Geology of The San Francisco Bay Area

A Field-Trip Guidebook
2001 Fall Field Conference

National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Far Western Section
U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2188
U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
12230'
38
00'
12200'
12130'
NAGT FIELD-TRIP AREAS
Pe Mar
nin in
su
la
SA
N
San
Francisco
1. The Geology from

Santa Cruz to Point Ao
NuevoThe San Gregorio
Fault Zone and Pleistocene Marine Terraces
FR
2. A Geologic Excursion to
the East San Francisco
Bay Area
AN
Hayward
CI
SC
3. Geology of the Golden

Gate Headlands
O
BA
Y
4. San Andreas Fault and

Coastal Geology, from
Half Moon Bay to Fort
FunstonCrustal Motion,
Climate Change, and
Human Activity
37
30'
Half Moon
Bay
USGS
Menlo
Park
5. Elements of Engineering
Geology on the San
Francisco Peninsula
Challenges When
Dynamic Geology and
Society's Transportation
Web Intersect
San Jos
6. The Calaveras and San

Andreas Faults in and
Around Hollister
Pt Ao Nuevo
PA
C
Santa
Cruz
IF
37
00'
IC
O
C
Hollister
RE
20 MILES
BA
20 KILOMETERS
Monterey
Map showing field-trip areas for the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, Far Western Section, 2001 Fall Field Conference.
Cover: Satellite image of San Francisco Bay area processed by Michael J. Rymer, USGS. Data from Landsat 5, path 44, row 34, bands
7, 4, and 2 in a respective red, green, and blue (RGB) assemblage. Date of imagery November 30, 1991.

Geology and Natural History

of the San Francisco Bay Area
A Field-Trip Guidebook
2001 Fall Field Conference
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Far Western Section
September 1416, 2001

Menlo Park, California
U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2188

Philip W. Stoffer and Leslie C. Gordon, Editors

Gale A. Norton, Secretary
Charles G. Groat, Director
Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for

descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by
the U.S. Government.
U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2001
Electronic copies of the guidebook are available online at:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/b2188/
Additional USGS publications can be found online at

http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/
For more information about the USGS and its products:
Telephone: 1888ASKUSGS
World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/
Published in the Western Region, Menlo Park, California

Manuscript approved for publication, August 20, 2001
Text and illustrations edited by James W. Hendley II and Peter H. Stauffer
Production by Sara Boore and Susan Mayfield
Table of Contents
Preface
iv
Field trip guides:

1. The Geology from Santa Cruz to Point Ao NuevoThe San Gregorio Fault Zone
and Pleistocene Marine Terraces
1
Gerald E. Weber, University of California, Santa Cruz, and
Alan O. Allwardt, Geologic Consultant, Santa Cruz
2. A Geologic Excursion to the East San Francisco Bay Area
33
Russell W. Graymer, U.S. Geological Survey
3. Geology of the Golden Gate Headlands
61
William P. Elder, National Park Service, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
4. San Andreas Fault and Coastal Geology, from Half Moon Bay to Fort FunstonCrustal Motion,
Climate Change, and Human Activity
87
David W. Andersen, San Jos State University
Andrei M. Sarna-Wojcicki, U.S. Geological Survey, and
Richard L. Sedlock, San Jos State University
5. Elements of Engineering Geology on the San Francisco PeninsulaChallenges When Dynamic Geology
and Societys Transportation Web Intersect
105
John W. Williams, San Jos State University
6. The Calaveras and San Andreas Faults in and Around Hollister
145
Deborah R. Harden, San Jos State University

Heidi Stenner, U.S. Geological Survey, and
Imogene Blatz, Saratoga, California
Articles:
7. And the Fog Will Burn Off By NoonA Brief Introduction to the Weather of the
San Francisco Bay Area
165
Scott W. Starratt, U.S. Geological Survey and University of California, Berkeley
8. Consumer Uses of Industrial Minerals in the San Francisco Bay AreaHouses

to Interstates
173
John P. Galloway, Judy Weathers, and Dave Frank, U.S. Geological Survey
9. A Brief History of Population Growth in the Greater San Francisco Bay Region
181
Page Mosier, U.S. Geological Survey
10. Resource Directory For Discovering Native Americans and Archaeology in

the San Francisco Bay Area
187
John Galloway, U.S. Geological Survey
11. Information Resources About the Geology and Natural History of the San Francisco Bay Area
Susan Toussaint, U.S. Geological Survey
189
Preface
A National Association of Geoscience Teachers Far Western Section (NAGT-FWS)
field conference is an ideal forum for learning about the geology and natural history of
the San Francisco Bay area. We visit classic field sites, renew old friendships, and make
new ones. This collection of papers includes field guides and road logs for all of the Bayarea trips held during the NAGT-FWS 2001 Fall Field Conference and supplemental
chapters on other aspects of the areas natural and human history. The trips touch on
many aspects of the geology and natural hazards of the Bay area, especially urban
problems associated with living on an active tectonic plate margin: earthquake faults,
coastal erosion, landslides, and the utilization of land and natural resources. We hope
this conference not only provides a two-day learning opportunity for conference participants but that students and educators will use this field guidebook for future teaching
and research.
Many thanks are due to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and San Jos State
University (SJSU) for cohosting the conference. We are grateful to each of the field trip
leaders for preparing the trips and writing the accompanying guides. We especially
appreciate the many hours put in by the guidebook reviewers, Robert I. Tilling (USGS)
and Paula Messina (SJSU), and to the USGS Western Publications Group for editing,
layout, and web posting. Additional guidebook contributions include articles by John
Galloway, Scott Starratt, Page Mosier, and Susan Toussaint. During the conference
guest speakers include Robert I. Tilling (USGS Volcano Hazards Team) and Ross Stein
(USGS Earthquake Hazards Team). Workshops prepared for the conference include GIS
in the classroom, using USGS data by John Vogel (USGS) and Paula Messina (SJSU), and
The Best of BAESI (Bay Area Earth Science Institute), a teacher training organization
under the direction of Ellen Metzger (SJSU) and Richard Sedlock (SJSU). The conference provides an opportunity to showcase USGS scientific and education resources with
self-guided tours of the USGS Library, the Earth Science Information Center (ESIC), the
Visitor Center, and various laboratories on the USGS campus and includes a half-day
participatory tour of the USGS research vessel the R/V Polaris and the USGS Marine
Facility at the Port of Redwood City under the direction of Cynthia L. Brown, Francis
Parchaso, and Tara Schraga. Beyond the names mentioned above, a host of USGS and
SJSU staff, SJSU students, and NAGT-FWS members contributed to the preparation and
orchestration of the conference. We couldnt have done it alone.
Leslie C. Gordon (USGS), Philip W. Stoffer (USGS), and Deborah Harden (SJSU)
NAGT-FWS 2001 Fall Field Conference Organizers
iv
Field Trip 1 The Geology from Santa Cruz to Point Ao NuevoThe San Gregorio Fault Zone and Pleistocene Marine Terraces
The Geology from Santa Cruz to Point Ao Nuevo

The San Gregorio Fault Zone and Pleistocene Marine Terraces
Gerald E. Weber
University of California, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Alan O. Allwardt
Geologic Consultant, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Introduction
On this field trip, we will illustrate two aspects of the tectonic unrest along the coastline between Santa Cruz and
Point Ao Nuevo: (1) late Quaternary activity in the San Gregorio Fault Zone at Ao Nuevo State Reserve and (2)
Pleistocene marine terraces in the vicinity of Wilder Ranch State Park, formed in response to regional uplift and fluctuating sea level. Among the topics of discussion will be rates of soil development on the terrace surfaces, techniques for
dating terrace sequences and determining rates of uplift, and problems in using offset Pleistocene strandlines to estimate
slip rates across the fault zone.
Our goal in scheduling only two field trip stops is to maximize the time spent outside the bus. For much of the day we
will be walking and examining outcrops on State Parks land, where sample collecting is prohibited. However, the quality
of the exposures will more than compensate for this handicap. Time permitting, we may also visit some of the optional
field-trip stops described in the road log, which will provide additional background on the geology and cultural history of
this stretch of coastline.
The San Gregorio Fault Zone (SGFZ) is the principal fault west of the San Andreas Fault Zone (SAFZ) in
central California and is part of the larger San Andreas Fault system, representing the active tectonic boundary
between the Pacific and North American lithospheric plates (fig. 1.1). At its type locality at Point Ao Nuevo, the
SGFZ is 2 to 3 km wide and includes seven fault strands with late Quaternary activity. From here, the SGFZ has
been traced northward to its juncture with the SAFZ near Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County and southward across
Monterey Bay, a cumulative length approaching 200 km (125 miles). Based on its dimensions and late Quaternary
activity, this fault zone appears to be a potential source of significant earthquakes and has been assigned a 7.3
Mmax (Petersen and others, 1996).
Based on cross-fault matches, Clark (1998) infers 150 to 160 km of cumulative dextral (right-lateral) slip on the
SGFZ, whereas Burnham (1998) postulates between 150 to 185 km of dextral slip. Sedlock and Hamilton (1991) suggest
150 km of dextral slip between the early Paleocene and Miocene, but only 5 km of dextral slip during the late Cenozoic
(Neogene). Clark (1997), on the other hand, suggests that slip on the SGFZ was initiated about 10 Ma (late Miocene)
with the following rates:
Time Interval
Displacement
Slip Rate
50 to 60 km
25 to 30 mm/yr
8 to 3 Ma (late Miocene-late Pliocene)
81 km
16 mm/yr
3 to 0 Ma (late Pliocene-Holocene)
19 km
6 mm/yr
10 to 8 Ma (late Miocene)
The post-late Pliocene slip rate of 6 mm per year falls within the slip-rate estimates for late Quaternary of Weber and
others (1995): 5 to 9 mm per year, based on offset marine terraces and offset streams on alluvial fans at Point Ao Nuevo.
Exploratory trenching of the eastern, onland trace of the SGFZ at Seal Cove indicates a post-late Pleistocene slip rate of 3.5
to 4.5 mm per year for the SGFZ (Simpson and others, 1997). This is a minimum rate because it does not include the
western, offshore strand of the SGFZ. The addition of dextral slip from the SGFZ to the SAFZ may also explain why the
present-day slip rate along the SAFZ northwest of their juncture in Marin County appears to be greater than that on the San
Francisco Peninsula segment of the SAFZ.
A major unresolved question for seismic hazard analysis is the location of the southern terminus of the SGFZ
in central coastal California and its postulated continuity with the Hosgri Fault Zone (HFZ). Most workers have
followed Silver (1978) and Graham and Dickinson (1978), who postulated that the SGFZ is linked, via a segment
of the Sur Fault Zone, with the HFZ (fig. 1.1). Greene and others (1973), alternatively, have suggested that the
1
Geology and Natural History of the San Francisco Bay Area: A 2001 NAGT Field-Trip Guidebook
SGFZ curves inland south of Monterey Bay to join the Palo Colorado Fault in the northern Santa Lucia
Range.
A related problem is the apparent discrepancy between recent estimates of cumulative offsets on the
SGFZ and the HFZ. For example, Dickinsons (1996) reconstruction infers 1568 km of dextral slip on the
SGFZ and 1105 km of slip on the HFZ. One hypothesis explaining this discrepancy is that the shear to the
south is distributed along en echelon faults within the Santa Lucia Range, rather than being restricted to a
continuous, offshore HFZ.
This trip will examine some of the field evidence for recent faulting along the SGFZ at its type locality near
Point Ao Nuevo, in western San Mateo County. The bus will pass through Santa Cruz and, after stopping near
the western boundary of Wilder Ranch State Park, follow the coastline northward to Ao Nuevo State Reserve
(fig. 1.2). We will discuss recent (and not so recent) onshore work relating to problems of the SGFZ, including (1)
marine terrace stratigraphy, ages, and cross-fault correlation, (2) Neogene stratigraphic contrasts across the SGFZ
in the central Santa Cruz Mountains, including the postulated offset of a thick upper Miocene unit (Santa Cruz
Mudstone), and (3) late Pleistocene and Holocene deformation along the SGFZ at Point Ao Nuevo.
Approaching Santa Cruz by Highway 17

As we approach Santa Cruz on Highway 17, the bus will take the Highway 1 off-ramp and head through town. About
a quarter-mile to the west, we will cross the San Lorenzo River bridge.
San Lorenzo River. To the left (south) is downtown Santa Cruz. The downtown area is built on the floodplain of the San
Lorenzo River, underlain by soft, unconsolidated Holocene sediments that back-filled the ancestral San Lorenzo Valley
during the rise in sea level associated with the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. During the Wisconsin glaciation, the San
Lorenzo River channel had become incised about 20 to 30 meters (or more) below its current elevation in this area, in
response to a sea level that was about 100 meters lower than present.
During both the April 18, 1906, and October 17, 1989, earthquakes downtown Santa Cruz suffered partial to nearly
complete collapse of many older, unreinforced brick and masonry buildings. The higher intensity shaking in the downtown area resulted from the unconsolidated substrate. Ground cracking related to lateral spreading, along with other
liquefaction phenomena, occurred in this area during both earthquakes.
At the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 9/River Street (first traffic light), the bus will continue straight ahead.
Mission Street intersection with Highway 1 (second traffic light). The bus will turn right and continue west on
Mission Street/Highway 1. We have now climbed above the floodplain of the San Lorenzo River to the Santa Cruz
terrace. Most of the city of Santa Cruz is built on this terrace, both east and west of the San Lorenzo River
floodplain. The geologic setting of the terracea thin layer of well-drained sands and silts overlying firm to hard
bedrockresulted in a reduced level of seismic shaking in 1989, when compared to the floodplain of the San
Lorenzo. Although numerous chimneys were knocked down, most buildings on the terrace sustained only minor
damage during the Loma Prieta earthquake.
From this point north to Waddell Creek, Highway 1 lies near the back edge of the Santa Cruz terrace of Bradley and
Griggs (1976), the first (lowest) of five prominent marine terraces cut into the southwestern flank of Ben Lomond
Mountain (fig. 1.3). The modern seacliff, the first emergent terrace, and also most of the older, higher terraces from here
north to Point Ao Nuevo are cut into a single rock typethe Santa Cruz Mudstone, a hard, blocky fracturing, siliceous
mudstone of Delmontian age (late Miocene). The marine terraces are essentially undeformed from Santa Cruz to Point
Ao Nuevo, except for some minor warping, tilting and fault offset near Greyhound Rock. Two terraces (the Wilder and
Cement terraces) are discontinuous and are not present along the entire coastline (fig. 1.3).
Bay Street. The University of California Santa Cruz campus lies about 1 mile to the north (right), on one of the few
well-developed karst landscapes in California. Between here and Almar Street we will cross the surface trace of the Ben
Lomond Fault, the structural element that bounds Ben Lomond Mountain on the north and east. The late Tertiary
through middle Pleistocene vertical slip on this fault (west side up, east side down) is between 300 and 600 meters;
however, there is no evidence of offset in the marine terrace deposits or the wave-cut platform (wcp) of the Santa Cruz
terrace, as exposed in the seacliff near Almar Street. Stanley and McCaffrey (1983) argue that the wcp is offset about 2
to 3 cm, but they agree that the terrace deposits are not offset. Consequently, the Ben Lomond Fault may display
movement since the formation of the abrasional platform but no movement since the deposition of the shallow marine
sands; these observations suggest the possibility of a brief episode of minor movement approximately 80,000 years ago
(see discussion of terrace ages, below).
2
The Geology from Santa Cruz to Point Ao NuevoThe San Gregorio Fault Zone and Pleistocene Marine Terraces
Road Log: Santa Cruz to Point Ao Nuevo

For this field trip our mileage log will begin at the intersection of Highway 1 and Almar Street in westside Santa Cruz.
Mileage/Notes
0.0
Almar Street. Highway 1 bends to the right at the three-way traffic light. Safeway lies to the southwest (left) of
Highway 1. As we head north, note the steep slope on the right (northeast), which is the erosionally modified,
ancient seacliff at the back edge of the Santa Cruz terrace (see figure 1.4 for an explanation of terrace terminology). Two wave-cut platforms have been tentatively identified within the Santa Cruz terrace in this area (fig. 1.5).
Fossil mollusks exposed in the seacliff at Point Santa Cruz have yielded an average U-series age of 86,500 years
B.P. (Bradley and Addicott, 1968) and an amino-acid racemization age of about 85 ka for the lower, Davenport
platform. These dates on fossil material suggest that the Davenport platform was created during the sea-level high
stand corresponding to oxygen isotope stage 5a, dated 80 to 83 ka by most workers (see discussion of Stop 1,
below). In contrast, shell fragments from a basal lag recovered in a boring near the inner edge of the terrace
displayed a cold water fauna and an amino-acid racemization age estimate of 103 ka. This suggests that, in west
Santa Cruz, the upper wave-cut platform within the Santa Cruz terrace is the so-called Highway 1 platform, created
during the sea-level high stand corresponding to oxygen isotope stage 5c (103 to 105 ka). The two wave-cut
platforms within the Santa Cruz terrace are apparently separated by a 1-to-2 meter seacliff, which is buried by the
continuous alluvial apron that forms the topographic surface of the terrace.
Because the Cement terrace is absent in the Santa Cruz area, the next highest terrace surface here is the Western
terrace of Bradley and Griggs (1976), visible northeast of Highway 1 as a series of erosionally dissected topographic flats above the 103 to 105 ka seacliff. The age of the Western terrace is estimated to be approximately 213
ka (oxygen isotope stage 7). Between Santa Cruz and Point Ao Nuevo, the marine terraces of Ben Lomond
Mountain lie within a single structural block, the Santa Cruz Mountains structural block (Weber and Lajoie, 1979;
Weber, 1980), which lies east of the San Gregorio Fault Zone. Marine terraces within this structural block are
undeformed except for a broad, shallow anticlinal flexure in the terrace near Greyhound Rock.
1.0
Moore Creek. This creek and other large streams along this segment of the Santa Cruz County coast eroded their
bedrock canyons to the Wisconsin low stand of sea level, 100 to 115 meters (300 to 350 feet) below present sea
level. The Holocene rise in sea level flooded the lower reaches of these streams, resulting in alluviation of the
stream valleys. Small lagoons formed at the mouths of these streams as they became dammed by a combination of
storm berms and small aeolian dunes.
Coastal Erosion Rates. Measured rates of cliff retreat along this section of coast are generally less than 1 foot per year
(Griggs, 1979). Along the Santa Cruz County coast from Almar Street north to the San Gregorio Fault Zone at Point Ao
Nuevo, the modern seacliff has formed in the late Miocene Santa Cruz Mudstone. Consequently, the rock type under wave
attack in the surf zone is essentially uniform along this entire stretch of coastline, except for a few scattered sandstone dikes.
2.7
Sandy Flat Gulch. Late Miocene Santa Margarita Sandstone is quarried for construction sand on the northeast
(right) side of the road. The roadcut exposes Quaternary colluvium overlying Santa Cruz Mudstone, as Highway 1
is built just above the Santa Cruz terrace on the colluvial wedge at the base of the 103 to 105 ka seacliff. Between
here and Davenport the first three marine terraces and occasionally the fourth terrace are visible from the highway.
5.3
Stop 1Ben Lomond Mountain Marine Terraces
Information on Stop 1
Introduction
We will be walking up the road beyond the gate to examine the Western, Wilder, and Blackrock terraces. Upon
reaching the Wilder terrace, take the right fork in the road and note the intricate flow structures in the asphalt: this is
one of the oldest paved roads in Santa Cruz County, utilizing locally quarried bituminous sandstone. For a brief history
of these asphalt quarries, which date back to the late 1880s, see the discussion below on Majors Creek (milepost 5.8 on
the road log).
3
Since the initial study of Rode (1930), the exceptionally well-preserved Ben Lomond Mountain marine terrace sequence
has been the subject of numerous studies and reinterpretations. These include Bradley (1957, 1958), Bradley and Griggs
(1976), Lajoie and others (1979), Hanks and others (1984), Lajoie (1986), Weber (1990a, b), Anderson (1990, 1994),
Anderson and Menking (1994), Anderson and Weber (1990), Lajoie and others (1991), and Weber and others (1995).
To summarize briefly, the terrace sequence consists of six marine terraces cut into the slowly rising coastline by
successive high stands of sea level during the Pleistocene. Terrace names, elevations, estimated ages and estimated uplift
rates for the Davenport area are shown in table 1.1.
Table 1.1. Marine terraces on Ben Lomond Mountain (Santa Cruz Mountains structural block)elevations, estimated
ages and estimated uplift rates.
Tectonic
uplift (m)
Uplift rate
(m/k.y.)
-19
36
0.45
-9
41
0.39
125
+6
52
0.42
92
213
-5
97
0.46
Wilder (p)
140
320
140
0.44
Blackrock
190
430
190
0.44
Quarry
240
545 ?
240
0.44
Marine
terrace
Elevation (m)
Estimated age Paleosea

(ka)
level (m)
DAV
17
80
Hy 1
32
105
GRX
40
sp
Cement
58
Western
Santa Cruz
DAV, Davenport wave-cut platform;

Hy 1, Highway 1 wave-cut platform;
GRX, Greyhound rock wave-cut platform;
p, shoreline angle elevation projected
Bradley and Griggs (1976) describe the lowest emergent terrace (Santa Cruz terrace) as containing three separate
wave-cut platforms and shoreline angles named, from youngest to oldest, the Davenport, Highway 1, and Greyhound
Rock wave-cut platforms (note: only one terrace, but three abrasional surfaces). Although not specifically stated, Bradley
and Griggs (1976) imply that each of these platforms was formed by surf erosion during a separate sea-level high stand.
More recent investigators have concluded that the Greyhound Rock abrasional surface is simply a localized shore
platform associated with the Highway 1 wave-cut platform (Weber and others, 1995).
The areal extent of the terraces on the flank of Ben Lomond Mountain is shown in figure 1.3. The Santa Cruz terrace
forms the broad, extensively cultivated bench closest to the ocean. Highway 1 lies along the back edge of this terrace between
Santa Cruz and Waddell Creek. The Santa Cruz terrace is late Pleistocene in age, probably having formed during the
Sangamon interglacial (oxygen isotope stage 5). The higher terraces are all older, ranging in age from about 213 ka for the
Western terrace to possibly 545 ka for the Quarry terrace. The older terraces are not continuous along the entire coastline and
show successively greater erosional modification and dissection with age and elevation. Note that the Wilder terrace is not
preserved north of Laguna Creek, and the Cement terrace is restricted to the immediate vicinity of Davenport.
Determination of Marine Terrace Ages

Despite their excellent geomorphic expression and preservation, there are no indisputable absolute age determinations
for any of the terraces (the previously cited dates on fossil material notwithstanding). We know that each terrace must
have formed in response to a period of sea-level rise culminating in an interglacial high stand, but we cannot unambiguously correlate this particular sequence of terraces with the known high stands in sea level. Traditionally, any attempt to
date a succession of marine terraces has required an assumed age for at least one terrace in the sequence, coupled with an
4
unknown but constant rate of uplift throughout the late Quaternary. These assumptions allow the researcher to match, by
trial and error, the spatial sequence of the terraces with the independently derived, temporal sequence of sea-level high
stands. The best fit yields both the ages of the terraces and an estimate of the uplift rate. This procedure is analogous to
the way magnetic stripes on the sea floor could be correlated with the known sequence of geomagnetic polarity reversals,
thus providing an estimate of the spreading rate (see Glen, 1982).
Accordingly, we have estimated the ages of the terraces by comparing their shoreline angle elevations to the known high
stands of sea level in the Pleistocene, using the method described by Lajoie (1986). Because each episode of terrace cutting
must be linked with a period of rising sea level, each shoreline angle must be associated with a high stand (strandline).
Consequently, dating a particular strandline is reduced to correlating it with a peak in an established sea-level curve (fig. 1.6).
In our analysis, we have used what is probably the most detailed datum from which to determine terrace ages, the sea-level
curve obtained by subtracting tectonic uplift from the record of emergent coral-reef strandlines (terraces) on the Huon
Peninsula of Papua, New Guinea. This terrace sequence, accurately dated using U-series techniques on corals, provides a
reliable estimate of global sea-level fluctuations back to about 340 ka (Bloom and others, 1974; Chappell, 1983).
We approximated the ages of terraces on Ben Lomond Mountain using the simple graphic technique of Lajoie (1986)
and the New Guinea sea-level curve. Shoreline angle elevations are plotted on the vertical axis, and lines are drawn
between the shoreline angle elevations and the sea-level high stands. If uplift rates have been constant, all the lines
connecting shoreline angle elevations to sea-level high stands will be parallel (see fig. 1.6). If uplift has not been constant
during the late Pleistocene (the last 0.5 to 1.0 m.y.), the lines should diverge and not be parallel.
Discussion: Terrace Ages and Uplift Rates

The graphic technique described above does not produce a unique solution for terrace ages and uplift rates on Ben
Lomond Mountain. This stems from the absence of an indisputable, independently determined age date for at least one of the
terraces. Two contrasting interpretations of terrace ages and uplift rates are shown in table 1.2. A low uplift rate (0.21 m/k.y.)
is envisioned by Lajoie and others (1991), whereas both Hanks and others (1984) and Weber and others (1995) suggest a
higher uplift rate, 0.41 to 0.44 m/k.y. The Lajoie and others (1991) assignment of terrace ages is similar to that of Bradley and
Griggs (1976), with the Highway 1 platform 125 ka in age and the Western terrace about 430 to 450 ka in age. (The Greyhound Rock wave-cut platform would represent the 213 ka strandline in their scheme.) Anderson and Menking (1994), using
a more formal analysis, indicate that either of the uplift rates can be used to explain the coast-parallel pattern of shoreline
angle elevations for the terraces. We prefer the higher uplift rate interpretation, because it appears that the Greyhound Rock
wave-cut platform is a shore platform and not a paleo-strandline as envisioned by Lajoie and others (1991).
Table 1.2. Marine terraces of Ben Lomond Mountainalternative interpretations of terrace ages and uplift
rates in the Davenport area.
Marine terrace
Hanks and others,

1984
Uplift rate:
0.41 m/k.y.
Lajoie and others,

1991
Uplift rate:
0.21 m/k.y.
Santa Cruz Hy 1
104 ka
124 ka
105 ka
Cement
120 ka
320 ka
125 ka
Western
230 ka
430 ka
213 ka
Wilder (proj.)
370 ka
800 ka
320 ka
Blackrock
450 ka
1000 ka
430 ka
Quarry
650 ka?
1300 ka
545 ka?
Weber and others,

1995
Uplift rate:
0.42 to 0.44 m/k.y.
Recently, a completely different approach to dating the Ben Lomond Mountain marine terraces has been taken
by Perg and others (in press), leading them to postulate dramatically higher uplift rates in the range of 1.1 m/k.y.
Utilizing the relatively new technique of surface-exposure dating, they sampled the five successive terraces
northwest of Santa Cruz and measured the concentrations of two cosmogenic radionuclides, beryllium-10 and
aluminum-26, in the soil profiles developed on the terrace deposits. Cosmogenic radionuclides (CRNs) are
produced at constant rates in the upper atmosphere and accumulate steadily on any exposed surface that remains
undisturbed (such as a marine terrace). Knowing the atmospheric production rate and the half-life of a CRN
makes it possible to date the surface in question, provided that several additional parameters are taken into
account. Foremost among these complicating factors are the initial concentration of the CRN in the parent
material and subsequent mixing in the upper soil horizons.
The preliminary CRN dates suggest that the Ben Lomond Mountain terraces are significantly younger than
previously thought. Perg and her colleagues, for instance, correlate the Santa Cruz terrace with oxygen isotope
stage 3 (about 60 ka) rather than stages 5a, 5c, or 5e (80 to 125 ka), and they shift the entire sequence of terraces
accordingly. The resulting uplift rates are two to three times higher than those proposed by researchers using
conventional methods for estimating the terrace ages. Methodology aside, the CRN data cited above may be
subject to alternative interpretations requiring a less drastic revision of the older models. Conceptually, the
ultimate goal is to correlate a given shoreline angle with an independently documented high stand in sea level, but
the CRN technique provides only a minimum age for this purpose since the surface being dated is not the wavecut platform itself but the top of the terrace deposits. Moreover, CRN dating simply indicates when a terrace
surface became stabilized, raising questions regarding the extent to which the terrace deposits might have been
reworked as sea level dropped. Until these issues are resolvedand until the initial CRN terrace dates are either
corroborated or refuted by additional data covering a wider areawe will continue advocating a more traditional
view of the terrace ages and have written this guide accordingly.
Correlating Marine Terraces between the Santa Cruz Mountains and Pigeon Point Structural Blocks
Six marine terraces are clearly recognizable on the Pigeon Point structural block, which lies west of the SGFZ.
The names of these terraces, their probable ages, and estimated uplift rates are shown in table 1.3. Prior to remapping of the terraces by Weber and others (1995), none of the terraces older than the Western terrace had been
successfully correlated across the fault zone. Based on this re-interpretation, however, it now appears that the
Pigeon Point terrace sequence can be correlated with the Ben Lomond Mountain terrace sequence as shown in
table 1.4. Note that, except for the Cement terrace, there is one-to-one correlation between the terraces east and
west of the SGFZ (see also fig. 1.7). The absence of the Cement terrace west of the fault zone is not surprising,
since it occurs along only 3 km of coastline east of the fault zone, near Davenport, where it is both discontinuous
and narrow. This correlation of marine terraces across the SGFZ allows estimation of late Quaternary crustal
uplift rates, as well as both horizontal and vertical slip rates along the SGFZ. However, we emphasize the highly
interpretative nature of both the terrace ages and uplift rates.
Table 1.3. Marine terraces in the Pigeon Point structural blockelevations, estimated ages and
estimated uplift rates.
Marine
terrace
Elevation (m)
Estimated age Paleosea

(ka)
level (m)
Tectonic
uplift (m)
Uplift rate
(m/k.y.)
Ao Nuevo
7 to 9
80
- 19
28
0.35
Pigeon Pt.
24
105
-9
33
0.31
Bolsa
61
213
-5
66
0.31
Gazos
90
320
90
0.28
YJ
122
430
122
0.28
Mesa
153
510 ?
153
0.30
Table 1.4. Correlation of marine terraces and/or wave-cut platforms (wcp) across the San
Gregorio Fault Zone
Santa Cruz Mountains

Structural Block
Pigeon Point
Structural Block
Santa Cruz Terrace

Davenport wcp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ao Nuevo Terrace
Highway 1 wcp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pigeon Point Terrace
Cement Terrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(absent)
Western Terrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bolsa Terrace

Wilder Terrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gazos Terrace
Blackrock Terrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
YJ Terrace
Quarry Terrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mesa Terrace
Uplift Rates
Quaternary uplift rate of the Santa Cruz Mountains structural block, as deduced from terrace elevations on the flank of
Ben Lomond Mountain, is not uniform. Anderson and Menking (1994) discuss possible explanations for nonuniform
rates, including the hypothesis that the coastline is being transported horizontally past a localized area of uplift. In our
analysis we calculated uplift rates in the vicinity of Davenport, where the uplift has been uniform parallel to the coast
and has averaged between 0.42 and 0.44 m/k.y. The uplift rate is slightly higher to the northwest, near Greyhound Rock,
and somewhat lower to the southeast of Davenport. Another reasonable interpretation of the uplift rate in the Davenport
area is 0.21 m/k.y., as suggested by Lajoie and others (1991) and Anderson and Menking (1994). The uplift rate for the
Pigeon Point structural block (across the SGFZ) is most likely about 0.3 m/k.y. near Pigeon Point, decreasing slightly to
the north and increasing slightly to the south. Another reasonable interpretation of uplift rate in this area is 0.15 m/k.y.,
which also explains the vertical spacing of the terraces. Figure 1.8 shows our preferred interpretation of these geographic
variations on a tilted shoreline plot (after Lajoie and others, 1991).
Mileage/Notes
5.8
Majors Creek. The black-colored cliffs to the right (up Majors Creek) are composed of bitumen-saturated sandstone that was injected into the overlying Santa Cruz Mudstone in a liquid state. Numerous sandstone dikes and sills,
most of which contain some bituminous material, are exposed in the modern seacliff between Wilder Creek and
Greyhound Rock. The Santa Margarita Sandstone, the source of these intrusions, contains varying amounts of
bitumen throughout its outcrop area, from Santa Cruz to the vicinity of Big Basin State Park. The hydrocarbons are
believed to have migrated into the Santa Margarita Sandstone from the underlying Monterey Formation.
The bituminous sandstones in this area have been mined since the late 1880s for paving material. The asphaltic
content of the sand ranges from about 4 percent to as much as 18 percent by weight. These oil-impregnated layers
vary from 1 to 40 feet in thickness and range in character from dry and brittle to soft and gummy. In some outcrops, tar will drip or flow out of the bituminous sands when sufficiently warmed by the sun. San Francisco streets
were reportedly paved in the 1890s with bituminous sandstone mined near Majors Creek and transported to San
Francisco by boat. An estimated 614,000 tons of asphaltic paving material, worth approximately $2,360,000, was
produced from this area between 1888 and 1914 (Page and Holmes, 1945). Production was intermittent after the
1920s, with the last of the quarries (Calrock Quarry) ceasing operations in the 1940s. Page and Holmes (1945)
estimated reserves of approximately 9.8 million cubic yards of asphaltic sand in the area west of Santa Cruz. This
sand contains approximately 10 million barrels of asphalt. In oilfield terms, this is about 24 gallons of bitumen per
ton, or equivalent to a tar sand with 38 percent porosity, 53 percent oil saturation, and a recovery factor of 1,562
barrels of oil per acre-foot.
7
Oil and Gas Production at Majors Creek

In 1955, Husky Oil Company, in partnership with the Swedish Shale Oil Company, began an experimental project to
adapt the Swedish companys Ljungstrom method to the recovery of hydrocarbons. It was a thermal recovery experiment, utilizing down-hole, gas-fired burners to perform in-situ retorting. In the fall of 1957, Union Oil Company of
California joined in the project. During the next 3 years, a total of 228 burner-producer wells, 78 temperature observation
wells, 31 gas wells, and 32 miscellaneous wells were drilled (most of them on the Blackrock and Quarry terraces, where
the oil-saturated sandstone was encountered immediately below the terrace deposits). The bituminous sandstone in these
locations generally lay 8 to 10 feet below the surface and was about 40 feet thick in its saturated section, averaging about
8 percent by weight of 4-degree gravity tar throughout.
Wells were typically drilled in a triangular pattern on a ten-foot spacing to an average depth of 53 feet. They were
completed with 14 feet of 4-inch surface pipe and 50 feet of 2-7/8 inch casing. Underground heaters fueled by propane
were used in the heating phase of the test, with down-hole temperatures reaching 600 degrees F. The test area was heated
from a depth of 15 to 45 feet, with much of the crude oil vaporizing. Products produced in a vapor form were condensed
using a water-cooled condenser. The heating phase was completed in January of 1959, with a total production of 2,665
barrels of oil, 4,520 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) of gas, and 9,232 barrels of water. Average gravity of the recovered oil
was 27 degrees. The operator reported that in zones 30 feet thick, a recovery of about 18,000 barrels per acre could be
achieveda recovery of 38 percent of the oil in place. Although this is a respectable recovery factor (similar to some
steam stimulation projects), it is doubtful that such an operation could be economical because of high heat losses and
high fuel costs.
Mileage/Notes
6.1
Back Ranch Road. Private road to the right (under the suspended pipe). Note the bituminous sandstone dikes
exposed in the road cut; one of the larger, abandoned asphalt quarries in Santa Cruz County is located along Back
Ranch Road. Until recently, Santa Cruz Biotechnology operated a large goat ranch up this road for medical
research, but the California Coastal Commission shut down the operation amid concerns about runoff contaminated by manure.
To the left, an isolated hill near the edge of the modern seacliff is a stabilized Holocene sand dune (Sand Hill
Bluff). It is capped by a 1-meter-thick midden deposit containing remains of an extinct flightless scoter
(Chendytese, a type of sea duck). The dune is dated at 3,500 to 5,000 years old by 14C analysis of marine shells
from the midden deposit. It is possible that the bird became extinct as a result of hunting by the coastal Native
Americans.
The development near the hill is Pacific Maricultures Abalone Farm. The project will ultimately consist of 400
abalone grow-out tanks under 2.5 acres of shade cloth structure. Raising abalone to commercial size (4 inches)
takes about 3 to 4 years. Production is projected to reach 500,000 red abalone per year, yielding about 170,000
pounds of meat. The abalone will be fed a mixture of kelp and commercial feed, with the kelp harvested by hand
from kelp beds off the coast.
As we drive past the intersection of Old Coast Highway and Highway 1, note the vertical contact zone in the
road cut on the north side of Highway 1 (and also in the cut along Old Coast Highway). Hard siliceous bedrock of
the Santa Cruz Mudstone is juxtaposed against moderately dipping colluvial deposits along a nearly vertical
contact. This is the old 103 to 105 ka seacliff associated with the Highway 1 platform of the Santa Cruz marine
terrace. The basal portion of the old seacliff is preserved by the accumulation of talus and colluvium at the base of
the cliff. The upper half of the ancient seacliff has been eroded back. It is along this section of coast where Hanks
and others (1984) used the profiles of the ancient seacliffs between terraces to develop their paper on scarp
degradation.
North of this point the Wilder terrace is no longer preserved, having been destroyed by subsequent erosion
during the formation of the Western terrace. Refer to figure 1.3.
7.7
Yellow Bank Creek. Large, complex sedimentary intrusions of Santa Margarita Sandstone, injected into the Santa
Cruz Mudstone, are exposed in the seacliff near the mouth of the creek. Two higher terraces are visible out the
window to the right (northeast).
8.5
Intersection of Highway 1 with Bonny Doon Road. We continue north on Highway 1. Bonny Doon Beach, to the
left, is clothing optional, as are most north county beaches.
9.6
Town of Davenport. One of several historic, land-based whaling stations that existed along the central California
coast during the late 1800s. Grey whales migrating from the Bering Sea to Baja California (and back again) each
year pass close to shore at this location. During the whaling days, a lookout stationed at the top of the cliff watched
for passing whales. When whales were spotted, an alarm was sounded and the whalers launched their skiffs from
the shore. Slain whales were hauled to the beach where they were cut up and the blubber rendered locally in try
pots. This method of hunting allowed the whalers to live on shore rather than spending the better part of each year
at sea.
Just south of the town of Davenport, the Davenport and Highway 1 wave-cut platforms of the Santa Cruz
terrace are exposed in the modern seacliff (see figure 8 of Bradley and Griggs, 1976). Recently, a careful examination of the Davenport wave-cut platform in its type locality suggests that it is actually a stream terrace of San
Vicente Creek (Weber and others, 1995). Elsewhere, however, the original concept of the Davenport platform
remains the most plausible explanation.
9.8
RMC Pacific Materials Cement Plant. Now operated by RMC Pacific Materials (formerly RMC Lonestar), this
plant was built between 1905 and 1907, and has been a major producer of cement in the San Francisco Bay area.
Limestone and siliceous mudstone are both quarried locally. The relatively pure limestone (actually marble) is
quarried about 2 miles northeast of the plant and transported to the plant on a 2-mile-long enclosed conveyor belt.
Energy for producing Portland cement is derived from low-sulfur bituminous coal mined in eastern Utah and
shipped to the plant by rail. The plant was extensively remodeled in the 1970s, resulting in a great reduction in
stack emissions, and is now one of the most advanced cement manufacturing operations in the world.
The railroad tracks are part of a rail system originally intended to connect Santa Cruz and San Francisco (Ocean
Shore Railroad). In the early 1900s, the stretch between Davenport and Tunitas Creek (about 30 miles to the
north) was graded, but the tracks were laid no farther north than Swanton siding (3 miles north).
10.4 Molino Road. We are now paralleling Cement Plant Road, to the right. The private side road off Cement Plant
Road leads to the Molino Creek Farm and the old, now abandoned, limestone (marble) quarry operated by the
predecessor of RMC Pacific Materials. Portland cement for the Golden Gate Bridge was allegedly produced from
this quarry.
10.7 Davenport Landing Road. The road to Davenport Landing intersects Highway 1 on the left. It leads to a small
group of residences at Davenport Landing and Silverking Oceanic Farms.
Water wells in the Davenport Landing area produce sizable amounts of methane gas with the water. Analysis of
gas samples collected from a well at Davenport Landing indicated the gas contained 74 to 91 percent methane, <1
percent ethane, 7 to 23 percent nitrogen, and 2 percent carbon dioxide (Mullins and Nagel, 1982). The sampled
well was drilled to a depth of 655 feet, with a standing water table near 330 feet. The gas is produced along with
hot water (90 F, 32C). The Silverking Oceanic Farms well may produce as much as 200 Mcf per day. At present,
the gas is simply discharged to the atmosphere and is not used. The gas apparently originates in the Santa Cruz
Mudstone, a siliceous organic mudstone, and is thought to be of thermogenic origin.
Cement Terrace. Note the narrow bench between the Santa Cruz and Western terraces. This marine terrace, called
the Cement terrace, is present only between San Vicente Creek and Molino Creek (about 2 miles), near Davenport.
As discussed earlier, it probably corresponds to the 125 ka high stand of sea level.
11.1 Swanton Road to the right; north end of the Davenport Landing Road loop to the left.
11.3 El Jarro Point. The terrace on both sides of the road was the proposed site of a Pacific Gas & Electric nuclear
power plant in the late 1960s. The site was abandoned largely because of the close proximity of the active San
Gregorio Fault Zone.
12.2 Scott Creek. Here we can observe a large drowned valley with a lagoon confined by sand dunes and a welldeveloped berm. The dune area near the mouth of the creek was once the site of a mushroom farm that was
abandoned in the 1960s and torn down in the 1970s. At that time, the dunes were stabilized by extensive growths
of thick beach-dune vegetation. However, off-road vehicles, such as 4-wheelers and dirt bikes, started using this
beach, destroying the vegetative cover in about 2 years. This allowed the dunes to remobilize, and sand soon
started to drift once again across Highway 1 (much to the delight of Caltrans). The beach was then closed to offroad vehicles. It is ironic that the vehicles barred from the beach are what returned the back berm to its original
conditiondrifting sand.
9
As we drive north out of the valley of Scott Creek, the road again climbs up onto the Santa Cruz terrace, following
almost exactly the back edge (shoreline angle) of the Greyhound Rock platform of the Santa Cruz terrace. The terrace
platforms in this area are covered with a thick wedge of colluvial and alluvial cover. From here north to Waddell
Creek, there is only one higher terrace presentthe Western terrace. Note that the gently sloping Santa Cruz terrace
surface lies to the left (southwest) and that the roadcuts expose Santa Cruz Mudstone to the right (northeast).
North of Scott Creek, the Santa Cruz terrace is postulated to contain two wave-cut platforms, the Greyhound
Rock platform (upper) and the Highway 1 platform (lower) of Bradley and Griggs (1976). We believe that this
interpretation is incorrect. The Greyhound Rock platform is a shore platform or storm-wave platform, formed at
the back edge of the Highway 1 wave-cut platform.
The seacliff is 140 to 160 feet high and nearly vertical along this portion of coast. The views are spectacular, but
the cliff is dangerous. The local Davenport Voluntary Fire Department and Rescue Team rescues numerous
unfortunate individuals each year who get stuck on the cliff face or are injured trying to climb the cliffs.
13.6 Colluvium Filled Gullies. At about 6 locations between Scott Creek and Greyhound Rock, small V shaped
gullies filled with colluvium are present in road cuts. Fluvial deposits are absent and the colluvial deposits are
crudely stratified subparallel to the sides of the V shaped channel. These gullies apparently formed following the
culmination of the sea-level rise that formed the Highway 1 platform (103 to 105 ka). As erosion modified the
original seacliff, some of the initial gullies expanded their drainage networks, developing into the small presentday streams. As the drainage system evolved, the smaller gulliesthose that had lost the battle for drainage area
were abandoned and eventually filled with colluvium. Note there is no surface evidence (geomorphic or vegetative) of their presence, as the ground surface passes unbroken over these gully fills.
14.1 Texas Oil Co. Poleti No. 1 (Optional Stop). Immediately west of this point near the edge of the seacliff is the site
of the deepest exploratory oil well drilled in Santa Cruz County: the Texas Oil Co., Poleti No. 1. Drilled between
June and December of 1956 to a depth of 9,201 feet, the well penetrated 9,135 feet of sedimentary rocks (mostly
Santa Cruz Mudstone) before entering granitic basement. The target of the drilling was the Santa Margarita
Sandstone, about 300 feet thick near the bottom of the hole, which proved to be dry. Apparently, the Texas Oil Co.
was looking for the up-dip edge of a stratigraphic pinchout of the Santa Margarita Sandstone on the west limb of
the Davenport synclineor for a bowing of beds against a branch of the SGFZ.
The Santa Cruz Mudstone presents one of the most striking stratigraphic contrasts across the SGFZ: the
mudstone is 8,850 feet thick (more than 2,700 meters) in Poleti No. 1, east of the fault zone, but is totally absent
less than a mile offshore, west of the fault zone. Farther north, near Bolinas in Marin County, a lithologically
similar section of Santa Cruz Mudstone is exposed in the seacliffs west of the juncture of the SGFZ and the San
Andreas Fault. There, a composite section is estimated to be as thick as 2,000 meters (6,560 ft.) and has yielded
benthic foraminifers including Bolivina obliqua, diagnostic of the late Miocene (Clark and others, 1984). Restoration of about 44 to 50 miles (70 to 80 km) of right slip on the SGFZ would juxtapose these thick Santa Cruz
Mudstone sections.
Additional stratigraphic contrasts across the SGFZ are depicted in figure 1.9. Along the south shore of Point
Ao Nuevo, the missing late Miocene formations (Santa Margarita Sandstone and Santa Cruz Mudstone) are
represented by an angular unconformity separating the siliceous Monterey Formation of middle Miocene age from
Purisima Formation mudstone of early Pliocene age (Clark and Brabb, 1978). As much as 76 meters of Purisima
Formation mudstone is exposed between this unconformity and the Green Oaks fault trace; farther east, between
the Green Oaks and Coastways traces, sandstone beds of the Purisima Formation are discontinuously exposed in
the seacliffs. These sandstone beds are folded and extensively faulted and are separated into two faunally distinct
sections by the Frijoles Fault trace. The molluscan fauna from the section west of the Frijoles was believed by
Branner and others (1909) to be similar to the type Purisima; in contrast, the section between the Frijoles and
Coastways traces has yielded mollusks and echinoids diagnostic of the late Pliocene (Clark, 1981). The distinctiveness of this younger molluscan assemblage led Arnold (in Branner and others, 1909) to assign these sandstone beds
to the Merced Formation instead, which in seacliff exposures south of San Francisco ranges in age from Pliocene
(3.2 Ma) to Pleistocene (200 ka; A. M. Sarna-Wojcicki, written commun., 1996).
15.2 Greyhound Rock (Optional Stop). Time permitting, the bus will stop in the large, dirt parking area south of the
actual turnoff for Greyhound Rock, and we will walk to the edge of the seacliff for a nice view to the northwest of
Greyhound Rock, in the foreground, and Ao Nuevo, in the distance. Greyhound Rock is a tombolo, an offshore
rock connected to the beach by a sand spit. As exposed in the seacliff below the paved parking lot, the Highway 1
wave-cut platform is offset by the Greyhound Rock strand of the SGFZ. The Greyhound Rock strand actually
consists of two discrete zones of faulting that offset the 103 to 105 ka wave-cut platform and the overlying terrace
10
deposits. The eastern fault zone lies almost directly below the parking lot and consists of three closely spaced,
steeply dipping fault planes that offset the Highway 1 platform about 10 meters, with apparent normal motion.
These faults are also exposed along the beach access road north of and below the parking lot, where they cut the
marine terrace deposits.
A second, western fault is exposed below the access road to the beach, about 60 meters west of the eastern
fault zone, and offsets the wave-cut platform and overlying marine terrace deposits about 1.5 meters vertically.
However, the western fault is truncated by fluvial sediments overlying the marine terrace deposits. This fault was
well exposed in the cut for the access road until it was buried by a small landslide in the early 1990s. Both the
western fault and the eastern fault zone have been traced more than 300 meters to the northwest. Unfortunately,
poor exposures away from the seacliff preclude conclusive demonstration that these are eastern branches of the
main SGFZ. Nevertheless, it appears that the SGFZ consists of at least seven faults that offset the wave-cut
platforms of the Santa Cruz terrace in a zone about 4.7 km (3 miles) wide.
Looking north toward Ao Nuevo in the distance, the entire SGFZ is visible from this vantage point (fig. 1.10).
The area of low cliffs delineates the small graben filled with the deposits of Ao Nuevo Creek. The Frijoles Fault
lies along the western side of this low area, forming the east-facing fault scarp. The Ao Nuevo Creek Fault lies
along the eastern side of the low area, in the valley of Ao Nuevo Creek. The Coastways Fault lies in the next
seacliff reentrant to the east. To the west of the Frijoles Fault, the Green Oaks Fault lies at the west end of the tall
sandstone cliffs, and the Ao Nuevo Thrust Fault lies west of the white cliffs. The westernmost faults, with
demonstrable late Quaternary ground rupture, lie in the channel between Point Ao Nuevo and the island. Their
presence is confirmed by the Ao Nuevo terrace, which lies some 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 ft) higher in elevation on
the island than on the point.
16.0 Swanton Road/Laguna de Las Trancas. Near the top of this ridge, east of Highway 1, a small pond (Laguna de
Las Trancas) on a rotational landslide was cored and studied by Adam and others (1979). A piece of pine wood
from a depth of 3.12 meters at the base of the core yielded a 14C age of 29,500560 years before present (B.P.). The
core represents the period between roughly 5,000 and 30,000 years B.P. Pollen studies indicate that the flora and
climate were significantly different during the Wisconsin glaciation that ended about 15,000 to 17,000 years ago.
The presence of grand fir pollen suggests a southward displacement of floral zones by about 150 km. This was
probably equivalent to a mean monthly temperature depression of 2 to 3C and precipitation about 20 percent
higher than at present. These changes apparently are valid only for the coastal area, reflecting the ameliorating
effect of the ocean (but not the orographic effect of the Santa Cruz Mountains).
More recent pollen studies of two cores from Clear Lake, north of San Francisco Bay, indicate that Wisconsin
climatic changes were far greater at inland locations. At Clear Lake temperatures were 7 to 8C cooler during the
Pleistocene, and precipitation was probably 300 to 350 percent of present (Adam and West, 1983). Wisconsin
precipitation levels and temperatures in the Santa Cruz Mountains were probably somewhere between the values of
Clear Lake and Laguna de Las Trancas.
16.4 Big Creek Lumber Company. The lumber mill on the right processes timber that has been selectively cut in the
Santa Cruz Mountains. The lumber mill is built on the crest of a large, recently stabilized, late Holocene aeolian
dune. This is part of a large stabilized dune ramp that extends from the beach at the mouth of Waddell Creek up
onto the Santa Cruz terrace. Photographs from about 1900 indicate that the dune was active at that time.
17.0 Waddell Creek. This is another drowned valley. Just north of the creek, the high cliffs of Santa Cruz Mudstone
(Waddell Bluffs) were originally undercut by waves. The highway, built in the 1940s, is entirely on artificial fill.
These bluffs formed a natural barrier to coastal travel in the 1800s, when stagecoaches could pass the bluffs only
during low tide on the wet beach. The southern tip of present-day San Mateo County was originally part of Santa
Cruz County, but because access to the county seat in Santa Cruz was often impeded by this barrier, this land north
of Waddell Bluffs was annexed by San Mateo County in 1868.
Debris that ravels down the cliff collects behind the cable netting on the eastern side of the road. This debris is
periodically removed by Caltrans, stockpiled on the western side of Highway 1 and eventually dumped into the
ocean to become part of the longshore drift of sediment to the south. Large rock falls are uncommon, probably
because of the manner in which the Santa Cruz Mudstone weathersby the raveling of small blocks and chips less
than several inches in dimension. Occasionally, blocks the size of a small car fall and bounce onto Highway 1.
About two decades ago, a passenger in a truck traveling north was killed by a rock that bounced through the front
window, and litigation against Caltrans ensued for improperly maintaining the debris trap on the eastern side of
Highway 1 (then a simple trench and berm). To reduce potential liability, Caltrans recently installed the Geobrugg
steel wire rope net barrier, which seems to be working satisfactorily.
11
A resistant bed of siliceous mudstone is exposed in the surf zone and forms a natural groin at this location. The
result is a protective beach up coast and active erosion down coast. Riprap was placed here in 1946 to protect
Highway 1, then under construction. Because of its placement on a bedrock platform, this riprap has successfully
protected the road for more than 50 years.
Poorly exposed at the top of the bluffs is the narrow remnant of a marine terrace, intermediate in elevation
between the Santa Cruz and Western terraces, which is probably the Cement terrace. Exposed in the bluff is a
broad anticlinal fold in the Santa Cruz Mudstone. The fold extends for several miles to the northwest, parallel to
the trend of the San Gregorio Fault Zone. An unsuccessful exploratory oil well was drilled on this structure several
miles north of here in 1956 (Seaboard Atkins No. 1, T.D. 3535).
18.7
Stop 2Quaternary Faulting at Point Ao Nuevo
Information on Stop 2
We will leave the bus and hike down the dirt road to the beach. From there we will hike north about 1.5 miles along
the beach, examining the evidence for late Pleistocene and Holocene faulting. Bring your packs, water, and cameras. We
will meet the bus in the parking lot for the Ao Nuevo State Reserve. Please note that the road is on private property. If
you are taking this trip at any time other than September 15, 2001, you must obtain a permit from Coastways Ranch to
enter the property. Once we enter the State Reserve, sample collecting is prohibited.
Coastways Fault of the San Gregorio Fault Zone. The Coastways Fault crosses the highway at the small dip in the
road just before Coastways Ranch. This fault has long been considered the primary trace of the SGFZ because of the
obvious bedrock offset across a small reentrant in the coastline.
STOP 2A. When we reach the beach, examine the rocks on either side of the reentrant in the seacliff. West of the
reentrant, fine-grained silty sandstones and sandy siltstones of the Purisima Formation are exposed in near-vertical
seacliffs. The sandstones and their fauna are described in more detail above (see milepost 14.1). Bedding strikes approximately east-west and dips 10 to 20 to the south.
East of the reentrant are poorly exposed outcrops of the Santa Cruz Mudstone (also described above, milepost 14.1).
Bedding, although hard to find, strikes about N 50 E, dipping about 40 NW. This discordant juxtaposition of two units
differing greatly in age, lithology, and structure can be explained only by the presence of a major, Neogene-active fault
running along the brush- and colluvium-covered drainage (figs. 1.10 and 1.11).
The fault is obscured by thick wedges of colluvium and dense vegetation, so it is not exposed anywhere in this drainage.
Neither the 103 to 105 ka wave-cut platform nor the younger terrace deposits are exposed near the fault; however, leveling
across the reentrant indicates that the marine terrace is offset about 5 meters (16 feet), with the northeast side up (W.C.
Bradley, personal commun., 1974). Recently, several exploratory trenches were excavated across this fault trace on the
Finney Creek alluvial fan, about 300 to 400 meters to the north (see fig. 1.11). The fault clearly juxtaposes well-sorted
shallow marine sands with fluvial deposits composed almost entirely of Santa Cruz Mudstone fragments. Apparent fault
separation in the trench exposures is west side up, east side down, but this offset may reflect right-lateral transport of the
axis of the fan toward the northwest, thereby forming an east-facing scarp.
Walk northward along the beach. From here to the mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek, the seacliff is cut in the Purisima
Formation. In this area, away from the Coastways Fault, bedding strikes roughly north-south and dips gently 4 to 7 to
the east. Exposed in the seacliff are numerous, hard, calcite-cemented layers of fossiliferous sandstone that form resistant
ledges and concretions. The fossil fauna is largely shallow marine mollusks.
Age of the Marine Terrace at Point Ao Nuevo

