of diverse kinds pointing to the same conclusion (Dickinson, 1983; Ross, 1984; Silver and Mattinson, 1986; 

Hamilton, 1988; James and Mattinson, 1988; Powell, 

1991). Butler and others (1991) have argued that the 

low paleomagnetic inclinations determined on marine 

sedimentary rocks of the Salinian block may have resulted from compactional shallowing. If they are correct, the strong and varied evidence for a local origin 

of the Salinian block is left without arguments to the 

contrary.

Several paleomagnetic studies have suggested 

large northward translation of the Peninsular Ranges as well (see Butler and others, 1991, for a review). 

Other paleomagnetic data, however, indicate no significant post-early Eocene northward translation 

(Flynn and others, 1989), and Butler and others 

(1991) reinterpret the low paleomagnetic inclinations 

as resulting from the tilting of the Peninsular Ranges batholith and compactional shallowing of inclinations in marine sedimentary rocks. The pattern of 

conglomerate compositions reported here indicates a 

Late Cretaceous position of the Peninsular Range 

near the southwestern Transverse Ranges and the 

Mojave block, although the evidence is less direct 

than that bearing on the Salinian block.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful to many people who provided information about conglomerate localities. These include 

PL. Abbott, J.M. Alderson, T.H. Anderson, A.P. Bennison, E.E. Brabb, J.P. Calzia, J.C. Clark, S.H. Clarke, I.P. Colburn, M.X. Kirby, R.D. Koch, S.M. 

Richard, J.E. Spencer, R.L. Squires, R.M. Tosdal, J.G. 

Vedder, John Wakabayashi, C.M. Wentworth, Jr., and 

R.F. Yerkes. T.J. Seiders collected two conglomerate 

samples from the beach in Baja California. We thank 

Paul Stone for helpful discussion of the McCoy 

Mountains Formation and for assistance in collecting 

several samples. R.E. Powell contributed valuable information on San Andreas fault restorations and provided advanced copies of a paper on that subject.

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SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
50 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION. LOCATIONS OF 

SAMPLED CONGLOMERATES IN TABLES 1-8

[Except as noted, locations are given by 7.5-minute quadrangle and 

1,000- meter Universal Transverse Mercator grid]

Table 1. SP-405 - Stewarts Point, 4,281,400N, 462.390E. SP462 - Stewarts Point, 4,281,260N, 462.490E. SP-406 - Stewarts 

Point, 4,281,040N, 462.500E. SP-343 - Stewarts Point, 4,280,910N, 

462.820E. SP-496 - Stewarts Point, 4,277,390N, 465.550E. GU461 - Gualala, 4,297,110N, 447,990E. GU-412 - Gualala, 

4,294,760N, 449.400E. SP-411 - Stewarts Point, 4,286,330N, 

485.280E. PG-344 - Pigeon Point, 4,115,OOON, 554,OOOE. PG-345

- Pigeon Point, 4,115,410N, 553.650E. PG-346 - Pigeon Point, 

4,116,500N, 553,OOOE. PG-347, Pigeon Point, 4,118,550N, 

552,580E. PS-399 - Point Sur, 4,023,250N, 599.020E. PT-400 - 

Partington Ridge, 4,000,650N, 620,960E. BP-508 - Burnett Peak, 

3,967,020N, 662.080E. PS- 2427 - Pebblestone Shut-in, 

3,957,570N, 672,940E. PS-2430 - Pebblestone Shut-in, 3,956,100N, 

672.170E. Y-158 - York Mountain, 3,938,970N, 695.520E. BP-431

- Burnett Peak, 3,969,990N, 661.190E. BP-430 - Burnett Peak, 

3,968,200N, 662,250E. BP-402 - Burnett Peak, 3,967,260N, 

665.570E. BY-2382 - Bryson, 3,959,520N, 674,440E. BY-2386 - 

Bryson, 3,959,050N, 674.410E. BY-2852 - Bryson, 3,958,370N, 

675.180E. BY-2853 - Bryson, 3,957,990N, 675.880E. BY-2366 - 

Bryson, 3,957,890N, 676.310E. PS-2848 - Pebblestone Shut-in, 

3,957,260N, 675,OOOE. PS-2850 - Pebblestone Shut-in, 3,956,500N, 

675,370E. PS-2372 - Pebblestone Shut-in, 3,956,880N, 

675.660E. PS-2767 - Pebblestone Shut-in, 3,957,400N, 

677.220E. Y-160 - York Mountain, 3.938.700N, 693.890E. AP-432

- Alder Peak, 3,977,210N, 657.550E. JO-403 - Bryson 15', 

3,971,670N, 661.180E. BP-401 - Burnett Peak, 3,968,450N, 

666.900E. PSI-1104 - Pebblestone Shut-in, 3,956,930N, 

676,360E. PS-2765 - same as PSI-1104. PS-2766 - Pebblestone 

Shut-in, 3,956,830N, 677.120E. LM-510 - Lime Mountain, 

3,957,140N, 684,720E. LM- 511 - Lime Mountain, 3,956,990N, 

684.800E. LM-512 - Lime Mountain, 3,957,520N, 688,810E. TR514 - Tierra Redonda Mtn., 3,959,420N, 689.310E. TR-513 - Tierra 

Redonda Mtn., 3,958,560N, 689.570E. AD-593 - Adelaida, 

3,953,860N, 696.010E. SL-472 - Santa Margarita Lake, 

3,915,510N, 729.070E. PZ-440 - Pozo Summit, 3,913,900N, 

745,070E. PZ-443 - Pozo Summit, 3,908,800N, 749.190E. PZ-441

- Pozo Summit, 3,913,040N, 744,600E. CR-558 - Chimineas Ranch, 

3,896,570N,228,030E. PZ-442 - Pozo Summit, 3,911,890N, 

744.330E. LM-456 - Lopez Mountain, 3,912,430N, 726.440E. SL455 - Santa Margarita Lake, 3,913,090N, 728.790E. SL-454 - Santa Margarita Lake, 3,912,300N, 729.860E. SL-453 - Santa Margarita Lake, 3,912,660N, 731,200E. SL-471 - Santa Margarita Lake, 

3,911,590N, 734.690E. CR-559 - Chimineas Ranch, 3,895,210N, 

228.080E. LM-521 - Los Machos Hills, 3,892,180N, 

755.010E. CC-606 - Chimney Canyon, 3,879,240N, 

752.550E. BC-592 - Bates Canyon, 3,864,880N, 227,220E. BP599 - Big Pine Mtn., 3,837,070N, 252.630E. BP-597 - Big Pine 

Mtn., 3,841,220N, 257.280E. BP-598 - Big Pine Mtn., 3,840,300N, 

256,860E. LP-372 - Loma Prieta, 4,108,190N, 603.580E. 131 - 

Laurel, 4,107,310N, 598.300E. 132 - Loma Prieta, 4,105,790N, 

602.860E. WO-268 - Woodside, 4,149,080N, 555.710E.

Table 2. BW-139-2 - Howard Ranch, 4,122,300N, 

666.990E. VO-585 - Volta, 4,097,080N, 683,210E. OP-632 - Ortigalita Peak NW, composite sample, 4.095.890N, 684,030E and 

4,095,520N, 684.300E. LS-563 - Laguna Seca Ranch, 4,082,750N, 

694.250E. GP-438 - Garza Peak, 3,979,320N, 754.300E. TH-439

- Tent Hills, 3,967,150N, 758.000E. 159 - Black Star Canyon, 

3,738,960N, 438.640E. BS-600 - Black Star Canyon, 3,735,390N,

440.220E. 160 - Black Star Canyon, 3,735,520N, 438,940E. BS601 - Black Star Canyon, 3,735,190N, 439.630E. 161 - La JoUa, 

3,629,820N, 475,190E. PL-629 - Point Loma, 3,614,790N, 

477.300E. PL-474 - Point Loma, 3,615,170N, 477.240E. BJ-567 - 

North side of Arroyo El Morro, 0.6 miles east of route 1-D. PT-628 

- Primo Tapia 1:50,000, 63,410N, 08.400E, Route 1, 750 m north of 

Canon El Descanso. PT-627 - Primo Tapia 1:50,000, 62.720N, 

08.400E, Route 1 at Canon El Descanso. BJ-568 - Route 1-D, 2.5 

miles by road south of Salsipuedes. BJ-569 - Route 1-D, 2.7 miles 

by road south of Salsipuedes. BJ-570 - Gravel pit just east of 

route 1 at El Junco, 4.6 miles by road north of route 1-D. BJ-571 - 

Sea cliff about 120 meters north of El Rincon, where first sea cliffs 

occur going out east coast of Punta Banda. BJ-578 - Road to Punta China, 1.1 miles by road from junction with road to Punta Santo 

Tomas. BJ-579 - 0.9 miles by road east of same road 

junction. BJ-580 - 4.6 miles by road east of same road 

junction. 4C - Camalu (H11B53) 1:50,000, 22.350N, 73.040E, on 

beach at Heroes de Chapultepec, east of Punta San Telmo. CLU - 

Camalu (H11B53) 1:50,000, 09.790N, 870.070E, on Punta 

Camalu. BJ-573 - On beach just northwest of main fish 

camp. BJ-572 - On beach just southeast of main fish camp. BJ574 - Tip of Punta Baja. 162 - On main highway about 9 miles 

east of San Miguel (a place near San Jose de Castro). CP-626 - 

Carpinteria, 3,818,230N, 261.920E. CP-625 - Carpinteria, 

3,818,OOON, 262.580E. WH-517 - Wheeler Springs, 3,820,100N, 

284.450E. WH-518 - Wheeler Springs, 3,820,590N, 

291.140E. 157 - Calabasas, 3,789,520N, 347,400E. OM-630 - Oat 

Mountain, 3,792,380N, 351,300E. SS-413 - Santa Susana, 

3,792,580N, 346.000E. TG-419 - Topanga Canyon, 3,770,990N, 

360.550E. TG-370 - Topanga, 3,770,160N, 361.200E. TP-394 - 

Topanga, 3,769,690N, 360,660E. TG-377, Topanga, 3,769,630N, 

358.850E. TG-515 - Topanga, 3.767.510N, 355,560E. HW-552 - 

Hollywood, 3,775,620N, 375,260E. WM-450 - Warm Springs 

Mountain, 3,831,700N, 351.470E. CJ-498 - Cajon, 4,792,760N, 

458.120E.

Table 3. MP-251 - McCoy Peak, 3,725,570N, 698.590E. MP253 - McCoy Peak, 3,725,480N, 701.110E. MC-225 - McCoy Peak, 

3,723,850N, 704,810E. RO-231 - Roosevelt Mine, 3,721,340N, 

707,410E. CU-234 - Cunningham Mtn., 3,714,SOON, 

751,420E. MS-249 - McCoy Spring, 3,735,970N, 694.670E. MS250 - McCoy Spring, 3,735,750N, 694.820E. MS-229 - McCoy 

Springs, 3,731,360N, 696,220E. MS-252 - McCoy Spring, 

3.731.900N, 696.530E. AR-247 - Arlington Mine, 3,737,390N, 

693.790E. AR-248 - Arlington Mine, 3,736,900N, 693,950E. CX226 - Coxcomb Mountains 15', 3,744,300N, 659.980E. AM-154 Arlington Mine, 3,738,410N, 694,280E, stream boulder. AR-246 - Arlington Mine, 3.738.090N, 694,200E. AM-155 - Arlington Mine, 

3,738,OOON, 694.140E. VK-236 - Vicksburg 15', 3.722.120N, 

225.150E. UT-239 - Utting 15', 3,743,200N, 245.350E. PM-227 - 

Palen Mtns. 15', 3,744,400N, 679,530E. QZ-235 - Quartzite 15', 

3,713,400N, 768.510E. AR-230 - Arlington Mine, 3,739,740N, 

694.340E. HO-238 - Hope 15', 3,730,890N, 253.970E. HO-237 - 

Hope 15', 3.720.000N, 255.380E. PS-240 - Picacho SW, 

3.654.140N, 721.560E. PS-242 - Picacho SW, 3,660,720N, 

710.620E. PS-241 - Picacho SW, 3,654,820N, 721,270E.

Table 4. SP-339 - Stewarts Point, 4,276,830N, 465,670E. SP342 - Stewarts Point, 4,276,320N, 466.300E. SP-340 - Stewarts 

Point, 4.276.290N, 466.050E. SP-341 - Stewarts Point, 

4,276,140N, 466,160E. BW-89-1 - Point Reyes 19' X 15', 

4.205.350N, 499.150E. BW-90-2 - Point Reyes 19' X 

15',4,205,250N, 498.900E. BW-91-1 - Point Reyes 19' X 15', 

4,205,150N, 500.850E. MM-497 - Montera Mountain, 4,161,170N, 

542.950E. BW-84-1A - Montera Mountain, 4,160,600N,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION. LOCATIONS OF SAMPLED CONGLOMERATES IN TABLES 1-8 51

543,110E. BP-73-1D - Montera Mountain, 4,159,TOON, 

543,600E. BW-149-1 - Monterey, 4.047.070N, 593.950E. BW-148- 

2 - Monterey, 4,046,980N, 594.490E. BW-135-2 - Monterey, 

4,042,150N, 595.370E. BW-134-1 - Monterey, 4,041,720N, 

593,770E. BW-133-2 - Monterey, 4,041,090N, 594.780E. BW-133- 

1 - Monterey, 4,040,930N, 594,860E. BW-147-1 - Monterey, 

4,040,530N, 595.090E. TS-457 - Tassajara Hot Springs, 

4,008,990N, 634.790E. JS-473 - Junipero Serra, 4,009,150N, 

635.150E. AD- 562 - Adelaida, 3,949,750N, 694.710E. AD-594 - 

Adelaida, 3.949.670N, 696.390E. AD-634 - Adelaida, 3,951,580N, 

699,550E. CU-520 - Cuyama, 3,871,280N, 269.270E. CU-519 - 

Cuyama, 3,870,840N, 270.090E. CU-560 - Cuyama, 3,871,690N, 

271.420E.

