Coarse-grained deltaic sedimentation in the Miocene Cuyama strike-slip basin, California coast ranges

Conference · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:6858040

Bartow, J A ^[1]

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1. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (USA)

The Cuyama basin, located in the southern Coast Ranges southwest of the San Andreas fault developed early in the history of the San Andreas transform system. The Miocene marine basin formed in a transtensional setting along a dextral strike-slip fault of the transform system, the San Juan-Chimineas fault following Oligocene nonmarine basin formation in an extensional setting. The lower and middle Miocene Vaqueros Formation in the northwestern part of the basin, which represents the first of two transgressive-regressive cycles, consists of eight facies making up two depositional systems. The 400-m-thick Soda Lake Shale Member constitutes a basinal system consisting of deep-basin and starved-basin facies. The overlying 2,200-m-thick Painted Rock Sandstone Member consists mostly of coarse-grained, pebbly sandstone and constitutes a deltaic depositional system of prodelta, slope channel, delta front, tidal channel, interdistributary bay, and fluvial channel facies. The basinal depositional system consists of turbidite sand and mud, and hemipelagic and pelagic sediments that were deposited in a rapidly subsiding basin. The deltaic depositional system prograded into the deep basin and had a steep prodelta slope that extended to bathyal depths. The delta is inferred to be a river-dominated fan delta in which coarse sediment was transported down the prodelta slope into deep water by sediment gravity flows. The overall basin history and geometry of the northwestern Cuyama basin are typical of strike-slip basins. The initial rapid subsidence to bathyal depths at rates of more than 500 m/m.y. in the early Miocene is interpreted to be a result of extension at the releasing bend of a dextral strike-slip fault.

• OSTI ID: 6858040
• Report Number(s): CONF-900605--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Journal Volume: 74:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
CALIFORNIA
CENOZOIC ERA
CONGLOMERATES
FEDERAL REGION IX
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
NORTH AMERICA
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEDIMENTATION
TERTIARY PERIOD
USA