At this stop we will examine late Quaternary faulting exposed along the south shore of Point Ao Nuevo, within the
Ao Nuevo State Reserve. We are in the SGFZ (figs. 1.7, 1.9, 1.10 and 1.11). The broad, gently sloping surface of the
first emergent marine terrace is visible to the northwest and at the top of the seacliff directly above us. Although this
terrace has been mapped as the Ao Nuevo terrace, which is correlative with the Davenport wave-cut platform of the
Santa Cruz terrace east of the SGFZ (Weber and others, 1995), the terrace here is probably actually equivalent to the
Highway 1 platform, with an age of 103 to 105 ka.
This circumstance is a consequence of our inability to distinguish and definitively map the terrace surfaces within the
SGFZ. At Pigeon Point the separation between the Pigeon Point terrace (103 to 105 ka) and the Ao Nuevo terrace (80 to
12
83 ka) is clear. South of Whitehouse Creek we can no longer map the two terraces separately. The outer edge of the
terrace at Point Ao Nuevo can be traced northward into what is clearly the Ao Nuevo terrace at Pigeon Point. Based on
faunal assemblages and amino-acid racemization data, it appears that the central portion of the broad terrace at Point Ao
Nuevo is actually the Pigeon Point terrace (103 to 105 ka).
At Point Ao Nuevo the first emergent terrace is unquestionably a compound terrace, containing two wave-cut
platforms (analogous to the situation in westside Santa Cruz, illustrated in figure 1.5). Although mapped as one terrace
surface, the outer portion of the terrace is probably underlain by the 80 to 83 ka wave-cut platform, normally associated
with the Ao Nuevo terrace. The inner portion of the terrace is underlain by the 103 to 105 ka wave-cut platform,
associated with the Pigeon Point terrace west of the fault zone and the Highway 1 wave-cut platform east of the fault
zone. Unfortunately, the hypothesized vertical discontinuity in the wave-cut platform of this compound terrace cannot be
identified unambiguously in the seacliffs along the south shore of Point Ao Nuevo. However, a small, 2-meter-high step
in the wave-cut platform, exposed in the seacliff about 100 to 120 meters east of the Ao Nuevo thrust fault, may
represent the break between the two wave-cut platforms.
The 103 to 105 ka wave-cut platform at the base of the marine terrace deposits is visible near the top of the seacliff. It appears to be
unbroken between the Coastways Fault reentrant and the mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek. Continue north, toward the mouth of Ao
Nuevo Creek, until you reach the near-vertical contact between pebble conglomerates and the Purisima Formation.
Note: The locations of the field trip stops discussed below are shown on figure 1.12.
STOP 2B. Exposed in the seacliff is the contact (buttress unconformity) between fluvial deposits of Ao Nuevo Creek
and the upper sandstone member of the Purisima Formation (fig. 1.13). Detrital charcoal fragments collected near the
base of the Ao Nuevo Creek deposits have yielded a 14C age of 10,200 300 years B.P. This date, combined with 14C
dates on charcoal collected from the top of these deposits near the Frijoles Fault, would suggest that these sediments
were deposited between 10,500 and 8,000 years B.P. The presence of abundant charcoal in these fluvial deposits is
probably related to the seasonal burning of grasslands and undergrowth by Native Americans to promote growth of
grasses and to aid in the capture of small game. Naturally occurring forest fires as a result of lightning are exceedingly
rare in the Santa Cruz Mountains because of the lack of convection in the atmosphere during the dry summer season. Air
masses are stable during the summer and fall because of temperature inversions in the atmosphere related to the seasonal
formation of advection fogs.
Southeast of the mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek, the 100-foot-high, near-vertical seacliff in the Purisima Formation is
capped by about 20 feet of Quaternary marine terrace deposits. This terrace correlates with the main terrace at Point Ao
Nuevo, which has been identified as the 103 to105 ka terrace on the basis of amino-acid racemization studies and the
cold-water aspect of the fauna. The base of the terrace deposits (the wave-cut platform) is about 70 to 80 feet in elevation
southeast of the mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek.
Approximately 30 meters to the southeast, a small fault offsets bedding in the Purisima Formation. Poor exposure
near the top of the cliff, as a result of overhanging vegetation, makes it difficult to determine if this fault offsets the
overlying marine terrace.
Hike northwest, crossing the mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek. Exposed in the seacliff are the interbedded pebble
conglomerates, poorly sorted sandstones, siltstones, and clays deposited by Ao Nuevo Creek. The discontinuous
strata are typically channeled and cross-bedded, with thin layers of silt, silty sand, and clay separating thick
packages of pebble conglomerate. Some of the fine-grained layers appear to have relict soil structure. Charcoal is
quite common in both the conglomerates and the fine-grained deposits. These strata are clearly the channel and
overbank deposits of a small stream. The channel deposits are typically imbricated conglomerates, which are clast
supported and contain pebbles and cobbles of Santa Cruz Mudstone. The matrix is clay and silty clay. The presence of abundant (>99 percent) Santa Cruz Mudstone clasts indicates a fluvial origin, as mudstone bedrock is
present only in the drainage basins of streams that originate northeast of the Coastways Fault. Santa Cruz Mudstone bedrock is not present southwest of the Coastways Fault in San Mateo County, so the mudstone clasts must
have been transported into this area from the east. Transport along the coast by littoral drift is not a viable hypothesis because the relatively soft mudstone does not stand up to abrasion by harder clasts derived from the Pigeon
Point Formation. Note, for instance, the relative paucity of mudstone pebbles on the beach compared with the Ao
Nuevo Creek deposits.
Ao Nuevo Creek deposits are continuously exposed along 500 to 550 meters (~1,700 feet) of seacliff from the mouth
of Ao Nuevo Creek northwest to the Frijoles Fault. These beds dip gently 3 to 5 to the northwest along this section of
coastline (fig. 1.13), grading from predominantly pebble conglomerates on the southeast (near the mouth of the creek) to
predominantly silts, clays, and sandy clays at the northwest end of the beach. The topographically expressed depositional
surface on these fluvial sediments also slopes 3 to 5 to the northwest, mimicking the underlying bedrock surface. This
northwest dip is, therefore, interpreted to be the result of post-depositional tilting in the late Holocene.
13
The contact between the Ao Nuevo Creek deposits and the Purisima Formation is exposed intermittently for about
300 meters west of the mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek, after which the contact lies below the level of the beach. This
unconformable contact is typically highly irregular, exhibiting deeply cut channels and irregular bedrock highs. Careful
examination of the contact indicates that it is a buttress unconformity, except as noted below.
STOP 2C. Here, in a small cove along the seacliff (fig. 1.12), deposits of Ao Nuevo Creek overlie Purisima
Formation. Examine the contact between the fluvial sediments and the Purisima Formation (see figs. 1.13 and
1.14). Note the presence of numerous pholad (a variety of clam) borings in the Purisima Formation along this
contact. The pholad borings conclusively demonstrate that the surface between the Ao Nuevo Creek deposits and
the Purisima Formation is a former wave-cut platforman ancient ocean floorand is therefore associated with a
marine terrace. Careful examination of the outcrop reveals a small wedge of well-sorted sand of marine origin
(not composed of Santa Cruz Mudstone detritus) on the old wave-cut platform (fig. 1.14). This thin wedge of
sediment, which fills some of the pholad borings, is a remnant of the near-shore marine deposits that once covered
the wave-cut platform.
Apparently, the near-shore marine sediments originally deposited on the wave-cut platform were eroded away by
ancestral Ao Nuevo Creek, thereby exhuming the old wave-cut platform. The creek then deposited fluvial sediments
on this exhumed surface originally formed by wave erosion. Examination of the seacliff outcrops west of the mouth
of Ao Nuevo Creek reveals that the contact between the fluvial deposits and bedrock usually follows the old wavecut platform, although the creek channeled into the bedrock in several areas, thus destroying the wave-cut platform.
The intensely bored surface of the wave-cut platform, stripped of its deposits, is exposed in several areas northwest
of this cove.
Along the northwest side of the cove, a small, branching fault offsets the Purisima Formation, the wave-cut platform,
remnants of the near-shore marine sediments, and the basal layers of the fluvial deposits (figs. 1.11, 1.13 and 1.14).
However, the fault is truncated by younger beds within the creek deposits and does not extend to the surface. The fault is
active, as it apparently offsets the basal deposits of Ao Nuevo Creek, which are about 10,000 years old, yet there is no
surface evidence of this fault. The obvious offset is vertical, northeast side up and southwest side down, but it is probable
that this fault also experienced right-lateral strike-slip movement. NOTE: Consider the problem of trying to identify this
Holocene-active fault using standard engineering geologic techniques. Without the luxury of a seacliff exposure it would
be impossible even to find this fault, much less determine its activity.
Finally, note that directly east of this small fault lies a mudstone unit of the Purisima Formation, in depositional
contact with an overlying sandstone unit of the Purisima Formation (fig. 1.14). The contact appears to be conformable
and gradational. Bedrock faults on the eastern side of the cove offset the Purisima Formation but not the 103 to 105 ka
wave-cut platform.
Age of the Wave-Cut Platform West of Ao Nuevo Creek

As indicated earlier, the inner portion of the broad, low terrace at Ao Nuevo State Reserve is interpreted to be 103 to
105 ka, based on amino acid racemization data and the presence of a cold-water fauna (Ken Lajoie, personal communication), and is thus correlative with the Highway 1 platform of the Santa Cruz terrace. The 80 to 83 ka platform is present
near the actual point, about 1,300 meters (4,000 feet) west of here.
The age of the wave-cut platform exposed at Stop 2C, however, is not known. Which of the wave-cut platforms does
it correspond with? Fossils are not present on the platform, and it is overlain by 10,000-year-old deposits. This feature is
obviously not a product of the modern sea-level high stand, but it could have formed during the 103 to 105 ka high stand
or perhaps one of the younger Pleistocene sea-level high stands.
The position of this localized, low-lying wave-cut platform, apparently on a down-dropped fault block between
extensive outcrops of the 103 to 105 ka terrace, suggests it also represents the 103 to 105 ka wave-cut platform (fig.
1.13). Although it could have conceivably formed during one of the younger Pleistocene sea-level high stands, these
alternatives can seemingly be eliminated by removing 400 to 500 meters (~1,500 feet) of slip from the Frijoles Fault.
Sliding the Pigeon Point block back to the southeast along the Frijoles Fault would isolate the wave-cut platform in
question from wave attack by surrounding it with 103 to 105 ka terrace.
The Ao Nuevo Creek Fault

The elevation of the wave-cut platform immediately northwest of Ao Nuevo Creek, at Stop 2C, is about 3 to 6
meters (10 to 20 feet) above sea level. This is about 18 meters (60 feet) lower than the 103 to 105 ka wave-cut platform
14
southeast of Ao Nuevo Creek (see figs. 1.12 and 1.13). This discrepancy in elevation requires the presence of a fault
near the mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek, offsetting the 103 to 105 ka wave-cut platform. Apparent fault offset is down to the
west, up to the east. Based on regional geomorphology and the trend of other faults in the seacliff, it is probable that the
fault lies near the axis of Ao Nuevo Creek, trending roughly north-south. It apparently connects the Frijoles and
Coastways Fault strands (see fig. 1.11) and appears to act as the east side of a small graben filled with the fluvial deposits
of Ao Nuevo Creek.
Interpretative History of Ao Nuevo Creek. The Holocene deposits of Ao Nuevo Creek lie in a small graben, late
Pleistocene to Holocene in age, bounded by the Frijoles Fault and the Ao Nuevo Creek Fault. Prior to approximately
12,000 years ago, Ao Nuevo Creek flowed northwestward along what is now the course of Green Oaks Creek, entering
the ocean on the north side of the point (fig. 1.15). About 12,000 years ago, Ao Nuevo Creek was captured, probably by
headward erosion of a high-gradient stream flowing along the trace of the Ao Nuevo Creek Fault. After this capture, the
short, high-gradient stream must have experienced a dramatic increase in both discharge and sediment load. Sea level
was still on the order of 30 meters (100 feet) or more lower than at present, and the newly energized and redirected Ao
Nuevo Creek proceeded to erode the existing marine terrace deposits within the graben, thus partially exhuming the 103
to 105 ka wave-cut platform.
As the creek cleansed the graben of marine terrace deposits, sea level continued to rise, the graben continued to sink,
and the climate gradually became warmer and drier. These combined processes interacted to change the stream from an
erosional regime toward a depositional regime. Between about 11,000 and 8,000 years ago, as sea level slowly rose, Ao
Nuevo Creek deposited a sequence of fluvial sediments in the graben, which it had stripped of marine sediments just a
few thousand years earlier.
The slow rise in sea level during the mid-Holocene was accompanied by rapid surf-zone erosion and seacliff retreat
in the unconsolidated fluvial sediments. Seacliff retreat apparently was rapid enough to essentially lower base level for
Ao Nuevo Creek. After about 8,000 years ago, Ao Nuevo Creek reverted to an erosional regime and began to incise
the sediments it had deposited between 11,000 and 8,000 years ago. The return to an erosional regime was accompanied
by a decrease in precipitation and runoff, thereby reducing the erosional ability of Ao Nuevo Creek. Following the
stabilization of sea level about 5,500 years ago, Ao Nuevo Creek has continued to slowly incise its channel into the
fluvial deposits, largely in response to the slow lowering of base level brought about by coastal retreat due to wave
erosion.
Onward. Continue to hike northwest along the beach. In at least two other areas, small faults in the seacliff offset the
exhumed wave-cut platform and the basal 3 to 6 feet of fluvial deposits (figs. 1.11, 1.13 and 1.14). Again, these faults are
truncated by younger depositional units and do not extend to the surface. The Ao Nuevo Creek fluvial deposits become
finer grained to the northwest. Several weakly to moderately developed paleosols (buried soils) can be found in the finegrained overbank deposits exposed in the seacliff outcrop northwest of Stop 2C.
Waddells Wharf, Coastal Erosion, and Littoral Drift

A large wet area in the seacliff represents seepage from a poorly sealed reservoir (pond) that lies several hundred feet
north of the seacliff. This seepage approximately marks the location of Waddells Wharf, built in 1864 by William
Waddell. The wharf, about 700 feet long, was used for loading lumber cut in Waddell Creek and transported to the wharf
on flatbed cars hauled by horses along a three-mile-long wooden railway. The wharf operated until about 1877, serving
several small mills, but business declined after Waddell was killed by a grizzly bear in 1875. The wharf burned in the
early 1880s. The shallow excavation for the roadway to the wharf, now filled with dark gray soil, can be identified by
comparing the disturbed and undisturbed soil profiles near the top of the seacliff.
In 1974, a single piling from this wharf was found in place on the beach at the base of the modern seacliff. The
piling was about 3 feet from the face of the cliff, indicating that through 1974 little if any erosion had occurred in
the 110-plus years since the wharf was built. However, a period of extensive cliff erosion was initiated in the
winter of 1977-78, when 10 feet of cliff retreat occurred in a single storm season. In the following 5 to 6 years,
more than 50 feet of cliff retreat occurred along the coast between Ao Nuevo Creek and the steep cliffs that form
the south shore of the point. The piling was ripped out of the beach and destroyed during a large storm on December 21, 1979. Since then, the rate of seacliff retreat has slowed and become more intermittent, but active surf
erosion still occurs along this seacliff almost every winter. The apparent absence of cliff erosion along the coast
north of Ao Nuevo Creek for 113 years, followed by almost yearly wave erosion and cliff retreat during the past
24 years, suggests a major change in the erosional equilibrium along this section of coast. Consider for a moment
that the coast from west of the Frijoles Fault to Ao Nuevo Creek has retreated between 60 and 80 feet during the
15
past 24 years. This change may reflect a decrease in the littoral drift moving northwest to southeast down the coast,
resulting from the gradual depletion of the wide beach that lay north of Point Ao Nuevo before the channel between the
mainland and the island opened up in the 1700s (Weber, 1981). In other words, it may have taken two centuries for the
littoral cell to reequilibrate, and in the interim the cliffs along the south shore were protected somewhat from surf attack
by the extra sand.
STOP 2DFrijoles Fault. Exposed in the seacliff is one of the two primary fault strands of the SGFZ, the Frijoles
Fault. It juxtaposes moderately to steeply dipping fluvial deposits of Ao Nuevo Creek, to the southeast, with
crushed Purisima Formation, to the northwest (fig. 1.13).
The Holocene fluvial deposits, which we first encountered in the seacliff near the mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek,
dip uniformly to the northwest about 3 to 5 for a distance of roughly 500 meters (1,600 feet). Approaching the
Frijoles Fault, however, these Holocene beds are abruptly folded upward, forming a small syncline. This drag fold
has formed in response to movement on the Frijoles Fault. The fold plunges to the north, suggesting right-lateral
strike-slip movement with a vertical component (southeast side down, northwest side up). Projecting the 103 to
105 ka wave-cut platform into the fault from both sides suggests that the vertical offset of the platform is approximately 30 to 35 meters (100 to 110 feet). The amount of strike-slip displacement cannot be approximated at this
outcrop.
Northwest of the main fault exposure lies a broad zone of crushed Purisima Formation, or fault gouge, about 75
meters (250 feet) wide (figs. 1.12 and 1.13). Upon closer examination, the active movement within this shear zone
appears to be concentrated in three areas. The crushed rock is weak and susceptible to both erosion and slope
failure. The landslides on this slope typically reactivate and enlarge their headscarps each rainy season, depositing
debris on the beach that is usually removed each year by wave erosion. The height and angle of the cliff face also
reflect the effect of the intense bedrock shearing on slope stability and resistance to erosion.
Landslides of the type present in this shear zone (slumps) are not typically found in seacliffs formed in the
sandstone of the upper Purisima Formation. These sandstone cliffs generally fail as block falls and topples
controlled by steeply dipping joint sets and triggered by the undercutting action of waves. Large slump landslides
are found only in the shear zones at Point Ao Nuevo and 15 miles to the north near San Gregorio Creek, where
the SGFZ goes offshore. Walk northwest to the end of the beach. Note the difference in hardness, bedding, and
internal structure of the intact Purisima Formation bedrock at this location compared to the shear zone along the
Frijoles Fault.
Onward. Hike up the stairs to the top of the cliff and out onto the levee that dams the small pond. The levee is
porous, permeable, and leaks badly. Compaction is inadequate, and the dam is not stable. During the heavy rains
in 1982-83, a 150-foot-long slab of this dam failed and slid off of the face of the dam into the reservoir. Although
the main scarp formed down the centerline of the levee, the dam was not breached, and water did not escape from
the reservoir. The levee was repaired the following summer, but its stability remains questionable.
Note that the dam for the reservoir lies across the axis of a northwest-trending depression representing the
locus of the Frijoles Fault. The steep slope to the west is the northeast-facing Frijoles Fault scarp, heavily modified by erosion. To the east and southeast is the depositional surface on the Ao Nuevo Creek fluvial sequence
that we observed earlier in the seacliff. A broad linear valley has formed along the trace of the Frijoles Fault. This
linear valley and a well-developed set of northeast-facing scarps mark the trace of the Frijoles Fault to the
northwest, where the fault crosses the surface of the marine terrace.
Hike west, following the trail up onto the marine terrace. Hike off the trail (fight your way through the Coyote
brush) and across the field to the top of the seacliff near the first small headland west of the main beach.
STOP 2E. This is an excellent vantage point from which to view the geology described in this guide, and to put it
in perspective (fig. 1.12). To the west and northwest, the Ao Nuevo terrace is visible as a broad, nearly planar
surface sloping gently to the west. The vegetated remnants of the Ao Nuevo dune field (Holocene) overlie this
terrace. To the north, the surface trace of the Frijoles Fault is marked by the linear topographic trough. The
alluvial fan of Ao Nuevo Creek and the depositional surface on the Ao Nuevo Creek deposits form the surfaces
east of the small reservoir, and further to the southeast lies the graben formed between the Frijoles and Ao
Nuevo Creek Faults. The Dickerman Barn, which houses the visitor center, lies on fluvial deposits of Ao Nuevo
Creek within the graben. Farther east, the base of the west-facing slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains marks the
trace of the Coastways Fault. Higher, forested marine terraces are visible southeast of Ao Nuevo Creek. The
surface of the Santa Cruz terrace is visible southeast of Ao Nuevo Creek, gradually thinning and finally disappearing just north of the Waddell Bluffs. Looking south, the Santa Cruz and Western terraces are visible in the
distance as far south as Scott Creek. Highway 1 lies at the back edge of the Santa Cruz terrace and below the
16
Western terrace. The headland jutting out from the coastline just south of Scott Creek is El Jarro Point, the
proposed site of the Davenport Nuclear Power Plant in the 1960s.
Resume hiking to the bus. Hike back to the northeast toward the parking lot that lies just north of the Dickerman Barn.
Along the path you will walk down the scarp of the Frijoles Fault, and after crossing the fault you will walk up the tilted
depositional surface of the Holocene graben-filling deposits of Ao Nuevo Creek.
Late Quaternary Slip Rates on the San Gregorio Fault Zone

Measurements of late Quaternary fault slip rates are difficult even under the most ideal conditions. Discussion
below describes measurement of offset in both the horizonal and vertical directions. Horizontal slip rates in the
late Quaternary were determined using offset marine terrace shoreline angles, along with offsets of late Pleistocene streams on alluvial fans near Point Ao Nuevo. Although both of these techniques are fraught with assumptions, it appears that the original estimates of late Quaternary slip by Weber (1980), Weber and Cotton
(1981), and Weber (1990 a, b) are probably the most reasonable.
The horizontal slip rate determined from the offset of the Santa Cruz and Western terrace shoreline angles
across the SGFZ is 6 to 11 mm/yr, with the best estimate being 8 mm/yr. Figure 1.7 is a plot of shoreline angles
(or paleostrandlines) on opposite sides of the SGFZ; figure 1.16 is a more detailed map of offset shoreline angles
at Point Ao Nuevo. Although higher and older marine terraces can be correlated across the fault zone, their
shoreline angle positions and fault offsets cannot be accurately determined. Nevertheless, the distribution of the
terrace remnants (fig. 1.7) suggests continuous horizontal slip on the SGFZ of 6 to 11 mm/yr during the past
500 k.y.
The late Quaternary slip rate across the fault zone, determined from offset streams on alluvial fans at Point
Ao Nuevo, is 4 to 10 mm/yr (see fig. 1.15). This is comparable to the rate determined from offset marine terrace
shoreline angles (above) and to the slip rate of 6 mm/yr postulated by Clark (1997) for the past 3.0 m.y.
Vertical slip rates are measured by geographic variations in the uplift rates of marine terraces. If the marine
terraces record the long-term, late Quaternary uplift rates of both the Santa Cruz Mountains and Pigeon Point
structural blocks, the difference between these uplift rates must represent the late Quaternary slip rate across the
fault zone. The interpretation most strongly supported by field data is that, over the past 500,000 years, the Ben
Lomond Mountain terrace sequence has been uplifting at 0.42 to 0.44 m/k.y., while the Pigeon Point terrace
sequence has risen 0.3 m/k.y. (see discussion of Stop 1). The difference is 0.13 m/k.y., a very low rate of vertical
displacement.
It is possible that these estimated uplift rates are incorrect; however, using alternative uplift rates generally
results in even lower rates of vertical displacement across the SGFZ. If we arbitrarily assume that the highest
uplift rate for Ben Lomond Mountain (0.44 m/k.y.) and the lowest rate for the Pigeon Point structural block (0.15
m/k.y.) are valid, then the long-term vertical displacement rate would be 0.29 m/k.y.
Both of these hypothetical displacement rates of vertical offset across the SGFZ are extremely low, lying
within the range of long-term uplift rates for the central California coast as a whole. A vertical slip rate of 0.13 to
0.29 m/k.y. indicates that any vertical component of slip on the SGFZ is relatively small.
Road Log for Those Not Hiking

Mileage/Notes
19.2 Ao Nuevo Creek. Strath terraces of Ao Nuevo Creek are visible in the agricultural fields to the east, where the
creek is deeply incised into its fan. Both north and south of Ao Nuevo Creek, Highway 1 cuts through the alluvial
fan formed by the creek. The basal portions of these Highway 1 road cuts expose clean quartzose beach sands,
whereas the upper portions of the cuts expose fluvial pebble conglomerates (with clasts derived from the Santa
Cruz Mudstone). If you plan to examine these deposits, you should be prepared to dig into the face of the road cut.
19.5 Entrance to Ao Nuevo State Reserve: Turn left and enter reserve. For trips other than September 15, 2001, pay
the ranger and proceed to the main parking lot. Restrooms are available. Exhibits and a natural history bookstore
are usually open in the Dickerman Barn, one of the remaining buildings of the historic Steele Ranch.
End of Trip
17
References
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Adam, D.P., and West, G.J., 1983, Temperature and precipitation estimates through the last glacial cycle from Clear Lake, California,
pollen data: Science, v. 219, p. 168-170.
Anderson, R.S., 1990, Evolution of the northern Santa Cruz Mountains by advection of crust past a San Andreas Fault bend: Science, v.
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Anderson, R.S., 1994, Evolution of the Santa Cruz Mountains, California, through tectonic growth and geomorphic decay: Journal of
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Clark, J.C., Brabb, E.E., Greene, H.G., and Ross, D.C., 1984, Geology of Point Reyes Peninsula and implications for San Gregorio Fault
history, in Crouch, J.K., and Bachman, S.B., editors, Tectonics and Sedimentation Along the California Margin: Society of
Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Pacific Section, v. 38, p. 67-86.
Dickinson, W.R., 1996, Kinematics of transrotational tectonism in the California Transverse Ranges and its contribution to cumulative
slip along the San Andreas transform fault system: Geological Society of America Special Paper 305, 46 p.
18
Glen, W., 1982, The Road to Jaramillo: Critical Years of the Revolution in Earth Science: Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA.
Graham, S.A., and Dickinson, W.R., 1978, Apparent offsets of onland geologic features across the San Gregorio-Hosgri fault trend, in
Silver, E.A., and Normark, W.R., editors, San Gregorio-Hosgri Fault Zone, California: California Division of Mines and Geology
Special Report 137, p. 13-23.
Greene, H.G., Lee, W.H.K., McCulloch, D.S., and Brabb, E.E., 1973, Faults and earthquakes in the Monterey Bay region, California: U.S.
Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF518, 14 p., 4 map sheets, scale 1:200,000.
Griggs, G.B., 1979, Erosion along the northern Santa Cruz County coastline, in Weber, G.E., Lajoie, K.R., and Griggs, G.B., editors, Coastal
Tectonics and Coastal Geologic Hazards in Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties, California: Geologic Society of America,
Cordilleran Section Annual Meeting, Field Trip Guidebook, p. 2-24.
Hanks, T.C., Bucknam, R.C., Lajoie, K.R., and Wallace, R.E., 1984, Modification of wave-cut and faulting-controlled landforms: Journal of
Geophysical Research v. 89, p. 5771-5790.
Lajoie, K.R., 1986, Coastal tectonics, in Studies in Geophysics, Tectonics: National Academy Press, Washington D.C., p. 95-124.
Lajoie, K.R., Weber, G.E., Mathieson, S.A., and Wallace, J., 1979, Quaternary tectonics of coastal Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties,
California, as indicated by deformed marine terraces and alluvial deposits, in Weber, G.E., Lajoie, K.R., and Griggs, G.B., editors,
Coastal Tectonics and Coastal Geologic Hazards in Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties, California, Geological Society of
America, Cordilleran Section Annual Meeting, Field Trip Guidebook, p. 61-80.
Lajoie, K.R., Ponti, D.J., Powell, C.L., II, Mathieson, S.A., and Sarna-Wojcicki, A.M., 1991, Emergent marine strandlines and
associated sediments, coastal California: A record of Quaternary sea-level fluctuations, vertical tectonic movements,
climatic changes, and coastal processes, in Morrison, R. B., editor, Quaternary Nonglacial Geology: Conterminous U.S.
[The Geology of North America, Volume K-2]: Geological Society of America Decade of North American Geology, p. 190213.
Muhs, D.R., Kennedy, G.L., and Rockwell, T.K., 1994, Uranium-series ages of marine terrace corals from the Pacific coast of North
America and implications for last-interglacial sea level history: Quaternary Research, v. 42, p. 72-87.
Muhs, D.R., Rockwell, T.K., and Kennedy, G.L., 1992, Late Quaternary uplift rates of marine terraces on the Pacific coast of North
America, southern Oregon to Baja California Sur: Quaternary International, v. 15/16, p. 121-133.
Mullins, H.T., and Nagle, D.K., 1982, Evidence for shallow hydrocarbons offshore northern Santa Cruz County, California: American
Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 66, p. 1055-1075.
Page, B.M., and Holmes, C.N., 1945, Bituminous sandstone deposits near Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California: U.S. Geological
Survey Oil and Gas Investigation, Preliminary Map 27, with text.
Perg, L.A., Anderson, R.S., and Finkel, R.C., in press, Use of a new 10Be and 26Al inventory method to date marine terraces, Santa Cruz,
California, USA: Geology.
Petersen, M.D., Bryant, W.A., Cramer, C.H., Cao, T., Reichle, M.S., Frankel, A.D., Lienkaemper, J.J., McCrory, P.A., and Schwartz, D.P.,
1996, Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for the State of California: California Division of Mines and Geology Open-File
Report 96-08 and U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-706, 33 p., 2 appendices.
Rode, K., 1930, Geomorphogenie des Ben Lomond (Kalifornien), eine Studie uber Terrassenbildung duch marine Abrasion: Zeitschrift fur
Geomorphologie, v. 3, p. 16-78.
Sedlock, R.L., and Hamilton, D.L., 1991, Late Cenozoic tectonic evolution of southwestern California: Journal of Geophysical Research, v.
96, p. 2325-2352.
Silver, E.A., 1978, The San Gregorio-Hosgri Fault Zone: An overview, in Silver, E.A., and Normark, W.R., editors, San Gregorio - Hosgri
Fault Zone, California: California Division of Mines and Geology Special Report 137, p. 1-12.
Simpson, G.D., Thompson, S.C., Noller, J.N., and Lettis, W.P., 1997, The northern San Gregorio Fault Zone: Evidence for the timing of late
Holocene earthquakes near Seal Cove, California: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 87, no. 5, p. 1158-1170.
Stanley, R.G., and McCaffrey, R., 1983, Extent and offset history of the Ben Lomond Fault, Santa Cruz County, California, in Andersen,
D.W., and Rymer, M.J., editors, Tectonics and Sedimentation Along Faults of the San Andreas System: Society of Economic
Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Pacific Section, p. 79-90.
19
Weber, G.E., 1980, Recurrence intervals and recency of faulting along the San Gregorio Fault Zone, San Mateo County, California [Ph.D.
dissertation]: University of California, Santa Cruz, 204 p.
Weber, G.E., 1981, Physical environment, in Le Boeuf, B.J., and Kaza, S., editors, The Natural History of Ao Nuevo: Boxwood Press,
Pacific Grove, Calif., p. 61-121.
Weber, G.E., 1990a, Pleistocene marine terraces and neotectonics of the San Gregorio Fault Zone (p. 1-12); Marine terraces, a brief
introduction (p. 50-63); and Late Pleistocene slip rates on the San Gregorio Fault Zone at Point Ao Nuevo, San Mateo County,
California (p.64-79), in Griggs, G.B., and Weber, G.E., editors, Field Trip Guide: Coastal Geologic Hazards and Coastal Tectonics,
Northern Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz and San Mateo County Coastlines, Association of Engineering Geologists, March 3, 1990,
146 p.
Weber, G.E., 1990b, Late Pleistocene slip rates on the San Gregorio Fault Zone at Point Ao Nuevo, San Mateo County, California, in
Garrison, R.E., Greene, H.G., Hicks, K.R., Weber, G.E., and Wright, T.L., editors, Geology and Tectonics of the Central California
Coast Region, San Francisco to Monterey, Volume and Guidebook, Pacific Section, American Association of Petroleum
Geolologists, Bakersfield, California, p. 193-204.
Weber, G.E., and Cotton, W.R., 1981, Geologic investigation of recurrence intervals and recency of faulting along the San Gregorio Fault
Zone, San Mateo County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 81-263, 99 p. with appendices, 18 plates.
Weber, G.E., and Lajoie, K.R., 1979, Evidence for Holocene movement on the Frijoles Fault near Point Ao Nuevo, San Mateo County,
California, in Weber, G.E., Lajoie, K.R., and Griggs, G.B., editors, Coastal Tectonics and Coastal Geologic Hazards in Santa Cruz
and San Mateo Counties, California: Geological Society of America, Cordilleran Section Annual Meeting, Field Trip Guidebook, p.
92-100.
Weber, G.E., and Lajoie, K.R., 1980, Map of Quaternary faulting along the San Gregorio Fault Zone, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties,
California: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 80-907, 3 map sheets, scale 1:24,000.
Weber, G.E., Nolan, J.M., and Zinn, E.N., 1995, Determination of late Pleistocene-Holocene slip rates along the San Gregorio Fault Zone,
San Mateo County, California: Final Technical Report, National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program, Contract No. 1434-93-G2336, 70 p., 4 oversize map sheets.
20
Figure 1.1. Regional map of central California

showing major faults.
Figure 1.2. Stops of National Association

of Geoscience Teachers field trip to the
San Gregorio Fault and Pleistocene marine
terraces, originating at the Geological
Survey in Menlo Park. Faults dashed where
approximate.
USGS
(Optional)
(Stop 2)
Wilder Ranch (Stop 1)
Texas Oil Co.