Table 5. AS-621 - Antioch South, 4,199,110N, 602,140E. ET417 - El Toro, 3,734,050N, 349.850E. ET-418 - El Toro, 

3,729,390N, 441.090E. BS-416 - Black Star Canyon, 3.747.090N, 

436.060E. BJ-577 - On road that runs southwest from Colonet to 

fish camp at Cabo Colonet, 4.6 miles from route 1. BJ-576 - Sea 

cliffs just west of fish camp at Cabo Colonet. B J-575 - Route 1, 6.3 

miles by road north of center of El Rosario. SS-415 - Santa Susana, 3,795,500N, 347.300E. CB-536 - Calabasas, 3,788,810N, 

340,960E. SS-620 - Santa Susana, 3,792,650N, 345.790E. SS414 - Santa Susana, 3,794,290N, 346.180E. CB-537 - Calabasas, 

3,789,070N, 340.510E. PD-550 - Point Dume, 3,770,660N, 

337,650E. HW-551 - HoUywood, 3.775.650N, 375,340E. MB-396 - 

Malibu Beach, 3.769.200N, 347.680E. TG-516 - Topanga, 

3,771,060N, 353.590E. TP-395 - Topanga, 3,770,520N, 

353.660E. TP-378 - Topanga, 3,769,190N, 356.700E. BH-554 - 

Beverly Hills, 3,776,410N, 372.530E. HW-553 - Hollywood, 

3,775,770N, 375.370E. SU-555 - Sunland, 3,799,890N, 

376.620E. BW-75-1A - Tehachapi, 3,887,620N, 379.060E. TC-614

- Tehachapi NE, 3,887,780N, 379,260E. TC-615 - Tehachapi NE, 

3,890,140N, 381.800E. SD-617 - Saltdale NW, 3,917,080N, 

416,190E. SD-618 - Saltdale NW, 3.917.760N, 416.780E. SW-619

- Saltdale NE, 3,920,690N, 419.490E. GK- 616 - Garlock, 

3,923,380N, 425.110E. BW-104-2 - Garlock, 3,925,OOON, 

429.310E. BW-105-1 - Garlock, 3,925,310N, 429,200E. BX-136-1

- Garlock, 3,927,190N, 427,110E. BX-136-2 - Garlock, 3,927,490N, 

427.000E. BX-136-3 - Garlock, 3,927,850N, 427.000E. BX-136-4 - 

Inyokern SE, 3,928,700N, 428.120E. BX-136-6 - 3,929,780N, 

428.110E. BX-136-5 - Inyokern SE, 3,930,160N, 427.980E. BX137-1 - Inyokern SE, 3,932,OOON, 426.920E. BX- 137-2 - Inyokern 

SE, 3,930,850N, 428.080E. BX-137-3 - Inyokern SE, 3,932,810N, 

423.800E. BX-137-4 - Inyokern SE, 3,933,430N, 423.620E. WP464 - Whitaker Peak, 3,831,940N, 350.680E. WM-465 - Warm 

Springs Mountain, 3.831.670N, 352,890E. WM-449 - Warm 

Springs Mountain, 3,830,590N, 353.490E. WM-451 - Warm 

Springs Mountain, 3,827r270N, 357.430E. WM-448 - Warm 

Springs Mountain, 3,826,050N, 357.220E. GV-469 - Green Valley, 

3,827,830N, 366.570E. GV-468 - Green Valley, 3,827,220N, 

366.230E. VY-557 - Valyermo, 3,808,830N, 422.990E. VY-556 - 

Valyermo, 3,808,810N, 423.030E. VY-470 - Valyermo, 3,808,580N, 

422.980E.

Table 6. PL-407 - Plantation, 4,270,160N, 470.820E. PL-495 - 

Plantation, 4,268,620N, 471.340E. PL-408 - Plantation, 

4,267,350N, 473.580E. PL-409 - Plantation, 4,266,330N,

474.190E. BP-80-1 - Big Basin, 4,110,730N, 572,230E. BP-78-1D

- Big Basin, 4,110,810N, 571,950E. FP-460 - Franklin Point, 

4,111,670N, 566,580E. CR-488 - Castle Rock Ridge, 4,109,290N, 

578.160E. FE-436 - Felton, 4,105,410N, 588.390E. JS-458 - Junipero Serra Peak, 4,000,OOON, 636.580E. CP-459 - Cone Peak, 

3.998.590N, 637.720E. CP-433 - Cone Peak, 3,998,210N, 

637.950E. LM-522 - Los Machos Hills, 3.892.230N, 

756,700E. MP-561 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,890,250N, 

764,300E. MP-529 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,888,560N, 

768,090E. MP-527 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,885,600N, 

767.850E. MP-526 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,884,390N, 

768.610E. MP-525 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,880,550N, 

770.580E. MD-602 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,880,090N, 

770.030E. MD-603 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,879,360N, 

769,160E. MD-596 - Madulce Peak, 3,843,340N, 259,680E. MD595 - Madulce Peak, 3,843,360N, 259.800E. LV-504 - Lockwood 

Valley, 3,836,240N, 310.820E. LV-505 - Lockwood Valley, 

3,836,280N, 310,710E. LV- 507 - Lockwood Valley, 3,834,850N, 

309.570E. LV-506 - Lockwood Valley, 3,835,100N, 309,270E. LV508 - Lockwood Valley, 3.838.610N, 306,170E. LV- 509 - Lockwood 

Valley, 3,839,060N, 306.050E.

Table 7. ID-476 - Idria, 4.033.500N, 709.020E. ID-475 - Idria, 

4,033,170N, 709.220E. CL-622 - Clayton, 4,200,350N, 

597.370E. PN-478 - Panoche, 4.044.040N, 694.070E. ID-477 - Idria, 4,035,320N, 709.780E. GZ-479 - Gonzales 15', 4,066,710N, 

656,140E. TD-437 - The Dark Hole, 3,983,290N, 747.490E. SR444 - Sawtooth Ridge, 3,955,900N, 768,660E. PW-445 Packwood 

Creek, 3,937,690N, 768,240E. SP-467 - Shale Point, 3,933,400N, 

228,970E. CR-466 - Carneros Rocks, 3,920,020N, 241.600E. BS565 - Black Star Canyon, 3.748.060N, 435.700E. BS-566 - Black 

Star Canyon, 3,748,050N, 435.580E. DM-530 - Del Mar, 

3,637,560N, 476.730E. LJ-531 - La Jolla, 3,636,480N, 

476.350E. LM-533 - La Mesa, 3,629,710N, 489.080E. LM-591 - 

La Mesa, 3,626,300N,493,810E. LM-532 - La Mesa, 3,625,870N, 

495,880E. VR-534 - San Vicente Reservoir, 3,641,160N, 

505,520E. VR-535 - 3,646,750N, 508.590E. BJ-582 - Route 3, 2.7 

miles by road north of El Testerazo. BJ-581 - Route 3,1.8 miles by 

road north of El Testerazo. JC-584 - Jacumba, 3,610,930N, 

575.450E. BJ-583 - Route 2, west of La Rumorosa, 1.5 miles by 

road east of El Condor. LC-623 - Lake Cachuma, 3,823,510N, 

232,970E. LC-624 - Lake Cachuma, 3,823,510N, 233,190E. SY538 - Santa Ynez, 3,830,210N, 773.940E. SS-549 - Santa Susana, 

3,797,630N, 344.290E. SF-631 - San Fernando, 3,801,930N, 

362.800E. ST-446 - Santiago Creek, 3,867,110N, 290.510E. RC500 - Red Canyon, 3,720,690N, 621.180E. RC-499 - Red Canyon, 

3,720,190N, 621,830E. RC-502 - Red Canyon, 3,719,860N, 

620,690E. RC-501 - Red Canyon, 3,719,830N, 620.800E. RC-503

- Red Canyon, 3.718.840N, 621.200E.

Table 8. PZ-539 - Pozo Summit, 3,905,200N, 746.690E. SL543 - Santa Margarita Lake, 3,907,2ION, 736.290E. SL-542 - Santa Margarita Lake, 3,906,280N, 736.160E. SL-541 - Santa Margarita Lake, 3,905,690N, 736.080E. SL-540 - Santa Margarita Lake, 

3,905,390N, 735.760E. LM-523 - Los Machos Hills, 3,892,870N, 

756.690E. MP-524 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,888,290N, 

763.870E. MP-528 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,887,470N, 766,730E. 

MD-604 - Miranda Pine Mtn., 3,884,610N, 766.300E.

FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10
54 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

UPPER CRETACEOUS 

Salinian, Nacimiento, and 

Golden Gate-Gilroy blocks

Big Sur (1)

Gualala, Stewarts Point (5)

San Rafael Mountains (1)

El Piojo Fm. (12) Ns^

San Rafael Mtns.

La Panza Range, SE (1)

Gualala, Anchor Bay (3)

Big Sur (1)

Stanley Mountain (3)

La Panza Range (6)

Steve Creek Fm. 

and Shut-in Fm. (15)

Golden Gate-Gilroy block (3) 

Pigeon Pt. Fm. (4) 

Atascadero Fm. (1)

FIGURE 6. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard deviation 

of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites (61 conglomerates) from the Salinian, Nacimiento, and 

Golden Gate-Gilroy blocks. See table 1 for pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, 

G = granitic rocks.
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10

TABLE 1. Pebble counts, in percent, of Upper Cretaceous conglomerates of the Salinian, Nacimiento, and Golden Gate-Gilroy blocks

[C=chert, G=granitic rocks. l=igneous rocks, Q=quartz sandstone, V=volcanic rocks, -=not present].

55

Area G u a I a I a

Unit -----------

Locality --------.

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Diabase1 

Granitic rocks 

Dbrite and gabbro1 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Urft- ......-.--.

Locality ---------

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

SP- 

 - 405

Strata of

SP- SP462 406

0.3 0.6 0.8 

2.1 3.5 3.6 

29.2 19.6 13.1 

3.8 4.1 2.8 

.3 .3 

52.2 61.5 62.5 

.3 1.9

10.6 8.5 10.6

1.5 1.6 4.7 

100.0 100.0 100.0 

339 317 360 

32 21 15 

68 78 84 

0 1 1

32 22 15 

57 69 73 

11 9 12 

Campanian

F

PG- 

- 344

Stewarts Point

SP- SP343 496Mean Std. 

of 5 dev.

0.8 0.8 0.7 0.2 

4.5 4.9 3.7 1.1 

6.1 10.0 15.6 9.1 

10.0 1.1 4.4 3.4 

.5 .5 .3 .2 

63.7 67.5 61.5 5.7 

4.2 - 1.3 1.8

7.4 12.7 10.0 2.1

2.9 2.4 2.6 1.3 

100.1 99.9 100.1 

360 369 353 

7 11 17 10 

92 88 82 9 

1110

7 11 17 10 

84 75 72 10 

9 14 11 2 

to Maestrichtian

Pigeon Point

Mgeon Point Formation

PG- PG345 346

1.7 2.0 

0.3 1.1 

2.2 .3 .9 

.3 2.0 2.3 

.3 

80.7 80.7 81.0 

.6 2.1 .9 

15.5 11.0 11.6 

.3 .3 1.4 

100.2 99.9 100.1 

362 353 352 

2 0 1 

98 96 97 

022

2 0 1 

82 88 87 

16 12 12 

Campanian to

BP3.0

91.7 

.8 

4.3 

.3 

100.1 

372 

3 

97 

0

3 

93 

4

BP- BP430 402

0.3 

0.8 0.3 

3.1 3.5 

1.7 .5

87.9 84.8 

.8 

6.2 8.9 

.3 .8 

100.0 99.9 

354 369 

3 4 

97 96 

0 0

3 4 

91 87 

6 9

PG- Mean 

347 of 4

Std. 

dev.

2.4 1.5 1.1 

.2 .4 .5 

2.4 1.5 1.0 

1.9 1.6 .9 

.2 .1 .1 

80.2 80.7 .3 

3.1 1.7 1.1 

6.7 11.7 2.8 

.7 .7 .5 

99.8 99.9 

414 370 

3 2 1 

95 97 1 

2 1 1

3 2 1 

88 86 3 

9 12 3 

Maestricht ian

Centra

BY- BY2382 2386

0.3 

3.6 0.6 

.3 

.3 

85.8 93.2 

2.5 1.1 

7.2 4.5 

.3 .3 

100.0 100.0 

359 353 

4 1 

96 99 

0 0

4 1 

89 95 

7 4

I Santa L

Shut-in

BY- BY2852 2653

Strata of Anchor Bay

GU461

0.6 

1.7

44.9 

11.4 

10.0 

20.2 

1.4 

10.0 

100.2 

361 

1 

99 

0

1 

75 

24

Big Sur coast

Unnamed strata

PS- PT399 400

0.5 4.7 

.3 5.0 

3.8 3.4 

.6 

.5 .3 

82.0 13.4 

.3 

12.5 39.9 

.3 32.4 

99.9 100.0 

367 321 

4 6 

96 67 

0 7

4 6 

83 24 

13 70 

Late Cret.

ucia Range

Formation

BY- PS2366 2848

0.6 0.5 

0.3 0.3 - 0.3 

.8 4.6 1.6 4.2 

.3 1.6 .3 

.3 

85.7 84.8 86.9 86.0 

.8 .3 1.1 .3 

6.7 7.1 9.5 8.7 

.8 .5 .5 .6 

100.0 100.0 99.9 100.1 

357 368 367 358 

5524 

94 95 98 96 

1000

5524 

88 68 89 97 

7799 

Late Maestrichtian

GU412

SP- Mean 

411 of3

Std. 

dev.

0.3 0.1 0.2 

0.3 2.4 .9 1.3 

.3 5.0 2.0 2.6 

.9 3.2 1.9 1.2

34.7 43.5 41.0 5.5 

16.9 18.3 15.5 3.6 

10.8 9.8 10.2 .5 

18.4 12.2 16.9 4.2 

13.4 1.9 5.6 6.8 

4.4 3.4 5.9 3.6 

100.1 100.0 100.0 

343 377 360 

0623 

100 94 98 3 

0000

0623 

66 79 73 7 

34 15 25 10 

Campanian to Maestrichtian

Central

Steve

BP- PS508 2427

Santa Lucia Range

Creek Formation

PS2430

2.2 - 0.3 

.6 0.5 2.7 

1.0 .3 6.6 

4.5 1.6 3.9 

1.9 

82.2 79.8 61.3 

1.6 4.9 16.0 

2.9 12.0 8.5 

3.2 .8 .6 

100.1 99.9 99.9 

314 367 331 

1 0 7 

97 100 93 

200

1 0 7 

96 88 84 

3 12 9 

Campanian to

--con

PS2850

2.9 

2.6

.3

86.1

7.5 

.6 

100.0 

345 

3 

97 

0

3 

89 

8

PS- PS2372 2767

0.3 

0.3 

1.2 2.5 

.6

89.3 89.9 

1.2 .6 

5.5 6.3 

2.0 .3 

100.1 100.1 

345 365 

1 2 

99 96 

0 0

1 3 

93 91 

6 6

Mean 

of 12

0.1 

.5 

2.9 

.5 

.0 

87.7 

.6 

6.9 

.6 

100.0 

359 

3 

97 

0

3 

90

7

Y158

Mean 

of 4

Std. 

dev.

