Geohistory analysis of the Santa Maria basin, California, and its relationship to tectonic evolution of the continental margin

Conference · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5200086

McCrory, P A; Arends, R G ^[1]; Ingle, Jr, J C ^[2]; Isaacs, C M; Stanley, R G ^[3]; Thornton, M L.C. ^[1]

---

1. Unocal Corp., Ventura, CA (United States)
2. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
3. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (United States)

The Santa Maria basin of central California is a geologically complex area located along the tectonically active California continental margin. The record of Cenozoic tectonism preserved in Santa Maria strata provides an opportunity to compare the evolution of the region with plate tectonic models for Cenozoic interactions along the margin. Geohistory analysis of Neogene Santa Maria basin strata provides important constraints for hypotheses of the tectonic evolution of the central California margin during its transition from a convergent to a transform plate boundary. Preliminary analyses suggest that the tectonic evolution of the Santa Maria area was dominated by coupling between adjacent oceanic plates and the continental margin. This coupling is reflected in the timing of major hiatuses within the basin sedimentary sequence and margin subsidence and uplift which occurred during periods of tectonic plate adjustment. Stratigraphic evidence indicates that the Santa Maria basin originated on the continental shelf in early Miocene time. A component of margin subsidence is postulated to have been caused by cessation of spreading on adjacent offshore microplates approximately 19-18 ma. A sharp reduction in rate of tectonic subsidence in middle Miocene time, observed in the Santa Maria basin both onshore and offshore, was coeval with rotation of crustal blocks as major shearing shifts shoreward. Tectonic uplift of two eastern sites, offshore Point Arguello and near Point Sal, in the late Miocene may have been related to a change to transpressional motion between the Pacific and North American plates, as well as to rotation of the western Transverse Ranges in a restraining geometry.

• OSTI ID: 5200086
• Report Number(s): CONF-9103128--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
CALIFORNIA
CENOZOIC ERA
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
NORTH AMERICA
PLATE TECTONICS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
STRATIGRAPHY
TECTONICS
TERTIARY PERIOD
USA