Poleti No. 1
F
A
d
o
o
21
Map
location
Stop 2
Figure 1.3. Map of marine terraces on the flank of Ben Lomond Mountain; modified from Bradley and Griggs (1976).
Stop 1
3 KILOMETERS
22
Figure 1.4. Schematic diagram of a marine terrace, indicating the relationship of the wave-cut platform to the shoreline angle and the
overlying terrace deposits.
Figure 1.5. Diagrammatic cross section of the Santa Cruz terrace on the west side of Santa Cruz, showing the relative positions of the
Davenport and Highway 1 wave-cut platforms.
23
Figure 1.6. Graphic technique for determining the ages of marine terraces and uplift rates. On a rising coastline, the
shoreline angle of each terrace (strandline) records a sea-level high stand. Consequently, the slope of the line connecting a shoreline angle elevation with the corresponding sea-level high stand is the average uplift rate. If the uplift rate
has been constant, then (1) all of the lines connecting shoreline angle elevations with sea-level high stands will be
parallel, (2) knowing the age of one terrace will allow the ages of the other terraces to be determined, and (3) trial and
error can be used to approximate the ages for all of the terraces even if the age of one terrace is not known. Sea-level
curve from U-series dated corals in the terraces on the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea (Chappell, 1983); diagram
from Lajoie (1986).
Figure 1.7. Offset Pleistocene strandlines across the San Gregorio Fault Zone; modified from Weber and others (1995). Refer to table
1.4 for the specific terrace correlations across the fault zone.
24
Figure 1.8. Diagram showing proposed correlations and tectonic uplift rates of the emergent marine terraces on opposite sides of the San
Gregorio Fault Zonethe Pigeon Point structural block to the west and the Santa Cruz Mountains structural block (Davenport area) to the
east. The solid black lines represent theoretical shoreline angle profiles produced by sea-level high stands on a tilted shoreline.
Figure 1.9. Pre-Quaternary stratigraphic contrasts across the San Gregorio Fault Zone at Point Ao Nuevo.
25
Figure 1.10. Schematic sketch of seacliff geology along the south shore of Point Ao Nuevo; modified from Lajoie and others (1979).
26
Hi
wa
G re e n
gh
y1
Oa k
sC
k
re e
A o
ek
Cre
0
1000
2000 FEET
Nuevo
Reservior
o
uev
Creek
Col
ace
a
d
she risim
Cru Pu
err
eT
Two small faults

offset basal 4 -5'
of Ao Nuevo Creek
deposits, but do not
offset overlying
30 - 35' of deposits.
Fault
a Marin
5k
f 10 ruz
ts o anta C
S
ium
osi
luv
Dep
Deposits of
Ao Nuevo Creek
~8,000 - 11,000 years
ek
Cre
ey
Finn
Reservior
Coa
Frij
Fau
r
ka Ter
05 e
f 1 arin
so
sit z M
po Cru
De nta
Sa
Purisima
Formation
ays
stw
Be
h
Sa
ac
nd
Cr
eek
lt
ac
El
l i ot
ult
Purisima Formation
s Fa
ole
Small
fault
offsets
Purisima
~ 15 feet
Purisima
Formation
Offshore lineaments in kelp beds

Figure 1.11. Generalized geologic map of the eastern portion of Point Ao Nuevo; modified from Weber and Lajoie (1980). Note: The
Santa Cruz terrace depicted here is equivalent to the Ao Nuevo terrace of Weber and others (1995).
27
Stop 2C
Stop 2D
Stop 2B
Stop 2A
Figure 1.12. The San Gregorio Fault Zone at Point Ao Nuevo, showing field trip stops 2B through 2E; see text for discussion. Note: The Santa Cruz terrace depicted
here is equivalent to the Ao Nuevo terrace of Weber and others (1995).
28
Stop 2E
29
Figure 1.13. Highly schematic sketch of the seacliff geology west-northwest of Ao Nuevo Creek, showing Holocene fluvial deposits of Ao
Nuevo Creek occupying a graben bounded by the Frijoles and Ao Nuevo Creek Faults. Note the westward tilt of these fluvial deposits, except
where a small drag fold has formed adjacent to the Frijoles Fault. Several minor Holocene faults offset the basal beds of the Ao Nuevo Creek
deposits (see also fig. 1.14). Note: The Santa Cruz terrace depicted here is equivalent to the Ao Nuevo terrace of Weber and others (1995).
sits
epo
kd
e
e
r
d
o C lde
uev re fo
N
Ao or a
e"
"dr a p
Nearshore
marine sediments
?
Pholad bored
105 ka w.c.p.
6'
Approximate offset
of 105 ka w.c.p.
Channel gravel
Ao Nuevo Creek deposits
Ao Nuevo Creek
deposits
Nearshore
marine sediments
Ero
si o
nal
c ha
nn e
Purisima Formation
sandstone
Pu
risi
ma
Pholad bored 105 ka

wave-cut platform
Purisima Formation
mudstone
Purisima Formation
sandstone
gra
d
a ti o n
BEACH
Late Pleistocene
and Holocene
offset on fault
N 5-10E vertical
Poor exposure and

difficult access
prevent accurate
mapping of fault
and near shore
marine deposits
Purisima Formation
sandstone
al c o
ntact
Bedrock fault
offsets Tp
View looking north in

small cove 450' west
of mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek
?
?
Light grey bed Ao Nuevo Creek
Light gre
y
marine
sands
Pholad bored 105 ka wave-cut platform
Purisima Formation
sandstone
Be
ac
ha
nd
du n
e sa
bed Ao N
u ev o C k
Distribution
of nearshore
marine sands
obscured by
slumping in
cliff face
8'
s h o re
Marine terrace
+ Ao Nuevo Ck deposits
N e ar
nd
View looking north

about 750 feet west of
mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek
Figure 1.14. Field sketches of seacliff exposures west-northwest of the mouth of Ao Nuevo Creek.
30
Approximate minimum
offset of 105 ka
wave-cut platform
Cre
ek
Fan
Cascade
BEHEADED FAN
BE
OFFS
FSET - 1500 FT
Cascade
Creek
fan
in
.
m
ax
.
Green oaks
fan
La
s
nd
lid
es
CASCADE CK.
MAX - 2700 FT.
MIN - 1400 FT.
M
Late Pleistocene
Ao Nuevo Ck.
min
x.
ma
on Santa Cru
Cruz terrace
stw
ays
ANO NUEVO CK.

MAX - 3300 FT.
MIN - 1500 FT.
MI
Coa
Dune
une sand
Western
terrace
Ao Nuevo
fan
lt
Fau
Gre
en
ks
t
l
Fau
o
uev ult
o N st Fa
u
Thr
Oa
Figure 1.15. Interpretive map showing the probable offset of late Pleistocene drainages near Point Ao Nuevo. Refer to
text for a discussion of the assumptions employed in these reconstructions. Note: The Santa Cruz terrace depicted here
is equivalent to the Ao Nuevo terrace of Weber and others (1995).
31
3000 FEET
0
SHEARS
LT
K FAU
EVO C
NO NU
A
Figure 1.16. Preferred interpretation of displaced marine terrace shoreline angles in the San Gregorio Fault Zone at
Point Ao Nuevo. Note: The Santa Cruz terrace depicted here is equivalent to the Ao Nuevo terrace of Weber and
others (1995).
32
Field Trip 2
A Geologic Excursion to the East San Francisco Bay Area

Russell.W. Graymer
U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif.
Fieldtrip Overview
This fieldtrip serves two purposes. First, we will take a look at some of the interesting geology that characterizes the
San Francisco Bay region. This will be a hands-on look that I think offers a better feel for the role of geology in the
shaping of the landscape, and the impact of geology on society, than can be obtained in a purely classroom environment.
Second, and probably more important, we will have a chance to practice the technique of observational science, following the fundamental principles of the scientific method (observe, hypothesize, test). Geology, perhaps more than any
other science, is based on deductive reasoning, because many of the geologic features we work with probably formed
over thousands or millions of years. We see only the end product, and we have to deduce how it got that way. Understanding how those features developed and evolved requires looking at the normally very slow (though occasionally
catastrophic) processes that are going on today, and extending those processes by thousands or millions of times.
However, just a few basics will allow the careful observer to start to understand how the world around us took on the
shape it now has and how ongoing geologic forces can impact our lives.
Each of our three stops has three sections in this fieldtrip guidea short introductory section, an exercise for you to
do in the field, and a longer section of material related to the geology seen at that stop. We will be discussing most of
what is covered while we are in the field, so the longer section will be mostly useful for you after the trip is over. There is
also a road log that lists mileage between the stops and indicates various geologic features along the way.
The point of each exercise is to put you into the field boots of a geologist. Remember that all science starts with an
observation, and this is never more true than in geology. Be prepared to take a look at the world in a new way. Any
observation may hold the key to understanding the geology at each stop.
If you think that geology is just about looking at rocks and minerals, this fieldtrip may be a bit of a shock. We will not
talk much about different kinds of rocks until the third stop, and will hardly mention minerals at all. Geology is about
understanding the Earth and how it works. Rocks and minerals can provide a lot of information about the geology (as we
will see at the third stop), but they are only a part of the story.
I hope that the information and figures contained in this guide will also be useful to you in your classroom. If you
want to know more, the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service maintain web-pages where additional
information is available. An excellent introductory page is available at: http://www.nature.nps.gov/grd/usgsnps/project/
interp.html. Information about the San Francisco Bay region is available from http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov, with field
geology being emphasized at http://sfgeo.wr.usgs.gov.
I hope you enjoy the trip, and that you come away with an expanded idea of what geology is all about.
Road Log
Mileage/Notes
0.0
Trip startU.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park.

South on Middlefield Rd., LEFT onto Willow, RIGHT onto Bayfront Expressway (Highway 84), cross Dumbarton
Bridge.
7.5
The freeway cuts through the south end of Coyote Hills. This ridge of Franciscan mlange was probably lifted up
by a fault thought to be long inactive that runs under the flat area on the west edge of the hills. The hills are now in
the process of being buried by young sediments as the Bay Block sinks down. (A block is a large crustal rock mass
bounded by faults that moves or behaves as a single unit within a greater tectonically active region.)
EXIT onto I-880 South, EXIT at Mission Blvd., proceed northeast on Mission Blvd.
20.2 You just crossed the most active strand of the Hayward Fault. Did you notice it? Much more about the Hayward
Fault and how to recognize faults as we go along.
33
Right on Stanford Ave., drive to the end of the street and park.
21.3 STOP 1Mission Peak Landslide, Fremont
Return on Stanford Ave., LEFT on Mission Blvd., RIGHT onto I-680 North.
24.5 Notice the ridge on the right. The highland is underlain by early Pleistocene (about 0.5 to 1.5 million years old)
Irvington Gravel (this is where the mammal fossils indicative of early Pleistocene age were first described in North
America). The ridge has a very straight west side (see fig. 2.1) cut by the Hayward Fault. Just judging by this ridge,
which way would you say the fault was moving?
EXIT at Mission Blvd., LEFT onto Mission Blvd.
27.5 The ridge to the right was formed by motion on the Mission Fault similar to that on the Hayward Fault, but the
Mission Fault is thought to be inactive. Why do you think the ridge is still there?
30.1 To your right is Niles Canyon (see fig. 2.2). On the map you can see that Niles Canyon meanders back and forth in
large curves. Normally a deep canyon like this is pretty straight, but this one has retained curves from a time before
the hills were here. The hills have lifted up over the past million years or so, and Alameda Creek, curves and all,
has just eroded its channel through the rocks to form the canyon as the hills were going up.
33.4 To your right the Hayward Fault has formed benches in the sides of the hills. Did you notice there is more than
one level of benches? Faults like the Hayward Fault often form zones of deformation with multiple breaks at the
surface.
Stay on Mission Blvd. to downtown Hayward, park at B Street.
39.3 STOP 2Hayward Fault Zone, Hayward
RIGHT onto A Street, LEFT onto Foothill Blvd., merge onto I-580 West.
43.2 Notice the dropoff to the left. This scarp is formed by a strand of the Hayward Fault Zone that was until recently
thought to be inactive. Recent studies have documented that it is active, though. The Hayward Fault Zone through
here is made up of at least three active strands in a zone almost a kilometer (0.6 miles) wide!
48.8 Notice the white rock in the quarry to the right of the freeway. The rock exposed is a Jurassic (about 160 million
years old) volcanic rock called the Leona Rhyolite. Today it is used for construction, but earlier in the 20th century
it was mined for pyrite (iron sulphide, also called fools gold). The sulphur was used to make chemicals. This area
was listed as a potential copper mining area because of the high percentage of copper in the pyrite (many minerals
are impure, with one element replacing a percentage of another element, like copper for iron in pyrite. Sometimes
the impurity is what youre really after!). However, the copper potential never worked out. Imagine a big
open-pit copper mine in the Oakland hills!
EXIT onto Highway 13.
52.7 This long, narrow valley was formed when rocks ground up by the motion of the Hayward Fault were more easily
eroded than the surrounding rocks. Linear valleys like this can be a good indicator of a fault.
54.3 On the left is Lake Temescal (now a regional park). This long, narrow reservoir takes advantage of the long,
narrow valley carved along the Hayward Fault Zone. Unfortunately, the Hayward Fault is still here, and still very
active. This reservoir probably would never be built today.
EXIT onto Highway 24 East, go through the tunnel, just past the tunnel exit at Fish Ranch Road, turn RIGHT
back over the freeway, turn RIGHT again onto the frontage road, and park in the large open area just before
the freeway entrance
56.7 STOP 3Caldecott Tunnel between Oakland and Orinda
34
Information on Stops
Stop 1Mission Peak Landslide, Fremont
Introduction
In March 1998, after two consecutive years of heavy rainfall, a large portion of the northwest flank of Mission Peak
detached from the mountain and began to slide down towards the newly constructed neighborhoods of luxury homes
below (fig. 2.3). The huge body of displaced material moved slowly, only a few centimeters each day, but when motion
finally ceased months later, a mass more than one mile long and a quarter mile wide had moved several hundred feet
down the mountainside. Fortunately, only one home was affected by the slide, because its path took it along the side of
one neighborhood and stopped just short of another.
Exercise
Geology is an observational science; our conclusions are based on features we see in the landscape, the soil, and the
underlying rocks. Look at the 1998 slide (fig. 2.4A). How would you describe the shape of the land inside the slide? How
would that show on a topographic map? Look at the map (fig. 2.4B) to see if there are other areas nearby with similar
topography. What does that suggest?
More About It
Normally, the gravitational force that is continually trying to pull material downhill is countered by cohesion and
friction in and among the rocks that make up the hillside. However, when conditions are created where the cohesion
and friction are reduced enough, material will move downhill. The constant breaking down of rock to form soil by
weather, plants, and animals is one way cohesion and friction are reduced, and some material is constantly moving
downslope at a very slow rate, much less than a millimeter per day. This slow process is called hillside creep. At
times, however, conditions exist when masses of rock can move relatively quickly (for rocks), a process called
landsliding.
Several things can lead to landslidingearthquake shaking, poorly engineered construction, natural erosion, and
rainfall. Although landsliding is caused by any of these, and by combinations of them as well, rainfall is by far the most
important factor. Heavy rainfall can increase the tendency for landsliding in several ways: by increasing the weight of a
body of rock, by providing lubrication between and within the rocks of a hillside, and by raising water pressure sufficiently to lift bodies of rock away from the hillside (this is discussed below).
The Mission Peak Landslide is a very large example of a bedrock, or deep-seated, slide (the technical term is slump
earthflow), one of several different kinds of landslides. Bedrock landslides happen where a weak zone below the surface
of a hillside allows a large mass of rock to slide downslope all at once. After one or more years of heavy rain, the
groundwater in the rock under the hillside is fully charged (all the space within the rocks that can contain water is filled
up), and additional incoming water from rainfall creates increased water pressure. The water pressure can begin to lift the
rocks near the surface up and away from the hillside, reducing the friction. If water pressure reduces the friction enough,
and a weak zone exists in the rocks, a mass of rock will become detached and slide downward. Usually the pace of the
slide, while fast for rocks, is slow in human terms, centimeters per day, so bedrock landslides seldom pose a threat to
human life. The size and mass of these landslides, however, make them a substantial threat to buildings, roads, and other
construction. In 1998, more than $140 million of landslide damage occurred in the San Francisco Bay region, most of it
caused by bedrock slides.
Bedrock slides create a collection of unique landscape features (shown and described in fig. 2.5). The place the
material is moved from (the zone of depletion) is characterized by features related to extension, whereas the place the
material is moved to (the zone of accumulation) is characterized by features related to compression. The main scarp of
the Mission Peak landslide is very prominent because of the light-colored rocks exposed there (fig. 2.6).
Over geologic time, the landscape features formed during a landslide are worn down by the effects of weather and
hillside creep, leaving progressively more subtle, but still visible signs of older landslides (see fig. 2.7). The 1998
Mission Peak landslide was a reactivation of part of a much larger, older landslide (see fig. 2.8) that was still visible in
the landscape prior to 1998.
Almost all hillsides in the San Francisco Bay region show some trace of old landslides (some 90,000 landslides have
been mapped in the Bay area!), but some areas are more prone to new landsliding than others (geologists call the greater
35
or lesser tendency to slide landslide susceptibility). Three main factors contribute to a hillsides susceptibility to
bedrock landslidesthe kind of rock that underlies the hillslope, the steepness of the hillside, and the presence or
absence of previous landslides. Weak rock, steep slopes, and the presence of previous landslides all make the area of the
Mission Peak landslide very susceptible to bedrock landslides. Research is being conducted right now to quantify the
susceptibility to bedrock landslides in the San Francisco Bay region. We are working to provide a tool that can be used
for informed land-use planning, so that regions of very high susceptibility can be identified and rejected for development. The community on the flank of Mission Peak was lucky in 1998, the area affected by the slide was for the most
part undeveloped. Informed planning can, hopefully, insure that new developments are kept out of harms way.
In addition to bedrock landslides, another common type of landslide deserves mention, the debris flow (more commonly called a mudslide, but this name is misleading because the mass is made of rocks, trees, and other debris, as well
as mud, and because the mass does not move by sliding!). Debris flows occur during very intense rain storms, when the
layer of soil that covers the hillslope is saturated. A small slump occurs in the soil, causing the saturated material to
liquefy, and flow quickly down slope, carrying rocks, trees, and other debris with it (see fig. 2.9). This type of landslide
is small, but very fast-moving, up to 50 km/hour. The speed of these slides makes them very dangerous to human life.
In 1998, three people were killed by a comparatively few debris flows in the San Francisco Bay region, but in 1982 an
intense storm throughout the region caused 18,000 debris flows that killed 25 people.
Stop 2Hayward Fault Zone, Hayward

Introduction
In 1868, a length of the Hayward Fault Zone stretching from Oakland to Fremont broke, and the rocks west of the
fault suddenly jumped several feet to the northwest with respect to those east of the fault. The energy released by this
sudden motion produced a large earthquake, causing destruction throughout the San Francisco Bay region (fig. 2.10).
Until the earthquake of 1906, the Hayward Fault Zone quake was known as the Great San Francisco Earthquake.
Although the effects of this earthquake were well studied at the time, the work was for the most part lost, thought to have
been suppressed by local government officials concerned that scientific studies of earthquakes could dampen growth and
development in the region!
Since 1868, however, the Hayward Fault Zone has been relatively quiet, and has not generated a large earthquake. The forces that lead to earthquakes have not stopped, though. The rocks underlying San Francisco Bay
continue to move northwest with respect to those east of the Hayward Fault Zone, but most of the fault zone itself
is stuck, and pressure is slowly building up in the rocks near the fault zone. Eventually the pressure will overcome
the friction and other forces that are causing the fault zone to stick, and the accumulated energy will be released
in another big earthquake.
While almost all of the fault zone is stuck, in some places conditions within the rock allow the portion of the fault at
the surface to slowly slide along in response to the pressure building up on the stuck fault. This slow sliding is called
fault creep. Although the motion of creep is very slow (on the Hayward Fault Zone, the maximum creep rate is 9 mm/yr,
or about 1/1000 mm/hr!), over the years the effects of the offset can be seen, especially in man-made structures. It is
important to note that while creep does allow that part of the fault near the surface to slide along without pressure
building up, most of the fault at depth is still stuck, so creep doesnt do much to help reduce the next big earthquake.
However, creep does help us find some of the parts of the fault zone where pressure is building up.
Exercise
Look for evidence of creep in the manmade structures (curbs, streets, parking lots, and buildings) in the area. Remember that the rocks west of the fault are moving north with respect to those east of the fault. Mark the position of the fault
creep on the detailed map (fig. 2.11A ). Use your observations of fault creep to make a map of the surface trace of the
creeping fault. Transfer your fault trace to the map of the larger area (fig. 2.11B ). Do you see any other features in the
map that look like they might be related to the motion of the fault?
More About It
Major fault zones, like the Hayward Fault Zone, are fractures in the upper crust, formed when very large blocks of the
Earths lithosphere slide along, over, or under other blocks (the lithosphere is the rigid outer part of the Earth composed of the
36
crust and the upper mantle). The force that drives the motion of these blocks is provided by the continual formation, motion,
and destruction of huge pieces of lithosphere called plates. The collective motion of the plates (fig. 2.12), called plate
tectonics, is the driving force for most of the earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain uplifts in the world. Where plates interact
by sliding past one another, like they do in California, the upper crust near the plate boundary is broken into large blocks that
are separated from each other by fault zones, like the Hayward Fault Zone. Driven by the northwest motion of the Pacific
Plate with respect to the North American Plate, the blocks in the San Francisco Bay region are in motion. Each block moves
northwest with respect to the one east of it.
Although most people, including many geologists, tend to think of a fault as a single crack in the Earths crust, the major
fault zones are actually very complex systems composed of many faults (fig. 2.13), not all of which are moving at the same
time or in the same way. Through the long history of a fault zone (the Hayward Fault Zone is probably about 12 million years
old), the sliding motion between the moving blocks is sometimes focused in one area, later in another area. The creeping part
of the Hayward Fault Zone has probably moved only about 5 km, roughly 1/20 of the total offset of the Hayward Fault Zone
as a whole.
Just as the long history of the fault zone is complex, the active part of the fault zone also involves more than a single crack.
In the area near our stop, at least three different faults have evidence of recent activity (perhaps you spotted one in the
exercise). Geologists look for evidence of recent fault motion because we believe those parts of a fault zone that have moved
most recently are most likely to move again. Remember that although the moving parts of the fault zone have changed, those
changes took place over millions of years.
Recent fault activity, like landsliding, produces unique landscape features (fig. 2.14) that can be used to locate active parts
of a fault zone. In the Hayward area, linear ridges, linear valleys, fault scarps, and offset streams all mark the active parts of
the Hayward Fault Zone (fig. 2.15). It is important to note that not all active parts of the fault zone are creeping, although
creeping parts are all active.
It is important to know which parts of the fault zone are currently active because one of the hazards during an earthquake
is fault rupture (fig. 2.16). Any structure built across a fault that suddenly moves with offsets up to several feet will suffer
extreme damage. In California, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperates with the California Division of Mines and
Geology (CDMG) to make special maps showing all faults known to be active, and special geologic studies are required
before any structure can be built within 50 feet of one of the active faults. Because of the regulatory nature of the maps,
though, only those faults known to be active are shown. In Hayward, only the creeping part of the Hayward Fault is shown.
The other two faults that have features related to recent movement are not shown because their activity is not proven (though
proof for one has recently been discovered, so it will probably be added to the next version of the maps).
Even more important than the fault-rupture hazard is the hazard from earthquake shaking and related effects (the
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred deep in the crust, there was no fault-rupture damage, all the damage was caused
by shaking and related effects). Shaking occurs in response to waves of energy that are released by and move away
from the rupturing fault. In general, the intensity of the energy waves decreases as they move away from the fault, so
the farther from the fault rupture, the less shaking is felt. However, shaking can be magnified by the geologic or manmade material under the surface. Loose materials like artificial fill, bay mud, and sand dunes tend to amplify shaking
the most, whereas bedrock tends not to amplify shaking at all. In addition, loose materials saturated with water can be
converted to quicksand by shaking, a process called liquefaction. Shaking can also trigger landslides, especially if
there has also been heavy rainfall. Although these hazards have long been recognized (the danger of artificial fill was
noted after the 1868 earthquake!), maps of these hazards have only recently begun to be produced. USGS is currently
cooperating with the CDMG to produce maps showing areas of liquefaction and earthquake induced landslide hazard.
Regional maps showing predicted shaking intensity for large earthquakes on several faults in the San Francisco Bay
region are available from the Association of Bay Area Governments: their informative earthquake website is http://
www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/eqmaps/eqmaps.html.
The Holy Grail of earthquake study is, of course, earthquake prediction. Accurate prediction of earthquakes is at
present impossible, because irregularities in the fault surface, differences in properties of the rocks cut by the fault, and
the interplay of pressure buildup and release on every fault in the region, all affect the exact amount of pressure that
needs to build up to overcome the resisting friction on any given part of a fault. Perhaps one day geologists will be able
to measure tiny changes in some property of the fault zone, such as electrical, magnetic, acoustic, production of various
gasses, to give an early warning of an earthquake. For now, scientists at USGS and elsewhere are using more general
techniques to try to determine where and when an earthquake is likely to occur. Information about when the last major
earthquake was, how fast pressure is building up, and how large an earthquake to expect are combined to give a probability of an earthquake on active faults over a 30-year time period. At the same time, engineers are using seismic data to
design earthquake resistant structures.
It may be interesting to note that the idea of plate tectonics that all our understanding of earthquakes and major faults is
now based on is a relatively new concept. The first observations that ultimately led to the modern ideas of plate tectonics
were made mostly after World War II, and the theory was only fully accepted by the scientific community in the late 1960s.
37
Stop 3Caldecott Tunnel Between Oakland and Orinda

Introduction
In the San Francisco Bay region, vegetation and soil obscure much of the detail about the underlying rocks. Geologists make the most of those few areas where the rocks are well exposed, either by natural processes like canyon erosion,
or by man, such as in the roadcut at this stop (figs. 2.17 and 2.18). When Caldecott Tunnel was expanded, the steep and
deep cuts here exposed a body of rock that otherwise would have been for the most part obscured. The complete exposure allows us to make important observations that can tell us what the environment was when the rock formed, where
material that was deposited here came from, how old the rocks are, and what has happened to the rocks since they were
formed.
Exercise
The work of the geologist in the field is much like the work of a detective, making careful observations and trying to
put all the information together to make a coherent story that explains what we observe. Use the map (fig. 2.19) to record
your observations about the rocks at this stop (Are they all the same color? Texture? Are they made up of the same
things? Are they layered?). Try to think of a story that explains what you see.
More About It
The first thing to look at here is the big picture. As we look north, we see that there are two very different kinds of
rock bodies (fig. 2.18). On the left, the rocks are green, light gray, and in some places red: they are distinctly layered, and
some layers are harder than others. This body of rocks is called the Orinda Formation. On the right, the rocks are dark
brown, hard, with thicker layers that are less distinct. This body of rocks is called the Moraga Volcanics. Geologists
name rock bodies after the place where they were first discovered or described, or where they are best exposed. Naming
rock formations helps geologists communicate with each other our observations about various rock bodies, although
misuse of names sometimes leads to confusion.
A closer look at the Orinda Formation reveals that it is made up of layers of broken up pieces of other kinds of rock (fig.
2.20). Rocks made up of pieces of other rocks are called sedimentary. Some layers are made of large pebbles and cobbles
(geologists call rocks like these conglomerate), other layers are made of tiny grains too small to see (geologists call that
mudrock), others are in between, made up of sand (sandstone). A very close look at the pieces reveals that there are many
different kinds of rocks among the pieces, all mixed together here. The pieces were broken off a variety of rock bodies
somewhere else, mixed together during their transport here, and then dropped off to form the layers you see. But how?
There are several different forces on the Earths surface that can move rock fragments, such as glaciers, wind,
landslides, ocean currents, and rivers. Because the pieces in the layers here are sorted out into different sizes in different
layers, we can eliminate glaciers and landslides. Why? Because observations by geologists have shown that glaciers and
landslides deposit all different sizes of fragments mixed together. And wind does not have enough force to move the
large cobbles we see in some of the layers here. So, that leaves ocean currents and rivers, which can form very similarlooking layers. We need a little help here, but the fossils of land mammals discovered here and elsewhere in the Berkeley
Hills (fig. 2.21) reveal that the layers were deposited by rivers. The conglomerate layers formed in stream beds, where
fast moving water could bring the large pieces, and floods formed the sandstone and mudrock as the river overflowed its
banks and dropped out sediments in the floodplain as the moving water slowed down.
The Moraga Volcanics, as the name suggests, are an entirely different kind of rock body, not made up of broken pieces of
other rocks brought here. A closer look at the rock body reveals that it is fairly uniform, dark and heavy. A very close look
shows that it is not made of pieces, but is, instead, a solid mass. In some places, though, we can find parts of the rock body
that are full of holes, and in others the solid mass is punctuated by well-formed crystals of a white mineral called plagioclase.
Geologists know that a solid mass like this can only form when molten rock cools and crystallizes, forming an igneous rock.
Igneous rocks can form deep within the earth, slowly cooling and crystallizing, producing rocks made of large crystals like
granite (fig. 2.22), or can form when molten rock flows or erupts out onto the surface of the earth, cooling quickly with no
time to form large crystals. The lack of large, interlocking crystals here shows us that this rock formed from molten rock on
the surface (lava), which flowed out of volcanoes to make volcanic rocks (hence the name Moraga Volcanics). The holes we
see in some places (fig. 2.23) are actually the remnants of bubbles, produced by gas released from the lava, and trapped when
the lava hardened. The plagioclase crystals are large crystals that formed slowly deep below the volcano, and were brought to
the surface with the lava during eruptions. The dark color of the volcanic rock reveals that it is rich in iron and magnesium, a
38
kind of rock called basalt. The volcanoes that produced the lava were long ago eroded away, although you can still see the
remnants of one at Sibley Volcanic Regional Park nearby.
The place where the two bodies meet is called a contact (fig. 2.24). There are two ways a contact between different
rock bodies can form. One is by sliding two rock bodies next to each other along a fault, which would form a fault
contact. Fault contacts are usually recognizable by the grinding and stretching in the rocks on either side. The absence of
grinding and stretching here says that this is not a fault contact. The other way a contact can form is when a younger rock
body is formed next to an older body, a depositional contact. A closer look at the contact here reveals a thin, bright red
layer of mudrock. The brick-red color is the result of baking, the hot lava cooking the layer of mud that it flowed onto.
So, here, we can tell that this is a depositional contact, the lava flowed onto the sedimentary layers, and the volcanic
rocks formed there. Geologists are very interested in contacts, because they tell us a lot about the history of the formation
of the rocks. We make geologic maps that show where the contacts between different rock bodies are. However, in the
San Francisco Bay region, it is very unusual to be able to see a contact as well as this.
Another thing you notice right away about this roadcut is that all the layers are steeply tilted (figs. 2.17 and 2.18). One of
the earliest observations by geologists was that sedimentary and volcanic layers are almost always formed close to horizontal.
This is called the Law of Original Horizontality, a fancy name for a simple idearock layers start out flat. The Grand Canyon
is a perfect example of a place where the layers are still flat, but not so here. The plate tectonic forces that are driving the
Hayward Fault Zone have also tilted and folded the layers of the Orinda Formation and the Moraga Volcanics. The roadcut
has exposed the tilted layers of part of one side of a U-shaped structure called a syncline (fig. 2.25). As we leave this stop, we
will drive east on the freeway to see the other side of the syncline, where the layers are tilted the other way. The tilting makes
it hard to visualize the place these layers originally formed, everything is now standing on its edge. Even if the volcanoes that
produced the lava flows were preserved, they too would be tipped entirely onto their sides!
Nevertheless, we can start to put together the history of these rocks. We start with a river system that over thousands of
years of geologic time builds up a thick pile of sedimentary layers. At some point volcanoes erupt nearby, filling the river
valleys with lava, flow after flow to build up a thick pile. Later, the originally flat sedimentary and volcanic layers are tilted
and folded. This kind of story reveals the sequence, or relative age of events associated with these rocks. The idea of relative
age is another of the earliest ideas of geology. All of the geologic periods that you may have heard of (like Jurassic, as in
Jurassic Park) were divided up using the ideas of relative age, including those involving fossils. Over the last few decades,
though, we have been able to deduce the numeric age of certain kinds of rocks by measuring the decay of certain radioactive
elements in the minerals within the rock (radiometric dating). Sedimentary rocks are not very good for this technique, but
volcanic rocks are much better. The Moraga Volcanics here are about 10 million years old. You can see how numeric age and
relative age can be combined. Clearly the Orinda Formation is older that 10 million years, the folding of the layers is younger
than 10 million years.
And theres more! The way the cobbles in the conglomerate stack on one another tell us that the sediments in the Orinda
Formation came from the west, the large size of the cobbles tells us the rivers were energetic and flowed down a steep slope,
and the rounding-off of the edges and corners of the cobbles and pebbles tells us the sediments were only brought a moderate
distance. It is hard to imagine now, but the hills we are in here were once a low river valley, and where San Francisco Bay is
now were once pretty high hills and mountains!
So what happened? One clue is that the Hayward Fault Zone is between us and the Bay, so the mountains and hills that
provided the sediment have been moved northwest by the fault motion, but how far? The answer is only now being unraveled, and the Moraga Volcanics play a big part. That is because the Moraga Volcanics are only half of the lava flows that were
produced by volcanoes 10 million years ago. The other half is now found about 45 kilometers to the northwest (fig. 2.26),
moved there by offset on the Hayward Fault Zone, so the mountains and hills must also have been moved that far (actually,
there is another part of the Hayward Fault system that branches west of the volcanics, the total offset on the Hayward Fault
Zone is about 90 kilometers). In addition to sliding northwest, the rocks of the San Francisco Bay block have also been
pushed down by the same plate tectonic forces that folded and tilted the layers and lifted up the hills.
A geologist is trained to understand all the complexities of the story that the rocks can tell us and can draw on the observations and experiments of many geologists working before him or her, but we all start with careful observations of the rocks.
Knowing just a few of the basics will allow anyone to begin to unravel the history of the landscape around us and the rocks
under our feet. We can look at the world with a new point of view. Did any of us think about where the flat layers of the Grand
Canyon came from before now? Have they been exposed to the same kind of plate tectonic forces that the rocks here have?
39
Figure 2.1. The ridge to the east of the

freeway in the Irvington District of
Fremont has a straight west face
carved by the Hayward Fault (marked
by the thick black line). This kind of
face is called a scarp. (The map from
the a portion of the Niles 7.5-minute
quadrangle USGS topographic map.)
Figure 2.2. Notice the

meandering path of Alameda
Creek in Niles Canyon. These
meanders were probably formed
before the hills, and were
trapped in the shape of the
canyon which formed as the
stream eroded through the hills
being lifted up. (The map from
the a portion of the USGS Niles
7.5-minute quadrangle topographic map.)
40
Figure 2.3. An aerial view of the Mission Peak Landslide (photo by Jeff Coe, U.S. Geological Survey).
41
Figure 2.4A and B. Exercise maps for Stop 1 (portions of the USGS Niles 7.5-minute quadrangle topographic map).
42
Figure 2.4A and B Continued. Exercise maps for Stop 1 (portions of the USGS Niles 7.5-minute quadrangle topographic map).
43
Figure 2.5. Anatomy of a landslide, showing landscape features produced by a bedrock landslide. Notice especially the different kinds
of features at the top and the bottom of the landslide. This difference reflects the different forces at work in the area where rock is
being piled up (the bottom, or zone of accumulation) and where the rock is being moved away (the top, or zone of depletion). Can you
see some of these features in the Mission Peak slide? See fig. 2.3. (Diagram modified from West, T.R., 1995, Geology applied to
engineering: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, p. 294)
44
Figure 2.6. The outline of the slide is

shown by the dashed line. The house
nearest the slide experienced some
damage during the slide, despite
strenuous efforts to divert sliding material
(note the large bulldozer beside the
house!). Several of the landscape
features formed during the slide are also
marked (see fig. 2.5 for more about
landscape features formed by bedrock
landslides) (photo by Jeff Coe, U.S.
Geological Survey).
Figure 2.7. The effects of erosion on

landscape features formed by landslides, from A : a very recent slide, to D :
a very old slide.
45
Figure 2.8. Map showing the approximate outline of both the 1998 Mission Peak landslide and the much larger, older landslide that
contains it. Note the irregular appearance of the contour lines within the older landslide. Do you see other areas on the map that could
be older landslides?
Figure 2.9. Debris flows: small, shallow, fast-moving landslides that commonly occur during very heavy rainstorms. Photo A shows a
natural hillside scarred by many debris flows in 1998. Photo B shows the impact of a single debris flow on a home in Marin County in 1998.
46
Figure 2.10. The front page of the San Francisco Chronicle following the 1868 earthquake on the
Hayward Fault Zone.
47
Figure 2.11A and B. Exercise maps for Stop 2 (portions of the USGS Hayward 7.5-minute quadrangle topographic map).
48
Figure 2.11A and B Continued. Exercise maps for Stop 2 (portions of the USGS Hayward 7.5-minute quadrangle topographic map).
49
50
Figure 2.12. Map of the Earths lithospheric plates, showing the direction of the relative motion of some of the largest. The motion of the Pacific and North American Plates is the
driving force for the faults in California, like the Hayward fault. The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service have excellent web-pages with more information about
plate tectonics and links to detailed descriptions at http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/dynamic.html and http://www2.nature.nps.gov/grd/usgsnps/pltec/pltec1.html.
Figure 2.13. Generalized map showing all the known faults in the Hayward Fault Zone. Note that most of the faults are not
presently active, but all have played a part in the 12-million-year history of the fault zone. The creeping part of the fault zone
is shown by the thick line marked CS, and other named faults in the fault zone are labeled. The length of the fault rupture in
1868 is also shown.
51
Figure 2.14. A block diagram of part of the upper part of the crust showing the landscape features associated with fault offset.
Recognizing the presence of these features can help geologists locate faults that might be active even if they are not creeping.
(Diagram from Wallace, R.E., ed., 1990, The San Andreas Fault System, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1515, p. 17.)
52
Figure 2.15. Topographic map of northern Hayward showing the landscape features associated with the Hayward Fault in the area of Stop 2.
53
Figure 2.16. Two photos showing the effects of fault rupture.

During an earthquake, the Earths surface along a fault can be
suddenly and permanently offset by many meters. Photo A shows
the result of 6 meters of offset that occurred during the 1940
Imperial Valley earthquake in southern California. Photo B shows
the crack left by 6 meters of offset that occurred near Point Reyes
during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Imagine what would
happen to anything built across the fault. (Photos from Wallace,
R.E., ed., 1990, The San Andreas Fault System, California: U.S.
Geological Survey Professional Paper 1515, p. 163.)
54
Figure 2.17. Photo looking west from the parking area at the deep roadcut east of Caldecott Tunnel. Exposure like
this is very rare in the San Francisco Bay region.
Figure 2.18. Another view of the roadcut east of Caldecott Tunnel. Notice the two very different kinds of rocksthe lighter
rocks on the lower-left are the Orinda Formation, the darker rocks on the upper-right are the Moraga Volcanics.
55
Figure 2.19. Exercise map for Stop 3 (a portion of the USGS Oakland East 7.5-minute quadrangle topographic map).
56
Figure 2.20. Two close-up views of the Orinda Formation. In the upper photo, notice how
the rock is made up of fragments of many other kinds of rocks mixed together. In the lower
photo, notice the layers, and how the different sized pieces are sorted into separate layers,
cobbles and pebbles in the layer on the left, sand in the layer on the right, and mud in the
red and green layers in the middle. Geologists use information like this to deduce how
rocks were formed, in this case by deposition of eroded material by a river.
57
Figure 2.21. Sketches of fossils found in the Berkeley Hills. A

is part of a beaver skull, B shows two horse teeth, and C
shows two parts of a camel leg. Fossils from rabbits, hippos,
and various plants have also been found. Notice the
difference between the teeth of a beaver more than 10 million
years ago and the teeth of a beaver today! These fossils
show that the sedimentary rocks here formed in rivers, not in
the ocean. What sort of fossils would you expect from rocks
formed in the ocean? (Sketches reproduced from Merriam,
J.C., 1913, Vertebrate fauna of the Orindan and Siestan beds
in Middle California: University of California, Bulletin of the
Department of Geology, v. 7, no. 19, p. 373-385.)
58
Figure 2.22. A close-up photo of granite. Notice that it is made up of

interlocking large crystals. The large crystals form when molten rock is
allowed to cool slowly deep within the earth. When molten rock is
erupted onto the surface by volcanoes, it cools quickly, so volcanic
rocks mostly lack large crystals. The labels show the names of some of
the minerals in granite.
Figure 2.23. A close-up view of part

of the Moraga Volcanics. Notice the
many holes in the rock. These are
vesicles, bubbles of gas released from
the lava as it erupted (like carbonation
is released when a bottle of soda is
opened) and trapped when the lava
hardened into rock.
Figure 2.24. The south face of the

roadcut east of Caldecott Tunnel. The
depositional contact between the
Orinda Formation on the right and the
Moraga Volcanics on the left is
marked.
59
Figure 2.25. A hand-drawn diagram of the tilted and folded geologic units in the Berkeley Hills. The diagram looks at
the layers in the Earths crust from the side, as if you could slice the crust like a layer cake (geologists call that a cross
section). The Orinda Formation and Moraga Volcanics are labeled, as well as the general location of Stop 3. The
numbers on the left side mark feet above sea-level. This U-shaped fold in the layers of rock is called a syncline.
Remember that all the layers were originally flat. The same plate tectonic forces that are driving the Hayward and San
Andreas Faults today have bent and warped the layers in the rocks here, and have also pushed up rocks that were
formed in a river valley to make the hills we see now. (Diagram drawn by A. Sarna-Wojcicki, U.S. Geological Survey.)
Figure 2.26. Map showing the area of

the Moraga Volcanics and other
volcanics at the Berkeley Hills and their
offset equivalent north of San Pablo Bay,
as well as the faults of the Hayward Fault
Zone and the next fault zone to the east.
Note that the Tolay Fault passes west of
the northern volcanics. 45 more kilometers of offset have taken place on that
part of the Hayward Fault Zone. Note also
that the volcanics at the Berkeley Hills
are bounded on the east by a fault zone.
Do you think the Berkeley Hills Volcanics
could have been moved northwest by
those faults too?
60
Field Trip 3
Geology of the Golden Gate Headlands

William P. Elder
National Park Service, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Calif.
Introduction
This field trip focuses on the rocks of the peninsular headlands found just north and south of the Golden Gate, on
lands of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Exposed in dramatic seacliffs, these rocks not only form a spectacular backdrop for the Golden Gate Bridge, but also provide a detailed geologic record of Pacific Basin and active continental margin processes going back 200 million years. This is arguably one of the longest records of its type in the world.
The significance of these rocks, however, goes beyond the geologic history that they tell, for they, and others of the
Franciscan Complex associated with them, played a critical role in developing our current understanding of subduction
zone mechanics and processes. Although the serpentine of the headlands, and its relationship to mountain building, was
recognized as early as 1821 (see VanderHoof, 1951; Wahrhaftig, 1984a), it was not until the late 1970s to early 1980s
that these rocks were understood in the light of modern tectonic concepts. This led to the publication of the volume
edited by Blake (1984), which placed the Franciscan Complex into a modern plate tectonic framework. A detailed
chronology of these geologic advances is provided by Wahrhaftig (1984a).
The following article draws heavily upon the many excellent publications that the late Clyde Wahrhaftig wrote on the
rocks of the San Francisco area, both for the professional geologist and the general public (for example, Wahrhaftig,
1984a, 1984b; Wahrhaftig and Murchey, 1987; Wahrhaftig and Sloan, 1989). In this paper, I will describe the characteristics of the rocks and geologic processes observed at the six field trip stops, interpret their geologic story, and place them
into a regional geologic context. The primary focus will be on geology of the Franciscan Complex, but other aspects,
such as the Quaternary geology and the relationship between the geology and the plant communities, will be discussed.
During the field trip, please keep in mind that the sites we are visiting all lie within a national park and that sample
collecting of any kind is prohibited. Please leave your rock hammers at home, but be sure to bring your camerathe
rocks are beautifully photogenic at many places.
Geologic Setting
Transform Faulting (Stop 1)
San Francisco and the Golden Gate headlands are located on the boundary between two of the Earths great tectonic
plates, the North American and Pacific Plates. Today, this plate boundary is a transform fault (the plates are sliding past
each other) and is formed by what is perhaps the best-known geologic feature of California, the San Andreas Fault Zone.
Movement, totaling about 1 inch (2.5 cm) a year, along the San Andreas and its subsidiary faults, the Hayward and
Calavaras (fig. 3.1), is infamous for producing the large earthquakes that periodically rock California and also is responsible for the areas youthful and beautifully rugged terrain. Major earthquakes occur several times each century on these
or less well-known faults in the San Francisco Bay area, releasing strain built up between the creeping plates.
In the San Francisco Bay area, the current mountains of the California Coast Ranges, the Santa Cruz Mountains and
the Diablo Range, started to uplift only about 3 to 4 million years ago (Page, 1989), when pressure increased across the
plate boundary due to a slight shift in relative plate motions (Cox and Engebretsen, 1985); this same shift caused the
Isthmus of Panama to rise from the sea and connect North and South America. The Santa Cruz Mountains are forming
where the San Andreas Fault makes a slight bend to the left. This bend produces compression, folding and thrust faulting
at the plate boundary, as the Pacific Plate tries to slide northward past the North American Plate. In contrast, valleys
between the ranges, such as the San Francisco Bay/Santa Clara Valley, lie in stable or slowly downdropping areas formed
between the major faults, in this case the San Andreas, Hayward and Calavaras Faults (fig. 3.1) (Page, 1989).
Right lateral movement on the San Andreas Fault system may be responsible for a major structural break developed
under the Golden Gate Straits (Wakabayashi, 1999). This tectonic feature is indicated by a dramatic shift in the direction
that the strata and thrust planes dip on opposite sides of the Golden Gate, from northeasterly on the San Francisco
Peninsula to southerly in the Marin Headlands (fig. 3.2). Based on structural and paleomagnetic evidence, the Marin
Headlands have undergone 130 degrees of clockwise rotation (Curry and others, 1984). The timing of this rotation is
poorly constrained, but it postdates emplacement and folding of Franciscan Complex rocks in the area and is likely the
result of transform tectonics.
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Making San Francisco Bay

Although the valley in which San Francisco Bay resides probably began to form 2 to 3 million years ago, when the
surrounding mountains and hills started to rise on either side, the first known estuarine (marine influenced) rocks were
laid down only about 600,000 years ago, as dated by the Rockland ash bed which overlies the earliest marine rocks
(Sarna-Wojcicki; personal commun., 2001). Cores taken during bridge-foundation studies and construction record up to
seven different estuarine periods over the past half million years, corresponding to times of high sea level during
interglacial periods (Atwater, and others, 1977; Sloan, 1989). During the glacial periods, when vast quantities of ocean
water were stored in continental glaciers, the Bay floor became a valley and experienced erosion and downcutting. At
those times, the huge, glacial-fed ancestral Sacramento River flowed through the Bay valley and out the Golden Gate
Straits. Ocean water started flooding into the present San Francisco Bay only about 8,000 years ago, when the sea
reentered the Golden Gate following the last glaciation (Wisconsin).
The Franciscan Complex (Stops 2 to 6)

The San Andreas Fault system is a relatively new geologic feature in the San Francisco Bay area, originating to the
south 28 million years ago, but extending through the Bay area only 6 to10 million years ago (Page and Wahrhaftig,
1989). In contrast, older rocks of coastal California indicate that, before the Pacific Plate started slipping northward past
the North American Plate on the San Andreas Fault system, the Pacific Ocean floor was subducted (moved) beneath the
western edge of the North American Plate (fig. 3.3). The distinctive rocks of the world-famous Franciscan Complex,
named at San Francisco and underlying much of coastal northern California, formed in this subduction zone.
In the Bay area, rocks of the Franciscan Complex form the basement for the Coast Ranges east of the San Andreas
Fault. The Franciscan primarily consists of graywacke sandstone and argillite, but also contains lessor amounts of
greenstone (altered submarine basalt), radiolarian ribbon chert, limestone, serpentinite (altered mantle material), and a
variety of high-grade metamorphic rocks such as blueschist (high-pressure), amphibolite, and eclogite (high-temperature). These rocks are typically highly fractured and disrupted and may be mixed together on a local scale to create what
is called a mlange (French for mixture or blend).
Franciscan Complex rocks in the Bay area range in age from about 200 to 80 million years old. They represent an
accretionary wedge, a complex body of rock that accumulates in a subduction zone. The Franciscan Complex is composed of an amalgamation of semicoherent blocks, called tectonostratigraphic terranes, that were episodically scraped
from the subducting oceanic plate, thrust eastward, and shingled against the western margin of North America (fig. 3.3).
This process formed a stacking sequence in which the structurally highest rocks (on the east) are the oldest, and in which
each major thrust wedge to the west becomes younger. Within each of the terrane blocks, however, the rocks become
younger upsection, but the sequence may be repeated multiple times by thrust faults.
Franciscan Terranes in the Bay Area