4.8 1.8 2.2 

2.4 1.6 1.2 

.9 2.9 2.9 

6.0 4.0 1.8 

.3 .6 .9 

78.0 75.3 9.5 

2.4 6.2 6.7 

2.4 6.4 4.6 

1.2 1.4 

100.2 100.0 

336 337 

433 

91 95 4 

522

433 

93 90 5 

374 

Maestrichtian

Std. 

dev.

0.2 

.8 

1.3 

.6 

.1 

2.8 

.7 

1.6 

.5

1 

2 

0

1 

3 

2
56 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

TABLE 1. Pebble counts, in percent, of Upper Cretaceous conglomerates of the Salinian, Nacimiento, and Golden

Gate-Gilroy blocks Continued

Unit -----------

Chert 

Mud stone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanics 

Other volcanics 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Unit -----------

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Unit ------------

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

/^__

Steve 

- - &Shut

Mean

itral Santa Lucia Ft.- - con.

> Creek 

-in Fms.

Std. 

dev.

0.6 1.3 

.7 1.0 

2.9 1.7 

1.3 1.7 

.2 .5 

84.6 7.4 

2.2 3.9 

6.6 2.5 

.7 .8 

100.0 

354 

3 2 

96 2 

1 1

3 2

90 3 

7 3 

Camp, to Maest.

AP0.8 

4.2 

.8 

2.0 

72.5

18.0 

1.7 

100.0 

356 

4 

96 

0

4 

77 

19

 - West

SL- 

- 472

1

63 

4 

1 

23

8

100 

100 

66 

33

1

67 

24 

9

Atascadero 

Formation

Y160

69.6 

14.6 

14.6 

1.3 

100.1 

316 

0 

100 

0

0 

65 

15 

Campanian

Central Santa Lucia Ra n g e - - c o n .

El Piojo Formation

JO- BP403 401

0.3 0.3 

4.7 8.0 

1.4 

2.2 5.5 

64.8 68.2

27.7 1 4.6 

.3 1.9 

100.0 99.9 

361 362 

5 9 

95 91 

0 0

5 9 

67 75 

28 16

PSI1104

1.4

9.9 

.3 

2.0 

53.7 

.3 

27.9 

4.4 

99.9 

294 

11 

88 

1

11 

59 

30

PS2765

0.3 

0.6 

9.6 

.6 

2.0 

39.7 

.3 

43.4 

3.4 

100.1 

355 

10 

90 

0

10 

43 

47

La P a n z a

East

Unnamed strata

PZ440PZ443

0.3 

2.7 

36.8 59.9 

35.6 20.9 

1.8 .9 

2.9 3.2

20.6 9.4 

2.4 2.7 

100.1 100.0 

340 339 

61 82 

39 17 

0 1

61 83 

5 4 

34 13 

Campanian

PZ441

PS2766

0.8

11.2 

.6

54.8 

.5 

27.8 

4.0 

99.9 

374 

12 

88 

0

12 

59 

29 

Late

Range

, basal

Mean 

of 3

LM510LM511

LM- TR- TR- AD- Mean 

512 514 513 593 of 12

0.2 

0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 - .5 

6.9 7.2 8.2 9.3 5.2 8.8 7.8 

.3 .6 .5 .3 1.4 2.1 .8 

3.7 1.4 1.9 1.5 2.6 2.1 2.3 

62.5 74.3 72.2 79.9 80.2 74.0 66.4 

.6 - - - - .3 .2 

25.2 15.2 15.5 7.4 9.6 12.4 20.4 

.9 .6 .8 .6 .3 .3 1.6 

100.1 100.1 99.9 99.9 100.1 100.0 100.1 

349 362 367 323 363 339 350 

7 7 9 10 6 9 8 

93 93 91 90 94 91 92 

0000000

7799698 

66 77 75 83 84 78 70 

27 16 16 8 10 13 22 

Maestrichtian

part

Std. 

dev.

0.1 0.2 

1.1 1.3 1.4 

62.9 59.9 23.0 

3.5 2.02 16.1 

2.7 1.8 .9 

1.9 2.7 .7

7.3 12.4 7.1 

.5 1.9 1.2 

99.9 100.1 

369 349 

90 78 15 

10 22 15 

0 0 1

90 78 15 

242 

8 18 14 

to Maastricht ian

Southeast

CR558

61.3 

4.6 

3.4 

12.7

15.8 

2.0 

100.0 

354 

68 

32 

0

68 

14 

18

Std. 

dev.

0.4 

.3 

2.2 

.6 

1.3 

12.0 

.2 

10.2 

1.5

2 

3 

0

2 

12 

11
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10 57

TABLE 1. Pebble counts, in percent, of Upper Cretaceous conglomerates of the Salinian, Nacimiento, and Golden

Gate-Gilroy blocks Continued

Araa

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

PZA A*}

10.7 

1.6 

1.4 

78.6

7.7

100.0 

365 

11 

89 

0

11 

81 

8

Q t a

LMCO1

0.3 

5.0 

15.2 

6.6

64.8 

.3 

7.2 

.6 

100.0 

361 

18 

82 

0

18 

74 

8 

?

LP3.1 

2.2 

2.8 

5.8 

.8 

79.7 

1.1 

3.3 

1.1 

99.9 

359 

3 

94 

3

3 

93 

4

La Panza flange--con.

North Southeast

Unnamed strata, above basal part

LM456

SL- SL455 454

0.6 1.1 0.8 

3.9 9.5 7.2 

.3 .3 1.1 

1.8 .3 

83.4 77.4 85.6

10.1 10.1 4.4 

1.4 .8 

100.1 100.1 99.9 

337 358 362 

4 10 7 

96 90 93 

000

4 10 7 

86 80 88 

10 10 5 

Campanian to

i n 1 e y

SL453

0.3 

6.1 

1.7 

1.7 

81.1

8.4 

.8 

100.1 

359 

6 

94 

0

6 

85 

9 

Maest

SL- Mean 

471 0(6

0.8 0.6 

7.3 7.5 

1.3 1.0 

1.9 1.2 

79.0 80.8

8.4 8.2 

1.3 .7 

100.0 100.0 

371 359 

8 8 

92 92 

0 0

8 8 

83 84 

9 8

r i c h t i a n

Mountain area

Unnamed strata

CC606

0.6 

3.2 

14.6 

2.3

69.6 

1.1 

7.7 

.9 

100.0 

349 

15 

84 

1

16 

76 

8 

?

BC- Mean 

592 of 3

0.3 0.4 

3.4 3.9 

16.3 15.4 

4.5 4.5

57.9 64.1 

4.5 2.0 

10.1 8.3 

3.1 1.5 

100.1 100.1 

356 355 

18 17 

82 83 

0 0

18 17 

70 74 

12 9 

Camp, to 

Maest.

Golden Gate-G

Std. 

dev.

0.2 

1.0 

.9 

2.1

5.9 

2.2

1.5 

1.4

2

1 

1

1 

3 

2

BP599

Std. 

dev.

0.4 

2.4 

.6 

.6 

3.1

2.1 

.6

3 

3 

0

3 

3 

2

San Ra t ae I

Unnamed

BP597

0.3 

.5 

5.5 7.6 

.5 .9 

3.0 

78.7 50.0 

.5 

13.9 36.4 

2.1 

99.9 100.0 

366 330 

6 8 

94 92 

0 0

6 8 

80 53 

14 39 

Campanian to

CR559

0.3

5.7 

1.4 

1.1 

64.5

25.9 

1.1 

100.0 

352 

6 

94 

0

6 

67 

27 

?

Mountains

strata

BP- Mean 

598 of 2

Std. 

dev.

2.3 1.1 1.6 

2.0 4.8 4.0 

1.4 1.2 .4 

.9 1.9 1.5 

29.3 39.7 14.6 

2.0 1.0 1.4 

59.8 48.1 16.5 

2.3 2.2 .2 

100.0 100.0 

348 339 

254 

98 95 4 

000

254 

34 43 13 

64 52 18 

Maestrichtian

i I r o y block

Unnamed strata

131

Mean 

132 of 3

0.4 - 1.2 

7.2 4.1 4.5 

3.2 2.3 2.8 

3.6 3.3 4.2 

.8 - .5 

71.3 60.4 70.5 

10.4 26.0 12.5 

2.8 3.3 3.1 

.4 .5 .7 

100.1 99.9 100.0 

251 389 333 

433 

96 97 96 

0 0 1

423 

93 94 93 

344 

Campanian

Std. 

dev.

1.7 

2.5 

.5 

1.4 

.5 

9.7 

12.6 

.3 

.4

1 

2 

2

1 

1 

1

WO268

2.5

39.5 

39.9 

13.4 

4.7 

100.0 

276 

0 

100 

0

0 

86

14 

?

1 Except where listed separately, diabase, diorite, and gabbro, usually scarse or absent, are included with other volcanic rocks 

(diabase) or with granitic rocks (diorite and gabbro).

2 Most other sandstone in these samples is feldspathic but quartz-rich, gradational in composition, and similar in texture to quartz 

sandstone in the same samples.
58 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

UPPER CRETACEOUS 

Diablo and Transverse Ranges

Santa Barbara (2)

Cajon Pass (1) 

Wheeler Gorge (2)

Liebre Mln., basal (1)

FIGURE 7. QIC diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard 

deviation of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites (21 conglomerates) from the Diablo and 

Transverse Ranges. See table 2 for pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, I = volcanic and 

granitic rocks, C = chert.

UPPER CRETACEOUS 

Diablo and Transverse Ranges

Santa Monica 

Mountains (6)

FIGURE 8. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields 

at one standard deviation of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites (21 conglomerates) from the Diablo and Transverse Ranges. See table 2 for pebble 

counts. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and it) 59

UPPER CRETACEOUS 

Peninsular Ranges

N. Santa Ana Mtns., 

Holz Shale Mbr. 

(of Ladd Fm.) 

(2)

Baja California, 

N. of Ensenada

Baja California, 

Cabo Vizoaino (1)

Baja California, 

Punta Baja (3)\

Punta Camalu (2)

San Diego (3)

N. Santa Ana Mtns., 

Sohulz Ranoh Sandstone Mbr. 

(of Williams Fm.) (2)

Baja California, P. Banda 

and P. Santo Tomas (4)

FIGURE 9. QIC diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard deviation 

of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites (23 conglomerates) from the Peninsular Ranges. See table 

2 for pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, I = volcanic and granitic rocks, C = chert.

UPPER CRETACEOUS 

Peninsular Ranges

N. Santa Ana Mtns.,

Holz Shale Mbr.

(of Ladd Fm.)

(2)

Baja California, 

N. of Ensenada (6)

Baja California, 

Cabo Vizcaino (1)

Baja California, P. Banda 

and P. Santo Tomas (4)

Baja California, 

Punta Baja (3)

N. Santa Ana Mtns., 

Schulz Ranch Sandstone Mbr. 

(of Williams Fm.) (2)

Baja California, 

Punta Camalu (2)

FIGURE 10. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard deviation of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites (23 conglomerates) from the Peninsular Ranges. 

See table 2 for pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
60 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

TABLE 2. Pebble counts, in percent, of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate of the Diablo Range and southern and Bqja

California

[C=chert, G=granitic rocks, l=volcanic and granitic rocks, Q=quartz sandstone, V=volcanic rocks, -=not present].

Q in 

Unit ...........

Locality .........

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Fefeic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Limestone 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Unit ...........

Locality no.

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Fefeic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Q__t-__

Unit

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Fefeic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

u r e a t valley se

BW- VO- OP- LS- GP4 oa o f*0£ AQO CA'3 A*iQ

ge

q u e n c e

TH- Mean Std. 

439 of 6 dev.

10.9 18.7 11.7 0.5 9.1 37.4 16.2 10.9 

.4 1.4 63 3.0 1.0 2.0 6.4 13.0 

5.8 6. 5.3 3.9 10.8 8.1 6.8 2.4 

.9 1.6 .6 15.4 3.0 2.0 4.4 5.5 

6.6 10.5 9.4 - 1.0 1.2 4.8 4.6 

63.2 46.3 56.4 29.1 60.9 44.9 50.1 12.7 

.5 1.7 - .7 .6 .6 .6 

8.4 7.2 7.5 2.8 2.4 1.2 4.9 3.1 

2.6 1.1 5.0 9.4 2.0 3.3 3.4 

3.8 5.1 3.9 1.4 1.7 .6 2.6 1.7 

100.0 100.0 100.1 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 

797 428 360 358 297 345 431 

7869 13 992 

81 68 80 70 76 51 71 11 

12 24 14 21 11 40 20 11

7 10 7 11 14 15 11 3 

82 78 82 81 83 83 81 2 

11 12 11 8 3 2 8 4 

Maest. Maest. Maest. Maest. Camp. Camp, 

to to 

Maest. Maest.

Ladd Formation, 

 - - Holz Shale Mbr.

BS- Mean Std. 

159 600 of2 dev.

12.7 9.1 10.9 2.5 

11.2 13.4 12.3 1.6 

36.4 28.5 32.5 5.6 

21.8 22.3 22.0 .4 

.9 1.1 1.0 .1 

10.3 15.3 12.8 3.5

1.5 7.0 4.3 3.9 

5.2 3.2 4.2 1.4 

100.0 99.9 100.0 

330 372 351 

60 48 54 8 

19 37 28 13 

21 15 18 4

76 56 66 14 

21 30 26 6

3 14 8 8 

Santonian to Campanian

BJ- PT- PT- BJ- BJ567 628 627 568 569

Peninsular Ranges

na Mountains

Williams Formation, 

Schulz Ranch Sandstone Mbr.

BS- Mean Std. 

160 601 of 2 dev.

