Structural evolution of Carpinteria basin, western transverse ranges, California

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7021868

Jackson, P A; Yeats, R S

The Pleistocene Carpinteria basin is an east-trending northward-verging, faulted syncline containing up to 4,000 ft (1,220 m) of partially intertonguing Santa Barbara and Casitas Formations deposited on previously folded pre-Pleistocene strata with up to 80/sup 0/ discordance. Structures subcropping against the unconformity indicate that most of the deformation in the Santa Ynez Mountains prior to deposition of the Pleistocene Santa Barbara Formation was by folding. Quaternary faults in the area are either south-dipping reverse faults related to bedding slip in pre-Pleistocene strata or north-dipping reverse faults that truncate bedding and are seismogenic. The Red Mountain fault dips 55 to 63/sup 0/ north at the surface and steepens to 70/sup 0/ north with depth; it also steepens westward south of the Summerland Offshore oil field to 85/sup 0/ north. Vertical separation decreases westward from 14,750 ft (4,500 m) north of the Rincon field to 1,150 ft (350 m) at Rincon Point and 330 ft (100 m) south of Summerland. The main branch of the Red Mountain fault offsets a 45,000 year old marine terrace, but not a 4,500 year old terrace. The Summerland Offshore oil field is situated within a disharmonically folded anticline in which severely deformed, structurally incompetent Miocene mudstone overlies broadly folded, competent Oligocene sandstone. Because the anticline formed after deposition of the Santa Barbara Formation, oil could not have migrated into this field until middle to late Pleistocene time.

• Research Organization: Oregon State Univ., Corvallis
• OSTI ID: 7021868
• Journal Information: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Vol. 66:7; ISSN AAPGB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
CALIFORNIA
CENOZOIC ERA
FEDERAL REGION IX
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
OIL FIELDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
QUATERNARY PERIOD
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TERTIARY PERIOD
USA