Franciscan terranes are composed of oceanic rocks that may include igneous basement material and marine sedimentary rocks. Zones of mlange separate the terranes. In the Bay area, the Franciscan Complex is divided into the eastern
and the central belts, with the older eastern belt lying structurally higher and being of higher metamorphic grade than the
central belt (Blake and others, 1984). This field trip will focus on central-belt rocks, which Blake and others (1984)
divided into eight terranes in the Bay area (fig. 3.2). This division is based on differences in basement types and ages, in
the age and types of overlying sedimentary sequences, and in their metamorphic grade.
San Francisco and the Marin Headlands contain three of these terranes, from oldest to youngest, the Alcatraz, Marin
Headlands, and San Bruno Mountain. Separating the terranes are the Hunters Point and City College mlange zones,
which are primarily composed of sheared serpentinite and shale with scattered blocks of greenstone, chert, graywacke,
and high-grade metamorphics (fig. 3.2). The Alcatraz terrane is characterized by graywacke turbidite deposits containing fossils indicating that the sediments were deposited between 130 and 140 million years ago (Early Cretaceous)
(Blake and others, 1984, Elder, 1998). The Marin Headlands terrane, which is discussed in more detail below, contains
an oceanic sequence including basaltic crust covered by open-ocean chert deposits and overlying continental-derived
sandstone. Fossils in these units indicate that the chert was deposited from about 200 million to 100 million years ago
(Early Jurassic to Late Cretaceous) and the sandstone between 100 and 90 million years ago (Murchey and Jones,
1984). The San Bruno Mountain terrane is composed predominately of sandstone and has yielded no fossils. Although
its age is unknown, the block is thought to be Late Cretaceous in age, based on its position west of the Marin Headlands
terrane (fig. 3.2).
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Marin Headlands Terrane

On this field trip, we will be looking at rocks of the Marin Headlands terrane and the Hunters Point mlange zone,
which bounds it to the east (figs. 3.2, 3.4, 3.5). The thick sequence of rocks preserved in the Marin Headlands terrane has
received much attention by geologists in the last few decades, yielding a detailed record of their transport history (fig.
3.6). Tropical fossils and paleomagnetic evidence indicate that the terrane originated in the central Pacific near the
equator. It then moved northeastward with the oceanic plate towards the North American Plate, finally colliding with
North America at the latitude of todays Mexico (Murchey, 1984; Murchey and Jones, 1984). After this oceanic fragment
became attached to the North American margin, rather than being subducted under it, right-lateral faulting produced by
northeasterly directed subduction transported it northward along the western edge of the continent. Finally, San Andreasrelated transform faulting moved it farther up the coast to the Bay area and rotated the Marin Headlands block into the
position the we find it in today (Wahrhaftig 1984a; Curry and others, 1984; Wakabayashi, 1999). The following discussion of rock types and field trip stops will fill in the details of how scientists deciphered this story from the rocks.
Franciscan Rock Types

Basalt (Stop 2)
Basalt makes up about 20 to 25 percent of the exposed rocks of the Marin Headlands terrane. Alteration of Franciscan
Complex basalt, presumably by hot seawater circulating through it at the mid-ocean ridge, has resulted in low-grade
metamorphism and the development of the minerals chlorite and pumpellyite. These minerals give the basalt a dark
green color and hence its common name, greenstone. Basalt in the Marin Headlands is typically deeply weathered,
forming a zone of orange-brown clays and iron oxides that extends to depths of 5 to 10 m (15 to 30 feet). Most roadcuts
do not penetrate this weathered zone to expose fresh rock. When subjected to constant wave action, however, the basalt
forms hard, erosion-resistant black to dark green seacliffs like those seen at the Point Bonita.
Most basalt of the Marin Headlands terrane exhibits well-developed pillow forms and is vesicular. A few flows lack
internal structure and may represent submarine flood basalts. Tuff and volcanic breccia beds also are present at some
localities including Point Bonita.
Typical pillows are a few tens of centimeters to a meter across. They have rounded tops and downward projecting
keels that were molded by the tops of the older underlying pillows. These forms provide an upsection indicator and
demonstrate an underwater origin for the flows (Moore, 1975). When seen in cross section, some pillows show thin
layers of basalt alternating with thicker quartz and calcite layers. These internal features resulted from lava partially
draining out of the pillows to form voids that were later filled by quartz and calcite. The thin lava shelves in the pillows
coincide with the true horizontal at the time of the flow, providing an accurate paleohorizontal indicator (Moore and
Charlton, 1984).
At some places, such as near the tunnel entrance out to Point Bonita lighthouse and near Battery 129, chert can be
seen between the pillows (fig. 3.7). Near Battery 129 and at the south end of Rodeo Beach, cream to pink pelagic
limestone also is present. The occurrence of these relatively slowly deposited sedimentary rocks indicates periods of
volcanic quiescence between pillow lava flows. In addition, the presence of limestone between the pillows demonstrates
that the mid-ocean ridge crest was above carbonate compensation depth (CCD), which in todays oceans is typically
around 4 km depth, allowing carbonate to be preserved. The lack of limestone in the immediately overlying chert
sequence shows that the cooling oceanic plate descended below CCD shortly after it moved away from the ridge crest.
Chemical analysis of the basalts of the Marin Headlands terrane indicates that they are rich in titanium and iron,
which is consistent with a mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) origin, particularly at a spreading center near a hot spot.
However, at Point Bonita, the basalt chemistry is somewhat different, suggesting a seamount or oceanic island site of
eruption, although a mid-ocean ridge site near a hot spot is also possible (Wahrhaftig and Wakabayashi, 1989; Shervais,
1989). The difference in composition between the Point Bonita basalt and that elsewhere in the Marin Headlands terrane
led Wahrhaftig and Wakabayashi (1989) to establish a separate Point Bonita block.
Chert (Stop 3)
Chert underlies about 50 percent of the Marin Headlands and a small part of the Presidio. Because chert is resistant to
weathering, it forms many of the ridge tops. At places, the chert is found in depositional contact with the underlying
basalt (fig. 3.8; Battery 129) or with the overlying clastic rocks (Alexander Avenue), but most contacts are formed by
faults. The chert is bedded and is composed predominately of 2- to 10-cm thick red chert layers that alternate with
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thinner, dark-red shale beds. The red color indicates the oxidized state of the iron in this siliceous rock. Light green to
white chert beds also are present, but are much less common and occur in the mid to upper parts of the section. In
general, the bedding thickness decreases and the shale content increases upsection. Because of the prominent thin
bedding, these rocks are commonly called ribbon chert. Chert lying near the basalt contact has a silvery gray to black
manganese-oxide staining. This manganese is probably related to both hydrothermal and hydrogenous Mn associated
with the spreading ridge (Karl, 1984).
Locally, the chert is intensely folded, forming complex sharp-crested chevron and isoclinal folds (fig. 3.9). Such
folding is well exposed along Conzelman Road. Most likely, the folding occurred when the Marin Headlands terrane was
wedged against the continental margin and subsequently faulted to its present position. However, abrupt changes from
only slightly deformed sequences to highly folded areas, and unbroken sharply folded beds, have led to speculation that
some of the contorted folding reflects submarine slumping on the flank of the mid-ocean ridge prior to final hardening of
the layers (Bailey and others, 1964; Wahrhaftig, 1984a).
The chert of the Marin Headlands contains abundant radiolarian fossils that are silt to sand size and that are clearly
visible with a hand lens. These tiny siliceous fossil shells provided much of the silica content in these beds. The
radiolaria can be extracted from the rock with hydroflouric acid, providing spectacular three-dimensional fossils (fig.
3.10). By studying these fossils, Murchey (1984) determined that the oldest cherts deposited on the basalt contain species
that lived about 200 million years ago (Early Jurassic, Pliensbachian Stage) and that the youngest species, at the top of
the section near the sandstones, lived about 100 million years ago (Cretaceous, Albian to Cenomanian stages). The chert
sequence, therefore, reflects 100 million years of pelagic deposition and is one of the longest stratigraphic sequences of
chert in the world (Wahrhaftig and Murchey, 1987).
The cherts contain a number of features indicating that they formed in the equatorial central Pacific (fig. 3.6).
Murcheys (1984) study identified radiolarians characteristic of warm tropical to subtropical waters. This finding,
coupled with the fact that red, oxidized radiolarian cherts are typically associated with high productivity upwelling zones
found just north and south of the equator (Karl, 1984), suggest that the sediments forming these rocks were deposited in
near the equator. The observed upsection decrease in bedding thickness also is consistent with a depositional site that
was moving northward, out of the equatorial high-productivity zone, thus resulting in progressively thinner bedding
cycles (Karl, 1984). The general lack of terrigenous, continental-derived sediments throughout the sequence implies that
it was deposited far offshore, probably more than 1,000 km (600 miles), if there was no topographic barrier to impede
continental sediment supply (Karl, 1984).
The prominent rhythmic bedding of the cherts is one of their most distinguishing features (fig. 3.11). The contrast
between the hard chert beds and the intervening shale beds has been magnified by diagenesis following deposition.
Subtle original compositional differences would have been enhanced as silica moved from the less silica-rich zones to
the more silica-rich beds during diagenesis, in which opal-A silica from radiolarian shells was transformed into opal-CT
silica, and ultimately to quartz (Tada, 1991).
However, the origin of the primary compositional differences is debatable. Karl (1984) concluded that the bedding
was produced by periodic submarine landslides (dilute turbidity currents) that occurred on the flank of the mid-ocean
ridge. Predominately lenticular bedding and some internal sedimentary features are consistent with this origin. Alternatively, the rhythmic bedding may represent periodic changes in oceanic upwelling and siliceous productivity, possibly
developed in response to the Earths orbital cycles (Decker, 1991). A growing body of literature indicates that the Earths
21,000, 41,000 and 100,000 year orbital cycles, as well as others, are reflected in biogenic sedimentary sequences
(Fischer, 1991). In any case, diagenesis would have enhanced the cycles produced by either turbidite or productivity
mechanisms.
Clastic RocksConglomerate, Sandstone, Shale (Stops 4 and 6)

Continentally derived clastic rocks underlie about 25 percent of the Marin Headlands terrane. The clastic rocks
weather deeply and are usually exposed only in the coastal bluffs, where they erode to form steep, dangerous cliffs. This
trip will visit two good sandstone exposures, one at the north end of Rodeo Beach and the other at the north end of Baker
Beach (fig. 3.12). Sandstone is dominant among the clastic rocks and is mainly a lithic arkose wacke, consisting of a
poorly sorted mixture of angular plagioclase feldspar, quartz, and volcanic rock fragments. The volcanic component
gives the sandstone its characteristic greenish-gray color. This dirty sandstone is commonly called graywacke, and is
typical of submarine landslide deposits (turbidites) associated with subduction zones along continental margins.
The sandstone intervals are composed of beds typically ranging in thickness from 1 to 2 m to more the 20 m. The beds
generally show no internal features other than graded bedding, although internal laminae or cross-bedding are occasionally present. The base of the beds may be pebbly or have small shale and other rock clasts. Beds grade upward to
progressively finer sandstone and may be capped by thin shale intervals, usually no more than 10 to 20 cm in thickness.
64
This grading from cobbles or pebbles at the base to fine sand and silt at the top of beds results from decreasing transport
energy after a slide event. As the energy decreased, smaller and smaller particles drop out of suspension and are deposited.
Most sandstone beds reflect the A, C, and D facies of the classic Bouma turbidite sequence (Bouma, 1962) with the preservation of the pelagic E facies at the tops of some (Wahrhaftig, 1984b). Locally, carbonized plant material is apparently concentrated at the tops of sandstone beds, perhaps floating to the top of the sand slurry following a turbidite event.
Shale intervals are typically less than 50 cm thick and reflect periods of pelagic deposition between turbidite events.
Rarely, shale intervals several meters in thickness are present, such as immediately above the chert sequence on
Alexander Avenue. Portions of the mlange at north Baker Beach appear to contain much shale, but the highly disturbed
nature of the outcrop prohibits determination of bed thickness.
Conglomerate is rare but has been identified at three localities on the Marin Headlandstwo localities at Bonita Cove
and one on Wolf Ridge (Wahrhaftig, 1984a). No conglomerate will be seen on this field trip. The two Bonita Cove
localities have different compositions: one contains greenstone, limestone, and red chert pebbles, and the other locality
has gray quartzite and chert cobbles.
The sandstone of the Marin Headlands terrane has yielded two molluscan fossils, both ammonites (fig. 3.13). One was
found near the base of the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge and identified by Hertlein (1956), and the other came
from the south end of Baker Beach and was reported on by Schlocker and others (1954). These Cretaceous ammonites
provide quite accurate ages of early Cenomanian and early Albian for the clastic rocks north and south of the Golden
Gate, respectively (Elder, 1998). These ages are consistent with the radiolarian-derived Albian to Cenomanian age for the
top of the underlying chert sequence. These ammonites lived widely throughout the Pacific and thus provide no evidence
regarding the latitude at which the rocks were deposited.
Serpentinite (Stop 5)
Serpentinite is associated with the mlange blocks of the central belt that surround the Marine Headlands terrane (fig. 3.2).
Highly fractured serpentinite rocks and associated mlange form hills with broad crests and abundant slumps and landslides.
Although serpentinite does not typically form sizable outcrops, soils form slowly over serpentinite, such that disturbed areas
may be barren for extended periods before vegetation develops. The bluffs above north Baker Beach provide spectacular
serpentinite exposures that also exhibit the landslides and seeps characteristic of this rock type (fig. 3.14).
Serpentinites are rocks composed of the serpentine-group minerals, chrysotile (asbestos), lizardite, and antigorite.
These minerals impart a characteristic blue-green color to the serpentinite blocks and the sheared clay zones surrounding
them. In outcrop, massive rounded serpentinite blocks, typically 1 to 2 m in diameter, are surrounded by a matrix of
sheared, flaky serpentine, called slickentite. The massive blocks may show relict porphyritic textures (bastite replacements of pyroxene) of deep oceanic crust and mantle rocks (dunite and harzburgite). Other blocks may contain a lacy
network of 1-5 mm thick asbestos veins (fig. 3.15).
The serpentinites of the Franciscan Complex in the San Francisco Bay area are exotic fragments of oceanic crust and
mantle (ophiolite) that were accreted to the active continental margin rather than being subducted under it (Coleman,
1989). Hydrothermal activity in the subduction zone has completely altered the mineralogy of these deep crust and
mantle rocks to serpentinite, making them much lighter and more plastic. These serpentinites are probably derived from
the base of the Coast Range Ophiolite, a piece of Middle Jurassic oceanic crust that underlies the rocks of the Great
Valley Sequence of central California. Extensive faulting, and possibly upward diapiric movement of these relatively
light rocks, has led to their ascent to the Earths surface.
Because serpentinite is altered mantle rock, its chemistry is unlike that of most other continental rocks. Serpentinite is
low in potassium and calcium, which are important plant nutrients. It also contains high levels of magnesium, nickel, and
chromium that are potentially toxic to plants. Therefore, plants living on serpentine soils are specially adapted to these
unusual chemical conditions, and serpentine areas can often be mapped by using the abrupt vegetation change that occurs
at their boundaries.
Serpentinite outcrops in California and throughout the world are known to support rare and endangered plant species
(Kruckenberg, 1984). Some species are confined to just one or a few outcrop areas. Eight of the twelve rare plants found
at the Presidio grow on serpentinite, including the federally endangered Presidio clarkia and Ravens manzanita, the
latter of which is represented by a single plant (fig. 3.16).
Quaternary Geology of the Colma Formation (Stop 6)

The Pleistocene Colma Formation locally forms a thin veneer over rocks of the Franciscan Complex on the Golden
Gate headlands of San Francisco Peninsula. The formation extends to Angel Island and to the southern peninsula, where
65
it overlies the Pliocene and Pleistocene Merced Formation from Fort Funston, south (Schlocker, 1974). The Colma
Formation is mostly composed of sandy deposits laid down from 80 to 125 thousand years ago during an interglacial
period (Sangamonian/Mindel-Riss/Holsteinian Interglacial) when sea level was slightly higher than today. At that time,
northern San Francisco Peninsula was an island separated from the southern peninsula by the narrowColma Strait
(fig. 3.17).
The predominately poorly consolidated sands of the Colma probably originated in a variety of environments ranging
from shallow bay to dune and valley slopes. The formation extends under the San Francisco Bay and is developed up to
500 feet above sea level (Schlocker, 1974). It apparently represents shallow bay deposits below about 200 feet in
elevation and valley-slope debris above. The permeable sands of the Colma Formation form a good aquifer, and springs
are common at the interface between the Colma Formation and the underlying Franciscan Complex serpentinite at the
Presidio.
Holocene Sand Dunes (Stop 6)

Holocene sand dunes mantle the Colma Formation and the Franciscan Complex over large areas of San Francisco
(fig. 3.18). These dunes are composed of sand that has blown up and over the hills from Ocean Beach and Baker Beach.
The sand probably originated on the broad coastal plain of the Sacramento/San Joaquin River system, which extended
from the Golden Gate to the Farallon Islands during the last glacial period (Wisconsin), when sea level was about 100 m
(300 ft) lower than at present (Atwater, 1979; Sloan, 1989). Sand from this plain was transported onto the beaches and
blown over the coastal hills during the rapid sea level rise that occurred between about 18,000 and 5,000 years ago. Sea
level has been relatively stable for the past 5,000 years, rising only 1 to 2 mm/year during that period (Atwater, 1979).
The Holocene sand dunes of this area formed one of the most extensive coastal dune systems on the West Coast,
underlying about one-third of San Francisco. The dynamic nature of these dunes, constantly shifting and in different
phases of ecological succession, produced a complex mosaic of sandy habitats that once supported many different plant
and animal species. Today, only a small remnant of that ancient ecosystem survives, much of it within the Presidio.
Preserved and restored dune habitat at Baker Beach (Stop 6) and in more inland areas, such as nearby Lobos Creek
Valley, supports a much greater biodiversity than the surrounding urban areas. The coastal dune scrub community here
provides food and shelter for insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals and includes several rare plants, such as the Dune
gilia and San Francisco lessingia (fig. 3.16).
Road Log
The field trip begins at the National Park Service Visitor Center at the Presidio. The trip crosses the Golden Gate Bridge
to stops in the Marin Headlands and then returns south to the Presidio. Figures 3.4 and 3.5 show the location of stops.
Mileage/Notes
0
From National Park Service Visitor Center drive south on Montgomery.
0.1
Turn right on Sheridan Avenue.
0.4
Sheridan Avenue becomes Lincoln Boulevard; continue on Lincoln west.
0.9
Go under Highway 101.
1.3
Turn right on Armistead; immediate left onto Golden Gate Bridge approach; then right onto the bridge.
3.3
Exit right to Vista Point at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge.
STOP 1Vista Point provides excellent panoramic views of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin
Headlands (fig. 3.4). As you stand at the Vista Point, try to visualize what this scene looked like a mere 12,000
years ago, when a rushing, glacially fed river flowed through the grand valley before you, now occupied by bay
water. The river flowed through Raccoon Straits, between Angel Island and the Tiburon Peninsula, and out through
the gorge of the Golden Gate before crossing a wide coastal plain to the Pacific.
66
Today San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge dominate this view. Built over a 4 year period, the Golden
Gate Bridge was completed in 1937. Bridging the Golden Gate was not only one of the greatest engineering efforts
of the century, it also acted as a social and economic catalyst that forever changed the San Francisco Bay region.
Today more than 40 million vehicles cross the bridge each year. The foundations of the bridge towers extend 110
feet below the water into bedrock. The south tower is anchored in fractured serpentinite rock, leading to some
concern about its integrity during a large earthquake.
3.5
Leave vista point onto Highway 101 north.
3.7
Exit immediately onto Alexander Avenue.
3.8
Proceed toward Sausalito on Alexander Avenue.
3.9
Turn left toward Marin Headlands (this is Bunker Road, but there is no sign).
4.1
Proceed through tunnel. The traffic light can last up to 5 minutes.
4.9
First visible chert outcrops are on the left; views encompass coastal scrub plant community typical of the Marin
Headlands. No trees are native to this area; the natural landscape contains low, tundra-like vegetation due to the
persistent winds and cool foggy conditions.
6.6
Turn left on Field Road.
6.9
Graywacke outcrops are visible on left.
7.0
Nike missile museum is on right.
7.7
Point Bonita Trailhead parking area is on the left (will stop here in a few minutes).
8.0
Lookout vista. From this point you can see Bird Island (covered with white guano), Point Bonita Lighthouse,
basalt seacliffs and gun emplacements from the early 20th century.
8.2
Return to Point Bonita Trailhead parking area.
STOP 2Proceed down Point Bonita Trail to locked tunnel. This stop will be focused on the pillow basalts (now altered
to greenstone) of the Point Bonita block (fig. 3.4). On the way down the trail, the first outcrop seen to your right is
graywacke sandstone. A prominent fault and sheared zone can then be seen separating the graywacke from
greenstone. Greenstone is the predominate rock the rest of the way to the tunnel, except for a small interval of
serpentinite and shale just beyond the fault. Near the tunnel entrance, well-developed pillows are seen in the basalt
of the cliff face. Pods of red chert, altered to jasper, are present between some pillows (fig. 3.7). The chert was
deposited during periods between eruptions. Locally, in the Marin Headlands terrane, interpillow limestone pods
also are found, indicating that the sea floor was above calcium carbonate compensation depth (CCD) for at least a
short time after forming. The best pillows are seen near the water line below Point Bonita lighthouse, where the
waves have beautifully exposed them. The tunnel to the lighthouse is open on weekends and Mondays between
12:30 and 3:30 p.m. The red-looking growth covering the basalt by the tunnel entrance is a type of cyanobacteria
(Trentepohlia). Feral cabbage, escaped from the lighthouse keepers garden, is a common plant here, as well as a
many native species, such as cobweb thistle and blue-dicks.
Return to the bus.
9.2
Return and turn left onto Bunker Road toward Rodeo Beach.
9.6
Pull out into gravel parking area just beyond large warehouse building.
STOP 3This abandoned quarry face provides excellent exposures of the radiolarian ribbon cherts characteristic of the
Marin Headlands terrane (fig. 3.4). The chert seen here displays dark steely-gray manganese staining typically
developed in rocks near the base of the chert section, probably reflecting manganese-rich hydrothermal and bottom
67
waters associated with the mid-ocean ridge volcanism. Complex folding is well displayed on the left-hand side of
the cliff face, probably produced when the terrane was accreted onto North America (fig. 3.19). Thrust faults
formed during the period of accretion have sliced the oceanic sequence up and repeated it ten or more times in the
headlands area (Wahrhaftig, 1984a). Prominent chert and shale bedding rhythms also are evident (fig. 3.11). These
sedimentary cycles, which have been enhanced by burial diagenesis, reflect either submarine landslides or cyclic
changes in radiolaria productivity and (or) clay input. The shells of some radiolaria (fig. 3.10) can be seen on
freshly broken surfaces with a handlens.
9.6
Proceed left and on to Fort Chronkhite.
10.2 Proceed to the bus parking at Rodeo Beach at north end of parking area.
STOP 4From the Rodeo Beach parking lot (fig. 3.4) proceed west onto the gated road and then left, up the path to the
cliff top. From the top of this promontory are excellent views of the coast to the north and south. The bluffs in this
area are composed of graywacke sandstone. The deep cove just to the north cuts into an area of less resistant, more
shaley turbidite beds.
To the south and east, Rodeo Cove and Rodeo Lagoon are visible (fig. 3.20). No other West Coast beaches have
the composition or coarse grain size of the beach in Rodeo Cove. The beach is composed predominately of
rounded red and green chert and lesser amounts of mafic volcanic rock fragments that fall mostly in the 1 to 4 mm
grain size range (Wakeley, 1970). In addition to the brightly colored chert pebbles, the beach contains carnelians,
semitranslucent orange chalcedony, that formed in the vesicles of the nearby pillow basalts.
Rodeo lagoon fills a valley drowned by recent sea-level rise following the last glacial period. The lagoon is
developed behind a barrier bar formed by the beach. During winter storms, ocean water may overtop the bar during
storm tides and high seas, forming landward-dipping washover fans. In addition, rains may increase freshwater
flow into the lagoon, causing overtopping and erosion from the landward side (Hill, 1970). The barrier beach
reforms during summer dry season conditions, when the coastal beaches build up and out.
Leave Rodeo beach and proceed eastward.
12.4 Turn on to McCullough Road.
13.1 A small slump can be seen on the left.
13.2 Ahead on left, note large graywacke blocks on top of the chert outcrops.
13.3 Turn left onto Conzelman Road.
13.7 Stop bus for great view of folds in chert on left, bay and bridge views on right.
14.0 Manganese stained chert can be seen on left; similar to Stop 3 (above).
14.1 Pillow basalts crop out on left, and contact with overlying chert is visible.
14.5 Take entrance ramp to Highway 101 South, and onto Golden Gate Bridge. Stay in far right lane.
16.5 Turn right on Merchant Road immediately after toll booth.
16.7 Turn right on Lincoln Boulevard.
16.72 Take immediate right on Langdon Court and proceed to bus parking.
STOP 5From the Coastal Overlook (fig. 3.5) we will walk to the beach where we will examine serpentinite and
mlange outcrops. This is a clothing optional public beach that provides excellent exposures. Take the trail from
the southwest corner of the parking lot (fig. 3.5, loc. 1), over the bluff edge and into the trees. Spectacular exposures of serpentinite can be seen in the large landslide headwall as the trail descends the bluff (fig. 3.5, loc. 2). The
steep coastal bluffs in this area are formed from a series of these landslide headwalls (fig. 3.14). East dipping
foliation and flattening of the boulders can be seen in these exposures.
68
Just south of where the trail meets the beach, a rock promontory juts into the ocean (fig. 3.5, loc. 3). The north
side of this exposure is serpentinite and the south is composed of sandstone. This fault contact juxtaposes the large
serpentinite block forming the bluffs to the north, against a mlange zone developed to the south at the boundary of
the Marin Headlands terrane and the Hunters Point mlange zone (fig. 3.2).
Climb over the promontory and walk south across the low wetlands area formed at the toe of the landslide. A
serpentine seep 100 m (320 ft) inland feeds these wetlands. Several rare plants in the area, including the Franciscan
thistle (fig. 3.16), are adapted to, and largely restricted to, serpentine seep conditions. Proceed to the edge of the
low bluff to the west (fig. 3.5, loc. 4). Here, the bluff is composed of green clay that appears to be slowly oozing
onto the beach. The clay contains popcorn-like balls of what may be zeolite minerals (fig. 3.21) and is thought to
be an altered volcanic tuff bed, similar to tuffs found in mlange throughout the central and northern Coast Ranges
(Wahrhaftig and Sloan, 1989).
Continue south to the large ribbon-chert outcrop at the end of the beach. This chert block is in fault contact with
a large sandstone block to the south (we will inspect this block at Stop 6) and a pillow basalt block to the north
(fig. 3.22). These blocks are pieces of the Marin Headlands terrane and probably represent the northern boundary
of that terrane on the San Francisco Peninsula.
Head back north and, if time permits, continue past the trailhead about 250 m (800 ft) to the north end of the
beach, where large rocks extend into the water (fig. 3.5, loc. 6). These are high-grade metamorphic rocks composed of amphibolite. Locally they are garnet-bearing and have textures suggestive of partial melting indicative of
high-temperature metamorphism (about 700C; Wakabayashi, 1999). Quartz- and garnet-rich beds appear to be
metachert, probably metamorphosed during the early stages of subduction (Wakabayashi, 1999). High-grade
metamorphic blocks of the Franciscan Complex all date to about 160 million years ago, but the Hunters Point
mlange zone is probably not older than about 100 million years, based on the age of the Marin Headlands terrane
to its west (Wakabayashi, 1999).
Return up the trail to the bus.
17.0 Exit parking lot and turn right onto Lincoln Boulevard.
17.3 Serpentine chaparral restoration site containing last remaining Ravens Manzanita.
17.8 Turn right on Bowley Street, then right onto Gibson Street to Baker Beach.
18.0 Turn right to Battery Chamberlin Road.
18.2 Park in bus parking area at Baker Beach.
STOP 6From the Baker Beach parking lot, walk through Battery Chamberlin, a coastal defense gun emplacement built
in 1904. The battery contains the last operational six-inch diameter disappearing rifle on the West Coast. Walk
north to the exposures at the end of the beach. This is another clothing optional beach.
The bluffs at the north end of Baker Beach provide an excellent opportunity to observe sandy turbidite deposits
of the Marin Headlands terrane close at hand (fig. 3.5, loc. 7). These graywacke sandstone bluffs are composed of
massive sandstone beds as much as 5 m (26 ft) in thickness, separated by finely laminated cross-bedded sandstone
and shale interbeds from 5 cm to 1 m (2 in to 3 ft) thick. Some of the interbeds contain abundant plant material,
now carbonized and coaly, that apparently rose to the tops of the underwater landslide flow deposits (fig. 3.23).
The abundance of plant material suggests that there was land nearby. The turbidite beds are cut by numerous small
faults, and calcite veins fill many of these faults and fractures.
Walk back south to the nearby tan bluffs fig. 3.5, loc. 8). These bluffs are composed of poorly consolidated silts
and sands of the Colma Formation (Pleistocene) that are dipping about 20 degrees south. The Colma Formation
weathers to form badlands topography in this area (fig. 3.24). Low angle or planer laminations are evident in the
basal Colma Formation exposed on the beach here and suggest a beach foreshore or backshore environment. The
overlying finer-grained rocks may represent lagoonal deposits.
The top of the Colma Formation is marked by a prominent gray soil horizon that is overlain by Holocene sand
dunes (fig. 3.18). In ravines along the cliff base, high-angle cross beds indicative of sand dune deposits are visible
in the slightly consolidated sand present near the base of the Holocene unit (fig. 3.25). The dunes on the bluffs here
provide a glimpse into what the northern San Francisco Peninsula looked like before becoming urbanized. These
dunes are some of the least impacted in the city, providing critical habitat space for rare plants like Dune gilia and
San Francisco wallflower (fig. 3.16).
69
Return to the bus at the Baker Beach parking lot.

18.4 Turn left on Gibson Street.
18.5 Turn left on Bowley Street.
18.6 Turn left on Lincoln Boulevard.
19.1 Turn right on Kobbe Street.
19.4 Continue straight on Kobbe past Upton Street.
19.7 Turn left on Park Boulevard.
19.8 Turn right on Lincoln Boulevard.
20.5 Turn right on Montgomery Street and back to William Penn Mott Jr., Visitor Center.
End of trip
References
Atwater, B.F., Hedel, C.W., and Helley, E.J., 1977, Late Quaternary depositional history, Holocene sea-level changes, and vertical crustal
movement, southern San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1014, 15 p.
Bailey, E.H., Irwin, W.P., and Jones, D.L., 1964, Franciscan and related rocks and their significance in the geology of western California:
California Division of Mine and Geology Bulletin 183, 177 p.
Blake, M.C., Jr., 1984, Franciscan Geology of Northern California: Pacific Section Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, v. 43, 254 p.
Blake, M.C., Howell, D.G., and Jayko, A.S., 1984, Tectonostratigraphic terranes of the San Francisco Bay region, in Blake, M.C., Jr., ed.,
Franciscan Geology of Northern California: Pacific Section Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, v. 43, p. 5-22.
Bouma, A.H., 1962, Sedimentology of Some Flysch DepositsA Graphic Approach to Facies Interpretation: Elsevier Scientific, 167 p.
Coleman, R.G., 1989, Serpentinites, in Wahrhaftig, C. and Sloan, D., eds., Geology of San Francisco and Vicinity, 28th International
Geological Congress Field Trip Guidebook T105, p.10-11.
Cox, A., and Engebretsen, D.C., 1985, Change in motion of Pacific Plate at 5 Ma: Nature, v. 313, p. 472-474.
Decker, K., 1991, Rhythmic bedding in siliceous sedimentsAn overview,in Einsele, G., Ricken, W., and Seilacher, A., eds., Cycles
and events in stratigraphy: Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, p. 464-479.
Fischer, A.G., 1991, Orbital cyclicity in Mesozoic strata, in Einsele, G., Ricken, W., and Seilacher, A., eds., Cycles and events in stratigraphy: Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, p. 48-62.
Elder, W.P., 1998, Mesozoic molluscan fossils from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and their significance to terrane reconstructions for the Franciscan Complex, San Francisco Bay area, California, in Santucci, V.L., and Lindsay, M., eds., National Park
Service Paleontological Research: National Park service Technical Report NPS/NRGRD/GRDTR-98/01, p. 90-94.
Hertlein, L.G., 1956, Cretaceous ammonite of Franciscan group, Marin County, California: American Association of Petroleum Geologists
Bulletin, v. 40, p. 1985-1988.
Hill, M.R., 1970, Barrier Beach: California Geology, v. 23, no. 12, p. 231-233.
Karl, S.M., 1984, Sedimentologic, diagenetic, and geochemical analysis of Upper Mesozoic ribbon cherts from the Franciscan Assemblage at the Marin Headlands, California, in Blake, M.C., Jr., ed., Franciscan Geology of Northern California: Pacific Section
Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, v. 43, p. 71-88.
70

Kruckenberg, A.R., 1984, California serpentinesFlora, vegetation, geology, soils, and management problems: University of California
Publications in Botany, v. 78, 180 p.
Moore, J.G., 1975, Mechanism of formation of pillow lava: American Scientist, v. 63, p. 269-277.
Moore, J.G., and Charlton, D.W., 1984, Ultrathin lava layers exposed near San Luis Obispo Bay, California: Geology, v. 12, p. 542-545.
Murchey, Benita, 1984, Biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy of chert in the Franciscan Complex, Marin headlands, California, in Blake,
M.C., Jr., ed., Franciscan Geology of Northern California: Pacific Section Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists,
v. 43, p. 51-70.
Murchey, Benita, and Jones, D.L., 1984, Age and significance of chert in the Franciscan Complex in the San Francisco Bay region, , in
Blake, M.C., Jr., ed., Franciscan Geology of Northern California: Pacific Section Society of Economic Paleontologists and
Mineralogists, v. 43, p. 23-30.
Page, B.M., 1989, Coast Range uplifts and structural valleys, in Wahrhaftig, C., and Sloan, D., eds., Geology of San Francisco and
vicinity, 28th International Geological Congress Field Trip Guidebook T105, p. 30-32.
Page, B.M., and Wahrhaftig, Clyde, 1989, San Andreas Fault and other features of the transform regime, in Wahrhaftig, C., and Sloan, D.,
eds., Geology of San Francisco and vicinity, 28th International Geological Congress Field Trip Guidebook T105, p. 22-27.
Schlocker, Julius, 1974, Geology of the San Francisco North Quadrangle, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 782, 109 p.
Schlocker, Julius, Bonilla, M. G., and Imlay, R. W., 1954, Ammonite indicates Cretaceous age for part of Franciscan group in San
Francisco Bay area, California: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 38 p. 2372-2381.
Shervais, J.V., 1989, Geochemistry of igneous rocks from Marin Headlands, in Wahrhaftig, C. and Sloan, D., eds., Geology of San
Francisco and vicinity, 28th International Geological Congress Field Trip Guidebook T105, p. 40-41.
Sloan, Doris, 1989, San Francisco Bay, in Wahrhaftig, C. and Sloan, D., eds., Geology of San Francisco and Vicinity, 28th International
Geological Congress Field Trip Guidebook T105, p. 46-47.
Tada, R., 1991, Compaction and cementation in siliceous rocks and their possible effect on bedding enhancement, in Einsele, G., Ricken,
W., and Seilacher, A., eds., Cycles and Events in Stratigraphy: Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, p. 480-491.
VanderHoof, V. L., 1951, History of geologic investigation in the bay region, in Geologic Guidebook of the San Francisco Bay Counties:
California Division of Mines Bulletin 154, p. 109-116.
Wahrhaftig, Clyde, 1984a, Structure of the Marin Headlands block, CaliforniaA progress report, in Blake, M.C., Jr., ed., Franciscan
geology of Northern California: Pacific Section Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, v. 43, p. 31-50.
Wahrhaftig, Clyde, 1984b, A Streetcar to subduction and other plate tectonic trips by public transportation in San Francisco, revised
edition: Washington, D.C., American Geophysical Union, 72 p.
Wahrhaftig, Clyde, and Sloan, Doris, 1989, Geology of San Francisco and Vicinity, 28th International Geological Congress Field Trip
Guidebook T105, 69 p.
Wahrhaftig, Clyde, and Murchey, Benita, 1987, Marin Headlands, California100-million-year record of sea floor transport and
accretion: Geological Society of America Centennial Field Guide, Volume 1Cordilleran Section, p. 263-268.
Wahrhaftig, Clyde, and Wakabayashi, John, 1989, Tectonostratigraphic terranes, in Wahrhaftig, C., and Sloan, D., eds., Geology of San
Francisco and vicinity, 28th International Geological Congress Field Trip Guidebook T105, p. 6-8.
Wakabayashi, John, 1999, The Franciscan Complex, San Francisco Bay areaA record of subduction complex processes, in Wagoner,
D.L., and Graham, S.A., eds., Geologic Field Trips in Northern California: California Division of Mines and Geology Special
Publication 119, p. 1-21.
Wakeley, J.R., 1970, The unique beach sand at Rodeo cove: California Geology, v. 23, no. 12, p. 238-241.
71
Figure 3.1. Satellite image of San Francisco Bay area showing major faults and geographic features discussed in text (modified
from U.S. Geological Survey and Pacific Gas & Electric image).
72
Figure 3.2. Top part of figure shows terranes of the Franciscan Complex in the San
Francisco Bay area and dip direction of major thrust faults referred to in text. Cross
section A-B for lower part of figure also is indicated (modified from Blake and
others, 1984). Bottom part of figure is a schematic cross section through northern
San Francisco Peninsula across bay to Oakland (not to scale).
Figure 3.3. Cartoon of the subduction zone present on the West Coast 100 million
years ago showing position of the accretionary wedge of the Franciscan Complex.
73
Figure 3.4. Geologic map of the Marin Headlands showing major geologic units, location of field trip stops, and other places referred
to in text (modified from Wahrhaftig and Murchey, 1987).
74
Figure 3.5. Geologic map of coastal bluffs in the

Presidio showing major geologic units, location of
field trip stops, and locations at stops referred to in
text (modified from Wahrhaftig, 1984b; Schlocker,
1974). Arrows indicate the direction of landslide
movement.
75
Figure 3.6. Transport history of the Marin Headlands terrane across the Pacific Basin. Panels show approximate geographic position
of terrane, shown as red area, at 200, 150, 100, and 40 million years ago (modified from Murchey and Jones, 1984).
Figure 3.7. Pillow basalt with red chert

interbeds at Point Bonita. Hat for scale.
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Figure 3.8. Ribbon chert in depositional contact with pillow basalt at Battery 129.
Figure 3.9. Folded chert beds on Conzelman Road. Note the lack of fracturing on the tight folds. Knife for scale.
77
Figure 3.10. Scanning electron micrographs of silica tests (shells) of Radiolaria

removed from the Marin Headlands chert by using hydroflouric acid.
Figure 3.11. Bedding rhythms developed in ribbon chert along Conzelman Road. Diagenetic transfer of silica has
enhanced the bedding. Knife for scale.
78
Figure 3.12. Graywacke sandstone turbidite beds at the north end of Baker Beach. Note the darker fine-grained
interbeds dipping northeast, away from the camera.
Figure 3.13. Ammonite fossils from turbidite sandstones of the Marin Headlands terrane(1)
Douvilleiceras cf. mammillatum (Schlotheim) from Baker Beach area, (2) Mantelliceras sp. from below
the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge (photos from Hertlein, 1956; Schlocker and others, 1954).
79
Figure 3.14. Serpentine exposed in landslide headwalls in bluffs of the Presidio. The dark rocks in the ocean
below are high-grade metamorphic amphibolite blocks.
Figure 3.15. Lacy network of chrysotile (asbestos) veins in serpentinite boulder on the beach near the Presidio.
80
Figure 3.16. Rare and endangered plants living on serpentine soils and dunes of the Presidio(1) Presidio clarkia
(Clarkia franciscana), serpentine soils; (2) Dune gilia (Gilia capitata), coastal dunes; (3) San Francisco wallflower
(Erysimum franciscanum), serpentine and dunes; (4) San Francisco lessingia (Lessingia germanorum), coastal
dunes; (5) Ravens manzanita (Arctostaphylos hookerii ssp. ravenii), serpentine soils; and (6) Franciscan thistle
(Cirsium andrewsii), serpentine seeps.
Figure 3.17. Paleogeographic map of the San Francisco Bay area when the
Colma Formation was deposited about 125 thousand years ago, during an
interglacial period when sea level was slightly higher than today. Note that
the area of San Francisco was largely an island at that time (modified from an
unpublished map based on data of Ken Lajoie, U.S. Geological Survey).
81
Figure 3.18. Top of Colma Formation and overlying Holocene sand dunes at Baker Beach. Note the gray soil horizon at
paleoerosion surface developed between the two units.
82
Figure 3.19. Ribbon chert exposed in old quarry at Stop 3 of field trip. Note relatively undeformed beds on right
side and folding on left.
Figure 3.20. Rodeo Beach and Lagoon. The barrier bar developed by the beach is overtopped during winter storms.
83
Figure 3.21. Altered tuff with zeolite nodules in Franciscan Complex mlange on beach (Stop 5, loc. 4).
Figure 3.22. Large blocks in the mlange at the boundary of Marin Headlands terrane on the beach at the Presidio
(fig. 3.5, loc. 5). Greenstone blocks are in foreground, ribbon chert in center, and graywacke sandstone in background.
84
Figure 3.23. Turbidite sandstone with lens of carbonized plant material at the north end of Baker Beach (fig. 3.5,
loc.7). Knife for scale.
Figure 3.24. Colma Formation forming small badlands in the bluffs at the north end of Baker Beach (fig. 3.5, loc.8).
85
Figure 3.25. High-angle crossbeds exposed in a gully in the poorly consolidated Holocene dune deposits at the north
end of Baker Beach (fig. 3.5, loc.8). Knife for scale.
86
Fault and Coastal Geology from Half Moon Bay to Fort Funston: Crustal Motion, Climate Change, and Human Activity
Field San
Trip Andreas
4
San Andreas Fault and Coastal Geology from Half Moon Bay to
Fort Funston: Crustal Motion, Climate Change, and Human Activity
David W. Andersen
Department of Geology, San Jos State University, Calif.
Andrei M. Sarna-Wojcicki
Richard L. Sedlock
Introduction
The geology of the San Francisco Peninsula reflects many processes operating at time scales ranging from hundreds
of millions of years to a fraction of a human lifetime. We can attribute todays landscape in the San Francisco Bay area to
three major processes, each operating at its own pace, but each interacting with the others and with subsidiary processes:
(1) the slow, long-term motion of the North American tectonic plate as it moves relative to the northwest-moving Pacific
Plate, and the smaller but important component of crustal compression between the two plates; (2) the more rapid
changes in global climate during the last few million years, which have controlled the rise and fall of sea level and the
succession of flora and fauna on land and along the coast; and (3) the very recent, explosive growth of human population
and its related activity, as expressed in pervasive ecological impact and urbanization.
The oldest rocks in the region formed nearly 170 Ma (million years ago) under conditions very different from those in
the San Francisco Bay area today, and rocks that were formed far apart have been juxtaposed during their later history.
On a much shorter time scale, local climatic conditions and sea level have fluctuated dramatically since about 2 Ma
during glacial and interglacial times. Very recent processes such as erosion and human activity have significantly
affected the landscape on a still shorter time scale. The purpose of this trip is to examine the effects and interplay of these
processes in producing some of the geologic features in this part of coastal California.
Mesozoic and Cenozoic Geologic Evolution of California

During the late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic, about 170 to 28 Ma, California lay along a convergent plate boundary.
Modern convergent boundaries between a continent and an oceanic plate, such as the western edge of South America,
typically include a volcanic arc on the continent, a forearc basin and accretionary complex seaward of the arc, a trench,
and the unsubducted part of the oceanic plate farther seaward. The Mesozoic rocks of California reflect their origins in
various parts of this setting (fig. 4.1). Granitic rocks of the Sierra Nevada formed below the arc of then-active volcanoes.
The Coast Range Ophiolite represents the oceanic basement beneath part of the forearc basin, and sedimentary rocks of
the eastern Coast Ranges (which we will not see on this trip) formed above this basement within the forearc basin. The
oldest rocks in many parts of the Coast Ranges, called the Franciscan Complex, consist of deformed pieces of the
accretionary complex (Page, 1981; Wahrhaftig, 1984).
About 28 Ma, the oceanic spreading ridge that lay west of the convergent boundary encountered the trench, and the
North American Plate began to interact directly with the Pacific Plate (Atwater, 1970, 1989). Relative motion between
these two plates is dominantly parallel to the plate margin, and the transform fault plate boundary of which the modern
San Andreas Fault is a part began to develop and lengthen at that time (fig. 4.2). The northern end of this transform
fault system, called the Mendocino triple junction, migrated northward and reached the latitude of Menlo Park about 10
Ma (Dickinson, 1981; Atwater, 1989). The geologic history of the San Francisco Bay area since about 10 Ma largely
reflects the development of the San Andreas Fault system as the complex boundary between the North American and
Pacific tectonic plates.
San Andreas Fault System