0.6 4.1 2.4 2.5 

5.2 5.1 5.1 .1 

7.4 16.2 11.8 6.2 

2.4 1.9 2.1 .4 

.3 1.4 .8 .8 

81.8 63.2 72.5 13.2 

.3 - .2 .2 

1.2 6.8 4.0 4.0 

.9 1.4 1.1 .4 

100.0 100.1 100.0 

330 370 350 

8 18 13 7 

91 77 84 10 

1533

8 19 13 8 

91 73 82 13 

1855 

Campanian

Peninsular Rangesof Ensenada

o Formations

BJ- Mean Std. 

570 of 6 dev.

13.6 27.0 7.6 4.2 8.9 6.7 11.3 8.3 

10.0 9.1 .3 9.3 3.0 4.5 7.7 4.5 

20.3 16.2 1.4 27.9 23.0 36.1 20.8 11.7 

3.5 2.0 .8 4.8 7.5 6.4 4.2 2.6 

.3 .3 - .3 .1 .2 

39.0 30.1 78.7 38.0 33.5 28.3 41.3 18.8 

6.2 3.1 3.6 .6 4.2 .3 3.0 2.2 

2.7 6.3 3.1 13.8 8.6 15.4 8.3 5.3 

4.6 6.3 4.2 1.1 1.4 2.0 3.3 1.1 

99.9 100.1 100.0 100.0 100.1 100.0 100.0 

369 352 357 355 361 357 358 

25 20 2 33 30 41 25 13 

58 48 90 62 59 51 61 15 

17 32 8 5 11 8 14 10

30 29 2 35 33 45 29 14 

66 60 95 48 54 36 60 20 

4 11 3 17 13 19 11 7 

Campanian to Ma es t r i c ht i a n

San Diego

Cabrillo Formation

PL- PL- Mean 

161 629 474 of 3

5.9 3.1 1.4 3.3 

5.4 3.1 9.3 5.9 

15.3 11.6 18.4 15.1 

.5 3.1 4.9 2.8 

.3 .1 

56.3 67.9 50.5 58.2 

9.0 2.0 1.4 4.1 

4.5 8.2 8.0 6.9 

3.2 .9 5.8 3.3 

100.1 99.9 100.0 99.9 

222 352 364 313 

17 13 23 18 

77 84 75 78 

6324

18 13 24 18 

77 78 66 74 

5 9 10 8 

Maestrichtian

-con.

Std. 

dev.

2.3 

3.1 

3.4 

2.2 

.2 

8.9 

4.2 

2.1 

2.4

5 

5 

2

6 

7 

3

Punta Banda and Punta Santo Tomas, B.C.

Rosario Formation

BJ- BJ- BJ- BJ- Mean 

571 578 579 580 of 4

Std. 

dev.

0.3 0.1 0.1 

0.3 3.6 1.0 1.8 

0.3 - 3.3 .9 1.6 

1.2 .3 .6

87.6 92.3 91.3 84.1 88.8 3.7 

4.3 1.1 2.5 2.1 2.5 1.3 

8.1 6.0 5.7 5.1 6.2 1.3 

.3 .3 .3 .2 .1 

100.0 100.0 100.1 100.0 100.0 

258 365 366 333 331 

000412 

100 100 100 96 99 2 

000000

00041 2 

92 94 94 91 93 1 

866561 

Campanian to Maestrichtian
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10 61

TABLE 2. Pebble counts, in percent, of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate of the Diablo Range and southern and Baja

California Continued

Locality ---------.

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

.

1 Ini*

Locality no.

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Unit -------...

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

D A

Af*

Peninsular Ranges--con.

ta Camalu, B.C.

sa r i o

CLU

Punta Baja,, B.C. Cabo Vizcaino, B.C.

Formation Punta Baja Formation Valle Fm.

Mean Std. BJof 2 dev. 573

4.1 13.1 8.6 6.4 29.2 

5.7 12.0 8.9 4.4 23.7 

2.7 5.0 3.8 1.6 5.6 

3.3 8.6 6.0 3.7 3.6 

.3 .1 .2 

77.3 49.6 63.5 19.6 25.9 

3.8 8.1 5.9 3.0 8.1 

1.6 2.5 2.1 .6 1.9 

1.1 1.1 1.1 .0 1.9 

99.9 100.0 100.0 99.9 

366 359 362 359 

3652 8 

92 77 84 11 51 

5 17 11 8 41

3864 13 

95 68 91 5 82 

2431 5 

Early Maestrichtian

S

- Ja

CP626

BJ572BJ574

Mean 

of 3

Std. 

dev.

33.1 32.6 31.6 2.1 

26.4 22.1 24.1 2.2 

7.6 11.6 8.3 3.1 

.6 3.7 2.6 1.8

23.3 22.4 23.9 1.8 

5.1 4.0 5.7 2.1 

2.0 1.4 1.8 .3 

2.0 2.3 2.1 .2 

100.1 100.1 100.1 

356 353 356 

11 16 12 4 

43 39 44 6 

46 45 44 3

20 29 21 8 

75 67 75 8 

5 4 4 18 

Early Campanian

Southwestern

162

14.6 

1.1 

12.1 

1.3 

.8 

61.5

6.7 

1.9 

100.0 

371 

13 

72 

15

15 

77 

8 

Camp.

Transverse Ranges

ianta Barbara Wheeler Gorge

lama Formation Jalamaf?)

CP625

Mean Std. WHo(2 dev. 517

WH518

Formation

Mean 

of2

Std. 

dev.

0.3 0.2 0.2 

0.9 0.4 0.6 1.0 1.8 1.4 .6 

26.3 40.6 33.5 10.1 9.5 37.0 23.2 19.4 

2.8 4.3 3.5 1.1 3.9 2.7 3.3 .8 

1.6 1.2 1.4 .3 

58.5 34.6 46.6 16.9 49.8 19.3 34.6 21.6 

.3 .6 .4 .2 .7 - .3 .5 

11.3 18.4 14.9 5.0 32.8 36.7 34.8 9.6 

.8 .6 .7 .1 .7 .9 .8 .1 

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 99.9 100.0 

354 347 351 305 332 319 

27 43 35 11 10 40 25 21 

73 57 65 11 90 60 75 21 

0000 0000

27 43 35 11 10 40 25 21 

61 37 49 17 55 21 38 24 

12 20 16 6 35 39 37 3 

Late Cretaceous Late Campanian to Maestrichtian

G A i

TG- 

- - 419

2.4 

2.1 

23.2 

4.2 

2.6 

53.0

8.4 

4.0 

99.9 

379 

27 

70 

3

27 

63 

10

Jthwestern Transverse Ranges-- con.

Simi Hills

Chatsworth Formation

157

4.5 

7.2 

27.8 

3.3

43.0 

3.3 

8.1 

3.0 

100.2 

335 

32 

63 

5

34 

56 

10

OM630

SS413

Mean 

of3

0.9 0.3 1 .9 

2.3 1.4 3.6 

49.9 37.8 38.4 

4.9 1.1 3.1 

.6 - .2 

14.9 10.6 22.8 

.6 - 1.1 

20.6 42.6 23.8 

6.2 6.2 5.1 

100.1 100.0 100.0 

349 357 347 

58 42 44 

41 58 54 

1 0 2

58 41 44 

18 12 29 

24 47 27 

Campanian to Maestrichtian

Std. 

dev.

2.3 

3.1 

11.1 

1.9 

.3 

17.6 

1.9 

17.5 

1.8

13 

12 

3

12 

24 

19

E. Transverse Ranges

Santa Monica Mountains

Tuna Canyon 

Tuna Canyon Fm., middle part Fm

TG370

TP- TG TG- HW394 377 515 552

Mean 

of 6

0.3 0.8 0.3 - 5.9 1.6 

.5 1.9 .8 0.3 7.0 2.1 

40.0 33.5 16.7 27.6 26.6 27.9 

1.4 5.8 3.9 1.8 .8 3.0 

1.1 1.9 1.6 2.4 .8 1.7 

47.0 52.5 69.8 61.5 33.3 52.9 

.3 ... .1 

5.7 3.0 5.5 5.6 16.9 7.5 

3.8 .5 1.6 .9 8.6 3.2 

100.1 99.9 100.0 100.1 99.9 100.0 

370 3S4 381 340 372 368 

43 37 18 29 32 31 

57 62 82 71 61 67 

010072

43 38 18 29 35 32 

51 59 76 65 43 59 

6 3 6 6 22 9 

Coniacian to Campanian

Std. 

dev.

2.3 

2.5 

8.1 

1.9 

.7 

12.5 

.1 

4.9 

3.0

9 

9 

3

9

11

7

Liebre Mtn. 

block

Cajon 

Pass

San Franctequito Fm.

WM450

12.4 

2.4 

25.6 

.3

59.1 

.3 

100.1 

340 

17 

83 

0

17 

0 

83 

Maest.

CJ498

27.7 

1.5 

2.6 

3.3 

.7 

63.1 

1.1 

100.0 

274 

29 

71 

0

29

4 

67 

Cret.(?)
62 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

JURASSIC(?) AND CRETACEOUS 

McCoy Mountains and 

Winterhaven Formations //\

Conglomerate 

mbr. (4)

Sandstone and 

siltstone mbrs. 

(5)

FIGURE 11. QIC diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at 

one standard deviation of JurassicC?) and Cretaceous conglomerate suites (25 

conglomerates) from the Winterhaven Formation and from informal members of 

the McCoy Mountains Formation of Harding and Coney (1985). See table 3 for 

pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, I = volcanic and granitic rocks, C = chert.

JURASSIC(?) AND CRETACEOUS 

McCoy Mountains and 

Winterhaven Formations

Mudstone mbr. (2)

Basal sandstone mbr. 1 (5)

Sandstone and 

siltstone mbrs. (5)

Winterhaven Fm.

FIGURE 12. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one 

standard deviation of Jurassic(?) and Cretaceous conglomerate suites (25 conglomerates) 

from the Winterhaven Formation and from informal members of the McCoy Mountains 

Formation of Harding and Coney (1985). See table 3 for pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10 63

TABLE 3. Pebble counts, in percent, from the McCoy Mountains and Winterhaven Formations

[C=chert, G=granitic rocks, l=voteanic and granitic rocks, Q=quartz sandstone, V=volcanic rocks, -= not present CX=Coxcomb Mountains; DR=Dome Rock 

Mountains; GW*Granite Wash Mountains; LH=Littte Harquahala Mountains; MoMcCoy Mountains; NW=New Water Mountains; PA=Palen Mountains; PC=Picacho 

area; SP=Southem Pomosa Mountains. *ln MP- 253,48 fragments of intraformational sandstone were excluded].

Cl ikl mH

Locaiy -----....

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Limestone 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Limestone 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanics 

Other volcanics 

Granitic rocks 

Limestone 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G

Q | 1 «

. - Mr

MPOC4

1.6

27.2 

.8 

1.9 

23.7

40.3

4.4 

99.9 

367 

29 

69 

2

30 

26 

44

. - Mr

AR23.6 

75.9

.5

-.3 

100.0 

406 

76 

0 

24

99 

1 

0

PM- 

- 227

92.6 

1.3

.6

1.0

1.9 

2.6 

100.0 

312 

1 

1 

98

57 

43 

0

McCoy Mountains Formation

stone and

Me

MP253

2.6

75.6 

2.6 

.3 

4.2

9.0 

4.8 

1.0 

100.1 

311 

83 

14 

3

85 

5 

10

Me

MC225

1.4

8.5 

1.7 

1.1 

55.8 

.3 

26.8

4.3 

99.9 

351 

9 

89 

1

9 

62 

29

sandstone members

Me

RO231

5.5

42.8 

3.2 

1.7 

23.6

16.1

7.2 

100.1 

348 

49 

45 

6

52 

29 

19

OR Me

CU- Mean Std. MS234 of 5 dev. 249

1.7 2.6 1.7 3.9 

.7 .1 .3 

7.7 32.4 28.2 77.4 

1.0 1.9 1.0 2.0 

.3 1.1 .8 

49.8 31.4 21.2 .3 

.1 .1 .3 

36.8 25.8 13.3 15.4 

1.0 2.1 

2.0 3.8 2.6 .7 

100.0 100.2 100.0 

299 335 305 

8 36 31 79 

90 61 32 17 

232 4

8 37 32 83 

53 35 23 1 

39 28 14 16

McCoy Mountains Formation--

jstone member

Me

AR248

58.3 

39.6

1.6 

.3

.1 

100.1 

384 

40 

2 

58

95

4 

1

Mean 

of 2

40.9 

57.8

1.1 

.1

.2 

100.0 

395 

58 

1 

41

97 

2 

1

McCoy

Std. 

dev.

24.5 

25.7

.8 

.2 

2.5

25 

1 

24

3 

2 

1

Conglomerate member

Me

MS250

0.8 

.3 

54.2 

3.0 

1.1 

.5

38.8

1.4 

100.1 

369 

57 

42 

1

58

1 

41

con.

Basal sandstone

CX Me Me Me

CX- AM- AR- AM226 154 246 155

6.8 26.8 17.4 28.0 

.3 - - - 

10.8 12.5 11.3 10.4 

.9 1.5 5.5 1.0 

.9 - .8 .5 

75.2 55.1 57.5 53.4 

1.9 - 

.3 .4 .3 .8 

.3 

3.7 7.2 6.0 2.1 

99.9 100.0 100.0 100.1 

323 463 362 386 

12 13 13 11 

81 59 67 59 

7 29 20 30

12 18 16 16 

87 81 83 83 

1111

NW

VK236

28.3

3.9 

.3 

.3 

63.3 

.6 

1.2

9.6 

100.0 

332 

4 

67 

29

6 

92 

2

Me

MS229

2.0

87.3 

.3 

.3 

.3

9.6

.3 

100.0 

354 

88 

10 

2

90 

0 

10

member

GW

UT239

11.7 

6.4 

13.8 

2.1 

1.1 

48.2 

3.2 

3.9

5.2 

100.0 

282 

17 

68 

15

20 

74 

6

Mountains Fo r ma t i o n - -c o n .

Basal sandstone member 1

SP

QZ235

87.9 

11.8

.3 

100.0 

338 

12 

0 

88

100 

0 

0

Mean 

o(2

90.3 

6.5

.3 

.5

1.0 

1.4 

100.0 

325

7 

0 

93

79 

21 

0

Std. 

dev.

