Tectonic evolution of Bakersfield arch, Kern County, California

Conference · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6931195

Sheehan, J R

The Bakersfield arch is a major westward-plunging structural bowing on the east side of the southern San Joaquin Valley, extending from Porterville on the north, approximately 55 mi south-southeast to the vicinity of Bear Mountain. It plunges south-southwest into the San Joaquin basin for approximately 16 mi. The arch is the site of several major oil fields which produced approximately 66 million bbl during 1984. Oil productions is from Tertiary and younger sandstone and siltstone, and from fractured basement rocks. Structural evolution of the Bakersfield arch began with the southwestward movement of the western US in response to plate-tectonic forces. This movement resulted in westerly (clockwise) rotation of the southern part of the Sierra Nevada batholith and the southwesterly projection of the Tehachapi Mountains granitic salient. The salient is bounded on the south by the left-lateral Garlock fault and on the northwest by the right-lateral White Wolf and Kern Canyon faults. Southwesterly pressure on the White Wolf-Kern Canyon fault pushed (wedged) the Greenhorn Mountains block of the Sierra Nevada batholith westward into the San Joaquin basin. The Greenhorn Mountains are the core of the Bakersfield arch. Movement on the Garlock fault to initiate Bakersfield arch growth probably began in the middle Miocene.

• OSTI ID: 6931195
• Report Number(s): CONF-8604187-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 70:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
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& Exploration
ANTICLINES
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CENOZOIC ERA
FEDERAL REGION IX
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
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RESERVOIR ROCK
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ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SILTSTONES
TECTONICS
TERTIARY PERIOD
USA