The San Andreas Fault is one of many faults comprising the transform plate boundary in the San Francisco Bay area
(fig. 4.3). Most of these faults, such as the San Andreas, Hayward, Calaveras, and Greenville, are right-lateral strike-slip
87
faults (the block on the west moves northward relative to the block on the east). Average slip rates are shown on figure
4.3. Other Bay-area faults are thrusts, in which one side of the fault moves upward and over the adjacent side. The
unlabeled faults south of San Jos (fig. 4.3) probably are thrusts, and the San Gregorio Fault Zone may have components
of both right-lateral strike slip and thrust slip.
The faults of the San Andreas Fault Zone juxtapose rocks with very different characteristics and histories. Throughout
most of central California, the San Andreas Fault forms the boundary between areas underlain by Franciscan Complex
rocks on the east side of the fault and areas underlain by granitic basement on the west (fig. 4.4). The areas underlain by
granitic rocks constitute the Salinian block, which represents a piece of the old volcanic arc that has been transported
northward along the San Andreas Fault and placed outboard (west) of the Franciscan Complex rocks.
One somewhat enigmatic fault on the San Francisco Peninsula is the Pilarcitos (fig. 4.3). In this area, Franciscan
Complex rocks lie west of the San Andreas, and the Pilarcitos forms the boundary between blocks with Franciscan and
Salinian basements. A traditional view is that the Pilarcitos represents a former trace of the San Andreas, and that the
presently active trace on the Peninsula formed relatively recently (McLaughlin and others, 1996). The crustal block
bounded by the Pilarcitos and the Peninsular strand of the San Andreas would thus be a piece of the former North
American Plate that has been captured by the Pacific Plate and now moves to the northwest with the latter. The total
amount of offset on the active trace of the San Andreas Fault since this capture is about 25 km. An alternative interpretation proposed by Wakabayashi (1999) is that the Pilarcitos is an old thrust fault not related to the San Andreas, which
would require that most of the slip on the transform margin at this latitude has taken place on faults other than the San
Andreas.
Many parts of the Bay area have experienced uplift and erosion or subsidence and sediment accumulation in response
to compression normal to the San Andreas Fault system. Such vertical displacements would certainly accompany
thrusting on the unlabeled faults in figure 4.3 and probably also accompany horizontal slip on the dominantly strike-slip
faults. Sarna-Wojcicki and others (1986) estimated that the rate of shortening across the San Andreas Fault system is at
least 10 percent of the rate of strike-slip motion over the past 6 m.y.
Sea Level Fluctuations During the Quaternary and Uplift of the Coast Ranges
Superimposed on slow lateral displacement and uplift of the faulted crustal blocks are the effects of the repeated rise
and fall of the world oceans in response to changes in the amount of water stored in Earths ice caps. High stands of the
sea level are preserved as marine terraces, cut into the rising Coast Ranges. Multiple marine terraces can be observed on
the coast near Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay. The oldest terrace cut by sea level is now the highest; it has been uplifted
the most because it has had time to be uplifted to a higher elevation. The youngest terrace above the modern surfabrasion platform is the lowest; it has been uplifted only slightly, relative to the older terraces.
During the last major worldwide glacial maximum, about 20 ka (thousand years ago), sea level was as much as 130 m
lower than it is now (fig. 4.5). The continental shelf was much more broadly exposed above sea level during this period,
with the coastline as much as 35 km west of the present one. The Farallon Islands were then rugged hills rising above a
broad, gently sloping plain, with the coastline lying to the west. At that time, there was no San Francisco Bay. The
lowland that now forms the bay was a broad, forested valley. Local tributary rivers and streams converged near the center
of the modern Bay area to join the huge, swollen river that rushed from eastern California past the present location of
San Francisco and out onto the broad alluvial plain (now the continental shelf covered by the ocean). This huge river,
bearing the runoff water from about 40 percent of Californias land area during a cooler and wetter time than the present,
must have been an imposing sight. Once the river met the broad, flat plain west of San Francisco, it meandered to the
coast, just south of the Farallon Hills.
At that time, the valley that is now partly filled by San Francisco Bay contained stands of incense cedar, cypress,
Douglas fir, and juniper, with an undergrowth of cocklebur and other brushy plants, and horned pond weed, elatine,
and potamogeton in the wetlands. Meadows contained composites, chenopods, and grasses, as well as sage. Oak and
sequoia, now so common in parts of the Bay area, were scarce or absent. Horse, bison, camel, and mammoth roamed
the Bay valley, while smaller vertebrates lived in the brush and grass. Specimens of all of these fossils have been
found in sediment exposed in deep pits excavated northwest of San Jos near Mountain View for San Franciscos
garbage in the early 1970s. Fossil wood found in these deposits has yielded radiocarbon ages of 21 to 23 ka (Helley
and others, 1972), close to the age of the last glacial maximum at about 18 ka. The pits are now filled and covered,
and the area is the site of Shoreline Amphitheater, a large open-air theater where music concerts and other media
events are staged. Even today, some spectators amuse themselves by lighting the methane that seeps out of the ground
from the buried garbage below.
As the climate warmed after the last glacial period, glaciers began to melt, and the water stored in ice began to be
returned to the oceans. Starting about 18 ka and continuing until about 5 ka, world sea level rose (fig. 4.6). The rise was
88
San Andreas Fault and Coastal Geology from Half Moon Bay to Fort Funston: Crustal Motion, Climate Change, and Human Activity
not uniform, but punctuated by accelerations and slowdowns, and occasional stillstands, accompanied by formation of
stable coastlines for perhaps hundreds of years. Sea level rose high enough by ~9 ka to extend into the valley of San
Francisco Bay (Atwater and others, 1977). By ~5 ka, the sea level reached near its present position, and ceased to rise.
Ages of dated Native American habitation sites around the bay, marked by shell middens (mounds of shells containing
artifacts and often also used as burial mounds) date to about 5 ka, but no older. This suggests that older habitation sites
are now below sea level, corresponding to earlier, lower stands of the ocean (Helley and others, 1972).
Effects of Human Activity on the San Francisco Landscape

Early Native American inhabitants of the San Francisco Bay area were probably a minor factor in affecting the form
of the areas landscape. The human population was small, and the lifestyle of hunting and gathering was not particularly
disruptive, but if humans contributed significantly to the late Pleistocene extinction of mammoths and other large
animals in North America (Alroy, 2001), then they definitely had an impact on the ecosystem. With the transition from a
gathering and hunting lifestyle of the early Native Americans to the agricultural economy and grazing practices of early
Spanish and Mexican Californians, the original fauna and flora were gradually diminished, replaced, or eradicated. Rapid
acceleration of change began with the influx of population that occurred after the discovery of gold in 1848. Timber
harvesting, the expansion and intensification of agriculture accompanying the population influx, the growth of towns and
cities, and industrialization all contributed to major changes in the flora, fauna, and landscape. Mining activities accelerated erosion in the hills and mountains, accelerating sediment deposition in the lowlands. Today, environmental issues
including the decrease of wetlands in the Bay area (fig. 4.7) continue to be of concern.
The effects of human activity on the landscape in this area are likely to continue and accelerate into the future as
population here continues to grow. The Bay area is likely to experience not only the effects derived from local population
growth, but also from global effects induced by human activity. For example, continued global warming may result in a
rising of sea level, with displacement of population from the lowest elevations (fig. 4.8).
Road Log
The trip begins at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park. The trip route and locations of the stops are shown on
figure 4.9.
Mileage/Notes
0.0
Leave the U.S. Geological Survey parking lot and proceed north to Middlefield Road.
0.1
Turn left onto Middlefield Road.
0.4
Turn left onto Ravenswood Avenue.
1.1
Cross El Camino Real; street name changes to Menlo Avenue.
1.4
Turn left onto University Drive.
1.7
Turn right onto Middle Avenue.
2.5
Turn left onto Olive Street.
2.6
Turn right onto Oak Avenue.
3.2
Turn right onto Sand Hill Road.
4.9
Turn right onto Interstate 280 North.
7.4
Greenish-gray, rocky soil with little vegetation in the road cuts indicates the presence of serpentinite. Note the
numerous small landslides in this weak material.
89
7.9
San Andreas Fault Zone occupies wide valley in left foreground.
11.1 Exit freeway at first Vista Point north of Edgewood Road.

11.5 Park at Vista Point. Proceed up path to the west to view Crystal Springs Reservoir.
Stop 1San Andreas Fault OverlookCrystal Springs Reservoir

This reservoir occupies a portion of the San Andreas Fault Zone. About 4 m of right-lateral strike slip was recorded
(by offset fences, dams, and other features) in this area during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Maximum displacement on the fault was ~6 m farther to the north, and the entire rupture length was 430 km. The magnitude of the earthquake was determined to be ~ 8.3 on the Richter scale, though later moment-magnitude calculations yield a lower value
of ~7.8 (Thatcher, 1990). The earthquake was felt from southern Oregon to southern California and as far east as central
Nevada (Ellsworth, 1990). Although the dams at Crystal Springs Reservoir and at San Andreas Lake farther north held
during this earthquake, the water pipes supplying the city were ruptured in many places, so that water could not be
delivered to stop fires that had broken out after the earthquake. It was the fire much more than the ground shaking that
contributed to the great damage of the 1906 earthquake (Ellsworth, 1990).
Rocks of the Jurassic-Cretaceous Franciscan Complex occupy the northeast side of the fault, whereas Cretaceous
granitic rocks of the Salinian block lie to the southwest. This contrast is part of the basis for interpretations of up to 320
km of cumulative right-lateral displacement along the San Andreas Fault. Clahan and others (1995) estimated an average
slip rate of 173 mm/yr in this area since 2 ka (fig. 4.3).
Although none of the rocks here are true in place outcrops, fragments on the ground and in the rock wall come from
bedrock nearby. Blocks of serpentinized ultramafic rock along the path represent metamorphosed oceanic mantle,
probably from the Coast Range Ophiolite. Large boulders near the path include Franciscan Complex greenstone (metamorphosed basalt) and radiolarian chert from the accreted oceanic plate.
Exit Vista Point and return to Interstate 280.
11.8 Reenter Interstate 280.
14.7 Exit Interstate 280; take Highway 92 West to Half Moon Bay.
15.9 Cross Crystal Springs Reservoir within San Andreas Fault Zone.
17.9 Cross summit on Highway 92. Valley in foreground is occupied by Pilarcitos Creek, and the Pilarcitos Fault runs
parallel to the creek near the bottom of the valley.
18.6 Several terraform-sculpted retaining walls were recently installed in this area in order to help stabilize the slopes
with a minimum of right-of-way expansion.
23.1 Turn right onto Highway 1 North.
26.3 Turn left into parking lot at Pillar Point Harbor.
Stop 2El Granada Beach

This flat coastal area is a marine terrace that formed during a relatively higher stand of the sea about 100 ka. Note the old
wave-cut cliffs to the east and partly dissected higher terraces. Although originally incised horizontally into the rising terrane, the
ancient terrace surface is gently folded into a northwest-plunging syncline (fig. 4.10). The lowest elevation coincides with the
deepest part of the embayment at Half Moon Bay; the terrace surface rises both to the north and to the south (Lajoie, 1986).
The higher elevation of this same terrace west of the Half Moon Bay airport has been caused by uplift on the Seal
Cove Fault, one splay of the San Gregorio Fault Zone. The amount of uplift on the Seal Cove Fault is thought to be small
compared to its strike-slip displacement, but the rates of modern and recent strike slip on this fault are controversial
(Simpson and others, 1997; Sedlock, 1999).
90
The deformed marine terrace consists of eroded rocks of the Miocene to Pliocene Purisima Formation (about 5 to 3
Ma) overlain by a thin veneer of younger, unconsolidated sediment. The Purisima Formation forms the relatively
resistant rocks that make up Pillar Point to the west of the Seal Cove Fault. At El Granada, however, the unconsolidated
sediment at the top of the terrace is at sea level, and erosion by waves is much more rapid here. The rate of coastal
erosion became even greater after installation of the breakwater in 1960 (Mathieson and others, 1997).
Exit parking lot and return to Highway 1.
26.4 Turn left onto Highway 1 North.
27.9 Half Moon Bay airport on left. This area provides another view of the terrace, old wave-cut cliffs, and Seal Cove
Fault described at Stop 2.
30.9 Crossing the marine terrace at Montara Beach.
31.4 First steep outcrops of granitic rocks.
32.1 Turn right into parking area.
Stop 3Salinian Granitic Rocks

Rocks in this area are Cretaceous (about 90 Ma) granitic rocks of the Salinian block. These quartz-rich plutonic rocks,
very similar to granitic rocks of the Sierra Nevada, formed several kilometers below the land surface within what was
then an arc of active volcanoes in southern California. The rocks have since been transported northward along the San
Andreas Fault and uplifted, and the overlying volcanic, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks have been eroded. Because
these granitic rocks are much more resistant to erosion than the sedimentary materials at Stop 2, the coast is much
steeper here.
Leave parking area and return to Highway 1.
32.2 Turn right onto Highway 1 North.
33.1 Highway 1 crosses a large landslide complex here near Devils Slide. The landslide is mostly or entirely within
sedimentary rocks that overlie the Salinian granitic rocks, and it has been active for many years. The most recent
repairs were made after a slide in 1995 caused the road to be closed. The road was reopened after 5 months;
although it has remained open since then, Caltrans personnel maintain that the repairs must be thought of as
temporary (Williams, this volume).
33.6 Rocks on the right are Paleocene turbidites (younger than about 65 Ma).
34.3 Pilarcitos Fault runs through the valley ahead.
36.2 Turn left onto Rockaway Beach Avenue and take immediate right onto Old County Road.
36.4 Turn left at end onto San Marlo Way.
36.5 Park in lot.
Stop 4Pacifica Quarry

At Pacifica Quarry near Rockaway Beach, Franciscan Complex rock types include limestone, greenstone dikes, and
mlange that are part of the Permanente terrane. This discussion is slightly updated from Larue and others (1989).
The greater than 70 m-thick section of Calera Limestone Member of the Franciscan Complex (previously quarried for
cement) includes dark gray to black strata overlain by beige to light gray strata; interbedded chert probably formed due
to diagenesis (very weak metamorphism). The limestone consists chiefly of planktonic forams and micritic (muddy)
91
groundmass, with minor coccoliths, and yields early Albian to mid-Cenomanian ages (about 105 to 94 Ma). Black
limestones probably accumulated under anoxic conditions. Similar, probably correlative, rocks currently are quarried at
Permanente (west of San Jos).
Greenstone, or metamorphosed basalt, is present only in dikes that cut the limestone on the west wall of the quarry,
but similar rocks crop out in large, massive bodies a few kilometers north. Geochemical analysis of immobile elements
and relict clinopyroxenes were used to infer that the basalts were emplaced either at a spreading center (MORB) or at an
oceanic plateau or island (within-plate tholeiite)the elemental composition of these basalts more closely match the
composition of rocks in these oceanic settings than basalts found in continental interior regions. Some greenstone dikes
contain lawsonite and jadeitic clinopyroxene, which indicate that the dikes (and their limestone host) experienced
blueschist-facies metamorphism (low temperatures, high pressures).
Mlange, defined as a mixture of blocks in a weaker matrix, here consists chiefly of limestone blocks in shale.
Elsewhere in the Permanente terrane, mlange blocks include greenstone, sandstone, and blueschist; matrix is either
shale or serpentinite.
A likely geologic history is as follows (fig. 4.11): (1) the limestone accumulated (not as a reef complex) atop basaltic
oceanic crust (not exposed here) on a seamount, (2) few basaltic dikes intruded the limestone sequence, perhaps near a
transform fault that leaked basaltic magma, (3) the fossil seamount was subducted beneath western North America to
depths sufficient for blueschist-facies metamorphism (at least 15 km), and (4) complex faulting juxtaposed the limestone,
basalt, and mlange during subduction, exhumation, or both.
Some workers have interpreted paleomagnetic data to indicate that the limestone was deposited at a latitude of 22N
and shifted northward on the Farallon Plate or (after accretion to North America) within the Franciscan Complex
(Tarduno and others, 1985). However, others have argued that the Calera Limestone Member, like much of the
Franciscan, was remagnetized after its initial magnetization, invalidating the paleomagnetic argument for long-distance
transport. The presence of tropical microfauna in the limestone, however, tends to support the initial hypothesis of longdistance northward transport (Sliter, 1984).
Leave parking lot and proceed toward Highway 1.
36.6 Turn right onto Dondee Way.
36.7 Turn left onto Rockaway Beach Avenue.
38.7 Turn left onto Highway 1 North.
39.5 Take Manor Drive exit. Keep left on Oceana Boulevard.
39.9 Turn left onto Manor Drive. Cross Highway 1 and take immediate right onto Palmetto Avenue.
40.8 Turn left onto Westline Drive. Keep left along the coast to parking lot.
41.2 Park and walk northward to view area.
Stop 5Mussel Rock

The San Andreas Fault crosses the shoreline near here and passes offshore of San Francisco to the north. The steep
cliffs on the northeast side of the fault are composed of weakly consolidated sediment of the Merced Formation and
related units, which are Pliocene and Pleistocene in age (perhaps about 3 Ma to less than 50 ka).
The Merced Formation and related units are more than 1700 m thick and are composed of sediment deposited in a
variety of coastal settings, ranging from shelf through nearshore to nonmarine environments (Clifton and Hunter, 1999).
Environments can be determined from the nature of the bedding and other lithologic criteria, and comparison of these
features with those found in modern settings. Independent confirmation of depths can also be obtained from fossils
present in the sediments by comparing these to the same or similar organisms living today in the corresponding environments and water depths. The sediment exposed in the cliffs contains mostly shelf deposits in the lower part of the Merced
Formation near here, and the proportion of shallow-water and nonmarine facies increases farther north in younger layers.
However, there is a cyclic, smaller-scale repetition of alternating deeper and shallower environments that is superimposed on the generally shallowing trend (Clifton and Hunter, 1999). These smaller-scale cycles represent packages of
sediment deposited during sea-level oscillations caused by climate change during deposition.
92
The repeated occurrence of shallow-water deposits in this thick sequence indicates that the sediment accumulated in
an area that was slowly subsiding over millions of years, and accumulation kept approximate pace with subsidence. The
fact that these young strata are now tilted and exposed well above sea level shows that this same area has recently
changed to a site of uplift.
There are many examples of slope failure in the weakly consolidated Merced Formation along the cliff face. A narrow
bench that crosses the cliff face was originally part of the Ocean Shore Railroad, constructed in 1905 and 1906, then
abandoned in 1920. Some time after 1933, the right-of-way was widened to accommodate California Highway 1, the Ocean
Shore Highway, which was maintained here with great difficulty, expense, and frequent shutdowns. The road was heavily
damaged by landsliding in the March 22, 1957 earthquake (fig. 4.12) and was abandoned in 1958 (Sullivan, 1975).
The area became heavily developed between 1950 and 1960. Much of the rolling topography atop the bluffs was
leveled, and subdivisions were put in, extending close to the cliff edges. Many homes close to the cliff were damaged,
condemned, and destroyed as a result of landsliding. Landsliding and damage to the houses continues to the present.
Return to parking area and exit toward Westline Drive.
41.5 Turn left onto Skyline Drive (sign is missing; turn at change in pavement) and immediately left again onto
Westline Drive.
41.7 Westline Drive closed ahead due to landsliding. Turn right onto Rockford Avenue.
41.9 Turn left onto Longview Drive.
42.0 Former continuation of Westline Drive on left. Homes near the bottom of this hill have been removed recently.
42.1 Turn left onto Skyline Drive.
42.3 Houses that formerly lined this street on the seaward side have been removed because of landslide damage.
42.9 Turn left onto Northridge Drive.
43.2 Northridge Park with view of Woods Gulch to north.
43.3 Turn left onto Avalon Drive.
43.4 View of Woods Gulch on left. Recent work on the south side of Woods Gulch involved extensive terracing and
installation of drains.
43.5 Turn right onto Westmoor Avenue.
43.6 Turn left onto Skyline Boulevard.
44.8 Former entrance to Thornton Beach State Park, now closed because of landsliding. More landslide damage is
evident ahead.
46.3 At John Muir Drive, make a U-turn and return southward on Skyline Boulevard.
46.6 Turn right into Fort Funston. Keep right and proceed toward hang glider launch area.
47.0 Park in parking lot. Walk toward the ocean, keep to the left of the hang-glider launch area, and hike down
the path to the beach. NOTE: this is a fairly strenuous hike. Turn right and hike northward along the beach
to outcrops.
Stop 6Fort Funston

The Merced Formation here is Pleistocene in age (about 0.5 Ma) and includes excellent examples of several different
sedimentary environments. Clifton and Hunter (1999) identified 41 distinct stratigraphic divisions within the Merced
93
Formation and related units; we will be examining exposures in their units R, S, and T. Excellent descriptions of the stratigraphy and the sedimentary features here are presented by Hunter and others (1984) and Clifton and Hunter (1987, 1999).
Marine facies in this part of the section are quite diverse. Subtidal deposits include dark, fossiliferous and bioturbated
sand in unit R, parallel laminated and burrowed sand and silt in unit S, and cross-bedded gravel and pebbly sand in unit
T. The differences between these shallow-marine facies probably reflect different influences of tidal currents, waves, and
biological activity during accumulation of the different units. Intertidal and lower supratidal deposits in each of these
units include parallel laminated sand with local concentrations of heavy minerals. The nonmarine deposits in each unit
consist mostly of wind-blown sand, locally modified by soil-forming processes. Notable additional elements in the
nonmarine facies are pebbly fluvial sediment at the top of unit R, the Rockland ash bed [probably 400 ka (SarnaWojcicki and others, 1985) but possibly about 610 ka (Lanphere and others, 1999)] in unit S, and well developed, waterworked backshore deposits, especially in unit T. The part of the Merced Formation exposed here contains a larger
proportion of shallow-water and nonmarine deposits than the older part of the formation at Stop 5.
Each of the units in this part of the Merced Formation consists of a shallowing-upward sequence, with shallow-marine
deposits at the base that are overlain by intertidal facies and then capped by sediment deposited above sea level. At the
top of each unit is an unconformity, which represents a time when sediment was eroded or not deposited. At each
unconformity, nonmarine deposits of the lower stratigraphic unit are overlain by marine deposits of the next higher unit.
As at Stop 5, the repetition of marine units shows that this area was subsiding during the deposition of the Merced
Formation. At the same time, Pleistocene ice sheets were expanding and melting repeatedly, changing the volume of
water in the oceans and causing worldwide fluctuations in sea level exceeding 100 m. We correlate the major
unconformities in this part of the section to times of low sea level, and we attribute the marine deposits above the
unconformities to flooding as sea level rose. In each of the units, the shallowing-upward sequence formed mainly by
progradation of the coast during the sea-level high stand and, perhaps, during the early stages of the next sea-level fall.
The punctuated nature of the stratigraphic sequence here is thus the result of repeated worldwide changes in sea level
superimposed on long-term local subsidence.
Studies of the mineralogy of sediment in the Merced Formation indicate that the lower two-thirds of the formation
contains sediment derived from local sources within the central Coast Ranges. Minerals in the sediment are similar to
those found in streams draining various parts of the Coast Ranges within the vicinity of San Francisco Bay. Heavy
minerals can be more useful and diagnostic of sediment provenance than fine rock fragments and light minerals. Among
the heavy minerals present in the lower units are glaucophane, jadeite, actinolite, omphacite, and pumpelleyite. These are
minerals typical of Franciscan Complex metamorphic rocks found in the Coast Ranges. About two-thirds of the way up
in the Merced Formation section, however, there is a sudden and dramatic change in mineralogy. A flood of fine volcanic
rock fragments and minerals appear that are evidently derived from the Sierra Nevada and the southern Cascade Range,
with only a minor percentage of Coast Range-derived sediment. Heavy minerals such as hornblende, hypersthene, and
augite predominate. These data indicate that sediment derived from the interior of California was suddenly introduced
into the Merced embayment at the time of the change in the mineral assemblage (Hall, 1965). This geological event
marks the inception of river drainage from the Great Valley of California through the area of the modern San Francisco
Bay. Prior to this event, Great Valley drainage had been channeled through an outlet at the south end of the Great Valley.
The change in mineralogy occurs about 115 m below the Rockland ash bed. Thus, by interpolation, this major change in
the Great Valley drainage is inferred to have occurred sometime about 650 ka (Sarna-Wojcicki and others, 1985).
Return to parking lot. Exit parking lot and return to Skyline Boulevard.
47.2 Turn right onto Skyline Boulevard.
48.3 Turn left onto John Daly Boulevard.
49.5 Turn right onto Interstate 280 South.
63.9 Crystal Springs Reservoir on right with dam out of view below freeway. The canyon on the left leads to the city of
San Mateo.
75.4 Exit Interstate 280 at Sand Hill Road and proceed east toward Menlo Park.
79.6 Turn left onto El Camino Real.
80.4 Turn right onto Ravenswood Avenue.
81.0 Turn right onto Middlefield Road.
94
81.3 Turn right onto Survey Lane.

81.4 Enter U.S. Geological Survey parking lot. This concludes the road log for this trip.
References
Alroy, John, 2001, A multispecies overkill simulation of the end-Pleistocene megafaunal mass extinction: Science, v. 292, p.
1893-1896.
Atwater, B.F., Hedel, C.W., and Helley, E.J., 1977, Late Quaternary depositional history, Holocene sea-level changes, and vertical crustal
movement, southern San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1014, 15 p.
Atwater, Tanya, 1970, Implications of plate tectonics for the tectonic evolution of western North America: Geological Society of
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American geology, v. N: The eastern Pacific region: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America, p. 21-72.
Clahan, K.B., Hall, N.T., and Wright, R.H., 1995, Late Holocene slip rate and slip events for the San Francisco peninsula segment of the
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Clifton, H.E., and Hunter, R.E., 1987, The Merced Formation and related beds: A mile-thick succession of late Cenozoic coastal and shelf
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centennial field guide volume 1: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America, p. 257-262.
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95
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Fault system, California: Tectonics, v. 18, p. 1245-1274.
96
Figure 4.1. Schematic cross section showing California

as an Andean-type continental margin during late
Mesozoic time (from Irwin, 1990).
Figure 4.2. Maps showing

evolution of the San Andreas
transform fault system (from
Irwin, 1990).
97
S.F.
le
u
Fa
u
Fa
lt
as
re
il
nv
nd
ee
Gr
nA
Sa
d
ar
yw
Ha
21
lt
ult
Fa
6
San Jos
e
lav
Ca
Pilarcitos
Fault
ult
Fa
San Gregorio
Fault Zone
ras
17
Sa
3? 9?
Santa Cruz
?
Figure 4.3. Faults of the San Andreas system in the San

Francisco (S.F.) Bay area. Average slip rates shown are
current estimates in mm/yr based on a wide range of
geodetic (primarily GPS) and geologic (stream offset, trench)
studies (after Kelson and others, 1992).
20 km
An
14
dr
ea
s
21
Fa
u
lt
Figure 4.4. Simplified geologic map of part of

California, showing distribution of principal
basement rock groups (modified from Irwin,
1990). Units shown are (1) Quaternary
alluvium, shown only in the Great Valley, (2)
area in which older rocks are concealed by
overlying Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary
deposits, (4) Great Valley sequence of
forearc-basin sedimentary rocks, (5)
Franciscan Complex, (6) Sierra Nevada
granitic batholith, (7) Sierran metamorphic
belt intruded by Sierran granitic rocks, and
(9) Salinian block.
98
SACRAMENTO
N
20 MILES
MODESTO
SJ
SAN JOSE
VE
RI
R
LAST GLACIATION
20,000
YEARS AGO
0m
-12
SF
Figure 4.5. Map of the San Francisco Bay area at 20 ka, during the last major glacial period. The
coastline was close to the present 120-m bathymetric contour, and areas to the east were exposed
above sea level. The present coastline is dashed, including the outlines of the Farallon Islands west
of San Francisco (SF). Figure by K.R. Lajoie, U.S. Geological Survey.
N
20km
8.3ka
-18m
10.5ka
-3
.5k
11
7m
ka
14
ka
5m
ka
.2
14
18
-5
-7
3m
10
m
1m
-9
-1
Figure 4.6. The rise of the ocean level on the continental shelf after the last major global
glaciation, from ~18 ka until ~8 ka. A long stillstand of sea level occurred during this rise
at about 11.5 ka, as indicated by widespread, thick, nearshore deposits of gravel and
sand presently at ~55 m depth. Figure by K.R. Lajoie, U.S. Geological Survey.
99
Figure 4.7. Effect of human activity and

population growth in the San Francisco
Bay area during the period from 1850 to
1990. The green pattern shows open
wetlands, and the red pattern shows
growing population centers. Also shown
are some of the major earthquakes
(yellow dots) that have taken place in
the Bay area during historical time (from
Len Gaydos, U.S. Geological Survey).
RR
B
TO
EN
EA
AM
OC
CR
SA
FIC
SIE
CI
PA
SACRAMENTO
AY
0
+3
SAN
SF
FRANCISCO
m
SJ
MODESTO
20 MILES
100
Figure 4.8. Extent of flooding by

rising sea level if greenhouse
warming continues unabated,
and approximately one third of
the worlds volume of landbound ice and snow melts (not
sea ice). The resulting rise
would put sea level at about 30
m above the present sea level.
Dashed line shows approximate
outline of the present San
Francisco Bay. Figure by K.R.
Lajoie, U.S. Geological Survey.
Figure 4.9. A portion of the geologic map of the San Francisco-San Jos quadrangle (Wagner and others, 1990), showing field-trip
route and stops.
101
Figure 4.10. Local variability in coastal uplift shown

by deformed shoreline angle and wave-cut platform.
A, Coastal geomorphic features used to measure
Quaternary deformation. SLA, shoreline angle; WCP,
wave-cut platform; WCP and SLA, elevated surface
and shoreline angle of an older wave-cut platform
mantled by sediment (stippled). B, Deformed Pleistocene wave-cut platform at Half Moon Bay (HMB)
showing structure contours in meters. Arrows on fault
indicate direction of relative movement. U, upthrown
side; D, downthrown side. C, Platform profiles on fault
plane (dotted lines: E, east; W, west), showing vertical
separation across fault and deformation relative to
shoreline angle (heavy line). Modified from Lajoie (1986).
Probable origin of the Calera Seamount

in the Franciscan Complex
sea level
North
American
plate
seamount
spreading
ridge
sub
zodnucti
e o
limestone
(and chert?)
extinct volcano
100 Ma
previously-accreted stuff,
including mlange
(N American plate)
newly-accreted
seamount
80 Ma
102
Figure 4.11. Cross-sections showing

probable origin of the Calera Seamount
in the Franciscan Complex
Figure 4.12. Aerial view looking south along San Francisco Peninsula showing road repairs after the March
22, 1957, earthquake. The photograph, taken in April 1957, shows equipment clearing landslide debris north
of Woods Gulch. Photo courtesy of California Division of Highways, as reproduced by Sullivan (1975).
103
104
Elements
Field
Trip of
5 Engineering Geology on the San Francisco PeninsulaChallenges When Dynamic Geology and Societys Transportation Web Intersect
Elements of Engineering Geology on the San Francisco Peninsula

Challenges When Dynamic Geology and Societys Transportation
Web Intersect
John W. Williams
Introduction
The greater San Francisco Bay area currently provides living and working space for approximately 10 million
residents, almost one-third of the population of California. These individuals build, live, and work in some of the most
geologically dynamic terrain on the planet. Geologically, the San Francisco Bay area is bisected by the complex and
active plate boundary between the North American and Pacific Plates prominently marked by the historically active San
Andreas Fault. This fault, arguably the best known and most extensively studied fault in the world, was the locus of the
famous 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the more recent 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. There is the great potential for
property damage and loss of life from recurring large-magnitude earthquakes in this densely populated urban setting,
resulting from ground shaking, ground rupture, tsunamis, ground failures, and other induced seismic failures. Moreover,
other natural hazards exist, including landslides, weak foundation materials (for example, bay muds), coastal erosion,
flooding, and the potential loss of mineral resources because of inappropriate land-use planning. The risk to humans and
their structures will inexorably increase as the expanding San Francisco Bay area urban population continues to encroach
on the more geologically unstable lands of the surrounding hills and mountains.
One of the critical elements in the development of urban areas is the requirement that people and things have the
ability to move or be moved from location to location. The list of things that have to be moved is extensive and
diverse, ranging from people, food products, and building materials to water and energy resources in all forms (solid,
liquid, and gas). In California, long known for its love affair with the automobile, many of these items are transported by
road although railroads and pipelines play significant roles. These corridors of transport that spread like a web throughout the Bay area are essential to our present way of life. By their very nature, being long continuous features, they must
cross a wide variety of terrain including some that is geologically unstable. While avoidance of a potentially threatening
geological location is often the best approach, there are many areas in which this approach is not feasible. Further
complicating the situation is the fact that many hazardous intersections of transportation lines and geologic hazards were
established before the presence and level of geologic risk at a particular location were known or fully appreciated.
Todays brief trip will provide the opportunity to visit and discuss a number of these intersections between societys
transportation web and Californias dynamic geology. These intersections illustrate past and continuing problems of
slope instability (Highway 92, Devils Slide), coastal erosion (Half Moon Bay Harbor area), active faulting (San Andreas
Fault), and the impact of these geological constraints on transportation lines including water supply conduits as well as
railroads and roadways (fig. 5.2).
In addition to the geological complexities of these situations, one also must be aware of the complicated and often
overlapping roles played by local, state, and Federal agencies and the public as they work together to regulate the
planning, the construction, and the operation of these varied construction projects. One of the challenging problems often
encountered is that of the situation when a project already exists and functions well, but it was designed and built using
older standards that are not equal to those of today. The question that is often difficult to answer is whether it is appropriate to divert the available limited resources to upgrade these older projects away from new projects that may be desperately needed by the public.
The data contained in this field guide are the results of many years of thoughtful and careful work and writing by
many geologists, engineers, and land-use planners from government and private practice. No one individual could
possibly know all of the information contained in this guide or could have been personally responsible for its development. The author is grateful for the opportunity to draw generously upon the work of many others and to bring some of
these data together to provide an overview of one of the many significant roles that geology plays in our societys
activities. He is particularly appreciative for access to and use of the work and publications of the Association of Engineering Geologists, Caltrans, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, U.S. Geological Survey, California
Division of Mines and Geology, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and other organizations and for the assistance of
individuals too numerous to mention. It is hoped that this guide will be a starting point and a resource for others wishing
to learn and teach about engineering geology.
105
Road Log
Mileage/Notes
0.0
Bus departureExit the U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, by the main entrance, turning right (south) onto
Middlefield Road.
0.5
Turn left onto Willow Road.
1.6
Travel northeast along Willow Road to Highway 101, exit Willow Road by north (San Francisco) exit to
Highway 101.
11.8 Travel Highway 101 to Highway 92, exit Highway 101 by west (Half Moon Bay) exit.
14.5 Travel Highway 92 west to Interstate 280, (Rolling Stop to examine/discuss Campus Cut slope stability problem
along Highway 92 and general plans for improving the highway from Highway 101 to Highway 1 in coastal
community of Half Moon Bayrefer to attached discussion materials.
18.2 Exit Highway 92 south toward San Jos on Interstate 280; note the complex multi-level interchange between
Highway 92 and Interstate 280 located within 1,000 feet of the San Andreas Fault.
21
Continue south on Interstate 280 to Edgewood Road exit. Take exit, turn east under Interstate 280 and use San
Francisco entry ramp to reenter 280 going north.
22
Continue north on Interstate 280 to vista point overlook on east side of freeway.
22.2 STOP 1Discussion of general geologic setting, San Andreas Fault, San Francisco water supply, Interstate 280,
and engineering geology on the peninsularefer to attached discussion materials.
25.5 Return to Interstate 280 northbound to Highway 92, take Half Moon Bay exit onto Highway 92.
26.8 Continue on Highway 92 to Half Moon Bay (Rolling Stop along Highway 92 to examine/discuss highway
widening, slope instabilities and slope stabilization on western slope west of Highway 35refer to attached
discussion materials).
32.3 Ox Mountain /Corinda Los Trancos Landfill sitea landfill site originally permitted in 1976, owned and operated
by Browning-Ferris Industriesrefer to attached discussion materials.
34.9 Turn right, north, on Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay (at second traffic light). Travel north along the warped coastal
terracerefer to attached discussion materials.
38.1 Pillar Point Harborthis is the area of Stop 3 to which we shall return later in the trip.
39.4 Half Moon Bay Airportnote the northwest-southeast trending, northeast-facing scarp west of the airport. This
scarp, the Seal Cove Fault, is the northeastern segment of the active, right-lateral San Gregorio Fault Zone.
Continued seismic activity and documentation of Holocene offset by trenching studies demonstrate its potential for
future earthquakes and ground rupture.
40.5 Pass California Avenue and Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (an excellent stop for all, but particularly for geology and
biology students, with fine examples of many aspects of geology including good exposures of folds at low tide)
and continue to community of Montara.
45.3 Devils Slide slope stability areathis will be the area of Stop 2 to which we will return after continuing north and
turning around so that we may return to park on the west side of the highway.
47.0 Right turn at traffic light onto Linda Mar Boulevard; go east 2 blocks to Park and Ride area, and turn around.
106
Elements of Engineering Geology on the San Francisco PeninsulaChallenges When Dynamic Geology and Societys Transportation Web Intersect
Return on Linda Mar Boulevard to Highway 1; turn left at traffic light, south, and return to Devils Slide area
48.7
STOP 2Devils Slide slope instability. Use EXTREME CAUTION at this sitenarrow road with heavy and
fast trafficrefer to attached discussion materials for Stop 2. After stop, continue south on Highway 1 toward Half
Moon Bay.
56.8 STOP 3Half Moon Bay Harbor, just south of Pillar Point Harbor southern breakwater (See Stop 3 discussion
materials about the general geologic setting, coastal issues such as tsunami impact, coastal erosion, etc. with
particular emphasis on human-induced coastal erosionrefer to attached discussion materials).
60
Continue south on Highway 1, to Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay; turn left (east) on Highway 92; continue to
Highway 101; exit south toward San Jos onto Highway 101; continue to Willow Road; exit to west; continue to
Middlefield Road; turn right; continue to entrance to U.S. Geological Survey; turn left. (This route basically
retraces the route to the starting point of the trip.)
84.1 U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, and conclusion of trip.
Introduction to Highway 92 Improvements

State Highway 92 is one of the major east-west traffic corridors in San Mateo County for an increasing number of
commuter and commercial vehicles (truck traffic). It is the major link between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific
Coast community of Half Moon Bay. Highway 92 links the San Mateo Bridge, north-south Highways 101, 84, 35
and 1, and I-280 (fig. 5.2). In the relatively short distance of 18 miles between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific
Ocean, the highway climbs from sea level at the San Francisco Bay to an elevation of 880 feet at its intersection with
Highway 35 near the crest of the Coast Range and returns to sea level at the Pacific Coast. Highway 92, often on
grades as steep as 7 percent, crosses the complex geology of the California Coast Ranges. To construct the road,
numerous road cuts were necessary. Along some of these cuts, slope instabilities have developed, which in turn have
periodically resulted in serious disruptions of traffic flow, causing significant economic and emotional hardships on
the motoring public.
At present, for much of its route west of Interstate 280, Highway 92 is a two-lane road. Between Interstate 280 and
the San Mateo Bridge, it is a four-lane road. The increasing volume of traffic has prompted Caltrans to upgrade the
highway. Four phases of improvement of Highway 92 are in progress. The section between Highway 101 and Interstate
280 is being studied to evaluate alternatives. An Environmental Impact Study (Negative Declaration) has been filed on
the portion between Crystal Springs Reservoir and Highway 35 (Caltrans, 2000). The widening and slope stabilization
have been completed between Highway 35 and Pilarcitos Creek, east of Half Moon Bay. The section of Highway 92
between Pilarcitos Creek and Half Moon Bay is being evaluated for improvement, including widening and adding
additional safety features.
Rolling StopMitigation of Highway 92, College of San Mateo, Campus Cut Slope Instabilities1
The site of interest is in a road cut on Highway 92, between Highway 101 and Interstate 280 in San Mateo County
(figs. 5.2, 5.3). It is approximately 7,000 feet in length, topographically below the College of San Mateo, and known as
the Campus Cut. Before highway construction, the area was open farmland with moderately steep, rolling hills. To
construct the highway, it was necessary to excavate portions of the hill creating cut slopes on each side of the highway.
Construction of the four-lane highway was completed in 1963. The cut slope on the westbound lane (north side) was
originally designed with a slope ratio of 1.5 to 1 as were the cut slopes on the eastbound lane (south side). Since the
construction of Highway 92, numerous landslides have occurred on the cut slopes.
Brabb and Pampeyan (1972) mapped the bedrock on the site as Jurassic-Cretaceous age Franciscan Complex.
Regionally, the Franciscan Complex is variable in composition, and the site is predominately greywacke, siltstone, and
shale with substantial portions having been sheared. There are isolated blocks of other Franciscan rock types present.
The USDA Soil Conservation Service (1991) describes the erosion potential on the westbound side as high to very
high and on the eastbound side as medium to very high. Groundwater appears to be higher on the westbound side in
contrast to the eastbound side, based upon analysis of aerial photographs showing patches of green grass during the dry
summer months suggesting water nearer to the ground surface. Irrigation of the football field and other vegetated areas
of the College of San Mateo campus probably has contributed to the elevated ground-water levels in the area.
107
Since construction, slopes of the Campus Cut have failed repeatedly. Slope failures have been a combination of
shallow slumps and rotational slides. A hummocky topography has developed that gives the appearance of a single large
failure. Depths to the failure planes are estimated to be approximately 10 to 15 feet.
A field review in 1994 was conducted to determine the reason for the concentration of slope failures near the north
end of the westbound cut. An earlier study by the Federal Highway Administration concluded that groundwater was the
most important factor contributing to the slope instability. The 1994 review supported this earlier conclusion and noted
that the failures followed the trend of the gully that had existed on the hill slope before construction. A drainage system
(involving pipeline and culvert) was installed to replace the natural drainage path during construction. A subsequent
investigation of the drainage system, which was intended to replace the gully, showed that although the pipe was in
good shape, the concrete culvert was not. Water was able to bypass the culvert and infiltrate the slope. This additional
water contributed directly to the slope instabilities.
In 1994, the drainage system on the Campus Cut was repaired reducing the negative impacts of increased pore
pressure on the slope stability. Nonetheless, the excessively wet winter in 1998 reactivated many of the landslides, and
the Caltrans maintenance department was unable to keep pace with the frequent and severe slides. Following the winter
of 1998, a field investigation revealed 14 slides in various stages of development. Three landslides, posing the greatest
threat to the highway, were repaired.
Because of the extreme instability of the slope, the lack of funds, and the potential threat to the highway, emergency
repairs were completed without the benefit of soil analysis. Caltrans selected-rock slope protection (the placement of
large rocks on a partially excavated slope) as the most appropriate mitigation measure. The cost of this repair in 1999
was $120,000.
Stop 1Vista Point, Interstate 280