3.3 

7.4

.4 

.7

1.3 

1.6

8 

1

7

30 

30 

0

Me LH LH

AR- HO- HO- Mean 

230 238 237 of 3

15.1 9.0 17.3 13.8 

.6 .2 

81.3 87.9 80.9 83.4 

2.4 .3 - .9 

.3 .3 1.5 .7 

.6 - .2

.3 2.0 .3 .9 

100.0 100.1 100.0 100.1 

332 354 341 342 

84 90 82 86 

0100 

16 9 18 14

100 99 100 100 

0100 

0000

Std. 

dev.

4.3 

.3 

3.9 

1.3 

.7 

.4

1.0

4

1 

5

1 

1 

0

Me

MS252

4.3

80.4 

.8 

.3 

1.6

11.8

.8 

100.0 

373 

82

14 

4

86 

2

12

2

Mean 

of 6

19.8 

1.1 

10.5 

1.9 

.6 

58.8 

.9 

1.2 

.0 

2.9 

100.0 

358 

11 

67 

22

15 

83 

2

Mean 

of 4

2.7 

.1 

74.8 

1.5 

.4 

.7 

.1 

18.9

.8 

100.0 

350 

76 

21 

3

79 

1 

20

Std. 

dev.

9.3 

2.6 

3.4 

2.6 

.4 

9.4 

1.3 

1.4 

.1

4 

8 

9

5 

6 

2

Std. 

dev.

1.6 

.1 

14.4 

1.2 

.5 

.6 

.1 

13.5

.5

14 

14 

1

14 

1 

14

Winterhaven Formation

Basal 

part

PC

PS240

5.9 

3.3 

5.6 

1.6

77.5 

.3

5.9 

100.1 

306 

6

87

7

7 

93 

0

Lower 

part

PC

PS242

16.9 

.4 

16.5 

.4 

.4 

52.3 

2.5

10.5 

99.9 

237 

19 

62 

19

23 

77 

0

Upper 

part

PC

PS- Mean 

241 of 3

38.5 20.4 

.5 1.4 

10.1 10.7 

.3 .8 

.3 .2 

41.5 57.1 

2.7 1.7 

.3 .2

5.7 7.4 

99.9 99.9 

366 303 

11 12 

48 65 

41 23

19 16 

80 84 

1 0

Std. 

dev.

16.6 

1.6 

5.5 

.7 

.2 

18.5 

1.5 

.2

2.7

7 

20 

17

8 

9

1
64 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

PALEOCENE 

Salinian block

Carmel (7)

FIGURE 13. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one 

standard deviation of Paleocene conglomerate suites (25 conglomerates) from the Salinian block. See table 4 for pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, 

G = granitic rocks.

PALEOCENE 

Outside Salinian block

N. Santa Ana Mountains, 

basal (2)

Santa Monica Mountains, 

basal part of Simi Cgl. (2)

Simi Hills, 

lower part of 

Simi Cgl. (3)

Simi Hills, 

upper part of 

Simi Cgl. (2)

Lower part of 

Coal Canyon Fm. (1)

Middle to upper part of Goler Fm. (1)

Santa Monioa Mtns., upper part of Simi Cgl. 

and Coal Canyon Fm. (6)

Diablo Range (1) 

Upper part of Goler Fm. (5) 

Lower part of Goler Fm. (1)

Baja California (3)

Middle part of Goler Fm. (7) 

N. Santa Ana Mtns., upper (1)

FIGURE 14. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard 

deviation of Paleocene conglomerate suites (51 conglomerates) from outside the Salinian block. 

See table 5 for pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10

TABLE 4. Pebble counts, in percent, ofPaleocene conglomerates from the Salinian block 

[C=chert, G=granitic rocks, l=volcanic and granitic rocks, Q=quartz sandstone, V=volcanic rocks, -=not present].

65

Unit .---------.

Stratigraphic position -

1 nralitu .........

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G

Unit -----------

Locality ---------

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G

Area ----------.

Unit ------------

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G

 Basal part

SP- 

- 339

0.6 

1.7 

9.4 

.6 

.8 

74.2 

.6 

11.7 

.6 

100.2 

360 

10 

89 

1

10 

78 

12

Point

MM- BW0.6 2.6 

9.5 5.7 

11.7 14.5 

.8 .9 

.6 5.4 

45.1 37.6

28.7 27.9 

3.1 5.4 

100.1 100.0 

359 351 

13 18 

86 79 

1 3

14 18 

53 47 

33 35

TS- JS0.8 

51.3 59.4 

.8 1.7 

2.9 1.9 

19.1 19.4

24.6 16.7 

.5 .8 

100.0 99.9 

382 360 

54 62 

46 38 

0 0

54 62 

20 20 

26 18

G u a I a I a

an Rancho Formation

Lower part

SP- SP342 340

3.5 2.7 

3.5 5.2 

16.0 8.7 

2.0 .5 

1.2 4.6 

37.2 41.8 

.6 

31.1 32.5 

4.9 3.8 

100.0 99.8 

344 366 

18 10 

78 87 

4 3

19 11 

44 50 

37 39

San Pedro

led strata

BP- Mean 

73-10 of 3

2.8 2.0 

5.7 7.0 

16.4 14.2 

.8 .8 

4.2 3.4 

45.0 42.6 

.6 .2 

20.4 25.7 

4.0 4.2 

99.9 100.1 

353 354 

19 17 

78 81 

3 2

20 17 

55 52 

25 31

S e c o

strata

Mean Std. 

of2 dev.

0.4 0.6 

55.4 5.7 

1.2 .6 

2.4 .7 

19.3 .2

20.7 5.6 

.6 .2 

100.0 

371 

58 6 

42 6 

0 0

58 6 

20 0 

22 6

SP341

3.6 

8.1 

12.4 

3.3 

3.3 

42.7

24.4 

2.3 

100.1 

307 

15 

81 

4

15 

54 

31

Mean 

of 3

3.3 

5.6 

12.4 

1.9 

3.0 

40.6 

.2 

29.3 

3.7 

100.0 

339 

14 

82 

4

15 

49 

36

Std. 

dev.

0.5 

2.3 

3.6 

1.4 

1.7 

2.9 

.3 

4.3 

1.3

4 

5

1

4 

5 

4

PolntReyes

Point Reyes Conglomerate

Near base

BW- BW89-1 90-2

2.0 0.5 

.6 .5 

9.6 8.9 

.6 .3 

5.6 2.2 

64.6 69.6 

.3 

14.9 17.1 

2.2 .5 

100.1 99.9 

356 369 

11 9 

87 90 

2 1

11 9 

72 73 

17 18

BW91-1

2.0 

1.1 

6.7

3.4 

74.5

11.2 

1.1 

100.0 

357

7 

91 

2

7 

81 

12

C a r m e 1

Mean 

of 3

1.5 

.7 

8.4 

.3 

3.7 

69.6 

.1 

14.4 

1.3 

100.0 

361 

9 

89 

2

9 

75

16

Std. 

dev.

0.9 

.3 

1.5 

.3 

1.7 

4.9 

.2 

3.0 

.9

2 

2

1

2 

5 

3

Carmelo Formation

Std. 

dev.

1.2 

2.2 

2.4 

.1 

2.5 

4.3 

.3 

4.6 

1.2

3 

4

1

3 

4 

5

BW- BW149-1 148-2

0.3 0.5 

.5 .8 

3.5 3.5 

.3 .3 

.3 .3 

84.0 72.9

10.7 20.5 

.5 1.3 

100.1 100.1 

375 376 

4 4 

96 96 

0 0

3 4 

86 75 

11 21

BW- BW135-2 134-1

0.5 0.5 

2.3 2.9 

3.4 3.9 

.3 1.1 

.5 .8 

82.7 79.3 

.3 

10.1 10.4 

.3 1.0 

100.1 100.2 

387 1151 

4 4 

96 95 

0 1

4 4 

86 85 

10 11

BW133-2

1.1 

3.5 

2.1 

.3 

.3 

88.0

4.5 

.3 

100.1 

376 

2 

97 

1

2 

93 

5

BW133-1

0.5 

.3 

4.1 

.3 

2.5 

82.5

9.3 

.5 

100.0 

366 

4 

95 

1

4 

86 

10

Central Santa Lucia Range

AD562

0.3 

.3 

18.5 

1.0 

1.0 

57.4

20.6 

1.0 

100.1 

394 

19 

81 

0

19 

60 

21

Unnamed s

AD- AD594 634

0.6 1.2 

22.1 11.9 

1.4 3.5 

1.4 

53.9 49.9 

1.2 

20.1 31.3 

.6 1.2 

100.1 100.2 

358 345 

23 13 

77 87 

0 0

23 13 

56 54 

21 33

t r a t a

Mean Std. 

of 3 dev.

0.1 0.2 

.7 .5 

17.5 5.2 

2.0 1.3 

.8 .7 

53.7 3.7 

.4 .7 

24.0 6.0 

.9 .3 

100.1 

366 

18 5 

82 5 

0 0

18 5 

57 3 

25 7

BW- Mean Std. 

147-1 of7 dev.

.08 0.6 

.5 1.5 

1.6 3.2 

.3 .4 

3.2 1.1 

89.0 82.6 

.5 .1 

3.8 9.9 

.3 .6 

100.0 100.0 

372 485 

2 3 

97 96 

1 1

2 3 

94 87 

4 10

Ca 1 i e n t e

0.3 

1.3 

.9 

.3 

1.2 

5.4 

.2 

5.5 

.4

1 

1 

1

1 

6 

5

Range

Pattiway Formation

CU520

14.2 

1.1 

1.1 

51.4 

1.1 

29.8 

1.1 

99.8 

352 

15 

85 

0

15 

54 

31

CD- CU519 560

0.3 0.3 

.3 .6 

11.7 13.0 

1.1 .3 

2.6 .8 

63.3 65.0 

2.8 .3 

17.7 19.2 

.3 .6 

100.0 100.1 

351 354 

12 13 

88 87 

0 0

12 13 

69 67 

19 20

Mean 

of 3

0.2 

.3 

13.0 

.8 

1.5 

59.9 

1.4 

22.2 

.7 

100.0 

352 

13 

87 

0

13 

64 

23

Std. 

dev.

0.2 

.3 

1.2 

.5 

1.0 

7.4 

1.3 

6.6 

.4

2 

2

0

2

8

7
66 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

TABLE 5. Pebble counts, in percent, ofPaleocene conglomerates outside the Salinian block 

[C=chert, G=granitic rocks, bvolcanic and granitic rocks, Q=quartzite, V=volcanic rocks, -=not present].

1 InH

Stratigraphic level - - -

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

Q

1 Inlt

Stratigraphic level

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G

Area

Stratigraphic level - - - 

Locality no.

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Feteic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G

Diablo Range

Maganos Fm.

AS621

41.8 

4.2 

19.8 

.8 

24.0 

7.0

2.5 

100.1 

359 

29 

10 

61

74 

26 

0

C i

ss-

- - 415

Peninsular Ranges

Northern Santa Ana Mountains

Silverado Formation

Basal part

ET- ET- Mean Std. 

417 418 of 2 dev.

16.3 29.4 22.9 9.3 

19.5 16.6 18.0 2.1 

44.4 33.4 38.9 7.8 

8.9 6.3 12.6 5.2 

4.1 .8 2.5 2.3 

.3 2.1 .2 1.2

.5 .2 .4 

6.5 .8 3.7 4.0 

100.0 99.9 100.0 

369 374 372 

73 51 62 16 

0423 

27 45 36 13

99 93 96 4 

1634 

0111

Southwestern

Simi Hills

C a b o El 

C o I o n e t Rosark)

Sepultura Formation

Upper part

BS416

0.3 

4.5 

.9 

.6 

69.9

23.0 

.9 

100.1 

352 

5 

95 

0

5 

72 

23

BJ577

BJ- BJ576 575

2.6 4.4 3.6 

2.0 .9 5.6 

3.4 3.9 2.2 

2.0 7.2 10.8

73.4 67.8 61.7 

10.3 7. 9.2 

3.4 2.2 4.7 

2.9 3.3 2.2 

100.0 99.9 100.0 

349 360 360 

453 

93 90 93 

354

453 

92 92 91 

436

Mean 

of3

3.5 

3.8 

3.2 

6.7

67.6 

8.9 

3.4 

2.8 

99.9 

356 

4 

92 

4

4 

92 

4

Std. 

dev.

0.9 

1.8 

.9 

4.4

5.9 

1.6 

1.2 

.6

1 

2 

1

1 

1 

2

Transverse Ranges

Santa Monica Mountains

mi Conglomerate Simi Conglomerate 

Lower part Upper part

CB536

0.8 0.6 

1.1 2.8 

57.8 49.6 

1.7 6.8

17.0 12.0 

.3 1.1 

19.3 22.2 

2.0 4.8 

100.0 99.9 

353 351 

61 58 

38 41 

1 1

62 59 

18 15 

20 26

SS- Mean Std. SS620 of 3 dev. 414

0.5 0.4 0.3 

1.3 1.4 

49.6 52.3 4.7 18.9 

.6 3.0 3.3 2.5 

.8 

21.1 16.7 4.6 56.9 

.6 .7 .4 

26.5 22.7 3.6 18.6 

1.7 2.8 1.7 2.0 

100.1 100.0 100.0 

355 353 355 

51 57 5 20 

49 43 6 80 

001 0

51 58 6 20 

22 18 4 60 

27 24 4 20

CB537

0.6

18.9 

2.9 

.9 

45.8

28.4 

2.6 

100.1 

349 

20 

79 

1

20 

49 

31

Southwestern Transverse Ranges--c

Coal 

Canyon Fm. 

Lower part

MB396

0.3

12.9 

2.9

53.4 

1.1 

28.9 

.5 

100.0 

380 

13 

87 

0

13 

57 

30

Santa Monica Mountains - -con.

Simi Conglomerate and 

Coal Canyon Formation 

All except lower part

TG- IP- TP- BH HW 

516 395 378 554 553

0.3

1.9 1.8 1.1 1.9 2.2 

.3 .3 1.1 1.0 

.3 .9 .6 - 1.9 

78.9 48.2 62.0 69.0 62.8 

3.3 .6 .3 - 

14.2 46.6 33.2 26.5 32.8 

1.1 1.5 1.4 1.3 .3 

100.0 99.9 100.0 100.0 100.0 

360 326 355 309 360 

22122 

98 98 99 98 98 

00000

22122 

84 50 65 71 64 

14 48 34 27 34

Gold Cr.

Unnamed 

strata

SU555

6 

3 

1

46

43 

1 

100 

100 

3 

97 

0

3 

50 

47

Mean 

of 2

0.4

18.9 

2.7 

.8 

51.4

23.5 

2.3 

100.0 

352 

20 

79 

1

20 

55 

25

on .

