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Nature of basement rocks under the Los Angeles Basin, southern California, as inferred from aeromagnetic data

Conference · · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)
OSTI ID:5022025
;  [1]
  1. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (United States). Branch of Geophysics
The Los Angeles (L.A.) Basin, one of the world's richest oil-producing basins, is underlain by at least two basement assemblages. Because the thickness of the basin sediments reaches up to a minimum of 10 km, magnetic data allow a more regional view of the juxtaposition and nature of basement rocks than do available drill-hole data. Aeromagnetic data indicate that a zone of magnetic rocks extends along the coast east of the Newport-Inglewood fault zone from the San Joaquin Hills northwest to the Santa Monica Mountains. The magnetic highs produced by these rocks appear to be a continuation of intense magnetic highs that are present over exposed rocks of the Peninsular Ranges batholith to the southwest. Modeling of a 180 nT magnetic high over the San Joaquin Hills indicates that the tops of two concealed magnetic sources are at about 1.5 km and 4.5 km depth, which places these bodies at or beneath the basement surface. Modeling of magnetic highs over the exposed batholithic rocks to the south reveals a source with similar geometry and magnetic properties. The associated gravity highs of the San Joaquin Hills suggest that the probable lithology of these concealed magnetic bodies is a dense crystalline rock such as gabbro.
OSTI ID:
5022025
Report Number(s):
CONF-9305259--
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 25:5
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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