From this Vista Point, north of Edgewood Road on the east side of Interstate 280, many important features can be
seen, including:
a portion of the topographically well expressed San Andreas Fault Zone (figs. 5.2, 5.3),
the reservoirs that have been developed in the fault zone to serve as the terminus for water brought from the Hetch
Hetchy Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada, north of Yosemite National Park, to supply San Francisco and many midpeninsula cities,
Interstate 280 that parallels the San Andreas Fault as both traverse San Mateo County, and
the Filoli Estatefamous for its beauty and use in a popular television seriesis the location of a number of faulttrenching studies to document the rate of slip along this portion of the San Andreas Fault.
General Geologic and Physiographic Setting of the San Andreas Fault Zone2
From the vantage point of the Vista Point north of Edgewood Road along Interstate 280, one can view topography that
has been sculpted by dynamic geologic processes. This terrain is dominated by one of the worlds most spectacular
tectonic featuresthe San Andreas Fault. For hundreds of miles, the San Andreas Fault is the boundary between basement rocks of the Franciscan Complex and the Salinian Block (figs. 5.4, 5.5). The Franciscan Complex of Jurassic and
Cretaceous age is northeast of the fault and consists of mafic and ultramafic basement rocks and sedimentary rocks that
were deposited in a deep ocean environment and subsequently accreted to the western margin of the North American
plate. Most Franciscan Complex rocks in this area are part of the central tectonic belt (Irwin, 1960; McLaughlin and
others, 1988), which is a tectonic mlange of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age. Many of the larger blocks within the
central belt mlange are given separate terrane names. The terranes are primarily gently dipping thrust sheets that trend
northwesterly and dip northeasterly (Sullivan and Galehouse, 1991).
On the southwest side of the fault zone, Cretaceous and Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks were deposited on a
continental block of the Late Cretaceous granitic basement rocks, referred to as the Salinian Block (Clark and Brabb,
1978). The Tertiary section consists predominantly of marine classic sedimentary rocks ranging in age from Paleocene to
Pliocene (Clark and Brabb, 1978). These deposits include a thick, early Tertiary sequence that accumulated in deep
marine basins and a thick, late Tertiary sequence of predominantly diatomaceous beds that accumulated in sedimentstarved basins (Sullivan and Galehouse, 1991). The rocks of the Salinian Block originated south of their present location;
however, there has been debate about the distance traveled by the Salinian Block along the transform (strike-slip) system
(Page, 1989). Hill and Dibblee (1953) suggested that the Salinian Block was displaced several hundred miles from the
southern part of the Sierra Nevada. Evidence for this model includes similarity of the Salinian rocks to granites along the
crest of the Sierra Nevada in terms of age, mineralogy, and chemistry.
108
Approximately 28 million years ago, the Pacific Plate first came into direct contact with the North American Plate,
creating a transform boundary. Since that time, there have been slight shifts in both the direction and the rate of movement of the Pacific Plate with respect to the North American plate. Geologists agree that one of the more notable of these
changes, a shift to slightly oblique movement, caused convergence between the Pacific and the North American Plates,
producing the northwest-oriented mountains of the Coast Ranges beginning approximately 3 to 4 million years ago. The
Peninsula segment of the San Andreas Fault is estimated to have been initiated between 1 to 2 million years ago. Several
paleoseismic studies of the Peninsula segment have been completed (fig. 5.6). The slip rate estimate determined from the
studies at the Filoli Estate near Woodside is 173 mm/year (Clahan and others, 1995).
The San Andreas Fault is well defined by seismic activity and conspicuous geomorphic expression. However,
contrary to the above discussion, the San Andreas Fault is not the fundamental boundary between the Franciscan
Complex rocks and the Salinian Block in the San Mateo County region. The juxtaposition of basement rocks in this
region is marked by the Pilarcitos Fault, a fault that extends from Black Mountain to the offshore environment at
Rockaway Beach in Pacifica (fig. 5.5). Many geologists have assumed that the Pilarcitos Fault was the principal strikeslip boundary of the San Andreas Fault Zone on the San Francisco Peninsula, and that the San Andreas Fault is the
product of a geologically recent (1 to 2 million years ago) eastward shift of tectonism. However, this model has been
challenged recently by Wakabayashi (1999), who argues against significant Cenozoic slip on the Pilarcitos Fault, and
suggests that the Peninsula Segment of the San Andreas Fault represents a shift from faults located east of the San
Francisco Peninsula.
The San Gregorio Fault (mostly offshore) is a major, right-lateral strike slip fault that forms the principal active tectonic
structure west of the San Andreas Fault in central coastal California (fig. 5.5). Recent investigation in the Moss Beach/Seal
Cove area by Simpson and Lettis (1999) led to recognition of offset alluvial deposits associated with a paleovalley in the
uplifted fault block. Simpson and Lettis (1999) estimate a late Pleistocene slip rate of between 3.5 to 4.5 mm/year for the
eastern, on-land trace of the San Gregorio Fault, and suggest that an offshore (western) San Gregorio Fault trace may
contribute a similar amount of slip. Thus, the total slip across the entire zone may be 6mm/year or greater.
Onshore, along the San Mateo coastline west of the Half Moon Bay Airport, the San Gregorio Fault extends for
approximately 1.5 miles, from Pillar Point to Moss Beach. Along this segment, which is sometimes referred to as the
Seal Cove Fault, the on-land portion of the fault zone forms the eastern margin of an uplifted fault block. The western
margin of this block appears to be bounded by a second trace that has been seismically imaged offshore.
The Coast Range is being uplifted in the modern tectonic regime. The Peninsula portion of the San Andreas Fault was
a segment of the fault that ruptured during the 1906 earthquake. This event, the first major seismic event to be so
thoroughly studied, was brilliantly reported upon by Andrew Lawson and his colleagues (figs. 5.7, 5.8). Much of our
basic understanding of seismic mechanisms was initiated by that study (Lawson and others, 1908). The Santa Cruz
Mountains west of the San Andreas Fault were uplifted as much as 4 feet during the Bay areas most recent major
earthquake, 1989 Loma Prieta event. The San Francisco Bay region has been and continues to be a dynamic portion of
California. This is attested to in part by the data contained on regional maps prepared by the Association of Bay Area
Governments showing the intensity of ground shaking during the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault
(figs. 5.9, 5.10).
Filoli Estate3
The Filoli Estate, located 30 miles south of San Francisco, is a 654-acre property containing a historic house and 16
acres of formal garden (fig. 5.3). From 1917 until 1937, the house was occupied as the private residence of its original
owners, William Bowers Bourn II and his wife. The property was sold in 1937 to the Roth family, owners of the Matson
Navigation Company, who donated the house and 125 acres to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975.
Within the last decade, the estate has been the location of several important geologic studies involving trenching of the
1906 trace of the San Andreas Fault to determine earthquake recurrence intervals and rates of fault slip (fig. 5.6).
The Filoli house was built for the Bourn family, whose chief source of wealth was the Empire Mine, a hard-rock gold
mine in Grass Valley, California. Bourn was the owner and president of the Spring Valley Water Company comprising
Crystal Springs Lake and the surrounding watershed areas that are now part of the San Francisco Water Department (fig.
5.3). He selected the southern end of Crystal Springs Reservoir (then known as Crystal Springs Lake) as the site for his
estate, in part, to escape the dangers experienced during the 1906 earthquake by the population of the City of San
Francisco. (It is interesting to note that the site selected for the house is within a few hundred feet of the 1906 San
Andreas Fault rupture trace.) He created the name Filoli by combining the first two letters of the words of his credo:
Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; and Live a good life.
Bourn chose his longtime friend, the San Francisco architect Willis Polk, to design the house. In addition to the Filoli
Mansion, Polk designed the Pulgas Water Temple, which is the western terminus of the Hetch Hetchy Water System for
109
water flowing into Crystal Springs Reservoir, and a number of important structures in San Francisco, including Kezar
Stadium. Polk had played a major role as the city architect in the rebuilding of San Francisco following the 1906
earthquake. Construction of the Filoli mansion began in 1915, and the Bourn family moved into the house in 1917.
History and Construction of the Hetch Hetchy Water Distribution Project4

In 1900, San Francisco Major James Phelan directed the City Engineer Carl Grunsky to study 14 possible water
sources for San Francisco. Of these possible sites, Grunsky selected the Tuolumne River system for its high quality and
large supply of water, good reservoir sites, and hydroelectric production potential.
Later renamed Hetch Hetchy, the Tuolumne System was believed to be the best answer to San Franciscos problem of
providing safe, reliable drinking water to a growing number of residents. However, political conflicts within the San
Francisco city government and with the managements of the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts developed. The
management of these districts feared that San Francisco would threaten their established rights to use Tuolumne River
water. As a result of these conflicts, in early 1906, the city dropped the Tuolumne System proposal.
In the early morning of April 16, 1906, a devastating earthquake struck San Francisco. The earthquake was followed
by fires that destroyed much of the downtown area. The city lacked an adequate quantity of water to fight the fires
primarily because of earthquake damage to the water distribution system. The earthquake and resultant fires reinforced
the citys need to construct a more reliable water system with a higher capacity. After several years of political bickering at local, state, and national levels, on September 3, 1913, the Raker Act was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives.
As the Raker Act moved to the floor of the Senate, controversy ensued between environmentalists and the City of San
Francisco. Many people, including the noted environmentalist John Muir, feared that the Hetch Hetchy system would
destroy Yosemite Valley and other natural resources of the area. Eventually, after much debate, the Senate passed the bill
on December 2, 1913.
Also known as the Hetch Hetchy Act, the Raker Act included provisions that met the objections of the Turlock and
Modesto Irrigation Districts by allowing them to retain their already existing water rights. The act also granted San
Francisco the use of public land to construct, operate, and maintain dams, tunnels, and other structures necessary to
develop a water and power system. One important element of the act was the provision that no water or power generated
by the system could be sold to private companies for resale.
Work on the Hetch Hetchy system began in 1914. The system was to bring water from 650 square miles of watershed
in Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest to San Francisco. Water moves from the source area to the
terminal reservoirs exclusively by gravity flow. Ultimately the elements of the system included the following:
major reservoirs: OShaughnessy (360 thousand acre feet), Eleanor (27 thousand acre feet), Cherry (270 thousand
acre feet),
five dams,
four hydroelectric plants with a total capacity of 380,000 kw,
a total storage capacity of 659,600 acre feet (The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission maintains an additional
238,700 acre feet of storage in the Bay area.)
The Hetch Hetchy System has the ability to meet a peak demand for water of 400 million gallons a day. Construction
took place in separate, simultaneous, construction projects across a distance of 150 miles (fig. 5.11). The main dam
(OShaughnessy) was completed in 1923 and was in full operation by 1934. Today the system provides San Franciscans
with about 85 percent of their water. The remaining 15 percent of their supply comes from a watershed on the San
Francisco Peninsula, which is mostly west of the Crystal Springs Reservoir and San Andreas Lake, and a watershed in
portions of Alameda County surrounding, in part, the Calaveras Reservoir.
Interstate 280The Worlds Most Beautiful Highway

Interstate 280 was approved for Californias Interstate system on September 15, 1955, and was opened to traffic in the
mid-1970s (figs. 5.2, 5.3). This Interstate, named the Junipero Serra Freeway, honors Father Junipero Serra, the Spanish
missionary who established nine of the missions along the El Camino Real during the colonization of California by the
Spanish in the 1700s and 1800s. Many individuals who travel this highway consider it one of the more beautiful
roadways in the world, and the portion of the Interstate in San Mateo County has received a number of national awards
for its design. Each direction is on a separate grade to minimize grading and excavation, and some bridges were designed
to blend with the surrounding terrain.
110
The engineers and designers working on the highway faced many challenges including:
the environmentally sensitive road alignment,
the potential for generating a significant and unwanted visual impact,
the proximity to the active San Andreas Fault with its history and potential for great earthquakes accompanied by
intense ground shaking and the generation of secondary ground failures,
the varied and often unstable bedrock materials of the Franciscan Complex underlying the highways alignment, and
hydrologic factors including concern for the potentially contaminated runoff from the paved surfaces.
Rolling StopModification of Highway 92 Between Crystal Springs Reservoir and Highway 35

Caltrans has proposed to improve Route 92 between the Crystal Springs Reservoir and Highway 35 (fig. 5.2). These
2.1 miles of highway have been the location of an increasing number of accidents and significant traffic delays as the
result of increasing vehicular traffic, including a significant increase in heavy trucks traveling between the Peninsula and
Half Moon Bay. The annual average daily traffic flow was 24,400 vehicles in 1998, and is projected to increase to 39,300
vehicles daily by 2020. Truck traffic increased by 4.5 percent between 1995 and 1997 (Caltrans, 2000).
In 1993, an Initial Study/Environmental Assessment was approved for a proposed westbound, up-hill, slow-vehicle
lane and safety improvement. Since the initial assessment, there have been a number of suggested changes, and a new
and more comprehensive environmental document has been prepared (Caltrans, 2000). Currently, the project includes:
an interchange at Highway 92 and Highway 35,
a median barrier,
realignment and curve correction,
a bridge across a small canyon to allow wildlife to cross under the highway, and
an undercrossing to allow San Francisco Water District personnel access to their corporation yard.
One of the more important environmental issues associated with the project is the potential for increased storm-water
runoff because of the increase in paved surface area and the increased number of disturbed cut slopes. There is the need
to restrict the flow of turbid water (particularly storm runoff) into the Crystal Springs Reservoir, the City of San
Franciscos water supply. Currently, there is no turbid-water collection system, and any runoff from the highway moves
into natural drainage ways and eventually into the reservoir.
The proposed turbid-water collection system consists of a series of interconnected ditches and pipes capable of
handling a 50-year design flow (Caltrans, 2000). Beginning at the ridge crest, near Highway 35, the system will collect
approximately two-thirds of the runoff from the paved road surface and the disturbed slopes. This flow will be transferred downhill where it will enter the proposed Highway 92 detention basin and pump-plant storage box. After appropriate dentition time, this flow will be released back to the turbid water collection system, where it will combine with the
remaining one-third of road and slope runoff. This combined flow will be piped across the existing causeway to a pump
plant, where it will be collected and pumped up to Basin no. 3 which is part of the Interstate 280 turbid water collection
system. The Interstate 280 turbid water pipeline connects a series of seven basins that ultimately drain into San Mateo
Creek and then into San Francisco Bay.
A separate, clean-water collection system is also proposed to collect and pass natural runoff from the undisturbed
areas to the natural drainages that lead to the Crystal Springs Reservoir (Caltrans, 2000). Any abandoned segments of
Highway 92 generated by realignment will be removed and the slopes restored to as near a natural state as possible.
Five major active faults are located within 50 miles of this section of Highway 92 between Crystal Springs Reservoir
and its intersection with Highway 35. The closest is the San Andreas Fault at the eastern margin of the project (fig. 5.5).
Caltrans has estimated that this fault has the potential for a maximum credible earthquake magnitude of 8.0 and a
maximum peak bedrock acceleration of 0.73 g (Caltrans, 2000). During the 1906 earthquake, approximately 8 feet of
right-lateral offset occurred in the causeway crossing Crystal Springs Reservoir (fig. 5.1). The causeway currently carries
Highway 92 across the reservoirs.
Rolling StopImprovement of Highway 92 Between Highway 35 and Pilarcitos Creek (East

of Half Moon Bay)
Key Elements and Background of the Project5
Highway 92 is the primary east-west route between the San Francisco Peninsula and Half Moon Bay serving an
increasing volume of commuter and truck traffic (fig. 5.2). The two-lane road between Highway 35 and Pilarcitos Creek
111
on the western-facing slope of one of the ridges of the Coast Ranges long has been a bottleneck to efficient traffic flow.
Steep grades of as much as 7 percent and sharp curves contribute to significant traffic delays. The project provides for a
continuous uphill lane for slow vehicles. Other safety improvements include standard lane and shoulder widths and a
concrete median barrier. Construction began in March 1997, and was completed in October of 2000 at a cost of $21.5
million (Caltrans, 2000b). Of the total cost, approximately $4.5 million was for repairing storm-induced landslide
damage (15 slides) during the El Nio events.
Topographically, the project area rises from the alluvium-filled valley of Pilarcitos Creek at 210 feet elevation to 880
feet at the intersection between Highway 92 and Highway 35, near the crest of the ridge. Structurally and lithologically,
the project area is complex, in large part because of its location within the San Andreas Fault system (fig. 5.5). The
main trace of the San Andreas Fault is approximately 1.5 miles east of the project area. The Pilarcitos Fault, a subsidiary branch of the San Andreas Fault, passes through the project area just west of the ridge crest along which Highway
35 runs.
This section of Highway 92 crosses five distinctly different bedrock formationsJurassic-Cretaceous Franciscan
Complex, Cretaceous Montara Granite (quartz diorite), and an Oligocene through lower Miocene sequence of rocks
including the Vaqueros Sandstone, Mindego Basalt and Lambert Shale. Generally, these formations are overlain by
surficial deposits consisting of varying thickness of alluvium, colluvium, and (or) residual soil derived from the underlying bedrock (Caltrans, 1996). Geological investigations for the project included:
literature review,
field investigations to include geologic mapping,
16 seismic refraction survey lines,
vertical and horizontal borings, and
laboratory tests on collected samples for shear strength and corrosion properties.
The subsurface exploration for the proposed retaining walls required for the widening of this section of Highway 92,
consisted of seventeen 2-inch diameter vertical and twelve 2.5 to 3-inch subhorizontal, diamond rock core borings.
Depths of the subhorizontal borings ranged from 17.5 to 66.5 feet. Depths of the vertical borings ranged from 40 to 45
feet (Caltrans, 1996).
A shallow seismic refraction investigation was conducted using a 12-channel exploration seismic unit. Because of the
widely differing geologic conditions and rock materials, seismic velocities varied greatly. Overlying the weathered
bedrock are several feet of unconsolidated rock and (or) soils characterized by seismic velocities ranging from 624 to
1,639 feet per second. In the underlying weathered bedrock, the velocities varied between 1,549 and 5,805 feet per
second and, for less weathered bedrock, varied between 5,141 and 15,108 feet per second.
The original plans specify cut slopes to accomplish the needed road widening. Based in part upon results of subsurface exploration, the construction of soil-nailed retaining walls was recommended to minimize the right-of-way expansion, environmental impacts, and material disposal costs (Con-Tech Systems, Ltd. [CTS], 2001). (See Elements of Soil
Nailing, below.) The major structures associated with the retaining wall component of this Highway 92 improvement
project include nine land-sculpted soil-nailed retaining walls and 14 soldier-pile retaining walls (figs. 5.12, 5.13).
Elements of Soil Nailing

Soil nailing as a slope stabilizing technique has become increasingly popular in the past two decades. Until recently, it
was more frequently used in Europe compared to its use in the United States. It is a technique by which untensioned rods
are placed in a closely spaced grid pattern into material that needs to be reinforced to remain stable. The rods may be
placed in predrilled holes or emplaced by direct push; commonly, the rods are grouted in place. Generally, the
daylighting ends of the rods are embedded in a facing to help minimize interrod slope erosion. Figure 5.14 illustrates
some of the fundamentals of the technique (CEN Technical Committee 288, 2000).
Ox Mountain (Corinda Los Trancos) Municipal Refuse Disposal Site6

Browning-Ferris Industries of California owns and operates a Class III municipal refuse disposal site in Corinda Los
Trancos Canyon, San Mateo County, approximately 2 miles northeast of Half Moon Bay, immediately north of Highway
92 (fig. 5.2). The Ox Mountain landfill originated as a small, 33 acre, Class-III landfill in the upper portion of Corinda
Los Trancos Canyon. The initial landfill received approximately 7.5 million cubic yards of waste from 1976 to 1993. In
1992, the discharger was issued waste discharge permits for a 140-acre landfill expansion that has led to the present
landfill configuration. The 1992 permit design extended the landfill approximately 2,700 feet down canyon and required
112
a composite liner with an underdrain, a leachate collection system, and 2 feet of soil with permeabilities less than 1x10-7
cm/sec. Construction began in 1992. Recently, the landfill operator received approval to expand the permitted area by
approximately 9 acres. The landfill receives non-hazardous municipal solid waste including:
household wastes,
construction debris,
sewage sludge,
autoclaved medical waste,
demolition wastes,
green waste,
treated auto shredder waste,
clean-fill materials, and
petroleum contaminated soils with concentrations below or at specified levels.
The landfills current permitted capacity is 37.9 million cubic yards. With the recent expansion, the capacity will
increase to 48.2 million cubic yards. The discharger estimates that the useful life of the landfill is 28 years starting
January 1, 1999.
The surface and subsurface geology at the site was evaluated by geologic consultants based on field mapping,
literature reviews, a seismic-refraction survey, and review of the geologic logs of over 80 borings totaling more than
4,000 linear feet of drilling. The disposal area is underlain by granitic rocks, alluvial and colluvial units, and landslide
and debris-flow deposits. A number of shear zones were mapped in cut slopes and through borings, but as recent displacements were not noted, these zones are not considered active faults. Some of the alluvial deposits underlying the
facility were considered susceptible to liquefaction and were stabilized through a ground improvement program in 1992.
None of the observed landslides was considered active, but they could be reactivated as the result of heavy rains and (or)
seismic activity.
Groundwater movement in the area occurs in two hydraulically connected hydrostratigraphic units. The upper unit
includes the alluvial and colluvial deposits, the deeply weathered granite, and the moderately weathered granite. This
unit can be considered an aquifer with hydraulic conductivities of 3.8x10-4 to 13.8x10-6 cm/sec based on pumping tests.
The second unit is the slightly-weathered to fresh granite. The hydraulic conductivity of this unit is so low (8.0x10-7 to
1.0x10-4, averaging ~10-6 cm/sec based on packer tests) that it is not considered an aquifer although it might serve as a
recharge source area and contribute groundwater to regional aquifers.
Along Corinda Los Trancos Canyon, depth to groundwater during the wet season rises to within a few feet of the
ground surface. Along the ridge tops, depth to groundwater is about 85 feet with as much as 20 feet of seasonal variation.
A Brief History and the Geologic Setting of the Half Moon Bay Area
Half Moon Bay, originally known as Spanishtown, is the oldest settlement in San Mateo County, dating back to the
1840s (fig. 5.2). The level, relatively narrow coastal terrace on which Half Moon Bay is built has had a colorful history.
This history includes the exciting but failed attempt to build and operate a coast side railroad, the Ocean Shore Railroad,
between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Geologic problems played a large role in the failure of the railroad. Excitement
generated by rum runners enlivened the prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s. As a legacy of that period, one of the
local restaurants is reported to have at least one ghost in residence.
Half Moon Bay, with a current population of 11,000, is the only incorporated city along this portion of the coast;
being incorporated in 1959. All of the other coastal communities, such as El Granada, Miramar, Pescadero, and La
Honda, are unincorporated areas governed by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. The region is a sought-after
housing location for those working in San Francisco and in the Peninsula communities. Currently, the median-priced
home in Half Moon Bay is in the $700,000 range, with those on golf courses costing between $900,000 and $1,500,000
(Half Moon Bay, 2001).
The largest industry in the area is agriculture, primarily floriculture (flowers), followed by tourism and commercial
fishing. The beauty and climate of this scenic coastal area have stimulated tourism and the building of a number of
hotels, motels, and restaurants.
Because of the recent rapid growth of the community, commuting and visitor traffic have become important economic
and political issues. As an example of the impact of visitors, the Pumpkin Festival during the fall of each year has
become a Bay area landmark event, attracting thousands of individuals (along with their cars) to this coastal community.
At present, north-south Highway 1 along the coast and east-west Highway 92 provide the only significant routes for
vehicular traffic into and out of the community. The competition for space on the these roadways has created hotly
contested debates adding to the complexity of trying to resolve the Devils Slide issue. Geologically, the area has a
113
number of interesting features (figs. 5.15, 5.16) including:

warped marine terrace,
landslides on the western slopes of the Coast Ranges,
landslides along the coastal bluffs and cliffs,
topographic expressions of active faulting,
well-exposed geologic structures, in particular, folded and faulted units,
evidence of accelerated rates of coastal erosion, and
varied geologic bedrock units.
Given what is known about the types and severity of geologic hazards along some portions of the coast, it is interesting that it was to this area that a number of residents of the City of San Francisco moved to seek a safer living environment following the 1906 earthquake and fire.
Stop 2Devils SlideA Slope Instability in a Stranglehold Location7

Highway 1The Present Road
After a major landslide in January 1995 closed Highway 1, Caltrans began a $1.5 million construction project to
repair and stabilize the road (figs. 5.2, 5.17). Grouted and post-tensioned rock bolts were installed under the highway. A
steel net was bolted to the slope above the road to catch detached rocks. Although the road was reopened after approximately 150 days and has remained intact through subsequent winters, Caltrans personnel maintain that the repairs are
only temporary measures. Following extensive litigation and public debate, the construction of a tunnel east of Devils
Slide was determined to be the most feasible permanent solution to the problem of providing reliable north-south access
along Highway 1 to the Half Moon Bay area.
Devils Slide Tunnel ProjectThe Bypass

Projected Coast: $165 million
Environmental Report: Approval by the Federal Highway Administration of the environmental report is expected in 2001.
Schedule: If the environmental impact report is finalized in 2001 and no significant delays are caused by the lack of
funding, Caltrans and its consultant can complete the design of the tunnel project by spring of 2003. Construction will
start in the summer of 2003 and is expected to take 3 years.
Design: The tunnel plan specifies two 30-foot wide bores with one directional lane and standard 8-foot shoulders per
bore. Each bore will be about 4,000 feet long. A bridge approximately 1,000 to 1,500 feet long will be constructed at the
north portal. The primary purpose of the bridge will be to protect the red-legged frog habitat and other environmentally
sensitive areas.
Bicycle Path: Upon completion of the tunnel, Caltrans expects to deed the original section of Highway 1 at Devils Slide
to the County of San Mateo for bicyclists, hikers, and other nonmotorized traffic.
Alignment: Highway 1 will diverge from its present alignment near Gray Whale Cove north of Montara, pass through a
tunnel, and exit at Shamrock Ranch in Pacifica.
Funding: This project will be primarily funded by Federal emergency funds. Less than 5 percent of the funds will come
from the State Transportation Improvement Program.
Measure T: Measure T is the San Mateo County initiative that was approved by 76 percent of the voters in November
1996. It changed the local coastal plan to designate the tunnel as the chosen alternative to bypassing Devils Slide.
Before this initiative, an overland bypass to the east of Devils Slide had been the preferred alternative.
Historical Perspective on the Devils Slide8

Devils Slide is a large bedrock landslide complex, extending from the ridge crest, at approximately 900 feet elevation
down to at least sea level on the San Mateo County coastline located just south of Pacifica. The complex has a width of
approximately 4,000 feet (fig. 5.17). Highway 1 crosses the landslide between elevations 450 and 300 feet. Local
114
geologic conditions are complex, involving steeply dipping Paleocene and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks and underlying
Jurassic-Cretaceous granitic rocks. The relationship between the two rock types is complex because of past faulting,
folding, and landslide movement. The most active landslide failure surface is approximately 150 feet below the ground
surface. A number of discrete failure zones have been identified within the landslide complex by the monitoring of slope
change using inclinometers. It appears that the granitic rocks are not involved in the landsliding (figs. 5.18, 5.19). The
exact details of this complex slide, particularly the exact depths of the critical failure surfaces, are still a matter of debate.
The landslide complex is readily recognized in an 1866 topographic map of the area. Since 1897, the landslide area
has frustrated road builders, repair crews, and the traveling public, disrupting in turn a county road, a railroad, and a
State highway. The first county road crossed Devils Slide at approximately elevation 400 feet. Because of numerous
failures, this road was abandoned in 1914, and replaced with a bypass road to the east over San Pedro Mountain (fig.
5.22).
The Ocean Shore Railroad Company was incorporated in the early 1900s with the intent of constructing a doubletrack, electric railroad from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. The railroad alignment began near 12th and Mission streets in
San Francisco, and reached the Pacific coast near Thornton Beach in Daly City. Farther south near Devils Slide, the
railroad alignment penetrated San Pedro Point with a 400-foot-long tunnel at approximately an elevation of 50 feet, and
then began a long 2 percent grade. From that point southward, the railroad grade climbed to its highest point at the
saddle cut of present Highway 1. Severely damaged in the 1906 earthquake and by subsequent chronic landsliding, the
railroad was abandoned in the 1920s. Remnants of the railroad grade are still visible near Devils Slide.
In 1933, 1,600 miles of county roads were incorporated in the State highway system. The State Division of Highways
acquired the Ocean Shore Railroad right-of-way by condemnation and constructed Highway 1 (then known as Route 56)
in its present location. Construction and maintenance of the highway were difficult because of the continuing slope
instabilities.
Since the opening of the roadway in 1936, landsliding and road closures have plagued the route. Major road closures
occurred in every subsequent decade. In the late 1950s, the State Highway Department determined that the alignment
across Devils Slide should be abandoned, and that a new bypass should be constructed around the inland margin of
landsliding. By 1970, a 6.8-mile bypass was ready for construction. The construction contract was halted by a lawsuit
filed by the Sierra Club and others, invoking provisions of the recently passed legislation: California Environmental
Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act. The litigation was successful, and the State Highway Department
was directed to conduct environmental studies for the bypass.
In the early 1980s, landsliding and $50 million in Federal funding prompted renewed design studies of the highway
realignment. In 1986, the Martini Creek Alignment (a proposed road alignment east of the Devils Slide area) was
selected as the preferred alignment by the Federal Highway Department as a solution to road failures at Devils Slide.
The bypass was designed to be a 4.5-mile-long, two-lane roadway with slow up-hill lanes. This alignment would require
extensive grading in environmentally sensitive areas. For the next decade, the question of whether the Martini Creek
alignment would be built or not was the subject of legal argument and was not resolved until 1996.
The Marine Disposal Alternative was studied as an alternative to the inland bypass. This proposal consisted of
unloading the driving force at the top of the landslide and buttressing at the bottom of the slide (fig. 5.20). The project
would require the removal of an estimated 1 million cubic yards of material from the head of the landslide and placing
the material offshore into a nonerodible buttress constructed behind a concrete, reinforced, tetrahedral breakwater (fig.
5.20). This technique has been used at a number of locations along the California coastline but never of the scale
proposed for Devils Slide. Although considered feasible, this proposal left many critical issues unanswered. Eventually,
the creation of a national marine sanctuary by the Federal government immediately offshore eliminated this alternative.
In January 1995, heavy rains again caused the roadway to fail at Devils Slide, closing the road for 150 days and
created many traffic problems for the coastal communities to the south. For all practical purposes, all vehicular traffic
from the Half Moon Bay area was forced to use the only remaining highway, Highway 92, to reach the urbanized portion
of the Bay area, thus creating numerous traffic delays. Caltrans worked aggressively to repair the road (see figs. 5.215.26). In 1996, the voters of San Mateo County overwhelmingly passed Measure T. This measure identified the preferred
alternative to be a tunnel bypass, and eliminated the Martini Creek alignment alternative (figs. 5.27, 5.28).
The final environmental document is expected to be approved in 2001, and tunnel design will then begin. The tunnel
is planned to be a 4,000-foot long, double-bore facility with one lane in each direction. The north approach will leave the
existing alignment of Highway 1 onto an approximately 1,000- to 1,500-foot-long bridge structure that crosses the valley
at Shamrock Ranch, entering the tunnel facility beneath San Pedro Mountain. The south approach will exit on the south
side of San Pedro Mountain onto a 1,000-foot approach fill that rejoins Highway 1 south of Devils Slide.
In November 1997, Caltrans evaluated the feasibility of stabilizing the landslide complex using dewatering wells in
conjunction with existing horizontal drains. The study concluded that the rock mass has a low hydraulic conductivity and
transmissivity. There is no evidence of a pressurized aquifer that could be relieved, and the shallow and moderately deep
failure surfaces are located above the average groundwater-table level. In addition, slow landslide movements appear to
115
continue regardless of rainfall patterns and dewatering activities. Consequently, it was determined that dewatering would
not be an effective, long-term mitigation measure. However, as part of an ongoing effort to maintain the Highway 1
roadway bench until the tunnel project is completed, continual near-surface and deep dewatering is performed though the
use of horizontal drains and the existing drainage wells. The roadway and the slope face directly above the roadway
bench are constantly monitored, and the roadway will be closed in the event of significant movement.
Geologic Setting of the Devils Slide Bypass Tunnel9

The proposed tunnel will pass through Montara Mountain and San Pedro Mountain. The proposed tunnel alignment
crosses at least two geologic formationsthe Montara Granite and a series of folded and faulted Paleocene sedimentary
rocks (turbidites) that overlie the granite (fig. 5.29). The granitic mass that makes up Montara Mountain covers about 30
square miles along the coast. The northernmost outcrop is in the cliff face at Devils Slide. Franciscan Complex rocks
crop out about 1 mile to the northeast, separated from the granitic complex by the Montara and Pilarcitos Faults. At the
south end of the alignment, for approximately the first 1,500 to 1,600 feet, the tunnel alignment is in granitic rock. The
remainder of the tunnel alignment is in the Paleocene sedimentary rocks. Because of the current uncertainty about the
geologic structure at depth, it is unclear as to whether the tunnel will encounter Cretaceous sedimentary rocks. While not
penetrated by the proposed tunnel alignment, alluvial deposits exist within the valley north of the north portal. These
deposits will be crossed by the proposed roadway between the north portal and where the new roadway will join existing
Highway 1. Small local slides have occurred near the north and south portals.
The Devils Slide area is within a seismically active area. The San Andreas Fault is less than 4 miles east of the study
area. The San Gregorio Fault and the associated Seal Cove Fault are about 1.5 miles offshore to the west. No known
active faults, however, pass directly through the tunnel alignment.
The effects of earthquakes on underground structures such as tunnels can be broadly grouped into two general classes,
displacement (rupture) or shaking. Sympathetic fault displacement in the rock mass along the tunnel alignment would
result in relatively minor structural damage. The Devils Slide bypass tunnel will be subject to shaking during its useful
life. In general, worldwide experience shows that tunnels survive earthquakes significantly better than surface structures.
Damage to tunnels is not likely if horizontal acceleration at the ground surface above the tunnel does not exceed 0.5g
(Caltrans, 1999). The effect of an earthquake is to impose deformations on the underground structure that cannot be
overcome by strengthening the structure. The object of an effective earthquake-resistant design is, therefore, to produce a
structure of sufficient ductility to absorb the imposed deformation without losing the capacity to carry static loads.
Stop 3Coastal Erosion Accelerated by Human Activity in the Half Moon Bay Area (Pillar
Point Harbor)
Along the San Mateo County coastline, cliff erosion and retreat by wave erosion, landslides, block falls, and debris
slides occur at different rates. Wave erosion is the primary erosive process. All waves, but particularly storm waves,
erode the shore, oversteepening and destabilizing the slopes. Landslides, block falls, and surface erosion move the
weakened and detached material to the beach where it is reworked by wave action. Along many parts of the San Mateo
County coastline, augmenting the destabilizing action of the waves is the movement of groundwater out of the cliff and
bluff faces, softening, and detaching materials in the cliffs and bluffs (Lajoie and Mathieson, 1998).
The U.S. Geological Survey has prepared a series of geologic and erosion maps for the coast of San Mateo County
depicting the general geologic relationships and the relative amounts and types of erosion occurring (Lajoie and
Mathieson, 1998) (figs. 5.30 to 5.33). For the region near Half Moon Bay, these maps record the influence of human
intervention and construction in modifying the natural patterns of erosion. Human actions have contributed significantly
to acceleration of the rate of coastal erosion in a localized area adjacent to the Pillar Point Harbor breakwater.
Aerial photographs of the area show the wave-refraction patterns around the resistant headland, Pillar Point, produced
by the prevailing northwesterly winds (fig. 5.34). Before the construction of the breakwater-protected harbor, the energy
of the waves refracted around Pillar Point was dissipated uniformly over a length of beach that was in equilibrium
neither eroding nor growing seaward.
Because of the marine-oriented economy of the Half Moon Bay area and the fact the Half Moon Bay area is the only
good safe harbor along this section of the California coastline between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, the community has
had a long history of interest in the quality of the harbor. During times when southwesterly storms strike the coast, boats
in the Half Moon Bay anchorage had been at risk. A number of them sank, and others were damaged by being driven
onto the coastal rocks (McLaughlin and Sarna-Wojcicki, 1997). To provide protection for the boats, the U.S. Army Corps
116
of Engineers completed a breakwater in 1960. The impact of this breakwater was immediate and significant. It did
provide protection for the boats, but at the same time it also altered the wave-refraction patterns. The refocused wave
energy was concentrated on a small segment of the coastline south of the breakwater, El Granada Beach, and it dramatically accelerated the rate of erosion. For the period between 1861 and the completion of the breakwater in 1960, the rates
of erosion were somewhat variable, but they averaged about 0.03 meters (approximately 1 inch) per year. These relatively stalemate conditions suggest that the shoreline essentially was in equilibrium. Following construction of the
breakwater, the rate of coastal erosion increased sharply to 1.1 meters per year, slightly more than 3 feet per year
(Mathieson and others, 1997) (fig. 5.35). This increase in erosion damaged and has caused the removal of coastal
buildings, railroad tracks, and roads. Currently, Caltrans is constructing and repairing existing rip-rap to protect Highway
1 (Caltrans, 1999b).
Notes
1
Data for this section of the field guide have been taken from two reports prepared by Anne Rosinski, 2000, 1994,
currently a geologist at the California Division of Mines and Geology and a graduate student in engineering geology at
San Jos State University. The text of her reports has been abstracted and slightly revised by the author.
2
This brief overview of the general characteristics of the San Andreas Fault system is taken from the paper, Living
with Moving Ground Landslides and Coastal Erosion in San Mateo Country, by Cole and others (2000). Minor
modifications and editorial changes have been made to the text by the author.
3
Material for this section is based on information contained in the web site for the Filoli Center and has been abstracted and edited by the author.
4
The material for this section is based on information contained in the web site of the San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission.
5
The data for this section are from reports prepared by Caltrans (2000, 1996), slightly abstracted and edited by the author.
6
Data for this portion were taken from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board San Francisco Bay
Region Order No. 99-067 (San Francisco Bay Area Regional Water Control District, 1999). The text has been abstracted
and slightly modified by the author. The Regional Water Quality Control Board has the responsibility for permitting
these facilities. As an element of that responsibility, both water-control boards require specific elements for the geologic
investigations done in support of the permit requests. The Boards also review all materials submitted in support of the
permit requests to determine their completeness.
7
Data for this portion are from a Caltrans Summary Statement (Caltrans 2001).
8
This historical perspective of Devils Slide is a slightly modified version of a portion of a paper on Devils Slide
prepared by Cole and others (2000).
9
This section is a portion of the Environmental Impact Study (1999) by Caltrans which has been slightly modified by the author.
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1994, Award No. 14-08-0001-G2081.
Harden, D.R., 1998, California Geology, Prentice Hall, Inc., New Jersey, 479 p.
Heyes, D.G., 1984, Engineering geology of Devils Slide, San Mateo County, California in 35th Annual Highway Geology Symposium Field
Trip Guide, p. 14-41.
Hill, M.L., and Dibblee, T.W., Jr., 1953, San Andreas, Garlock, and Big Pine faults, Californiaa study of the character, history, and
tectonic significance of their displacements: Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, v. 64, no. 4, p. 443-458.
Irwin, W.P., 1960, Geologic reconnaissance of the northern Coast Ranges and Klamath Mountains, California: California Division of
Mines and Geology Bulletin 179, 79 p.
Jachens, R.C., Roberts, C.W., and Zoback, M.L., 1996, Total Offset And Right-Stepping Geometry of The San Francisco Peninsula
Segment of The San Andreas Fault, California, Defined By Aeromagnetic Anomalies: Eos Transactions (American Geophysical
Union) v. 77, p.46.
Lajoie, K. and Mathieson, S.A. 1998, 1982-83 El Nio coastal erosion: San Mateo County, California: http://elnino.wr.usgs.gov/elnino/
SMCO-coast-erosion/coaststabl-lg.html.
118
Lajoie, K. and Mathieson, S., 1985, San Francisco to Ao Nuevo, in Griggs, G., and Savoy, L., eds., Living with the California Coast:
National Audubon Society, Duke University Press, Durham, North Carolina, p. 140-177.
Lawson, A.C., ed., 1908, Report of the State Earthquake Investigation Commission: Publication 87: Washington, D.C., Carneigie Institute
of Washington, v. 2, no. 12.
Mathieson, S. A., Lajoie, K. R., and Hamilton, J.C., 1997, Induced sea-cliff erosion southeast of the Pillar Point breakwater, Half Moon
Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 97-688, scale 1:200.
McLaughlin, R., and Sarna-Wojcicki, A., 1997, Coastal geology of the Half Moon Bay Area and vicinity, San Mateo County, California:
U.S. Geological Survey, unpublished field trip guide.
McLaughlin, R, and others, 1988, Tectonics of formation, translation, and dispersal of the Coast Range Ophiolite of California: Tectonics,
7(5), p. 1033-1056.
Montara Press, 2001, Aerial Photograph of Devils Slide Bypass Tunnel Alignment: http://plants.montara.com/frontpix/ds.jpeg.
Page, B.M., 1989, The Salinian Block, in Wahrhafiig, C. and Sloan, D., (eds.), Geology of San Francisco and vicinity: Field Trip Guidebook
T 105, 28th International Geological Congress, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., p. 16-20.
Rosinski, A., 2000, Slope stability and mitigation for Campus Cut, Highway 92, San Mateo County, California: unpubl. manuscript,
Engineering Geology Class, , San Jos State University, Department of Geology.
Rosinski, A., 1994, Slope stability study of two cut slopes along a portion of Highway 92 in San Mateo County: unpubl. B.S. thesis, San
Francisco State University, 53 p.
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, 2001, Map of the Hetch Hetchy distribution system: http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/puc/html/
hetchy.htm.
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, 2001, History and construction of Hetch Hetchy: http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/puc/html/hetchy.htm.
San Francisco Bay Regional Water Control Board, 1999, Order No. 99-067 Updated Waste Discharge Requirements and Recision of
Order No. 92-087 for Browning-Ferris Industries of California, Inc. Corinda Los Trancos Landfill/Ox Mountain Sanitary Landfill,
Half Moon Bay, California: http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb2/Order_Nos_99-025/99-034/6appendixb/Orde/5ddmp.htm.
Simpson, G., and Lettis, W.R., 1999, The northern San Gregorio Fault Zone, Pillar Point to Moss Beach, in Weber, G.E., and others, eds.,
Neotectonics and Quaternary Geology of the San Gregorio Fault Zone, Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties, California: Geological Society of America, Cordilleran Section Annual Meeting, June 2-4, 1999.
Sullivan, R., and Galehouse, J.S., 1991, Geological setting of the San Francisco Bay area, in Sloan, D., and Wagner, D.L., eds., Geologic
Excursions in Northern CaliforniaSan Francisco to the Sierra Nevada: Field Trip Guidebook for the Joint Meeting of the
Geological Society of America Cordilleran Section, Special Publication 109, California Department of Mines and Geology, 130 p.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1991, Soil survey of San Mateo County, eastern part, and San Francisco
County, California: United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, 120 p.
U.S. Geological Survey, 1999, Portfolio of images of landscapes, seascapes, and faults of the San Francisco Bay area: http://
www.sfbayquakes.org/.
Wahrhaftig, C., and Sloan, D., 1989, eds., Geology of San Francisco and Vicinity: Field Trip Guidebook T 105, 28th International Geological Congress, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.
Wakabayashi, J., 1999, Distribution of displacement on and evolution of a young transform fault system: The northern San Andreas Fault
system, California: Tectonics, v. 18, no. 6, p. 1245-1274
Wakabayashi, J., and Hengesh, J.V., 1995, Distribution of late Cenozoic displacement on the San Andreas Fault system, northern
California, in Sangines, E.M., Andersen, D.W., and Buising, A.V., eds., Recent Geologic Studies in the San Francisco Bay: Society
of Economic. Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Pacific Section, v. 76, p.19-30.
Woodward Clyde Consultants, 1996, Devils Slide tunnel study: unpubl. consultant report California Department of Transportation.
Wright, R., and Hall, T., 2001, Paleoseismic investigations of the San Andreas Fault ZoneOld Canada Road Site, San Mateo County,
California: http://erp-web.er.usgs.gov/reports/annsum/vol40/nc/g3167.htm.
119
Figure 5.1. Offset of road across

Crystal Springs Reservoir causeway
following the 1906 San Francisco
Earthquake (Bancroft Collection,
University of California, Berkeley).
Figure 5.2. Generalized road map

of field trip route.
120
Figure 5.3. Aerial photograph taken in 1998 of Crystal Springs Reservoir, Interstate 280, Highway 92, and Vista Point (Stop 1).
121
Figure 5.4. Map delineating segmentation of the San Francisco Bay area portion of the San Andreas
Fault (after Wright and Hall, 2001).
122
Figure 5.5. Simplified geologic map of the San Francisco Peninsula (modified from Heyes, 1984).
123
Figure 5.6. Map of the San Andreas Fault 1906 rupture trace with existing and proposed
trenching sites in vicinity of the Filoli Mansion (after Wright and Hall, 2001).
Figure 5.7. Photograph of 1906 San Andreas Fault offset of fence on San
Francisco Peninsula (Bancroft Collection, University of California, Berkeley).
124
Figure 5.8. Photograph of 1906 San Andreas Fault rupture trace on San
Francisco Peninsula (Bancroft Collection, University of California, Berkeley).
Figure 5.9. Map delineating ground shaking intensities for the San Franciso Bay area from the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
(Association of Bay Area Governments, 1999).
125
Figure 5.10. Map delineating ground shaking intensities for the San Francisco Bay area from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake
(Association of Bay Area Governments, 1999).
Figure 5.11. Map of Hetch Hetchy water distribution system (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, 2001).
126
Figure 5.12. Photograph of soil-nailed retaining wall being constructed along Highway 92 east of Half Moon Bay. On right,
slope has been nailed. On left, slope has been stabilized with shotcrete (Con-Tech Systems, Ltd. [CTS], 2001).
Figure 5.13. Photograph of completed soil-nailed retaining wall along Highway 92 east of Half Moon Bay
(Con-Tech Systems, Ltd. [CTS], 2001).
127
Figure 5.14. Diagrams of the basics of soil-nailing slope stabilization technique (CEN Technical
Committee 288, 2000).
128
Figure 5.15. Geologic map Half Moon Bay Airport area (McLaughlin and Sarna-Wojcicki, 1997).
129
Figure 5.16. Photograph of Moss Beach Syncline, which involves the Miocene to Pliocene-age
Purisima Formation (Barnes, 1995).
Figure 5.17. Regional perspective aerial photograph of Devils Slide area (Montara Press, 2001).
130
131
Figure 5.18. Geologic map of Devils Slide area (Heyes, 1984).
132
Figure 5.19. Schematic cross section of Devils Slide (modified from Heyes, 1984).
133
Figure 5.20. Diagrammatic cross section of marine disposal alternative for Devils Slide. (after Heyes, 1984).
Figure 5.21. Photograph of initial 1995 failure of Highway 1 at Devils

Slide (Barnes, 1995).
Figure 5.22. Photograph of slope movement and rock falls at Devils Slide (February 2, 1995)
(Barnes, 1995).
134
Figure 5.23. Photograph of installation of wire mesh at Devils Slide (Barnes, 1995).
Figure 5.24. Photograph of installation of anchors at Devils Slide (Barnes, 1995).
135
Figure 5.25. Photograph of installation of

grout blanket at Devils Slide (Barnes, 1995).
Figure 5.26. Photograph of completed

repairs at Devils Slide, August 1995
(Barnes, 1995).
136
Figure 5.27. Artists rendition of south portal of Devils Slide tunnel bypass. This rendition shows a
single bore, although current plans call for a dual bore (Montara Press, 2001).
Figure 5.28. Artists rendition of north portal of Devils Slide tunnel bypass. . This rendition shows a
single bore, although current plans call for a dual bore (Montara Press, 2001).
137
138
Figure 5.29. Geologic cross section along Devils Slide bypass tunnel alignment (after Cole and others, 2000).
Figure 5.30. Pillar Point Harbor coastal geology map (Lajoie and Mathieson, 1998).
139
Figure 5.31. Miramar coastal geology map (Lajoie and Mathieson, 1998).
140
Figure 5.32. Pillar Point Harbor coastal erosion map (Lajoie and Mathieson, 1998).
141
Figure 5.33. Miramar coastal erosion map (Lajoie and Mathieson, 1998).
142
Figure 5.34. Aerial photograph taken in 1993 of wave refraction patterns at Half Moon Bay/Pillar Point Harbor.
Figure 5.35. Graphical presentation of

change in erosion rates at El Granada Beach
before and after installation of Pillar Point
Harbor breakwater (McLaughlin and SarnaWojcicki, 1997).
143
144
Field Trip 6
The Calaveras and San Andreas Faults In and Around Hollister