Mean 

of 6

0.1 

1.0 

2.0 

.6 

.6 

61.2 

.7 

32.7 

1.1 

100.0 

302 

2 

98 

0

2

64 

34

Std. 

dev.

0.2

.0 

.3 

.1 

7.8

6.9 

.4

0 

1 

1

0 

8 

8

Simi Conglomerate 

Basal part

PD550

0.9 

96.0

.3

2.0

.9 

100.1 

352 

97 

2 

1

98 

2

0

HW551

0.3 

85.1 

2.5 

.3 

6.1

5.2 

.6 

100.1 

363 

86 

12 

0

86 

6 

6

Mean 

of 2

0.4 

.2 

90.5 

1.3 

.3 

4.0

2.6 

.8 

100.1 

358 

93 

7 

0

93 

4 

3

Std. 

dev.

0.6 

.2 

7.7 

1.8 

.0 

2.9

3.7 

.2

6

7 

1

7 

3 

4

Southernmost Sierra Nevada

Std. 

dev.

0.1 

2.4 

.6 

.5 

.7 

12.5 

1.3 

11.7 

.4

1 

1 

0

1 

13 

13

BW75-1A

3.5 

2.1 

9.4 

.9 

.6 

47.6

33.5 

2.4 

100.0 

340 

10 

86 

4

10 

53 

37

Wit net

TC614

3.3 

1.9 

2.4 

.8 

1.7 

55.9 

1.9 

19.8 

2.2 

99.9 

363 

13 

83 

4

14 

64 

22

Formation

TC615

2.1 

2.1 

12.6 

1.6 

.8 

59.2 

.3 

19.6 

1.6 

99.9 

373 

14 

84 

2

14

65 

21

Mean 

of3

3.0 

2.0 

11.5 

1.1 

1.0 

54.2 

.7 

24.3 

2.1 

99.9 

359 

12 

85 

3

13 

60 

27

Std. 

dev.

0.8 

.1 

1.8 

.4 

.6 

6.0 

1.0 

8.0 

.4

2 

2 

1

2

7 

9
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10 67

TABLE 5. Pebble counts, in percent, ofPaleocene conglomerates outside the Salinian block Continued

Region --------

Unit .--..-..--

Stratigraphte level - -

Locally -------

Chert

Mudstone

Quartz sandstone

Other sandstone

Vein quartz

Feteic volcanic rocks

Other volcanic rocks

Granitic rocks

Other

Total

Pebbles counted

Q

1

C

Q

V

G

Unit -.-.-----.

Stratigraphic level - -

Locality --------

Chert

Mudstone

Quartz sandstone

Other sandstone

Vein quartz

Feteic volcanic rocks

Other volcanic rocks

Granitic rocks

Limestone

Other

Total

Pebbles counted

Q

1

C

Q

V

G

Unit ----------

Locally --------

Chert

Mudstone

Quartz sandstone

Other sandstone

Vein quartz

Felsic volcanics

Other volcanics

Granitic rocks

Other

Total

Pebbles counted

Q

1

C

Q

V

G

- - - Sout

- - - Lo w e r part

SO- SO- SO- GK-

£47 <M Q C4Q CHC

 - - bi f bio biy bib

8.5 13.6 24.2 0.3

11.3 8.6 40.6 3.1

45.1 5.3 13.9 3.3

1.4 2.8 .6

.6 .8 1.9

13.5 47.2 1.9 73.3

.8 6.4 .3 7.2

14.9 9.4 5.8 11.7

3.9 5.8 10.8 1.1

100.0 99.9 100.0 100.0

355 360 360 360

55 6 30 4

35 77 18 96

10 17 52 0

61 8 63 4

19 78 10 84

20 14 27 12

--- Southernmost Sierra Neva

h e r n mos t

Goler

Sierra Nev a da- con.

Format io r

Middle part

BW104-2

0.3

.3 1.1

1.7

-

77.3

1.4

17.4

.6

100.1

357

1

99

0

1

81

18

ida--

BWinc 4 lOo- 1

0.3

.3

2.2

.3

-

82.6

1.4

12.4

.6

100.1

362

2

98

0

2

85

13

con.

BX- BX4O£ 4 4 Ofi 1

1J6-1 lJ6-£

1.5

2.0

1.4 4.1

.3

-

81.6 75.1

2.8 1.2

14.2 15.2

.6

100.0 100.0

353 342

1 4

99 94

0 2

1 4

85 80

14 16

BX136-3

1.1

.3

3.3

-

-

79.5

2.7

12.6

.5

100.0

366

3

98

1

3

84

13

BX136-4

0.8

.5

2.1

.8

79.5

4.8

11.2

.3

100.0

376

2

97

1

2

86

12

Mean 

of 7

0.6

.9

2.5

.4

-

78.4

3.1

13.5

.5

99.9

359

2

97

1

2

84

14

Std. 

dev.

0.5

1.2

1.1

.6

-

3.4

2.2

2.2

.3

1

2

1

1

2

2

Middleupper part

BX4Q£ fi 1J6-O

0.3

-

2.2

.5

-

59.3

3.6

34.1

-

100.0

364

2

98

0

2

64

34

Liebre Mountain block

--- Goler Formation con.

--- Up p er part

BX- BX- BX- BX- BX-

- - - 136-5 137-1 137-2 137-3 137-4

0.3 - 0.3

1.4 0.3 2.0

15.0 13.7 20.5 10.2 7.9

.6 .8 .6 - .3

-

67.7 67.0 59.0 67.5 64.8

5.0 2.8 3.7 2.3 6.8

8.6 13.7 10.7 19.5 19.4

.3 - 3.1 -

1.1 .8 .6 .3 .8

100.0 100.0 100.2 100.1 100.0

359 358 356 354 355

16 14 22 10 8

84 86 78 90 92

00000

16 14 22 10 8

75 72 67 70 72

9 14 11 20 20

Pinyon Ridge block

- San Francisquito Formation

VY- VY- VY- Mean Std. 557 556 470 of 3 dev.

0.3 - 0.1 0.2

1.2 .6 0.3 .7 .5

2.1 3.1 3.7 3.0 .8

.9 .9 1.4 1.1 .3

7.9 8.0 9.1 8.3 .7

7.9 4.6 10.5 7.7 3.0

1.2 .9 1.1 1.1 .2

73.7 78.2 62.8 71.6 7.9

5.1 3.4 11.1 6.5 4.0

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.1

331 326 352 336

24542

98 96 95 96 2

00000

24542

11 6 15 11 5

87 90 80 85 5

Mean of 5

0.1

.7

13.5

.5

-

65.4

4.1

14.4

.7

.7

100.1

356

14

86

0

14

71

15

Std.

dev.

0.2

.9

4.8

.3

.

3.8

1.8

5.0

1.4

.3

5

5

0

5

3

5

WP464

-

9.1

1.8

.3

64.6

.6

22.0

.

1.5

99.9

328

9

91

0

9

68

23

WM4CC 4oo

.

12.7

1.1

1.1

53.2

-

31.0

.8

99.9

355

13

87

0

13

55

32

San Francisqult

WM449

0.3

.3

8.2

1.4

1.4

69.1

-

18.7

.

.6

100.0

353

9

91

0

9

72

19

WM451

-

18.1

.6

2.5

56.7

.3

20.9

.

.9

100.0

321

19

81

0

19

59

22

WM448

.

-

6.2

2.5

1.1

66.9

.3

23.0

-

.3

100.0

356

6

94

0

7

69

24

o For mat I o n

GV469

4.4

6.1

1.1

1.4

52.9

.8

32.0

.

1.4

100.0

362

7

93

0

7

58

35

GV- Mean

468 0(7

0.0

0.8 .8

4.8 9.4

.5 1.3

.5 1.2

70.7 62.0

.3

22.1 24.2

-

.5 .9

99.9 100.1

376 350

5 10

95 90

0 0

5 10

72 65

23 25

Std.

dev.

.1

1.6

4.9

.7

.7

7.6

.3

5.1

.4

5

5

0

5

7

6
68 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

EOCENE 

Salinian block

San Rafael Mtns. (2)

FIGURE 15. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields 

at one standard deviation of Eocene conglomerate suites (28 conglomerates) 

from the Salinian block. See table 6 for pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, 

V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10 69

TABLE 6. Pebble counts, in percent, of Eocene conglomerates from the Salinian block and the Frazier Mountain block 

[C=chert, G=granitic rocks. l=igneous rocks. Q=quartz sandstone. V=volcanic rocks, -=not present. 'Some granitic clasts were lost in collecting].

Unit -......._.

Locality --------

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Pel sic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

I 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Unit -----------

1 rv*alitv .......

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

Unit ----------

1 iv*alitu

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

PL0.8 

3.6 

12.9 

1.1 

5.0 

53.8

21.8 

.8 

99.8 

357 

14 

85 

1

14 

61 

25

n a

JS0.3 

.3 

12.7 

.3 

4.9 

60.5

20.0 

1.1 

100.1 

370 

14 

86 

0

14 

65

21

U

MDCQ/5

2.3 

.3 

.3 

66.8 

1.4 

27.8 

1.1 

100.0 

352 

2 

98 

0

2 

70 

28

i e r m a n

PL495

G u a I a 1 a Santa Cruz Mountains

Rancho Formation

PL- PL408 409

0.9 1.3 0.6 

2.6 8.6 3.2 

22.0 8.9 6.1 

1.6 .6 

2.6 2.1 1.9 

37.4 38.4 34.9 

.8 1.0 

31.7 36.6 48.4 

2.9 1.8 3.2 

100.1 100.1 99.9 

350 383 312 

24 10 7 

75 88 92 

1 2 1

24 11 7 

41 46 40 

35 43 53 

Early or middle E

The Indians Ranc

liz Canyon Format

CP459

CP- Mean 

433 of 3

0.3 0.6 0.4 

.3 - .2 

9.3 14.6 12.2 

.3 2.2 .9 

4.1 4.5 4.5 

46.7 57.6 54.9 

.6 .2 

38.5 18.3 25.6 

.5 1.7 1.1 

100.0 100.1 100.0 

366 356 364 

10 16 13 

90 83 86 

0 1 1

10 16 )3 

49 64 60 

41 20 27 

Middle Eocene

Raf ael

n n a me d

MD595

Mountains

strata

Mean Std. 

of 2 dev.

Mean 

of4

Std. 

dev.

0.9 0.3 

4.5 2.8 

12.8 6.9 

.8 .7 

2.9 1.4 

41.1 8.6 

.5 .5 

34.6 11.1 

2.2 1.1 

100.0 

350 

14 7 

85 7 

1 1

14 7 

47 10 

39 12 

o c e n e

h

i o n

Std. 

dev.

0.2 

.2 

2.7 

1.1 

.4 

7.3 

.3 

11.2 

.6

3 

4 

1

3 

9 

12

BP80-1

1.0 

2.0 

30.7 

.8 

2.0 

48.6

13.3 

1.5 

99.9 

391 

33 

66 

1

33 

53

14

Butano Sandstone

BP- FP- CR- FE78- 1D 460 488 436

Mean 

of 5

3.4 0.9 1.9 1.7 1.8 

3.1 5.4 1.4 3.4 3.1 

21.7 12.7 12.4 17.8 19.1 

.3 .3 1.1 2.0 .9 

.9 2.8 2.5 .6 1.8 

49.6 60.4 69.7 56.8 57.0 

.6 - - - .1 

18.5 16.5 8.0 16.1* 14.5* 

2.0 .9 3.0 1.7 1.8 

100.1 99.9 100.0 100.1 100.1 

351 316 363 354 355 

23 14 14 19 21 

73 85 84 79 77 

41222

24 14 14 20 21 

56 68 77 62 63

20 18 9 18 16 

Early and middle Eocene

Cuyama River gorge

Std. 

dev.

1.0 

1.5 

7.6 

.7 

1.0 

8.6 

.3 

4.1 

.8

8 

8 

1

8 

10 

4

Unnamed strata

LM522

2.2 

2.5 

3.4 

.3 

73.1 

.9 

15.7 

1.9 

100.0 

324 

3 

97 

0

3 

80 

17

MP561

0.3

2.8 

.8 

.6 

59.8 

3.9 

29.4 

2.5 

100.1 

361 

3 

97 

0

3 

66 

31

Frazier

MP- MP- MP- MP529 527 526 525

MD602

0.3 

1.1 0.3 - 

5.7 8.0 1.7 7.3 2.8 

3.1 1.7 .9 .8 .8 

2.0 .9 1.1 .3 

64.8 59.5 69.4 68.0 66.0 

.9 1.4 2.3 1.7 .6 

22.4 27.6 24.0 21.3 29.2 

.6 .6 .6 .3 

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 

352 351 350 356 356 

68273 

94 92 98 93 97 

00000

68273 

70 63 73 71 67 

24 29 25 22 30 

Early Eocene

Mountain block

MD- Mean 

603 of 8

0.1 

.4 

11.2 5.3 

1.0 1.6 

1.4 .8 

54.0 64.3 

1.4 1.6 

30.0 25.0 

1.0 .9 

100.0 100.0 

420 359 

12 6 

88 94 

0 0

12 6 

57 68 

31 26

Std. 

dev.

0.1 

.8 

3.4 

1.1 

.7 

6.2 

1.1 

5.0 

.8

3 

3 

0

3

7 

5

Juncal Formation

3.7 3.0 1.0 

.6 .4 .2 

.3 .3 .0 

64.9 65.9 1.3 

- - .7 1.0 

29.4 28.6 1.1 

1.1 1.1 .0 

100.0 100.0 

350 351 

4 3 1 

96 97 1 

000

4 3 1 

66 68 3 

30 29 1 

Early Eocene

LV504

0.3 

.3 

5.3 

.6

64.5 

5.8 

22.7 

.6 

100.1 

361 

5 

95 

0

5 

72

23

LV505

2.5 

.5

61.7 

3.0 

31.7 

.5 

99.9 

366 

3 

97 

0

3 

65

32

LV507

LV- LV- LV- Mean 

506 508 509 of 6

0.0 

.0 

5.1 9.2 2.2 4.5 4.8 

1.0 1.1 .6 .6 

.3 1.0 .3 - .3 

41.4 40.1 50.1 48.7 51.1 

1.1 .6 6.0 2.6 3.2 

51.0 47.8 39.8 41.9 39.2 

1.1 .3 .5 1.6 .8 

100.0 100.0 100.0 99.9 100.0 

353 314 369 310 346 

59255 

95 91 98 95 95 

00000

59255 

43 42 57 52 55 

52 49 41 43 40 

Early or middle Eocene

Std. 

dev.