Deborah R. Harden
Heidi Stenner,
Imogene Blatz
Saratoga, Calif.
Introduction
The focus of this trip is to view the surface expression of active strike-slip faults in both manmade and natural
settings. We will visit the Calaveras Fault in downtown Hollister, a small city about 90 km (55 mi) southeast of Menlo
Park, and the San Andreas Fault about 15 kilometers (9 miles) southwest of Hollister. Because both faults are actively
creeping in this area (Wallace, 1990), we will be able to see recently offset human structures along both fault traces. At
Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area ( SVRA) and along the Cienega Valley, we will also have the opportunity
to see superb examples of geomorphic features created along the San Andreas Fault.
Road Log
The first portion of this excursion guide consists of a road log, with directions and mileage checked in 2001.
Discussions, maps, and figures are included with the appropriate field-trip stop materials, all of which follow the road
log. Figure 6.1 provides the regional setting for the route and the field-trip stops. Please note that the road log begins
at the intersection of U.S.Highway 101 and Interstate 280, approximately 22 miles south of Menlo Park, and is given
in miles.
Mileage/Notes
0.0
Intersection of Interstate 280 and Highway 101 (marked at the Tully Road sign on southbound 101). Our journey to
Hollister takes us south through the Santa Clara Valley. South of San Jos, Highway 101 runs generally upstream
along the alluvial valley of Coyote Creek to Morgan Hill. The Santa Teresa Hills are on the west and the Edenvale
and Coyote Hills on the east.
2.0
Coyote Hills visible on left. The bedrock here is mainly serpentinized ultramafic rocks (harzburgite and dunite) of the
Coast Range Ophiolite, together with melange of the central-belt Franciscan Complex (Wentworth and others, 1999).
7.2
Junction of Highway 101 and Interstate 85. Coyote Peak (1155 feet) in the Santa Teresa Hills is on the right.
11.0 Gravel and finer grained sediments crop out on the left. Pliocene to Pleistocene sediments east of the southern
Santa Clara Valley can be broadly assigned to the Santa Clara Formation, which is also exposed along the San
Francisco Peninsula east of the San Andreas Fault and along the western foothills of the northern Santa Clara
Valley. The Santa Clara Formation is thought to be correlative in age and depositional environment with the
Livermore gravels east of San Francisco Bay.
The coarse-grained fluvial gravels of Pliocene to Pleistocene age are found parallel to, but significantly elevated
above, the eastern edge of the modern Santa Clara Valley. Their general distribution suggests that the valley axis
has shifted westward to its modern position, probably as a result of the compression and shortening documented by
recent thrust faults in the area.
In the southern Santa Clara Valley, various workers have differentiated individual gravel units, including the
Packwood Gravels, mapped east of Morgan Hill by Tolman (1934). Recent mapping by Wentworth and others
(1999) differentiated fault-bounded packages of Pliocene to Pleistocene sediments on the basis of distinctive
source lithologies. The gravels are in thrust-fault contact with serpentinized ophiolite and melange of the
Franciscan Complex.
145
The Silver Creek Gravels, named by Jones and others (1994) for the valley east of the Coyote Hills, are found
along the foothills on the east side of the Santa Clara Valley. A tuff interbedded with the older portion of the Silver
Creek gravels was mapped Wills (1995) and identified by Sarna-Wojcicki and Meyer as the Huichica Tuff. The
Huichica Tuff was erupted from the Sonoma volcanic field and has been recently dated by Ar/Ar isotopic methods
at 4.71 million years old (A. Sarna-Wojcicki, oral commun., 2001).
12.0 Coyote Golf Course exit. Along this portion of Highway 101, prominent white, fine-grained beds, which appear
very white because of the presence of magnesite, in the median of the highway here are of probable lacustrine
origin. These beds are a part of the Scheller Gravels of Wills (1995). A tephra unit identified as the Rockland Ash
by Sarna-Wojcicki and others (1985) was formerly exposed along the median strip in this vicinity. The Rockland
Ash, an important marker tephra throughout northern California, was erupted from the vicinity of present-day
Mount Lassen. It is between 450,000 and 620,000 years old and cannot be more precisely dated at this time. It is
also unknown whether the ash is interbedded with the Scheller gravels or unconformably overlying them.
14.6 Cross Coyote Creek. Anderson Dam can be seen in the hills on the left. Anderson Dam was built in 1950 and
reconstructed in 1987-88. Anderson Reservoir and Coyote Reservoir, built in 1936 and located further upstream on
Coyote Creek, store water imported from the Central Valley Project. Both are along the Calaveras Fault, which
runs along the foothills on the eastern side of Anderson Reservoir.
16.7 El Toro Peak (1420 feet) on right overlooking Morgan Hill. While camped at 21-mile house, 21 miles south of
San Jose, in August, 1861, William Brewer glowingly wrote (Brewer, 1966):
The Santa Clara Valley (San Jose Valley of the map) is the most fertile and lovely of California. At the point where
we came into it, it is about six miles wide, its bottom level, a fine belt of scattered oaks four or five miles wide
covering the middle. It is here all covered with Spanish grants, so is not cultivated, but near San Jose, where it is
divided into farms, it is in high cultivation; farmhouses have sprung up and rich fields of grain and growing orchards
everywhere abound. But near our camp it lies in a state of nature, and only supports a few cattle. One ranch there
covers twenty-two thousand acres of the best land in the valleyall valuable We camped under some beautiful
oaks, near a house, where we got hay and water. Two days were spent examining the hills to the east of the valley,
from the summits of which (near two thousand feet above the valley) are to be had most magnificent views. One
sharp peak rose near camp, on the west, conspicuous from every direction.
El Toro, the sharp peak mentioned, was in Brewers time called Ojo de Agua de la Coche, which on the
1:100,000-scale topographic map is the name of the land grant rancho in the area including El Toro.
18.4 East Dunne Avenue exit. In this vicinity, young terrace surfaces and gravel deposits can be seen. We are
leaving the drainage basin of north-flowing Coyote Creek and entering the basin of Llagas Creek, a southflowing tributary of the Pajaro River. East Dunne Avenue provides access to the southern end of Anderson
Reservoir and Henry Coe State Park (Californias largest state park). The nearby town of Gilroy is probably
best known as the garlic capital of the world and home to the annual Garlic Festival. Garlic growing
began here after World War I. However, during the 1870s, Gilroy had a brief reign as the Nations tobacco
capital and was home to our largest cigar factory. For more information see the World Wide Web at http://
www.ci.gilroy.ca.us/historydoc2.html.
27.9 Junction with State Highway 152 East to Los Banos.
31.0 Exit Highway 101 onto Route 25 (Hollister-Pinnacles exit). WARNING! This is a dangerous exit; watch for
confused drivers. Route 25 is a 2-way road and has had a number of disastrous head-on collisions in recent
yearsbe alert.
Our route into Hollister takes us through some very productive farmland. Local crops along todays routes include
garlic, strawberries, tomatoes, salad greens, and seed nurseries for flowers.
33.8 San Benito County Line (on Route 25). As happened in Santa Clara County, agriculture in San Benito County is
giving way to residential development. Nevertheless, for more than 50 consecutive years, California has been the
leading agricultural producer in the United States. Californias agricultural output is nearly $25 billion per year,
and the state grows more than half the nations fruit, nuts, and vegetables. Agriculture still accounts for almost 1 in
10 jobs in California.
146
39.5 Traffic light at intersection of Route 156. Continue on Route 25 South. The low hills on either side of the road are
pressure ridges along the Calaveras Fault. For further discussion of the Calaveras Fault northwest of Hollister,
please see the discussion included with Stop 1 materials.
42.0 The water tank on hilltop on the right is astride a pressure ridge along the Calaveras Fault.
Hollister, with a population of 34,413, is an agricultural center undergoing a rapid transition to a suburban
bedroom community. The old part of the town retains much of its Victorian architecture, and we will see
many fine homes built in the late 1800s. Large tracts of new homes are concentrated south of Hollister along
Route 25. The exponential growth in and around Hollister was partly fueled by the delivery of imported water
from the Central Valley Projects San Felipe Project in the late 1980s; prior to that time, growth was limited
by the availability of local groundwater resources. At present, imported water supplies about one third of San
Benito Countys need (more information at San Benito County Water Districts website at http://
www.sbcwd.com/).
Both the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (Rogers, 1980) and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused substantial damage in Hollister. After the 1989 quake, some buildings in the downtown area were torn down. Many
chimneys were toppled, and several older wood-frame residences were either knocked from their foundations or
suffered severe damage to cripple walls.
42.5 Junction of Routes 156 and 25. Continue south on Route 25 into Hollister (the road becomes San Benito Avenue).
Prepare to turn right onto 6th Street. Turn west and proceed two blocks to Dunne Park at 6th Street and West
Street.
43.3 Stop 1Dunne Park. We will leave the vehicles here and make a walking tour along the trace of the Calaveras
Fault to observe evidence of creep. The total walking distance will be about 5 blocks round-trip. Refer to Stop 1
materials for discussion. Restrooms available at this stop.
Return to vehicles and proceed back (east) on 6th to San Benito Ave. intersection.
Reset mileage at corner of 6th Street and San Benito Avenue.
0.5
Downtown Hollister.
0.7
San Benito Avenue becomes Nash Road; continue straight at the light following signs to the Hollister Hills State
Vehicular Recreation Area (HHSVRA).
1.6
Turn right at stop sign (Union Road). Cross the bridge over the San Benito River. The San Benito River has a
drainage area of 586 mi2 above the bridge. It heads in the Clear Creek area and flows northwest to join the Pajaro
River near San Juan Bautista. The San Benito River is reportedly a source of placer benitoite [BaTiSi3O9], our state
gemstone, derived from Franciscan terranes in the headwaters. During the El Nio winter of 1997-98, the bridge
was temporarily closed when scour around the pilings almost undermined the structure. The peak discharge on
February 3, 1998, was 34,500 cubic feet per second, more than twice as high as any previously recorded flood
peaks. For more information, see the website at http://water.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/peak.
1.7
Immediately after crossing the bridge, turn left (south) on Cienega Road. Continue following the signs to HHSVRA.
3.2
Stop sign, right turn. As we travel up the steep and winding road, we will pass road cuts on the left that expose late
Tertiary sedimentary rocks to be discussed at Stop 2. On the right are some excellent views of active slumpearthflows in these sedimentary rocks. Near the summit of the Cienega Road, headward migration of one scarp has
reached the road, which has been relocated at least once due to active slumping.
6.5
Cross Bird Creek.
7.0
Turn right at Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area. The San Andreas Fault runs along the valley on our left.
7.1
Pass the ranger station. Proceed on the unpaved road into the Hollister Hills SVRA. Note the erosion control
structures, including sediment retention basin on right.
147
7.8
Turn a very sharp left and preceed uphill to the picnic tables on the south end of Radio Ridge.
7.8
Stop 2Radio Ridge, Hollister Hills SVRA. Radio Ridge is a linear ridge within the San Andreas Fault Zone,
and its accessible summit provides one of the best ground-level opportunities to view the geomorphic expression
of the fault. The geologic and geomorphic setting of the area, as well as the SVRA itself, are discussed in the
materials covering Stops 2 and 3. Pit toilet available here (multiple flush toilets available at the campground at
Stop 3).
8.0
Return to intersection with main access road. Make a sharp left downhill to the campground. Park at restroom
facilities.
8.2
Stop 3Bird Creek Campground. This will be a brief stop to examine the strain gauge across the San Andreas
Fault. Data are sent from this gauge to the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park by way of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite. We will also have an opportunity to view the mapped fault trace and the exposure of
Bird Creek sediments along the west bank of the creek. WARNING!: Watch for poison oak near the creek!
Depart Bird Creek campground and continue southeast parallel to Bird Creek. We will drive by an offset weir in
the Bird Creek channel. Note the dramatic change in Bird Creek as we leave the canyon and emerge onto a very
flat valley at the ranger stationthis is an almost-defeated stream!
9.1
Ranger Station.
9.2
Stop sign at SVRA entrance, right turn on Cienega Road. Watch for flocks of wild turkeys that frequently visit this
area. The 4-wheel-drive part of the SVRA lies to the right, southwest of Cienega Road, in this area. Note the
actively eroding gullies. Park housing straddles the San Andreas Fault. Park personnel frequently report maintenance nuisances due to the ongoing fault creep.
10.3 Vineyard School, built on the trace of the San Andreas Fault.
11.0 Sag pond along the San Andreas Fault. According to oral tradition passed down in the 1980s from an elderly area
resident to a former ranger at the SVRA, the pond drained during the 1906 earthquake.
11.2 Stop 4DeRose Winery. Park along the main winery building and watch for oncoming traffic! This historic
winery, a destination of geology field trips since the 1960s, is situated directly on the San Andreas Fault. At this
stop we will view the effects of creep on the winery buildings and other structures. The history of the winery and
results of fault monitoring are included with the Stop 4 materials.
This is the official end of our trip. Return to Menlo Park using the route below.
Reset mileage to 0.0 at the DeRose Winery. Drive north on Cienega Road.
1.2
For the next mile, keep a forward view of the road through the breaks in the trees. There are exceptional views of
the San Andreas rift valley along this stretch.
6.0
Bear left at Y intersection and continue on Cienega Road.
7.5
Turn left onto Union Road.
11.1 Turn left onto Route 156. Pass the turnoff to San Juan Bautista. The mission at San Juan Bautista, one of
Californias 21 Franciscan missions, was founded in 1797. Its location placed it a days walk from Mission Santa
Clara. The church has been in continuous use since 1803, despite damage suffered during the 1906 earthquake,
when one wall collapsed. San Juan Bautista marks the boundary between the Santa Cruz Mountains segment and
the central creeping segment of the San Andreas Fault (Wallace, 1990; Working Group on California Earthquake
Probabilities, 1999). Today, San Juan Bautista is a popular spot for tourists seeking history, good restaurants, and
shops.
18.3 Turn right onto Highway 101 North to return to Menlo Park.
148
Field-Trip Stop Explanatory Materials

Stop 1The Southern Calaveras Fault In Downtown Hollister
As defined by the U.S. Geological Surveys Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities (1996, 1999), the
southern Calaveras Fault extends for approximately 26 km (16 miles) south of Coyote Reservoir and includes the portion
of the fault seen at Stop 1 in Hollister. The Calaveras and San Andreas Faults merge near the town of Tres Pios (fig. 6.1;
Jennings, 1994). The Working Group (1999) estimated a slip rate of 153 mm/yr for this segment, with approximately 60
percent accommodated by fault creep. The Working Group (1996) also considered that the 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake,
Mw 6.2, is a reasonable maximum magnitude event to occur on the southern Calaveras segment.
Walking tour: At Stop 1, we will conduct a short walking tour to examine the Calaveras Fault in downtown Hollister.
Because the fault is creeping at about 0.5 inch (13 mm) per year, we will be able to see its effect on human structures,
including sidewalks, curbs, and buildings. Both the grid layout of the streets and lots and the historic age of many of the
houses and curbs make this a particularly good place to view the surface trace of the fault (fig. 6.2). The sites visited
during this trip are also described by Rogers (1969). At sites that have remained relatively unchanged since 1969, it is
interesting to compare his observations of offset with those seen 32 years later.
Dunne Park, south of 6th Street, reportedly occupies the site of a former cienega, or marshy area. Two low scarps run
through the park, and Rogers (1969) reported a 13-cm right-lateral offset of a fence, built in the mid-1950s, in the
barbecue area. Looking west along 6th Street, note the substantial dip marking the fault trace, a particularly anomalous
feature when one considers its location in the middle of an alluvial plain. The retaining curb along the north side of 6th
Street is markedly offset (fig. 6.3), as are the lower and more recent curbs and sidewalks. From 6th Street, we will walk
north on Powell to 4th Street. If time permits, we will also look for evidence of offset features on 5th Street.
At the intersection of Powell and 4th Street, note that Powell changes its name to Locust. PLEASE USE CAUTION
when crossing 4th Streetthis is a very busy road! After crossing the road, we will proceed east on 4th Street,
examining the evidence for offset along curbs and sidewalks. The large blue house on the corner also reveals some
interesting structural effects of residing on a creeping fault for more than a century.
Continue on Locust (the continuation of Powell) to the alley behind the blue house. The foundation and siding of the
old garage are an excellent testimonial to the different responses of concrete and wood to fault creep. Although time does
not permit us to continue our walking tour south along the fault, other dramatic evidence of fault creep can be seen near
Nash Road (fig. 6.2)
Supplement to Stop 1: Paleoseismic Studies Along the Southern Calaveras Fault

Bertuccio Ranch
During 1999 and 2000, seven trenches were excavated at two sites across the southern Calaveras Fault north of
Hollister (Stenner, 2000). The southern site, Bertuccio Ranch, is located 5 km northwest of Hollister (fig. 6.1), on the
northern end of a 30-m-high pressure ridge. Here an east-side-up scarp delineates the fault zone and is continuous for
approximately 2 km. Two creepmeters within 0.5 km of the trenches recorded creep of 14 mm per year during the period
of 1971 to 1979.
Two trenches were excavated at Bertuccio Ranch. Trench 1 crosses a human-modified, ~1-m-high fault scarp at
the base of a 30-m-high, fault-bounded hill. Excavated to a depth of 2 to 3 meters, this trench revealed faulting
which juxtaposed colluvium from the adjacent hillslope on the east side of the fault zone against fluvial overbank
deposits capped by colluvium on the west side. Evidence of faulting occurs over a 9-m-wide zone and is distributed
between one main trace and numerous vertically discontinuous traces. The main trace and some of the secondary
traces can be followed to the surface through fill from the early to mid 20th century, and are interpreted to be
actively creeping traces.
Trench 2 (fig. 6.4) was excavated about 300 m to the north of trench 1 across a 1.8-m-high fault scarp with moderate
human disturbance. Fluvial sand, overbank silt, and standing-water clay dominate the lower meter of the western half of
the 2-m-deep trench. The fluvial deposits are buried by colluvium and alluvium eroded from the scarp and transported
from the hill slope adjacent to Trench 1. None of the colluvial/alluvial units appear as distinct colluvial wedges, and no
buried free faces were observed in the trench. Instead, the colluvium is interpreted as the result of erosion over a broad
topographic scarpeither from distributed coseismic faulting across the 5-m-wide zone of deformation or from continuous creep across the zone leading to erosion of a slowly forming scarp.
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Fault slip is accommodated by four major traces and numerous minor traces in trench 2. The main faults have slipped
obliquely, with an approximate displacement of more than 2.5 m up-to-the-east and an unknown lateral component
across the exposed zone. The fault zone has juxtaposed different facies of varying thickness, complicating measurements
of vertical slip across the zone. Each fault can be traced nearly to the surface, where recognition is difficult in the
massive, bioturbated, and disturbed sediments. Radiocarbon dates suggest the fluvial deposits are about 1,700 to 3,000
years old (fig. 6.4). At the current creep rate, a ~1,700-year-old fluvial sand may have experienced as much as 25 m of
right-lateral slip, with perhaps one-tenth resulting in vertical slip. The upper contact of the sand is displaced ~2.4 m
although the unit thins dramatically across the fault zone.
All faulting in both trenches at Bertuccio Ranch may be attributed to creep, as no fissures or consistent upward
terminations were found. Coseismic rupture may have occurred at this site, but evidence for it is lacking. The absence of
such features could be attributed to the likelihood that faults formed during a coseismic rupture would subsequently
accommodate creep, eliminating upward terminations. The possibility that coseismic rupture was small at the surface
because of attenuation caused by continuous creep may also have the effect of making event identification difficult.
Costa Ranch
Five trenches were excavated at the Costa Ranch, 9 km northwest of Hollister (fig. 6.1). During 1971-79, a
creepmeter at the site recorded 15 mm of creep during one year. Another creepmeter at Shore Road, less than 2 km to the
north, recorded 6.5 to 12 mm per year, depending on the averaging technique (Schulz and others, 1979; Schulz and
others, 1982). The fault here makes a right step of 25 to 30 m at the southern end of the site, and north of the site the fault
bends to the east, producing sag ponds in the resulting extensional zones (fig. 6.5). Trenches 1 and 2 crossed the large
stepover; trenches 3, 4, and 5 crossed the fault scarp and sag pond to the north (fig. 6.5).
Trenches 1 and 2 exposed 1 to 2.5 m of overbank sediments (silt, sand, and clay), upon which a moderately to very
heavily bioturbated organic horizon has developed. One dominant fault is centered approximately in the middle of the
two trench exposures and strikes northward, acting as a linking fault (fig. 6.5) that transfers slip between the main faults
striking northwest on either side of the stepover. Those main strands on either side of the stepover occur as secondary
structures in the trench exposures. Slip is oblique here, as the fluvial units are displaced down-to-the-east approximately
50 cm across the dominant fault and ~10 cm across the secondary faults. The formation of the sag pond also suggests an
extensional component of slip. The dominant fault is a 1-m-wide zone of faulting. Units on the western side have
retained their original near-zero dip, but within 1.5 m of the fault zone on the eastern side, fluvial units are tilted into the
fault (westward) about 15 to 30 degrees. This is probably accommodating additional extension at the main fault zone. No
evidence for distinct colluvial wedge packages, fissures, or consistent upward terminations was observed. Most of the
faults are traced to the surface because of continuous creep, and the other strands die out upward in the bioturbated soil
horizon. These upwardly discontinuous strands may be (1) creeping, but at a rate insufficient to be detected in the
youngest sediments, (2) creeping, but with most creep concentrated along the other strands near the surface, (3) currently
inactive, but formerly creeping traces, or (4) formed during coseismic rupture and subsequently not creeping.
Trenches 3 and 4 exposed stratigraphy similar to that in trenches 1 and 2: fluvially deposited silt, sand, and clay
overlain by an organic horizon (fig. 6.6). Three radiocarbon dates within the upper fluvial sediments yielded a range of
1,800 to 2,700 uncalibrated years BP, a comparably aged sequence to that exposed at Bertuccio Ranch. In trenches 3 and
4, an additional unit interpreted as a deposit from the sag pond is present in the fault zone. Faulting at trench 3 is localized on a 1-m-wide zone and vertically displaces a silty sand unit ~1.5 m down-to-the-east. The amount of lateral slip is
unknown. On the west side of the fault zone the strata remain subhorizontal. On the east side, within 2 to 2.5 m of the
fault zone, the strata are warped down into the fault as much as 10 degrees (southwest). This warping is likely accommodating extension and is the location where a silty clay (sag pond deposit) is deposited in a wedge 4 m long and more than
2 m thick against the fault scarp.
Below the sag pond deposit is a similar unit bounded on both sides by faults (labeled fault-bounded sag pond
deposits on figure 6.6). A possible explanation for why that unit is distinct from the upper sag pond unit is that initially
the continuous extension at the fault was accommodated by the down dropping of a distinct block and the subsequent
filling in with fine-grained organic sediment on top of the block. As extension continued through time, an increasing
percentage of it was accommodated by tilting of the sediments into the fault in addition to brittle faulting of the block,
allowing broader deposition of the sag pond material across the down dropping block. The faults bounding the block
continue to creep (but with only a percentage of the total slip) and have propagated into the overlying sag pond and soil
deposits (see trench 4, fig. 6.6). Another possibility is that the fault-bounded sag pond deposits represent fill of a large
fissure following coseismic rupture, but the size and shape of the unit are inconsistent with this interpretation.
Although trenches 3 and 4 are only 4 m apart, the style of deformation is different. Sediments at trench 4 are faulted
over a wider zone (5m) and have been tilted more than those at trench 3, where faulting is more brittle. On the west side
150
of the fault, fluvial units are warped up as much as 25 degrees into the fault zone, and on the east side of the zone, the
fluvial strata are tilted up to 30 degrees into the fault zone. Water saturation may play a part in the deformation of the
sediment by tilting rather than by brittle faulting. In both trenches 3 and 4, some faults extend to the surface as obviously
creeping faults, and many others likely are creeping but have not experienced enough creep to demarcate their location
through the young, upper soil horizon. The upwardly discontinuous faults in trench 3 were difficult to trace upward
through the sag pond sediments, but did not appear to terminate at a particular horizon. All deformation observed in
trenches 3 and 4 can be explained solely by creep processes, but coseismic rupture cannot be excluded.
Trench 5 was excavated across the northern sag pond (fig. 6.5), revealing the structures accommodating the extension.
The sag is bounded on both eastern and western sides by obliquely slipping faults (units change thickness across the
structures) that let the area between them subside. The main fault zone, accommodating both normal and lateral slip, is
just west of the middle of the pond. Faulting occurs throughout the area covered by the sag pond, but the main zone is ~1
m wide. As exposed in the trench, the faults either reach the surface or, as within the fairly massive sag pond clay, are
difficult to trace.
Trench 5 exposed the youngest section at Costa Ranch, with approximately 2.5 m of sag pond sediment carbon dated
by one sample at younger than 1,000 uncalibrated years B.P. Two dated shells suggest an even younger deposit of 300
years B.P. The sag pond strata are progressively warped down into the sag and also thicken toward the center. The
uppermost unit, likely historical, also thickens into the center of the sag, and is faulted (vertical component ~1 cm each)
by at least two strands that are creeping.
The deepest part of the exposure below the sag pond revealed a unit adjacent to the fault zone (and possibly crossing
it) composed of both moderately organic silty clay and material comparable in appearance to the adjacent fluvial
deposits. This deposit could be (1) a bioturbated mixture of scarp colluvium derived from a continuously forming scarp
developed in the fluvial sediments before sag pond deposition began, (2) scarp colluvium derived from a coseismic
rupture before sag pond deposition began, or (3) bioturbated pond sediment mixed with fluvial material after deposition.
No fissure fills or consistent upward terminations were observed.
To date, no evidence for coseismic rupture of significant size has been found in late Holocene sediment in the 14
exposures of the southern Calaveras Fault. Creep and seismicity of micro-to-moderate magnitude may accommodate all
of the fault slip, resulting in a low probability of future large earthquakes rupturing the southern part of the fault. The
lack of evidence cannot preclude the possibility, however, that the fault has ruptured in a large earthquake. Coseismic
rupture may have occurred at depth and did not reach the surface, or the rupture may have been severely attenuated
toward the surface, with subsequent creep obscuring evidence of minor surface rupture. Future work is planned to add
insight into this issue.
Stop 2 and 3Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area

Hollister Hills
The Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area (HHSVRA) is a 6,627-acre facility operated by the California
Department of Parks and Recreation. It is one of seven state-operated off-road vehicle facilities within the Departments
Off-Highway Division. Approximately 4 million Californians participate in some form of off-road vehicular recreation
each year (see the Divisions web site at http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/html/ohvhome.htm), and the SVRAs were designed to
provide safe, legal, and managed facilities to help meet this demand. Funding for staffing and maintaining the States
SVRAs comes partly from gas taxes and registration fees for off-road vehicles.
The Hollister Hills SVRA consists of two separate facilities. The portion including Radio Ridge (Stop 2) and the
campground (Stop 3) is for use by off-road motorcycles, and another holding to the south (off Cienega Road en route to
Stop 4) is for 4-wheel-drive vehicles (fig. 6.7). The motorcycle area includes 64 miles of trail, some of which can be seen
from Radio Ridge. From Radio Ridge and while traveling through the SVRA, one can observe sediment-catchment
basins, gabion baskets, and trail revegetation projects, all of which are designed to reduce and (or) mitigate erosion and
sediment production.
Geologic Setting
On the southwestern side of the ridge, the linear valley of Bird Creek contains the mapped traces of the San Andreas
Fault. From Radio Ridge, tall, wide-canopied sycamore trees mark the valley floor. The very steep, chaparral-covered
slopes southwest of the Bird Creek valley are underlain by crystalline rocks of the Salinian block. In the area of the field
trip, these rocks include substantial blocks of dolomitic marble as well as Mesozoic granitoids. Aggregate quarried from
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the marble blocks has been used as road base at Radio Ridge, and large blocks have been used as decoration near the
park entrance. Graniterock Company excavates marble from the hills above Stop 4.
Northeast of Radio Ridge, grass-covered and lower lying hills are underlain by Pliocene sedimentary rocks. These
consist of mudstone and sandstone of both marine and nonmarine origin. Beds of lignite which today lie within the
SVRA were prospected in the early 1900s, and shell fossils occur within some sandstone units. Taliaferro (1949) and
Rogers (1980) mapped this unit as Purisima Formation, but other workers have assigned it to the Etchegoin Formation
(Perkins, 1987). Because most workers restrict the use of Purisima Formation for units on the Pacific Plate, this unit may
be more properly correlated with the lower part of the Etchegoin Formation, but Jennings and Strand (1958) have
mapped it as Purisima Formation. Sandstone beds within the unit are typically vegetated with brushy chemise, whereas
mudstone units are vegetated by grasses.
Soils developed on the sedimentary units northeast of the fault are fine grained and impermeable. Because they are
impassable to vehicles when water saturated, this portion of the SVRA is closed during stormy weather. Hillslopes
underlain by the Purisima Formation are very susceptible to failure by deep-seated slump/earthflows such as those
viewed from Cienega Road en route to this stop. In contrast, soils developed on the granitic rocks southwest of the fault
are coarse textured and permeable. They are highly susceptible to gullying, and several enormous gullies have formed
during major storms on steep trails in the SVRA.
San Andreas Fault

Radio Ridge provides public access to one of the best places to view the geomorphic expression of the San Andreas
Fault system in northern California. From the summit of the ridge, we can see examples of almost every geomorphic
indicator of active strike-slip faults (fig. 6.8). The ridge itself is a topographically distinct uplift within the fault zone and
may be either a compressional ridge or a laterally displaced hill. It is underlain by fossiliferous sandstone of the Purisima
Formation. Northwest of Radio Ridge, a water tank marks the crest of a similarly anomalous ridge. Radio Ridge serves
as a shutter ridge, deflecting Bird Creek as discussed below.
Northwest-trending linear valleys are present on both sides of Radio Ridge; the valley on the northeast side of the
ridge may be a former trace of the Bird Creek channel. Sarna-Wojcicki and others (1975) mapped two traces of the fault
in this area: one along the northeastern edge of the Bird Creek valley and a second along Radio Ridge. As we will see at
Stop 3, the major San Andreas Fault trace, instrumented by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), runs along the floodplain of Bird Creek in the approximate position of the sycamore trees. Looking southwest of Radio Ridge, one can
follow the fault trace along Cienega Valley to a prominent notch in the divide seen on the skyline (fig. 6.9).
Bird Creek
Bird Creek is an excellent example of an offset stream, showing about the same amount of right lateral displacement
as the length of Radio Ridge (fig. 6.7). From its headwaters, fed by perennial springs in the crystalline rocks of the
Salinian block, the stream flows generally northeast to the San Andreas Fault Zone. This upper portion of the channel
can be seen northwest of Stop 2it is the valley separating the densely vegetated hillslopes from those marked by
motorcycle trails and less mature chaparral, the result of a fire approximately 10 years ago. (Note: Because the parks
holdings do not include the slope directly southwest of Radio Ridge, the motorcycle park itself appears to be offset along
the San Andreas Fault!).
When it reaches the southeast-trending fault zone, Bird Creek, joined by its major tributary, follows the fault zone on
the southwest side of Radio Ridge (fig. 6.7) for about 2000 feet (613 m) until it again turns northeast and crosses to the
other side of the fault, where it has deeply incised the sedimentary rocks northeast of the fault zone. Bird Creeks
gradient is dramatically flattened within the fault zone. The gradient is significantly higher in its headwater reaches,
which is expected, but it is also higher downstream of the fault zone. We will have an opportunity to view low terraces
and the channel of Bird Creek at Stop 3 and on our return to the ranger station.
The low terrace along the eastern bank of Bird Creek at Stop 3 contains the active trace of the San Andreas Fault. The fault
is continuously creeping at this site, showing approximately 0.5 inch (12 mm) of right-lateral motion per year. A group of
very large riparian sycamores and small scarp in the surface mark the fault within the campground area. An excavation along
the right bank of Bird Creek, made in 1994 by Imogene Blatz, exposes a section of recent deposits of Bird Creek, including
some distinctive flood deposits and calcic soil horizons. Downstream of this site, similar deposits and terraces of Bird Creek
can be seen at lower elevations above the modern channel. Unfortunately, all of the low surfaces adjacent to Bird Creek have
been extensively modified by motorcycles, road-building, and grazing animals. These activities have greatly hampered any
definitive correlation of terraces and deposits or determination of offset across the fault.
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Stop 3 also provides an opportunity to view the USGS creep-monitoring instrumentation across the main San Andreas Fault
trace. The creepmeter at this site, USGS station xhr2, provides a continuous record of direct fault movement. A creepmeter is a
length of wire stretched across the fault and anchored by piers on either end of the fault. When the fault moves, the wire is pulled
through a measuring device, which then sends an electronic signal to the GOES satellite. The satellite antenna can be seen at
Stop 3. At this particular site, vertical culverts mark the creepmeter anchors; the USGS technician services the creepmeter by
descending a ladder in the culvert. Data from this station and from two instruments at Stop 4 can be accessed on the internet at
http://quake.usgs.gov/research/deformation/measurements/index.html. This station showed an interesting creep event, with 5.18
mm of right-lateral slip, immediately after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake (fig. 6.10).
Stop 4DeRose Winery

In the early 1850s, a Frenchman named Theophile Vache planted the first grapevines in the Cienega Valley from
cuttings brought over from Europe (Williams, 1965). Vache made wine and hauled it by oxcart to San Juan Bautista,
which was then a stage stop along El Camino Real, the road from Los Angeles to San Francisco. You will have the
opportunity to imagine this trip when we return at the field trips end.
The Vache vineyard was bought in 1883 by William Palmtag, who produced prize-winning wines under the labels of
Palmtag Vineyard and San Benito Vineyard. In 1906, the property was sold to a group who changed its name to San Benito
Vineyards Company. Vineyards in the region expanded until Prohibition, when all San Benito County wineries closed. In
1935, the vineyards reopened, and in 1943 they were acquired by W.A. Taylor and Company. (In many geological field
reports, the winery is referred to as the Taylor Winery.) In 1948, San Benito County had 1,765 acres planted in grapes.
In 1953, Almaden Vineyards purchased the Cienega property and greatly expanded the capacity of the facility. At the
time of Williams (1965) report, Almaden owned 3,500 acres planted in grapes. Operations at the winery then dwindled,
and the property was sold to Hueblein, Inc., in 1987, at which time it lay dormant. Pat DeRose, the current owner, began
operations at the Cienega property in 1988. The vineyard currently has 100 acres in grapes, 40 of which are vines planted
before 1900 (see the website at www.derosewine.com).
The San Andreas Fault Zone

As originally mapped by Taliaferro (1949), the trace of the Calaveras Fault runs through the winery buildings (fig.
6.11). On the northwestern side of the buildings, a driveway running across the fault accentuates a prominent scarp.
During the 1906 earthquake, the winery buildings in the Cienega Valley were substantially damaged. The Lawson report
(Lawson and others, 1908) states that At Palmtags winery, in the hills southwest of Tres Pios, the shock seems to have
been more severe than elsewhere in the vicinity of that village. Furniture was moved, water was thrown from troughs,
and an adobe building was badly cracked. One low brick winery was unharmed.
The DeRose winery is the location where fault creep was first recognized (Steinbrugge and Zacher, 1960). The main
winery building was constructed by then-owners W.A. Taylor Winery in 1948. In 1956, Zacher noticed displaced
concrete slabs and fractures in concrete walls during a building inspection. Using the distorted buildings, Steinbrugge
and Zacher (1960) began systematic creep measurements in 1956, and reported an average rate of about 0.5 inch (12mm)
of right-lateral displacement per year for the period 1948-60. They also noted a coseismic slip of 3 mm at the time of a
local M 5.0 earthquake in 1960. In 1957, creepmeters were installed within and around the winery buildings (Tocher,
1960), and monitoring continues at the site today (see the website at http://quake.usgs.gov/research/deformation/
measurements/index.html). Damage within the winery buildings necessitated substantial reconstruction in the mid1990s, but continued creep already has created new cracks in the walls and floors of the main building.
On the southern side of the winery, the fault has displaced a concrete-lined drainage ditch, which in 2001 had apparently not been repaired since its construction. It is interesting to compare the amount of right-lateral offset documented in
1961 (fig. 6.12) with conditions seen on the field trip today.
References
Brewer, W. H., 1966, Up and down California in 1860-1864, Francis P. Farquhar, ed.: Berkeley, Univ. of California Press, 583 p.
California Department of Parks and Recreation, 1989, Riding the fault line on the earthquake tour: a self-guided vehicle trail, Hollister
Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area: California Department of Parks and Recreation Publication 5-89,15 p.
153
Jennings, C.W., 1994, Fault activity map of California and adjacent areas: California Division of Mines and Geology, scale 1:750,000.
Jennings, C.A., and Strand, R.G., 1958, Geologic map of California, Santa Cruz sheet: California Division of Mines and Geology, scale 1:250,000.
Jones, D.L., Graymer, R., Wang, C., McEvilly, T.V., and Lomax, A., 1994, Neogene transpressive evolution of the California Coast Ranges:
Tectonics, v. 13, no. 2, p. 561-574.
Lawson, A.C., 1908, The California earthquake of April 18, 1906, Report of the State Earthquake Investigation Commission: Washington,
D.C., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Pub. 87, 2 volumes and atlas, reprinted 1969.
Perkins, J.A., 1987, Provenance of the Upper Miocene and Pliocene Etchegoin Formation: implications for paleogeography of the late
Miocene of central California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 87-167, 65 p.
Rogers, T.H., 1969, A trip to an active fault in the city of Hollister: Mineral Information Service (California Division of Mines and Geology)
v. 22, no. 10, p. 159-164.
Rogers, T.H., 1980, Geology and seismicity at the convergence of the San Andreas and Calaveras Fault Zones near Hollister, San Benito
County, California, in Streitz, R., and Sherburne, R., eds., Studies of the San Andreas Fault Zone in northern California: California
Division of Mines and Geology, Special Report 140, p. 19-28.
Sarna-Wojcicki, A.M., Pampeyan, E.H., and Hall, N.T., 1975, Recently active breaks, San Andreas Fault, Santa Cruz Mountains to Gabilan
Range, central California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies MF-650, scale 1:24,000, reprinted 1978.
Sarna-Wojcicki, A.M., and others, 1985, Correlation of the Rockland ash bed, a 400,000-year old stratigraphic marker in northern
California and western Nevada, and implications for middle Pleistocene paleogeography of central California: Quaternary
Research, v. 23, p. 236-257.
Schulz, S.S., and Burford, R.O., 1979, Catalog of creepmeter measurements in central California for 1976 and 1977: U.S. Geological
Survey Open-File Report 79-1609, 375 p.
Schulz, S. S., Mavko, G.M., Burford, R.O., and Stuart, W.D., 1982, Long-term fault creep observations in central California, Journal of
Geophysical Research, v. 87, no. B8, p. 6977-6982.
Steinbrugge, K.V., and Zacher, E.G., 1960, Creep on the San Andreas Fault: fault creep and property damage: Seismological Society of
Stenner, H., 2000, Paleoseismic studies along the southern Calaveras Fault: Seismological Society of America, Field Trip Guide, 7 p.
Taliaferro, N.L., 1949, Geologic map of the Hollister quadrangle, California: California Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 143 (text
not published), scale 1:62500.
Tocher, D., 1960, Creep on the San Andreas Fault: related measurements at Vineyard, California: Seismological Society of America
Bulletin, v. 50, p. 396-404.
Tolman, C.F., 1934, A geological report on the Coyote dam site: an unpublished report to the Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation
District, 58 p.
Wallace, R.E., ed., 1990, the San Andreas Fault system, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1515, 283 p.
Wentworth, C., Blake, M.C., Jr., McLaughlin, R.J., and Graymer, R.W., 1999, Geologic map of the San Jose 30x60 minute Quadrangle,
California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-795, scale 1:100,000.
Williams, Alta, 1965, Wine industrys importance to county told historians: Hollister, California, Evening FreeLance, August 10, 1965.
Wills, M.A., 1995, The Pliocene alluvial gravels in the southeastern Santa Clara Valley, California: San Jos State Univ., unpub. M.S.
thesis, 91 p.
Working Group on Northern California Earthquake Potential, 1996, Database of potential sources for earthquakes larger than magnitude
6 in Northern California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-705 (see the World Wide Web at: http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/
prepare/ncep/index.html).
Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities, 1999, Earthquake probabilities in the San Francisco Bay Region: 2000 to 2030a
summary of findings: U.S. Geological Survey, Open-file report 99-517, Online Version 1.0 (see the World Wide Web at: http://
geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of99-517/).
154
Figure 6.1. Location maps for field trip: A, Major earthquake faults in the Bay area. B, Field trip stops (1-4) and
trench localities (T1, T2) discussed in text.
155
Figure 6.2. The Calaveras Fault in downtown Hollister (modified from Rogers, 1969); base map is the Hollister U.S. Geological Survey
quadrangle map, scale 1:24,000.
156
Figure 6.3. Warped retaining wall with right lateral offset across the Calaveras Fault.
View is west of 6th Street. Note rise in elevation across the fault. (Photo by Phil Stoffer,
U.S. Geological Survey, 2001).
Bertuccio Ranch Trench 2
EAST
Disturbed
K
K
K
K
K
K
B
Shear Fabric
K
B
K
B
MachineScraped Edge
Disturbed
of Scarp
Bioturbated
K
K
B
Bench of Trench
WEST
Dirt Road
Loose Sand
1770+/-700
Bioturbated
K
B
Krodovina
Active rodent burrow
K
K
K
2630+/-40
Bioturbated
K
K
3280+/-100
B
K
B
0.5
Fault trace
Well-developed fracture,
probable fault trace
1m
3080+/-40
1770+/-700 Uncalibrated radiocarbon

ages, in years BP
2760+/-50
39300+/-1100
Figure 6.4. Trench log of Bertuccio Ranch trench 2. Fluvial and overbank sediments are overlain by colluvial and alluvial deposits
(uppermost 3 units). Faults offset all units, and all appear to be creeping.
157
2 1
sag pond
*
sag pond
25
50
75
METERS
Figure 6.5. Topographic map of the Costa Ranch site. Trenches are numbered 1 through 5, arrows
point at main fault, where a down-to-the-east scarp is commonly formed. Arrow labeled with asterisk marks
position of linking fault. Contour interval is 15 cm.
158
159
Figure 6.6. Trench logs of Costa Ranch trenches 3 and 4. Fluvial sediments, sag pond sediments, and the organic soil horizon are faulted and tilted into the fault zone to
accommodate the right lateral and extensional component of slip. Although the two trenches are only 4 m apart, the styles of deformation are different.
Figure 6.7. Map of Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area, showing offset of Bird
Creek (modified from California Department of Parks and Recreation, 1989).
160
Figure 6.8. Topographic features

associated with active strike-slip
faulting (from Wallace, 1990).
161
Figure 6.9. View of the San Andreas Fault from Radio Ridge looking southwest (modified
from California Department of Parks and Recreation, 1989).
Figure 6.10. Creepmeter data for October 1989 from Hollister Hills
State Vehicular Recreation Area campground (modified after a U.S.
Geological Survey, 1990, unpub. manuscript).
162
Figure 6.11. San Andreas Fault at DeRose Winery (modified from Tocher, 1960).
163
Figure 6.12. View northwest across San Andreas Fault trace at southern
edge of DeRose Winery. Photo taken in April, 1961, by Stanley Skapinski,
San Jos State University.
164
. . . And the Fog Will Burn Off By NoonA Brief Introduction to the Weather of the San Francisco Bay Area
. . . And the Fog Will Burn Off By NoonA Brief Introduction

to the Weather of the San Francisco Bay Area
Scott W. Starratt
U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif., and
Department of Geography, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.
Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.Mark Twain