0.1 

.1 

2.5 

.4 

.4 

10.1 

2.3 

10.5 

.5

2 

2

0

2

12 

11
70 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

EOCENE 

Outside Salinian block

Diablo Range,

Los Muertos Creek (1)

Diablo Range, 

Lodo Fm., Cantua 

Sandstone Mbr. (2)

Baja 

California (1)

Diablo Range, 

Avenal Ss. (1) 

San Marcos 

Pass (2) All others 

(20)

Sandstone Mbr. (3)

Diablo Range, 

Domengme F

FIGURE 16. QIC diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields 

at one standard deviation of Eocene conglomerate suites (35 conglomerates) 

from outside the Salinian block. See table 7 for pebble counts. Q = quartz 

sandstone, I = volcanic and granitic rocks, C = chert.

EOCENE 

Outside Salinian block

Diablo R., Domengine Fm. (1)

Diablo Range, 

Los Muertos Creek Fm. (1)

Temblor Range, 

Point of Rocks 

Sandstone Mbr

Diablo Range, 

Lodo Fm., Cantua 

Sandstone Mbr. (2)

San Marcos Pass (2)

Table Mtn. Gravels of Mincn 

and Abbott (1973) (1) Santa Ana 

Mtns. (2)

San Emigdio Mnts. (1) 

Newhall (1)

Diablo Range, Avenal Ss. (1) 

Diablo R., Domengine Fm. (1) 

Diablo R., Domengine Fm. (1)

Las Palmas gravels (2) 

San Diego (7)

Diablo Range, Avenal Fm. (1)

Table Mtn. Gravels of Minch 

and Abbott (1973) (1)

FIGURE 17. QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard deviation 

of Eocene conglomerate suites (35 conglomerates) from outside the Salinian block. See table 7 for 

pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10 71

TABLE 7. Pebble counts, in percent, of Eocene conglomerates from outside the Salinian block 

[C=chert, G=granitic rocks, 1= gneous rocks, Q=quartz sandstone, V=volcanic rocks, -=not present].

Region Dlablo Range

Unit -----------

Locality ---------

Chert

Mudstone

Quartz sandstone

Other sandstone

Vein quartz

Felsic volcanic rocks

Other volcanic rocks

Granitic rocks

Limestone

Other

Total

Pebbles counted

Q

1

C

Q

V

G

Age

Area ...........

Lodo Formation, 

Cantua Sandstone Member

ID-

- 476

28

32

14

1

3

8

.

8

-

6

100

100

24

28

48

46

27

27

IDA"TK

 If D

34.4

24.6

14.9

1.5

4.6

8.2

-

6.2

-

5.6

100.0

195

23

23

54

51

28

21

Early

Mean

o(2

31.2

28.3

14.5

1.2

3.8

8.1

.

7.1

5.8

100.0

148

24

25

51

49

27

24

Eocene

Std.

dev.

4.5

5.2

.6

.4

1.1

.1

1.3

-

.3

1

4

4

4

1

4

Domengine Formation

CLAOO D££

63.6

2.2

6.7

.3

7.0

17.3

1.3

1.6

100.0

371

B

21

71

27

68

5

PN- ID478 477

90.7 65.6

1.1 27.8

.8 5.1

1.1

.6 .3

2.2 .6

-

3.3 .6

100.0 100.0

Mean

of 3

73.3

10.4

4.2

.5

2.7

6.7

.4

-

1.8

100.0

Std.

dev.

15.1

15.1

3.1

.6

3.7

9.2

-

.8

-

1.4

365 352 363

1 7

2 1

97 92

27 90

73 10

0 0

Early to middle

Temblor Range

5

B

87

46

50

2

4

11

14

36

35

3

Eocene

Los 

Muertos Avenal 

Creek Fm. Sandstone

GZA7Q

24

29

29

-

8

4

-

2

-

4

100

133

49

10

41

83

11

6

TDA.V7 HOr

23.9

1.6

18.2

4.6

1.9

42.6

-

4.0

3.2

100.0

373

20

53

27

28

66

6

SR444

3.2

.4

3.2

2.2

2.5

78.8

1.4

4.0

3.2

1.1

100.0

278

3

93

4

4

92

4

Early or middle Eocene

Peninsular Ranges

INUI n ici 1 1 oai na rv la iviu ».

Unit

Kreyenhagen Formation 

Point of Rocks Sandstone Mbr. Santiago Formation

Locality --------

Chert

Mudstone

Quartz sandstone

Other sandstone

Vein quartz

Felsic volcanic rocks

Other volcanic rocks

Granitic rocks

Limestone

Other

Total

Pebbles counted

Q

1

C

Q

V

G

Age

nCyWn

Unit- ----------.

Locality -.-------

Chert

Mudstone

Quartz sandstone

Other sandstone

Vein quartz

Felsic volcanic rocks

Other volcanic rocks

Granitic rocks

Other

Total

Pebbles counted

Q

1

C

Q

V

G

Age

PW445

35.7

41.2

10.4

1.1

2.2

6.6

.5

.5

.5

1.1

99.8

364

20

14

66

58

39

3

SP4t>/

39.4

46.0

6.1

.2

2.6

4.4

-

.2

-

1.1

100.0

459

12

9

79

57

41

2

Early to

CR466

29.4

15.8

15.0

.6

19.5

8.5

-

4.0

.

7.3

100.1

354

26

22

52

55

31

14

Mean 

of 3

34.8

34.3

10.5

.6

8.1

6.5

.2

1.6

.2

3.2

100.0

392

19

15

66

57

37

6

Std. 

dev.

5.1

16.3

4.5

.5

9.9

2.1

.3

2.1

.3

3.6

7

7

14

2

5

7

BS565

5.5

.9

.3

60.2

1.2

31.7

.3

100.1

347

6

94

0

6

62

32

middle Eocene

Peninsular

- La J

DM530

0.3

2.3

.9

-

93.4

.3

2.8

100.0

351

2

98

0

2

95

3

San

Ranges-- con.

BS566

.

B.2

.8

.8

62.2

4.5

23.4

.3

100.1

380

B

92

0

B

68

24

Mean 

o(2

.

6.8

.9

.5

61.2

2.8

27.6

.3

100.1

363

7

93

0

7

65

28

Std. 

dev.

-

1.9

.1

.4

1.3

2.3

5.9

-

.0

1

1

0

1

4

6

Early or middle Eocene

Diego

olla and Poway Groups

LJ531

0.3

-

3.3

.8

91.2

3.9

.6

100.1

362

3

97

0

3

93

4

LM533

5.6

.6

89.6

.3

3.7

.3

100.1

355

6

94

0

6

90

4

LM591

0.3

-

1.7

.

-

95.1

-

2.3

.6

100.0

LM532

4.2

.6

B9.B

.8

4.5

99.9

350 353

2

98

0

2

96

2

Early to

4

96

0

4

91

5

late

and

VR534

9.6

.6

B0.6

1.1

7.0

.8

99.9

356

10

90

0

10

83

7

E o c e

B a 1 1 e n a G

VR535

0.3

.3

1.1

1.1

.

87.6

7.9

1.4

99.9

353

1

99

0

1

91

B

n e

Mean

o(7

0.1

.1

4.0

.7

89.6

.4

4.6

.5

100.0

354

4

96

0

4

91

5

ravels

Std.

dev.

0.2

.2

3.0

.4

.

4.7

.4

2.1

.5

3

3

0

3

4

2
72 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

TABLE 7. Pebble counts, in percent, of Eocene conglomerates from outside the Salinian

block Continued

Rofilnn

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanics 

Other volcanics 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

Age

Qar^^n

Unit

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

1 Init

Locality -------.

Chert 

Mudstone 

Quartz sandstone 

Other sandstone 

Vein quartz 

Felsic volcanic rocks 

Other volcanic rocks 

Granitic rocks 

Limestone 

Other 

Total 

Pebbles counted 

Q 

1 

C

Q 

V 

G 

Age

- - Las 1

BJ- 

- - 582

0.3 

2.0 

7.8 

9.5

75.9 

1.7 

2.3 

.6 

100.1 

348 

9 

91 

0

9 

88

Peninsular Ranges--con. 

thernmost California and adjacent Baja California

3 a I m a s gravels

BJ581

Mean 

of 2

0.3 0.3 

.3 1.1 

8.2 8.0 

8.5 9.0

75.4 75.7 

1.5 1.6 

5.2 3.7 

.6 .6 

100.0 100.0 

329 339 

9 9 

91 91 

0 0

9 9 

85 87 

Eo c e n e(? )

Std. 

dev.

.0 

1.2 

.3 

.7

.4 

.1 

2.1 

.0

0 

0 

0

0 

2

Table Mountain Gravels

JC584

BJ583

1 1 

1 

5 20 

9

60 58 

2 

34 16 

3 

100 100 

100 100 

5 21 

94 78 

1 1

5 21 

34 17 

Unknown

Southwestern Transverse

Marcos Pass

Cozy Dell Shale

LC-

£9*3

LC624

33.0 23.4 

1.1 1.2 

18.6 20.8 

.3 1.2 

2.0 .6 

37.2 42.5 

.6 

5.9 10.1 

1.4 .3 

100.1 100.1 

355 346 

19 22 

46 54 

35 24

30 28 

61 58 

9 14 

Late

San Emigdi 

Mtns.

 Tejon Fm.

ST1 

2

7 

1

56 

32

99 

84

7 

92 

1

7 

59 

34 

Early 

Eocene

0

Mean 

of 2

28.2 

1.1 

19.7 

.8 

1.3 

39.8 

.3 

8.0 

.8 

100.0 

350 

20 

50 

30

29 

60 

11 

Eocene

Std. 

dev.

6.8 

.1 

1.6 

.8 

1.0 

3.7 

.4 

3.0 

.8

2

6 

8

1 

2 

4

Ranges con.

Santa Ynez

Matilija Ss.

SY> 

538

31

1 

51

14 

3 

100 

100 

32 

68 

0

32 

53 

15 

Eocene

Simi Valley Newhall

Llajas Fm. Domengine Fm.

SS549

1.1

54.3 

.3 

.3 

29.3 

1.1 

11.0 

2.7 

100.1 

372 

56 

43 

1

57 

32 

11 

Early 

Eocene

SF631

0.3 

.9

.6 

23.6 

3.8 

67.3 

.9 

100.1 

342 

1 

99 

0

1 

31 

68 

Middle 

Eocene

Orocopia Mountains

RC500

Ma

RC499

9 3.0 

2 

10 3.0 

14 3.7 

1.0 

61 63.4 

3 24.6 

1 1.0 

100 99.9 

100 298 

11 4 

89 96 

0 0

11 4 

17 7 

72 89

niobra Formation

RC502

1

7 

1 

3 

6

78 

1 

3 

100 

100 

8 

91 

1

8 

6 

96 

Ear

RC501

RC503

6.5 3.1 

.3 .3 

13.6 12.7 

15.1 8.8 

.6 .3 

49.4 74.6 

1.4 

13.1 .3 

100.0 100.1 

352 354 

9 4 

91 96 

0 0

9 4 

22 10 

69 86 

I y Eocene

Mean Std. 

of 5 dev.

0.2 0.4

5.7 2.6 

.7 .8 

8.5 5.2 

9.5 4.9 

.4 .4 

65.3 11.4 

6.0 10.5 

3.7 5.4 

100.0 

241 

7 3 

93 3 

0 0

7 3 

12 7 

81 9
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES l-S and 10 73

PALEOCENE OR EOCENE 

Salinian block

FIGURE 18. QVQ diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion 

fields at one standard deviation of conglomerate suites (9 conglomerates) of 

uncertain Tertiary (Paleocene or Eocene) age from the Salinian block. See 

table 8 for pebble counts. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = 

granitic rocks.
74 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

TABLE 8. Pebble counts, in percent, of conglomerates of uncertain Tertiary age (Paleocene or Eocene) from the Salinian block

[C=chert, G=granitic rocks, l=igneous rocks, Q=quartz sandstone, V=volcanic rocks, -=not present].

Q.Qfunn

1 Unit Ivuft-----..-.--.

r**Annlrtrnorato tuna . . .

1 nralih/ .........

Chert

Mudstone

Quartz sandstone

Other sandstone

Vein quartz

Felsic volcanic rocks

Other volcanic rocks

Granitic rocks

Other

Total

Pebbles counted

Q

1cQ

V

G

D^ninn

Unit .---.......

f^/wilfvnorata tuna ...

Chert

Mudstone

Quartz sandstone

Other sandstone

Vein quartz

Felsic volcanic rocks

Other volcanic rocks

Granitic rocks

Other

Total

Pebbles counted

Q

1

C

Q

V

G

- - Lo

PZ-

- - 539

0.3

11.5

1.1

1.1

53.6

.3

32.1

.

100.0

364

12

88

0

12

55

33

LMCOO

1.4

43.7

2.3

.9

32.9

.9

17.4

.6

100.1

350

46

54

0

46

36

18

w quartz-sa

SL- SL543 542

0.6

6.3 6.7

1.4 1.1

2.2 1.3

59.8 63.7

1.1

29.5 26.1

.3

100.1 100.0

363 375

7 7

93 93

0 0

7 7

62 66

31 27

C u y a m a

Unnamed

High quartzMP- MP524 528

3.4

30.2 23.6

1.4 .9

.3 .9

48.9 49.9

1.1 2.0

17.4 18.2

.8 1.1

100.1 100.0

La Panza Range

Unnamed strata

n d s t o n e High quartz-sandstone

Mean Std. SL- SL- Mean Std.

o(3 dev. 541 540 of 2 dev.

0.3 0.3 0.9 - 0.4 0.6

8.2 2.9 20.5 20.5 20.5 .0

1.2 .2 .6 1.0 .8 .2

1.5 .6 .6 .8 .7 .1

59.0 5.1 50.1 50.0 50.1 .1

.5 .6 .6 .8 .7 .1

29.2 3.0 26.2 26.4 26.3 .1

.1 .2 .6 .5 .5 .1

100.0 100.1 100.0 100.0

367 351 386 368

93 21 21 21 0

91 3 79 79 79 0

00 0000

93 21 21 21 0

61 6 52 52 52 0

30 3 27 27 27 0

gorge

s i r ci i ci

sandstone

MD- Mean Std.

604 of 4 dev.

0.3 0.1 0.1

1 .2 1 .6

30.8 32.1 8.4

1.4 1.5 .6

.9 .8 .3

50.4 45.5 8.4

.9 1.2 .5

14.4 16.8 1.7

.9 .8 .2

100.0 100.0

Both types

Mean

of 5

0.4

13.1

1.0

1.2

55.4

.6

28.1

.3

100.1

368

14

86

0

14

57

29

Std.

dev.

0.4

7.1

.3

.6

6.1

.4

2.7

.3

7

7

0

7

6

3

368 351 347 354

31 25

69 75

0 0

31 25

51 55

18 20

32 34 9

68 66 9

000

32 33 9

53 49 9

15 18 2
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10 75

UPPER CRETACEOUS

Salinian block, 

La Panza Range, 

basal (5)

Southwestern 

Transverse Ranges (13)

N. Santa Ana 

Mountains (2)

Salinian block (59)

Peninsular Ranges, 

Punta Banda area (4)

FIGURE 25. Summary QIC diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one 

standard deviation of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Diablo and Peninsular 

Ranges, Salinian block, and nearby regions. Numerical values are given in table 10. Q = quartz 

sandstone, I = volcanic and granitic rocks, C = chert.

UPPER CRETACEOUS

Salinian block,

La Panza Range,

basal (5)

Peninsular Ranges(15)

N. Santa Ana 

Mountains (2)

Diablo Range (6)

Peninsular Ranges, 

Punta Banda area (4)

FIGURE 26. Summary QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one 

standard deviation of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the Diablo and Peninsular 

Ranges, the Salinian block, and nearby regions. Numerical values are given in table 10. Q = 

quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
76 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

UPPER CRETACEOUS

Saliman block, 

La Panza Range, 

basal (5) McCoy Mtns.,

conglomerate mbr.

of McCoy Mountains Fm

(4)

McCoy Mountains, 

siltstone and sandstone mbrs. 

of McCoy Mountains Fm. (5)

N. Santa Ana 

Mountains (2)

Southwestern 

Transverse Ranges (13)

Salinian block (59)

FIGURE 27. Summary QIC diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one 

standard deviation of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the McCoy Mountains 

Formation of Harding and Coney (1985), the Salinian block, and nearby regions. Numerical 

values are given in table 10. Q = quartz sandstone, I = volcanic and granitic rocks, C = 

chert.

UPPER CRETACEOUS

McCoy Mtns., 

conglomerate 

mbr. of McCoy 

Mountains Fm. (4)

Salinian block, 

La Panza Range, 

basal (5)

McCoy Mtns., 

siltstone and sandstone

mbrs. of McCoy 

Mountains Fm. (5)

Southwestern Transverse 

Ranges (13)

N. Santa Ana 

Mountains (2)

FIGURE 28. Summary QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields 

at one standard deviation of Upper Cretaceous conglomerate suites from the McCoy 

Mountains Formation of Harding and Coney (1985), the Salinian block, and nearby regions. Numerical values are given in table 10. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, 

G = granitic rocks.
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10 77

PALEOCENE

Santa Monica 

Mountains, basal (2)

Salinian block, Arroyo Secc (2) 

Simi Hills, lower (3)

Salinian block (23)

S. Sierra Nevada

and Liebre Mtn. (23)

Peninsular Ranges (3)

FIGURE 29. Summary QIC diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion 

fields at one standard deviation of Paleocene conglomerate suites from the Salinian 

block and nearby regions. Numerical values are given in table 10. Q = quartz sandstone, I = volcanic and granitic rocks, C = chert.

PALEOCENE

Santa Monica 

Mountains, basal (2)

Diablo Range (1)

Salinian block, 

Arrcyo Seco (2)

Santa Monica 

Mtns., lower (1)

Santa Monica 

Mtns., upper (6)

Salinian block (23)

S. Sierra Nevada 

and Liebre Mtn. (23)

N. Santa Ana 

Mountains, upper (1)

Peninsular Ranges (3)

FIGURE 30. Summary QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one 

standard deviation of Paleocene conglomerate suites from the Salinian block and nearby regions. Numerical values are given in table 10. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = 

granitic rocks.
78 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

EOCENE

FIGURE 31. Summary QIC diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard deviation of Eocene conglomerate suites from the 

Salinian block and nearby regions. Numerical values are given in table 10. Q 

= quartz sandstone, I = volcanic and granitic rocks, C = chert.

EOCENE

Diablo and Temblor 

Ranges (11)

Peninsular 

Ranges (9)

V

FIGURE 32. Summary QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion 

fields at one standard deviation of Eocene conglomerate suites from the Salinian block 

and nearby regions. Numerical values are given in table 10. Q = quartz sandstone, V = 

volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
FIGURES 6-18, 25-33; TABLES 1-8 and 10 79

UPPER CRETACEOUS 

AND PALEOCENE

Salinian block 

(Upper Cretaceous) (59)

S. Sierra Nevada and

Liebre Mountain block

(Paleocene) (23)

V

FIGURE 33. Summary QVG diagram showing the mean compositions and dispersion fields at one standard deviation of the Upper Cretaceous conglomerate 

suite from the Salinian block and the Paleocene suite from the southernmost 

Sierra Nevada and the Liebre Mountain block (Witnet, Goler, and San Francisquito Formations). Numerical values are given in table 10. Q = quartz sandstone, V = volcanic rocks, G = granitic rocks.
80 PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SALINIAN BLOCK AS BASED ON CLAST COMPOSITIONS OF CONGLOMERATES

TABLE 10. Summary of conglomerate clast compositions, in percent

[Numerical values for constructing figures 25-33. Q, quartz sandstone; I, volcanic and granitic rocks; C, chert; V, 

volcanic rocks; G, granitic rocks; n, number of samples]

CRETACEOUS

SALINIAN BLOCK, except basal La Panza R. 

SALINIAN BLOCK, basal La Panza Range

DIABLO RANGE

PENINSULAR RANGES

all but two areas below 

northern Santa Ana Mountains 

Punta Banda area, Baja California

SOUTHWESTERN TRANSVERSE RANGES

McCOY MOUNTAINS FORMATION

siltstone and sandstone members 

conglomerate member

PALEOCENE

SALINIAN BLOCK, except Arroyo Seco area 

SALINIAN BLOCK, Arroyo Seco area

DIABLO RANGE

PENINSULAR RANGES

Baja California 

northern Santa Ana Mountains

SOUTHWESTERN TRANSVERSE RANGES

Simi Hills, upper part of section 

Simi Hills, lower part of section 

Santa Monica Mtns., upper part of section 

Santa Monica Mtns., lower part of section 

Santa Monica Mtns., basal part of section

S. SIERRA NEVADA AND LIEBRE MTN. BLOCK

Witnet, Goler, and San Francisquito Formations

PINYON RIDGE BLOCK

EOCENE

SALINIAN BLOCK

DIABLO AND TEMBLOR RANGES

PENINSULAR RANGES

all but northern Santa Ana Mountains 

northern Santa Ana Mountains

SOUTHWESTERN TRANSVERSE RANGES

Santa Ynez and Simi Valley 

Newhall

San Marcos Pass

SAN EMIGDIO MOUNTAINS

OROCOPIA MOUNTAINS

Q- 1- C (std. dev.)

7-93- 0 (6-6-1) 

74-26- 0 (12-12-1)

9-71-20 (2-11-11)

17-65-18 (11-17-16) 

13-84- 3 (7-10-3) 

1-99- 0 (2-2-0)

34-65- 1 (12-12-2)

36-61- 3 (31-32-2) 

76-21-14 (14-14-1)

11-88- 1 (6-7-1) 

58- 42- 0 (6-6-0)

29- 10-61

4- 92- 4 (1-2-1) 

5- 95- 0

20-79- 1 (0-1-1) 

57-43- 0 (5-6-1) 

2- 98- 0 (1-1-0) 

13-87- 0 

93- 7- 0 (6-7-1)

8-91- 1 (6-6-1)

4-96- 0 (2-2-0)

10-89- 1 (8-8-1)

18-25-57 (14-27-28)

5-95- 0 (3-3-0) 

7- 93- 0 (1-1-0)

44-56- 0 (17-18-1) 

1-99- 0

20- 50-30 (2-6-8)

7-92- 1

7-93- 0 (3-3-0)

Q- V- G (std. dev.)

6-80-14 (6-13-11) 

74-10-16 (12-0-11)

11-81- 8 (3-2-4)

21-71- 8 (12-17-5) 

13-82- 5 (8-13-5) 

1-93- 6 (2-1-1)

34-48-18 (12-20-14)

37-35-28 (32-23-14) 

79- 1-20(14-1-14)

11-68-21 (6-16-11) 

58-20-22 (6-0-6)

74-26- 0

4-92- 4 (1-1-2) 

5-72-23

20-55-25 (0-8-8) 

58-18-24 (6-4-4) 

2-64-34 (1-13-13) 

13-57-30 

93- 4- 3 (7-3-4)

9-71-20(6-10-8)

4-11-85 (2-5-5)

10-61-29 (8-11-12)

48-44- 8 (25-27-9)

5-90- 5 (3-4-2) 

7-65-28 (1-4-6)

44-43-13 (18-15-3) 

1-31-68

29-60-1 1 (1-2-4)

7-59-34

7-12-81 (3-7-9)

n

59 

5

6

15 

2 

4

13

5 

5

23 

2

1

3 

1

2 

3 

6 

1 

2

23

3

28

11

9 

2

2 

1

2

1

5


SELECTED SERIES OF U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PUBLICATIONS

Periodicals

Earthquakes & Volcanoes (issued bimonthly). 

Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (issued monthly).

Technical Books and Reports

Professional Papers are mainly comprehensive scientific reports of 

wide and lasting interest and importance to professional scientists and engineers. Included are reports on the results of resource studies and of 

topographic, hydrologic, and geologic investigations. They also include 

collections of related papers addressing different aspects of a single scientific topic.

Bulletins contain significant data and interpretations that are of lasting scientific interest but are generally more limited in scope or 

geographic coverage than Professional Papers. They include the results 

of resource studies and of geologic and topographic investigations; as well 

as collections of short papers related to a specific topic.

Water-Supply Papers are comprehensive reports that present significant interpretive results of hydrologic investigations of wide interest 

to professional geologists, hydrologists, and engineers. The series covers 

investigations in all phases of hydrology, including hydrogeology, 

availability of water, quality of water, and use of water.

Circulars present administrative information or important scientific 

information of wide popular interest in a format designed for distribution 

at no cost to the public. Information is usually of short-term interest.

Water-Resources Investigations Reports are papers of an interpretive nature made available to the public outside the formal USGS publications series. Copies are reproduced on request unlike formal USGS 

publications, and they are also available for public inspection at 

depositories indicated in USGS catalogs.

Open-File Reports include unpublished manuscript reports, maps, 

and other material that are made available for public consultation at 

depositories. They are a nonpermanent form of publication that may be 

cited in other publications as sources of information.

Maps

Geologic Quadrangle Maps are multicolor geologic maps on 

topographic bases in 7 1/2- or 15 -minute quadrangle formats (scales mainly 1:24,000 or 1:62,500) showing bedrock, surficial, or engineering geology. Maps generally include brief texts; some maps include structure 

and columnar sections only.

Geophysical Investigations Maps are on topographic or planimetric 

bases at various scales; they show results of surveys using geophysical 

techniques, such as gravity, magnetic, seismic, or radioactivity, which 

reflect subsurface structures that are of economic or geologic significance. 

Many maps include correlations with the geology.

Miscellaneous Investigations Series Maps are on planimetric or 

topographic bases of regular and irregular areas at various scales; they 

present a wide variety of format and subject matter. The series also includes 7 1/2-minute quadrangle photogeologic maps on planimetric bases 

which show geology as interpreted from aerial photographs. Series also 

includes maps of Mars and the Moon.

Coal Investigations Maps are geologic maps on topographic or 

planimetric bases at various scales showing bedrock or surficial geology, stratigraphy, and structural relations in certain coal-resource areas.

Oil and Gas Investigations Charts show stratigraphic information 

for certain oil and gas fields and other areas having petroleum potential.

Miscellaneous Field Studies Maps are multicolor or black-andwhite maps on topographic or planimetric bases on quadrangle or irregular areas at various scales. Pre-1971 maps show bedrock geology 

in relation to specific mining or mineral-deposit problems; post-1971 

maps are primarily black-and-white maps on various subjects such as 

environmental studies or wilderness mineral investigations.

Hydrologic Investigations Atlases are multicolored or black-andwhite maps on topographic or planimetric bases presenting a wide range 

of geohydrologic data of both regular and irregular areas; principal scale 

is 1:24,000 and regional studies are at 1:250,000 scale or smaller.

Catalogs

Permanent catalogs, as well as some others, giving comprehensive listings of U.S. Geological Survey publications are available under 

the conditions indicated below from the U.S. Geological Survey, Books 

and Open-File Reports Section, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, 

CO 80225. (See latest Price and Availability List.)

"Publications of the Geological Survey, 1879-1961" may be purchased by mail and over the counter in paperback book form and as a 

set of microfiche.

"Publications of the Geological Survey, 1962-1970" may be purchased by mail and over the counter in paperback book form and as a 

set of microfiche.

"Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1971-1981" may be 

purchased by mail and over the counter in paperback book form (two 

volumes, publications listing and index) and as a set of microfiche.

Supplements for 1982,1983,1984,1985,1986, and for subsequent 

years since the last permanent catalog may be purchased by mail and 

over the counter in paperback book form.

State catalogs, "List of U.S. Geological Survey Geologic and 

Water-Supply Reports andMaps For (State)," may be purchased by mail 

and over the counter in paperback booklet form only.

"Price and Availability List of U.S. Geological Survey Publications," issued annually, is available free of charge in paperback booklet form only.

Selected copies of a monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. 

Geological Survey" available free of charge by mail or may be obtained 

over the counter in paperback booklet form only. Those wishing a free 

subscription to the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. 

Geological Survey" should write to the U.S. Geological Survey, 582 

National Center, Reston, VA 22092.

Note.-Prices of Government publications listed in older catalogs, 

announcements, and publications may be incorrect. Therefore, the 

prices charged may differ from the prices in catalogs, announcements, 

and publications.