On the other coast, they often say, If you dont like the weather, wait a few minutes. In the San Francisco Bay
area, the phrase that should be spoken might be If you dont like the weather, take a short walk. In a few hundred
yards, the weather can change from gray clouds and drizzle to blue sky. Travel a little farther, and the weather requiring a
sweater and parka now requires only shorts and a T-shirt. Changes in annual precipitation over short distances are just as
drastic. In the mountains above Santa Cruz, rainfall averages more than 120 cm (47 inches) a year, while in the Santa
Clara Valley a few miles to the east, the average precipitation is on the order of 33 cm (13 inches). These drastic variations result from a unique combination of oceanography, meteorology, and physiography.
The typical California climate is similar to that of the Mediterraneana near-desert in summer, a dripping landscape in winter, and filled with glorious wildflowers in the spring. During the summer, the migrating Pacific highpressure cell (commonly referred to as the Pacific High) deflects storms northward to Oregon and Washington, nearly
preventing any measurable precipitation. In the winter, the strength of this high-pressure cell decreases and it shifts to the
south, allowing moisture-laden storms to move in from the west. Often, a series of low-pressure cells can deliver heavy
rains and gale-force winds. Each cell typically yields two to five days of storms, followed by a week or two of calm,
clear weather.
Although dominated by the effects of high- and low-pressure cells, the climate of coastal California is moderated by
the temperature of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Ocean-related modulation reduces the intensity of cold winter
temperatures, provides the source of the enormous summer fog banks, and moderates the overall annual range in
temperatures (fig. 7.1; tables 7.1 to 7.3). The climate of the region surrounding the waters of San Francisco Bay lies
somewhere between the extreme seasonal variations of the Central Valley and the more subdued climate of the coast
because of the local topography and the constant interaction of continental and maritime air masses (Elford, 1970).
Although the moderating effect of the southward flowing California Current is apparent even during the winter (mean
January temperature in Santa Cruz is 59.9F while in Sacramento it is 53.2F), both the magnitude and timing of the
highest summer temperature changes drastically with proximity to the coast (fig. 7.1; tables 7.1 and 7.2). July temperatures in Vacaville and Sacramento in the Central Valley reach into the 90s. Two months later, as the strength of the
current decreases, Half Moon Bay reaches its thermal zenith, a somewhat more moderate 66.9F.
The dominant summer winds are from the northwest and west, and they are reinforced by the inland movement of air
caused by solar heating of the air in the Central Valley (the primary reason for wind farms at Altamont Pass at the north
end of the Diablo Range, east of Livermore). This effect is greatest during the day, creating both a diurnal and seasonal
pattern in wind velocity. During the winter, with storm centers to the south of the San Francisco Bay area, winds may
come from the east or southeast, though the prevalent wind direction is still from the west.
The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.Attributed to Mark Twain
Throughout the spring, the Pacific High increases in strength and moves closer to the coast. The combination of
increased northwest wind stress and Coriolis force causes the southeastward-flowing California Current to turn to the
right, away from shore. The water that moves offshore is replaced by cold, nutrient-rich water that is upwelled near the
coast from intermediate water depths. The upwelled water makes the surface water temperature colder in June and July
than it is during the winter.
This cold water is part of the natural air conditioning for which San Francisco is famous. As summer winds travel
over the North Pacific, the air absorbs great quantities of moisture through evaporation. As it approaches the coast, the
air is cooled by the sea, and condensation occurs. Whether the fog is thin and wispy or is so thick and heavy that anywhere else it would pass for rain depends on the temperature of the California Current and how much moisture is in the
air. How far inland the fog travels depends on the temperature in the Central Valleyseveral days of temperatures over
100 F can draw the fog through the Carquinez Strait to the western edge of the valley. As the strength of the California
Current wanes in August, the fog disappears and summer comes to San Francisco from August to October, the three
hottest months of the year.
165
Let it rain for 40 days and 40 nights . . . and wait for the sewers to back upBill Cosby
In 1983, a new weather-related term entered the vocabulary of San FranciscansEl Nio. During an El Nio event,
the temperature of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean increases, and part of that warmer water mass migrates northward
along the western coast of North America. Over the past century, most of the El Nio events have resulted in an increase
in precipitation on the California coast. The 1997-98 El Nio resulted in abnormally high sea levels that contributed to
millions of dollars in flood and storm damage in the San Francisco Bay area (Ryan and others, 1999). When compared to
the 50-year record (fig. 7.2), the 1997-1998 El Nio showed increases in air and sea-surface temperatures (figs. 7.2A, B).
Sea-surface temperatures off San Francisco and the Oregon-Washington coast were warm enough to support fish
normally found in the waters off Baja California. On land, rainfall rates increased drastically, particularly in areas subject
to orographic uplift of moisture-laden air masses, such as the coast range in Santa Cruz and Marin counties (figs. 7.2C,
D). As a result of this enhanced precipitation, streamflow rates in northern and central California increased. At numerous
sites in the Central Valley, levees in need of repairs broke, flooding many acres of farmland.
References
Elford, C.R., 1970, The climate of California: in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce,
Climates of the States, v. 2, p. 538-546.
Ryan, Holly, Gibbons, Helen, Hendley, J.W., and Stauffer, P.H., 1999, El Nio sea-level rise wreaks havoc in Californias San Francisco
Bay region: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 175-99, 4 p.
166
Figure 7.1. Climagraphs for thirteen sites in the San Francisco Bay area. Mean high monthly temperature (F [C])red line;
mean low monthly temperature (F [C])blue line; precipitation (in. [mm]) blue histogram. Plotted from data in tables 7.1 to 7.3.
(Data derived from the University of California, Berkeley website at http://geography.berkeley.edu/Collections/Weather/
Climagraphs/Climagraph.html).
167
Figure 7.1.Continued. Climagraphs for thirteen sites in the San Francisco Bay
area. Mean high monthly temperature (F [C])red line; mean low monthly
temperature (F [C])blue line; precipitation (in. [mm]) blue histogram. Plotted
from data in tables 7.1 to 7.3. (Data derived from the University of California,
Berkeley website at http://geography.berkeley.edu/Collections/Weather/
Climagraphs/Climagraph.html).
168
Table 7.1. Mean monthly high temperature (C) for thirteen sites in the San Francisco Bay region. Highest monthred; lowest monthblue (data derived from the University of California,
Berkeley website at http://geography.berkeley.edu/Collections/Weather/Climagraphs/Climagraph.html).
Location
Latitude
37.87
38.27
37.47
37.67
37.23
37.87
38.27
38.58
37.77
37.35
36.98
38.45
38.40
Longitude
122.27
122.07
122.45
121.77
121.97
121.93
122.65
121.50
122.43
121.90
121.98
122.72
121.97
Jan
56.2
55.5
58.1
56.5
57.9
55.0
56.6
53.2
56.7
57.9
59.9
57.4
54.5
Feb
59.3
61.8
59.3
60.9
62.0
57.2
61.7
59.5
60.2
62.1
62.5
62.1
61.5
Mar
61.4
65.9
59.6
64.8
65.4
59.0
64.2
64.6
61.2
65.3
64.3
65.4
66.2
Apr
63.5
71.3
60.5
70.6
70.7
64.5
68.4
71.0
62.9
70.0
67.7
70.0
73.3
May
66.1
77.9
61.4
76.6
75.9
70.8
72.2
77.9
63.9
74.3
70.6
74.4
81.0
Jun
69.1
84.3
63.0
83.1
81.6
78.8
78.3
85.5
66.0
79.2
73.8
80.0
88.8
Jul
69.3
88.9
63.8
89.5
85.9
86.8
82.4
91.4
66.0
82.2
74.6
83.2
95.0
Aug
69.5
88.7
65.1
88.9
85.3
86.2
82.7
90.3
67.0
81.8
75.3
83.4
93.7
Sep
71.4
86.4
66.9
86.4
83.1
82.8
82.0
86.0
70.0
80.6
76.3
83.1
89.5
Oct
69.6
78.6
65.9
78.2
76.0
74.3
76.2
76.6
69.4
74.7
73.2
77.3
79.6
Nov
63.5
65.5
62.8
66.2
65.4
62.3
65.7
64.0
63.7
65.1
66.2
66.5
65.2
Dec
57.0
55.8
58.7
57.3
58.2
56.1
57.0
53.8
57.3
58.0
60.5
58.0
55.0
Highest Month
Lowest Month
169
Table 7.2. Mean monthly low temperature (C). Highest monthred; lowest monthblue (data derived from the University of California, Berkeley website at http://
geography.berkeley.edu/Collections/Weather/Climagraphs/Climagraph.html).
Location
Berkeley
Fairfield
Half Moon Bay
Livermore
Los Gatos
Mt. Diablo
Petaluma
Sacramento
San Francisco
San Jose
Santa Cruz
Santa Rosa
Vacaville
Highest Month
Lowest Month
Latitude
37.87
38.27
37.47
37.67
37.23
37.87
38.27
38.58
37.77
37.35
36.98
38.45
38.40
Longitude
122.27
122.07
122.45
121.77
121.97
121.93
122.65
121.50
122.43
121.90
121.98
122.72
121.97
Jan
43.0
37.4
43.0
36.0
38.2
39.0
37.8
39.5
46.0
41.3
39.0
36.8
36.6
Feb
45.5
40.9
43.8
38.8
40.5
40.8
40.3
43.1
48.3
44.2
41.0
39.4
39.7
Mar
46.5
43.2
44.1
40.8
41.9
40.6
41.4
45.6
48.9
45.6
42.0
40.5
42.0
Apr
48.0
45.9
44.7
43.2
43.6
43.3
43.0
48.4
49.7
47.5
43.3
42.5
44.6
May
50.5
50.1
47.4
47.5
47.4
46.9
46.5
52.4
51.1
51.1
46.4
46.1
49.4
Jun
53.0
53.7
49.9
51.5
51.5
52.7
50.2
56.7
53.0
54.6
49.4
49.8
54.2
Jul
54.0
55.7
51.6
54.0
53.9
60.2
51.6
59.0
53.7
56.7
51.6
50.9
56.7
Aug
54.7
55.9
52.7
53.8
53.6
59.8
51.8
58.5
54.8
56.7
51.8
50.8
55.5
Sep
55.2
54.3
51.6
52.2
52.6
57.2
51.2
56.9
55.8
56.0
50.8
49.9
53.5
Oct
52.9
49.5
48.6
47.4
48.3
51.9
47.2
51.6
54.7
51.8
47.2
46.1
48.3
Nov
48.4
42.3
45.9
40.6
42.6
44.6
41.8
44.4
51.2
45.8
42.7
40.6
41.5
Dec
44.2
37.5
43.4
36.6
38.4
40.4
38.1
39.8
46.9
41.5
39.1
37.4
36.9
Berkeley
Fairfield
Half Moon Bay
Livermore
Los Gatos
Mt. Diablo
Petaluma
Sacramento
San Francisco
San Jose
Santa Cruz
Santa Rosa
Vacaville
Location
170
Berkeley
Fairfield
Half Moon Bay
Livermore
Los Gatos
Mt. Diablo
Petaluma
Sacramento
San Francisco
San Jose
Santa Cruz
Santa Rosa
Vacaville
Highest Month
Lowest Month
Latitude
37.87
38.27
37.47
37.67
37.23
37.87
38.27
38.58
37.77
37.35
36.98
38.45
38.40
Longitude
122.27
122.07
122.45
121.77
121.97
121.93
122.65
121.50
122.43
121.90
121.98
122.72
121.97
Jan
4.80
5.16
5.49
2.98
5.64
5.00
5.75
3.72
4.63
3.05
6.67
6.35
5.99
Feb
4.02
3.74
4.20
2.55
4.69
4.06
4.38
3.16
3.28
2.48
5.28
5.04
4.32
Mar
3.23
3.13
3.95
2.15
3.85
3.45
3.40
2.67
3.03
2.31
4.36
4.21
3.27
Apr
1.73
1.33
1.84
1.09
1.63
1.72
1.56
1.40
1.32
1.06
2.16
2.07
1.46
May
0.63
0.51
0.73
0.43
0.49
0.77
0.51
0.61
0.50
0.41
0.66
0.83
0.55
Jun
0.18
0.19
0.27
0.10
0.08
0.19
0.19
0.16
0.16
0.09
0.20
0.28
0.12
Jul
0.04
0.02
0.11
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.03
0.01
0.03
0.04
0.09
0.03
0.03
Aug
0.07
0.07
0.21
0.05
0.06
0.07
0.09
0.03
0.08
0.09
0.10
0.11
0.03
Sep
0.27
0.29
0.41
0.16
0.26
0.32
0.26
0.31
0.24
0.21
0.29
0.35
0.34
Oct
1.27
1.27
1.60
0.72
1.09
1.33
1.36
0.92
1.08
0.71
1.24
1.75
1.24
Nov
2.88
2.85
3.31
1.74
2.93
3.18
3.38
2.01
2.92
1.78
3.92
3.75
3.22
Dec
4.14
3.91
4.64
2.56
4.40
3.98
4.39
3.14
3.65
2.38
5.27
5.44
4.73
Table 7.3. Monthly precipitation (inches) (data derived from the University of California, Berkeley website at http://
geography.berkeley.edu/Collections/Weather/Climagraphs/Climagraph.html).
Figure 7.2. January 1998 (El Nio) variations from the mean the for period 1950-99. A, sea surface temperature (C), B, air
temperature (C), C, available moisture (kg/m2). D, precipitation rate (mm/day), E, surface runoff (kg/m2) (data derived from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website at http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/Composites).
171
172
Consumer Uses of Industrial Minerals in the San Francisco Bay AreaHouses to Interstates
Consumer Uses of Industrial Minerals in the San Francisco

Bay AreaHouses to Interstates
John P. Galloway
Department of Science and Math, Caada College, Redwood City, Calif.
Judy Weathers
Dave Frank
U.S. Geological Survey, Spokane, Wash.
Few people realize the importance of industrial minerals in their everyday lives. The average American uses about
one million pounds of industrial minerals during a lifetime. The term industrial minerals includes nonmetallic minerals
such as limestone, clays, cement (portland and masonry), dimension stone, and aggregates. Although aggregate is not a
mineralogical definition, it is a commercial designation for a group of mineral products that include industrial sand and
gravel, construction sand and gravel, and crushed stone.
CaliforniaValue of Nonfuel Mineral Production

In 1997 California was the third leading state in the Nation in total nonfuel mineral production value. The term
nonfuel mineral production and related values encompass variations in meaning, depending on the minerals or
mineral products. Production may be measured by mine shipments, mineral commodity sales, or marketable production
(including consumption by producers) as applicable to the individual mineral commodity, (U.S. Geological Survey,
1997, p. 53). The estimated value for 1998 was $2.97 billion, with industrial minerals accounting for more than 90
percent of the total value (fig. 8.1).
California was the only state in 1998 to produce boron, rare-earth concentrates, and asbestos. Approximately 60 percent of
the boron produced is used in the manufacture of glass, glass fibers, and insulation. The largest use of rare earth metals is in
the manufacture of catalysts for chemical processes. Rare earths are also used as a glass additive, as phosphors in laser
crystals, and in nickel-hydrate rechargeable batteries. In 1999, Americans used more than 15,000 tons of asbestos. Asbestos is
used in roofing products, gaskets (which are resistant to heat and corrosion), and friction products such as in automotive
brakes and clutches (Virta, 2001).
The state remained first in 1998 in the production of diatomite, portland cement, and construction sand and gravel.
Diatomite is used as an absorbent for industrial spills, as pet litter, a filler in paints, insulation, mild abrasive, or as an additive
in cement and other compounds. Cement is produced from a silty limestone consisting of calcite, clay minerals, and a small
amount of iron oxide. Cement can be used alone but is used more commonly as a component of concrete, which is a mixture
of cement, sand, gravel, and/or other industrial minerals. The most common type of cement, which hardens when water is
added, is portland (or hydraulic) cement. For additional information on aggregates see Goonan (1999) and Tepordei (1997).
California continued to be second in the production of feldspar and magnesium compounds. Feldspar is used in glass
and ceramics and is added to aluminum for improving hardness and durability. Magnesium compounds are used in
aluminum alloys and as structural components of automobiles and machinery. California was one of only two states that
reported production in 1998 for soda ash, titanium, and mercury. Soda ash is essential as a raw material in glass and
detergents and in other important industrial applications, such as paper manufacturing and water treatment. Titanium is
used in high-temperature applications, such as combustion engines and parts of aircraft and spacecraft. Thirty percent of
the weight of a modern aircraft may consist of titanium. Mercury is used for the manufacture of industrial chemicals and
for electrical applications. California was the first of two states to produce natural sodium sulfate, used in soaps, detergents, pulp and paper, and textiles.
California was also a leading producer of clays, gypsum, talc, masonry cement, industrial sand and gravel, and salt.
Clays are used in sanitary ware, ceramic tiles, as an absorbent, as a sand-bonding agent added to portland cement, as a
refractory product (heat-resistant bricks and blocks), and in the paper industry. Gypsum is one of the most widely used
minerals in the world. It is estimated that the typical new American home contains more than 7 metric tonnes of gypsum.
Talc is used in the paint, paper, and plastics industries. Salt is added to food as a flavor enhancer, used in the paper, pulp
and textile, and water purification industries, and used to make many consumer-related end-use products such as neoprene rubber and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
173
Industrial minerals are produced at several dozen sites in the San Francisco Bay area. Figure 8.2 shows those locations active in seven Bay area counties in 1997-1998.
A Typical HouseConstruction and Manufacturing Minerals

Construction and manufacturing minerals are the least recognized of the worlds minerals. An average house contains
60 tons of concrete products, 7 tons of gypsum (wallboard), 5 tons of sand, gravel, and stone, and 0.1 ton of glass
(Kesler, 1994). A wide variety of industrial minerals are used to build a typical house (fig. 8.3).
Roof and attic: asphaltic roof shingles or rolled roofing, imitation red clay tile, roof sealant around vent flanges,
insulation.
Ceiling and walls: gypsum wall board, joint cement, paper joint tape, caulking compounds, paint, adhesive for
pipes, decorative tile, fireplaces made of brick or stone.
Floor and foundation: portland cement concrete slab, clays for floor tile, a sand foundation for pipes, adhesive for
floor tile, and grout for ceramic tile, clay or PVC pipes.
Appliances: porcelain kitchen sink, particle board for kitchen cabinets, ceramic tiles, adhesive and caulking, glass
shelves, insulation.
Clays, of various types, are used in bricks, concrete, books, cosmetics, and dishware/ceramics.
Limestone is used in concrete, books, carpets/rugs, and cosmetics.
Industrial sands are used in computers, telephones (a telephone contains items made from over 40 different
types of minerals), cameras, televisions, drinking glasses, windows, and microwaves. Quartz, which comes from
industrial sands and gravels, is the basic constituent of glass. Glass is analogous to steel and cement in that it
consists largely of a processed mineral raw material (industrial sand) with mineral additives.
Construction sand and gravel are used to make our driveways (concrete pavement) and the roads we drive on.
The average six-room house requires 39 tons of aggregates
Salt is used not only for cooking but also in detergents and in the manufacturing of plastics and rubber products.
For a list of construction minerals used in a house see the Nevada Commission on Mineral Resources, Division of
Minerals Web site on construction materials used for a kitchen (http://minerals.state.nv.us/prog_education/construct.htm)
and Weathers and others (2000).
AggregatesBuildings to Highways
Aggregates are composed of rock fragments that may be used in their natural state or after mechanical processing
such as crushing, washing, or sizing. Natural aggregates include sand, gravel, and crushed stone. Recycled aggregates
consist mainly of crushed concrete and crushed asphalt pavement (Goonan, 1999). Construction aggregates are used for
road base, riprap, cement concrete, plaster, and asphalt. As American society grows, the demand for new infrastructures
such as industrial buildings and highways grows. Natural aggregate is very inexpensive, but it cannot be transported
more than a few miles from its source without becoming prohibitively expensive; transportation more than six miles
from the aggregate source adds $1 per ton in transportation cost (Kesler, 1994). Mining of aggregates near urban centers
can increase atmospheric pollution (particulate matterdust) and create other environmental problems related to
groundwater resources. The price of aggregates constitutes as much as half of the cost of cement in some cities in the
northeastern United States. In many areas of the United States conveniently located aggregate reserves are becoming
scare. As our infrastructures, especially roads, need replacement or become obsolete, they are demolished, creating large
quantities of demolition waste that yields 200 million metric tons of recycled aggregates annually. Asphalt paving
material is recovered from demolished roads and is recycled as aggregate for road base or as asphalt binder. It is estimated that more than 100 million tons of concrete and worn-out asphalt pavement are recycled annually into usable
aggregates. Aggregates produced from recycled concrete supply roughly 5 percent of the total aggregate market (more
that 2 billion tons per year), the rest being supplied by aggregates from natural sources such as crushed stone, sand, and
gravel (Goonan, 1999). The bulk of the aggregates recycled from concrete are used as road base, the remainder for new
concrete mixes, riprap, and general fill. Figure 8.4 shows the materials flow cycle for aggregates. The future of the
aggregate industry will be determined by the availability of raw material (natural or recycled aggregates), demand for
new infrastructure, and favorable transportation distances.
174
References
Goonan, T.G., 1999, Recycled aggregates - profitable resource conservation: U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet FS-181-99. [http://
greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/fact-sheets/fs-0181-99/].
Kesler, S.E., 1994, Mineral resources, economics and the environment: New York, Macmillan College Publishing Company, 391 p.
Larose, Kim, Youngs, Les, Kohler-Antablin, Susan, and Garden, Karen, 1999, Mines and mineral producers active in California (19971998): California Division of Mines and Geology Special Publication 103 (revised 1999), 169 p., 1 sheet.
State of Nevada, Commission on Mineral Resources, Division of Minerals, 2001, Construction materials used for - kitchen [http://
minerals.state.nv.us/prog_education/construct.htm].
Sznopek, J.L. and Brown, W.M., 1998, Materials flow and sustainability: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-068-98 [http://
greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/fact-sheets/fs-0068-98/].
Tepordei, V.V., 1997, Natural aggregatesfoundation of Americas future: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet, FS-144-97 [http://
minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pub/commodity/aggregates/].
U.S. Geological Survey, 1997, Mineral yearbook, area report, domestic 1997, v. 2, p. 53-59.
Virta, R.L., 2001, Some facts about asbestos: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS 012-01. [http://pubs.usgs.gov/factsheet/fs012-01/].
Weathers, Judy, Galloway, John, and Frank, Dave, 2000, Minerals in our environment: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-144, 1
sheet [http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of00-144/].
175
Figure 8.1. Value of production of California non-fuel minerals, 1998 (modified from Larose and others, 1999, fig. 2).
176
Figure 8.2. The mines and (or) mineral resource producers active in seven Bay area counties (1997-1998) and the
commodities they produced (modified from Larose and others, 1999, fig. 2).
177
Figure 8.3. Some industrial mineral uses in a typical house.
178
Figure 8.4. Material flow cycle for aggregates (from Sznopek and Brown, 1998).
179
180
A Brief History of Population Growth in the Greater San Francisco Bay Region
A Brief History of Population Growth in the Greater

San Francisco Bay Region
Page Mosier
The population of the San Francisco Bay area is both growing and becoming increasingly diverse. The term Greater
San Francisco Bay Region is applied to counties which are adjacent to the San Francisco Bay, including San Francisco,
Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. (Although other counties are often
included in the Bay area or region, they are not included in this report.)
The first people in California were the Native Americans. Although it is hard to say exactly how many lived in
California, their numbers are estimated to have been between 200,000 and 500,000 at the time of the first Spanish
explorations. The native population in the Bay area was mainly of the Coastanoan, Coast Miwok, Yokut, and Wintun
tribes. There were an estimated 7,000 Native Americans in the Bay area during the time that the Spanish missions were
being established, including some that had been brought in by the Spanish from other areas.
Although many ethnic groups have come to the Bay area, the first group to make a major impact on the population
were the Spaniards, who erected their northernmost outposts in the San Francisco Bay region and attempted to convert
the Native Americans in the area to their religion. Approximately 90 percent of these Native Americans died of hardship and disease resulting from their contact with these new immigrants. Spanish contributions were both political and
economic. They erected presidios, or forts, and missions, which provided the economic basis for later California
settlement.
As a result of the War of Independence in 1821, Mexico attained independence from Spain, and California became
part of the Republic of Mexico. San Francisco did not appear in the 1840 United States census, because it was then still
part of Mexico. The majority of the immigrant population lived south of San Francisco. Land ownership consisted of
large Mexican land grants covering most of the Bay area, which were given by the Mexican government to be settled by
Rancheros or Californios, as they were called. The Mexican period was one of turmoil and transition, ending with a
war between Mexico and the United States. With the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, California became part of the
United States territory. Eventually the major ranchos were divided into smaller properties and both land speculation and
squatting were widespread.
The opening up of the West in general, and the 1849 gold rush specifically, saw the beginning of a great flow of
people to California from all over the United States and the world. It was this flow of people that made it possible for
California to attain statehood in 1850. Since then, this influx of people has persisted, making California the most
populous state in the Union.
Because of the gold rush, the population grew and the demographics changed. By 1860, San Francisco had more than
50,000 people, and the population more than doubled in the following decade. From 1870 until the turn of the century,
the rate of population growth became slower with each decade. Between 1900 and 1960 there was no consistent pattern.
Slow growth occurred in the 1930s, followed by fast growth between 1940 and 1960. The influx of people during World
War II and the postwar baby boom produced the highest rate of population growth since the 1870s.
In the mid and late 1800s, most of the growth occurred within the city of San Francisco. People crowded into the San
Francisco metropolitan area in the 1880s, and the population grew to 274,000. The outlying areas remained mainly
agricultural. The flight to, and growth in, the suburbs mainly came in the 1940s and 1950s, when the agricultural land
and surrounding hills began to gain in population. The people in the San Francisco Bay area of the 1960s numbered
about 3.5 million, and they were spread out over a land area more than twice the size of Rhode Island (fig. 9.1).
Since the first major mode of transportation in the Bay area was by water, it was around the ports or embarcaderos
that cities first developed. Steamboat travel led to the growth of East Bay towns such as Oakland, Berkeley, Encinal, and
Alameda. Local railroads reached the area in 1864, but it was not until 1869 that the transcontinental railroad began
bringing tens of thousands of people to the Bay area. Railroads brought in more people and created new towns South of
San Francisco, such as Burlingame, San Mateo, San Carlos, Belmont, and Atherton.
In 1863, there was also an active local ferry system between Oakland and San Francisco, as well as trolley car
systems in both of these cities. These were to fade and mostly disappear as major modes of transportation after the
advent of the automobile. The increasing popularity of the automobile at the end of World War I provided a major impact
on California and the Bay area. Ownership of cars in California was far ahead of other states, and because of this the
urban population spread rapidly between 1910 through 1940. In the 1920s and 1930s, Californias population was only
slightly outnumbered by New Yorks. Between 1920 and 1939 the population in California more than doubled.
During World War II, the population in the Bay area grew through an influx of people from other parts of the United
States, such as those who came to work in the Bay area shipyards.
181
Areas which had largely remained agricultural, such as the Santa Clara Valley, became highly urbanized after the
World War II, largely owing to the automobile (tables 9.1, 9.2). From the 1950s until the present, the Santa Clara Valley
has continued to show remarkable growth because of major industries, such as missile development and the electronics
and computer industries, earning it the name Silicon Valley and making San Jose now the largest city in the Bay area
(table 9.3). The Livermore Valley at this time also changed from a purely agricultural region, growing cattle and wine, to
an industrial area with the growth of what was to become the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia
National Laboratory.
The population of the Bay area is not only growing but is becoming more and more diverse, (table 9.4), although
individual communities vary dramatically. A Gallup study done in 1996-97 showed that 9.9 percent of adults in the area
were African-American, 15.5 percent were Asian or Pacific Islander, 15.6 percent were Latino, 74.8 percent were white,
and 0.8 percent were other ethnicities. Marin County, however is more than 95 percent white, while San Francisco is 25
percent Asian. Throughout California, groups that were once the minority are now becoming the emerging majority.
The largest growth in the State in the 1990s has involved the Asian population, many of whom have immigrated to
California to find work in the technology industry. Asians, including those that are part Asian, have shown an increase of
61 percent from 1990 to the 2000 census. California gained 731,000 Asians or Pacific Islanders through immigration and
528,000 through births during the 1990s. Asians are now a majority in some cities, including the Bay area cities of
Milpitas and Daly City.
Despite attempts to develop public transportation systems such as bus lines, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART),
Caltrain, and light rail, ever-increasing numbers of automobiles continue to clog major traffic arteries throughout the Bay
area. The increase in traffic, and continued population growth present additional housing and transportation problems for
the future. However, some forward-looking California and Bay area leaders have set aside tens of thousands of acres of
open-space land for watersheds and recreation in the Peninsula, East Bay, and Marin County. These areas, which include
the Golden Gate Headlands, Angel Island, East Bay Regional Parks, Point Reyes, Mount Tamalpais, and Mount Diablo,
provide some refuge for the ever-expanding Bay area population, which now numbers close to seven million.
References
Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), 2001, 1997 Demographic charts from the internet: ABAG website, http://
www.abag.ca.gov.
Bean, Walton, 1973. California an interpretive history: New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Second Edition, 576 p.
Calhoun, Merilyn, 1978. Early days in the Livermore-Amador Valley: Hayward, California: Alameda County School Department. 62 p.
Davis, Kingsley, and Langlois, Eleanor, 1963, Future demographic growth of the San Francisco Bay Area: Berkeley, California, Institute
of Governmental Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 27 p.
Kroeber, A.L., 1925, Handbook of the Indians of California: Washington D.C., Government Printing Office, p.462-473 (reprinted by The
Livermore Heritage Guild with permission by the Smithsonian Institution in 1978).
Heizer, R.F., and Whipple, M.A., 1971, The California Indians: a source book: Berkeley, University of California Press, 487 p.
Pittman, Ruth, 1995, Roadside history of California: Missoula, Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 415 p.
Press Democrat, Inc. 2001, Asian population continues to grow, changing California communities (accessed April 3, 2001): http://
www.pressdemo.com/census/state/03cenweb.html.
San Francisco Examiner, 1997, Bay Life 97Who we are, where we work, how we live: San Francisco Examiner, February 9, 1997, p.W-17.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, Access USGS San Francisco Bay and Delta,(accessed April 3, 2001): http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/access/
Integrated Science/IntSci.html.
182
Figure 9.1. The growth of urban areas, the decline of tidal wetlands, and the epicenters of major earthquake in the Bay region since
1850 (from Leonard J. Gaydos and William Acervedo, http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/access/IntegratedScience/IntSci.html).
183
Table 9.1. Total population of San Francisco Bay area counties, 1930-90 (from Association of Bay Area Governments http://
www.abag.ca.gov).
San Francisco
San Mateo
Santa Clara
Alameda
Contra Costa
Solano
Napa
Sonoma
Marin
Region
1930
634,394
77,405
145,118
474,883
78,608
40,834
22,897
62,222
41,648
1,578,009
1940
634,536
111,782
174,949
513,011
100,450
49,118
28,503
69,052
52,907
1,734,308
1950
775,357
235,659
290,547
740,315
298,984
104,833
46,603
103,405
85,619
2,681,322
1960
740,316
444,387
642,315
908,209
409,030
134,597
65,890
147,375
146,820
3,636,939
1970
715,674
557,361
1,065,313
1,071,446
556,116
171,989
79,140
204,885
208,652
4,630,576
1980
678,974
587,329
1,295,071
1,105,379
656,380
235,203
99,199
299,681
222,568
5,179,784
1990
723,959
649,623
1,497,577
1,279,182
803,732
340,421
110,765
388,222
230,096
6,023,577
Table 9.2. Percent change in total population, San Francisco Bay area Counties, 1930-2010 (from Association of Bay Area
Governments http://www.abag.ca.gov).
San Francisco
San Mateo
Santa Clara
Alameda
Contra Costa
Solano
Napa
Sonoma
Marin
Region
1930/40
0.0
44.4
20.6
8.0
27.8
20.3
24.5
11.0
27.0
9.9
1940/50
22.2
110.8
66.1
44.3
197.6
113.4
63.5
49.7
61.8
54.6
1950/60
-4.5
88.6
121.1
22.7
36.8
28.4
41.4
42.5
71.5
35.7
1960/70 1970/80
-3.3
-5.1
25.4
5.4
65.9
21.6
18.0
3.2
36.0
18.0
27.8
36.8
20.1
25.3
39.0
46.3
42.1
6.7
27.3
11.9
184
1980/90 1990/00 2000/10

6.6
7.8
2.6
10.6
12.0
2.7
15.6
14.8
7.3
15.7
13.6
7.1
22.4
19.8
16.3
44.7
24.3
21.3
11.7
19.8
9.0
29.5
22.8
13.5
3.4
11.1
6 .4
16.3
15.1
8.8
Table 9.3. January 1, 1997, population rankings of San Francisco Bay area cities (from Association of
Bay Area Governments http://www.abag.ca.gov).
City
Population
1. SAN JOSE
873,300
2. SAN FRANCISCO
778,100
3. OAKLAND
388,100
4. FREMONT
192,200
5. SUNNYVALE
129,300
6. SANTA ROSA
127,700
7. HAYWARD
123,900
8. CONCORD
111,800
9. VALLEJO
110,500
10. BERKELEY
105,900
11. DALY CITY
101,300
12. SANTA CLARA
100,000
13. SAN MATEO
92,000
14. RICHMOND
91,300
15. FAIRFIELD
89,000
16. VACAVILLE
85,100
17. ANTIOCH
76,500
18. ALAMEDA
76,300
19. REDWOOD CITY
73,200
20. MOUNTAIN VIEW
73,000
21. SAN LEANDRO
72,600
22. NAPA
68,000
23. LIVERMORE
67,800
24. WALNUT CREEK
62,200
25. MILPITAS
61,200
26. PALO ALTO
59,900
27. PLEASANTON
59,800
28. UNION CITY
59,700
29. SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO 57,600
30. SAN RAFAEL
53,400
31. PITTSBURG
50,800
32. PETALUMA
49,000
33. NOVATO
46,100
34. CUPERTINO
44,800
35. SAN RAMON
41,950
36. SAN BRUNO
40,800
37. NEWARK
40,450
38. PACIFICA
39,650
39. CAMPBELL
39,300
40. ROHNERT PARK
38,700
41. DANVILLE
38,100
42. MARTINEZ
35,350
43. GILROY
35,250
44. PLEASANT HILL
31,450
45. SARATOGA
30,600
46. MENLO PARK
30,550
47. FOSTER CITY
29,750
48. LOS GATOS
29,700
49. MORGAN HILL
29,250
50. BURLINGAME
28,550
City
Population
51. SAN CARLOS

52. LOS ALTOS
53. BENICIA
54. DUBLIN
55. SAN PABLO
56. SUISUN CITY
57. BELMONT
58. EAST PALO ALTO
59. LAFAYETTE
60. EL CERRITO
61. MILLBRAE
62. WINDSOR
63. HERCULES
64. PINOLE
65. ALBANY
66. ORINDA
67. MORAGA
68. BRENTWOOD
69. MILL VALLEY
70. DIXON
71. SAN ANSELMO
72. LARKSPUR
73. HILLSBOROUGH
74. PIEDMONT
75. HALF MOON BAY
76. CLAYTON
77. HEALDSBURG
78. AMERICAN CANYON
79. SONOMA
80. CORTE MADERA
81. TIBURON
82. LOS ALTOS HILLS
83. SAUSALITO
84. SEBASTOPOL
85. ATHERTON
86. FAIRFAX
87. COTATI
88. EMERYVILLE
89. ST HELENA
90. CLOVERDALE
91. WOODSIDE
92. CALISTOGA
93. PORTOLA VALLEY
94. RIO VISTA
95. YOUNTVILLE
96. MONTE SERENO
97. BRISBANE
98. BELVEDERE
99. ROSS
100. COLMA
185
28,050
28,000
27,350
26,750
25,900
25,800
25,200
25,050
23,600
23,300
21,450
19,200
18,800
18,150
17,300
16,900
16,350
14,500
13,900
13,650
12,300
11,750
11,350
11,300
10,850
10,050
9,625
9,025
8,925
8,750
8,550
7,975
7,725
7,575
7,375
7,100
6,550
6,525
5,725
5,525
5,475
4,790
4,470
3,710
3,490
3,360
3,210
2,280
2,260
1,240
Table 9.4. San Francisco Bay area Census 2000 (from Association of Bay Area Governments http://
www.abag.ca.gov).
TOTAL POPULATION
6,783,760
100.0%
RACE
White
Black or African American
American Indian and Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Some other ethnicity
Two or more ethnicities
3,941,687
511,084
43,529
1,289,849
36,317
627,004
334,290
58.1%
7.5%
0.6%
19.0%
0.5%
9.2%
4.9%
HISPANIC OR LATINO AND RACE

Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Not Hispanic or Latino
White
Black or African American
American Indian and Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Some other ethnicity
Two or more ethnicities
1,315,175
5,468,585
3,392,204
497,205
24,733
1,278,515
33,640
18,451
223,837
19.4%
80.6%
50.0%
7.3%
0.4%
18.8%
0.5%
0.3%
3.3%
186
Resource Directory for Discovering Native Americans and Archeology in the San Francisco Bay Area
Resource Directory for Discovering Native Americans and

Archeology in the San Francisco Bay Area
John P. Galloway
Department of Science and Math, Caada College, Redwood City, Calif.
Web Sites
Society for California Archaeology SCAnet Resource directory for teaching archaeology
http://www.scanet.org/resources.html#region
Society for American Archaeology Educational material available from SAA
http://www.saa.org/education/edumat.html
Bibliography of Northern and Central California Indians
http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/cilc/bibs/toc.html
Reference Material
Chartkoff, J.L., 1991, The archaeology of California: Stanford, California, Stanford University Press, 480 p.
Harrington, J.P., 1942, Culture element distribution XIX: Central California Coast: University of California Anthropological Records, v. 7, no. 1, p. 1-46.
Heizer, R.F., ed., 1978, California Indians: Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Press, Handbook of North American
Indians, v. 8, 800 p.
Kroeber, A.L., 1977, Handbook of the Indians of California, Dover Publications, 989 p.
Margolin, Malcon, 1978, The Ohlone wayIndian life in the San Francisco BayMonterey Bay Area: Berkeley,
California, Heyday Books, 182 p.
Moratto, M.J., 1984, California archaeology: Orlando, Florida, Academic Press, 757 p.
Artifactual and Archival Collections

Alameda County
C.E. Smith Museum of Anthropology
California State University 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd.
Hayward, CA, 94542
Phone: 510-885-3104
Hours: Mon.Fri. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Oakland Museum of California
1000 Oak St.
Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510-238-2200
Hours: Wed.Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun. Noon to 5 p.m.; closed Mon. and Tue.
Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
103 Kroeber Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-3172
Phone: 510-643-7648
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. WedSun.
187
San Francisco County

California Academy of Sciences
Department of Anthropology
55 Concourse Dr. - Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94418
Phone: 415-750-7163
Hours: Winter 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (summer 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
Treganza Museum/Hohenthal Gallery
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94132-4155
Phone: 415-338-2046
San Mateo County

Sanchez Adobe Historic Site
1001 Lind Mar Blvd.
Pacifica, CA 94044
Phone: 650-299-0104
Hours: Tue.Thu. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sat.Sun. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
State Of California
California State Indian Museum
2618 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95816-4921
Phone: 916-324-0971
Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Archaeological Sites
Chitactac Adams Heritage County Park.South Santa Clara County, on Watsonville Road between Morgan
Hill and Gilroy.
Chitactac Adams Heritage County Park offers a unique view into the Native American culture of Santa Clara before
and after the arrival of the Spanish. A self-guided interpretive walk around the site, including eight stations with interpretive panels, is supplemented by an interpretive shelter with seven additional panels and displays. The trail panels include
photographs and original art covering the Adams School, Ohlone village life, Ohlone buildings, petroglyphs (rock art),
Ohlone food processing, natural history of Uvas Creek, Spanish, California and Ohlone culture and petroglyphs and their
preservation. (On the web at http://claraweb.co.santa-clara.ca.us/parks/prkpages/chitacch.htm)
Coyote Hills Regional Park8000 Patterson Ranch Rd. Fremont, CA 04555, Phone: 510-795-9385. Shellmound tour
(call for dates).
The Patterson Mound is a site located within the boundaries of Coyote Hills Regional Park and is protected by the
East Bay Regional Park District. The Patterson Mound has had a long history of excavation since its initial discovery
and subsequent recordation by Nels Nelson in 1909. The University of California, Berkeley, excavated the site first in
1935. The Berkeley excavation was then followed by students from San Francisco State University who excavated the
site intermittently between the years 1949 and 1968. Students from the California State University, Hayward, under the
direction of Dr. C.E. Smith, excavated the site during the summers of 1966, 1967, and 1968. (On the web at http://
www.isis.csuhayward.edu/cesmith/archives/328/328index.htm).
FiloliWoodside, CA. (a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation).
The Filoli Estate docents conduct a program called Native Plants/Native Ways, which is designed to coincide with the
4th grade curriculum by investigating the traditional use of plants and animals used by Native California Indians. On the
web at http://www.filoli.org/education.html.
188
Selected Information Resources About the Geology and Natural History of the San Francisco Bay Area
Selected Information Resources About the Geology and

Natural History of the San Francisco Bay Area
Susan Toussaint
U.S. Geological Survey Library, Menlo Park
The following selected information resources can be useful for further exploration of the geology and natural history
of the San Francisco Bay area. These resources are arranged by subject categories covering general resources, biology,
geographic information, geology, natural hazards, and water. Both electronic and paper publications are included. Paper
copies may be available at large academic and public libraries, or from the U.S. Geological Survey libraries.
The abundance of literature about Bay area geology and natural resources is illustrated by a search on the GeoRef
database. Produced by the American Geological Institute, this database covers the period 1795 to the present and indexes
primarily geoscience journal articles. Searching GeoRef by the names of the counties that make up the greater San
Francisco Bay area retrieves more than 5,600 citations.
General Resources
Alt, D., and Hyndman, D.W., 2000, Roadside geology of Northern and Central California: Missoula, Montana, Mountain
Press Publishing Company, 369 p.
This book gives a general picture of the geology of California. The chapters on the coastal mountains and the
coastline describe some of the prominent geologic features that can be seen from major roadways.
California Department of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology, 1971. California Geology [serial]. Sacramento,
California.
The bimonthly publication, California Geology, is intended for anyone interested in the geologic landscape of
the State. Articles are well illustrated with photographs and maps. It also acts as a bulletin about Division of Mines
and Geology projects and products. Of special note is the Teacher Feature in each issue.
Geoscience Information Society, Guidebooks Committee, Richard Spohn, chair, 1996, Union list of field trip guidebooks
of North America Online (6th ed.): American Geological Institute. Retrieved May 30, 2001, from the World Wide
Web at http://www.agiweb.org/pubs/unionlist.
Field trip guidebooks are very valuable for in-depth geologic interpretation for a geographic area. This publication indexes fieldtrips conducted through 1988 by geographic location. The State of California has an extensive
list. Many of these guidebooks are available at large academic libraries or at the U.S. Geological Survey Libraries.
Harden, D.R., 1998, California geology: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 479 p.
Harden has written this textbook as an introduction to the diversity and scope of California geology. Of particular interest is the emphasis on planning for and mitigation of future natural hazards.
Norris, R.M., and Webb, R.W., 1990, Geology of California (2nd ed.): New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 541 p.
The geology of California as divided into geomorphic provinces, giving detailed explanations of the special
features that are unique to each of them.
Biologyanimals, plants
California Resources Agency, 2001, CERES California Environmental Resources Evaluation System. Retrieved May 24,
2001, from the World Wide Web at http://ceres.ca.gov.
As the primary environmental Web site for California resources, CERES has information arranged by geographic area or theme. It has direct links to educational resources pertaining to watershed and wetlands issues.
Under a geographic area, searches can be by bioregion, county, or watershed.
Thompson, J., Parchaso, F., Alpine, A., Cloern, J., Cole, B., Mace, O., Edmunds, J., Baylosis, J., Luoma, S., and Nichols,
F., 1999, History and effects of exotic species in San Francisco Bay: San Francisco Bay Project, Water Resources
Division. Retrieved June 11, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/access/exotic-species/
index.html.
189
This is a poster that lists exotic species in San Francisco Bay, how they got there, what impact they have had on
the ecosystem, and what is being done about them.
University of California, Berkeley, 2001, Digital library project About the collections. Retrieved May 24, 2001 from the
World Wide Web at http://elib.cs.Berkeley.edu/arch/about_collection.html.
The University of California at Berkeley has been instrumental in gathering and mounting datasets for the
California digital library project. One of the collections contains botanical data with taxonomical information for
more than 8,000 native California plants and is linked to photos and maps. The zoological data comprise similar
datasets for amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. There are also geographical data derived from the Bureau of
the Census Tiger records for the San Francisco Bay area.
Geographic Information/Mapsgeology, topography, bathymetry

Brown, C., Acevedo, W. and Buchanan, J.T., (n.d.), Dynamic mapping of urban regions, growth of the San Francisco/
Sacramento Region. Retrieved June 25, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://edcwww2.cr.usgs.gov/umap/
pubs/urisa_cb.html.
An animation of the historical urban growth patterns of the San Francisco-Sacramento area using 1850 to 1990
census data.
National Weather Service, 2001, National Weather ServiceSan Francisco Bay Area, serving the San Francisco and
Monterey Bay area. Retrieved June 5, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://www.nws.mbay.net/home.html.
An agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service
provides climatic data, real time forecasting, and warnings or advisories on a regional basis. It also has links to tide
tables with correction information for specific points along the coast and estuary, and astronomical information for
sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, San Francisco Bay Area Regional Database (BARD). Retrieved July 6, 2001, from the
World Wide Web at http://bard.wr.usgs.gov.
This site has digital data in the form of spatial elevation models and orthophoto quadrangles. It includes free
software to view the images.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, National Geologic Map Database Homepage. Retrieved May 30, 2001, from the World
Wide Web at http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngmdb/ngmdb_home.html.
The National Geologic Map Database gives citations to maps and related data on geology, geochemistry,
hazards, geophysics, paleontology, and marine geology. There are links to both paper and digital maps, to a
geologic names database, and to a geographic names index database.
U.S. Geological Survey, (n.d.), SFPORTS San Francisco Bay navigational aids. Retrieved June 11, 2001, from the World
Wide Web at http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov.
This page is a creation of the U.S. Geological Survey, National Ocean Service, California Office of Oil Spill
Prevention and Response, and the Marine Exchange of San Francisco Bay. It shows real-time data for tides, currents,
winds, water temperature, air temperature, and air pressure and short-term forecasts of water level and currents.
U.S. Geological Survey, Western Region Coastal and Marine Geology, 2001, Pacific seafloor mapping project. Retrieved
June 13, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/pacmaps.
Images from this home page give the viewer the choice to see shaded relief or a perspective image of San
Francisco Bays bathymetry.
U.S. Geological Survey, 1997, USGS TerraWeb Central California DEM and bathymetry images. Retrieved June 7,
2001, from the World Wide Web at http://terraweb.wr.usgs.gov/projects/SFBay/ccdembth.html.
Digital elevation models of various areas of central California, including the San Francisco Bay area, are
available. They can be used to map and study surficial features of the region.
Geology- general geology, subduction, tectonics

Atwater, B. F., Hedel, C.W., and Helley, E.J.,1977, Late Quaternary depositional history, Holocene sea-level changes, and vertical
crustal movement, southern San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1014, 15 p.
190
An explanation of estuarine deposits of southern San Francisco Bay from Pleistocene through the Holocene in
relation to sea-level changes and subsidence. Includes maps and illustrations.
Blake, M.C., McLaughlin, R.J., and Jones, D.L., 1989, Terranes of the northern coast ranges in Blake, M.D., Jr.,
Harwood, D.S., McLaughlin, R.J., Jayko, A.S., Irwin, W.P., Dodge, F. C.W., Jones, D.L., Miller, M.M. and Bullen,
T., Tectonic evolution of Northern California, Sausalito to Yosemite National Park, California: International
Geological Congress, 28th, 1989, Washington, D.C., Field trip guidebook T108, International Geological Congress, 28th, 1989, Washington, D.C., p. 3-18.
This chapter and accompanying field guide give a detailed description of the terranes of the California Coast Range
ophiolite in relation to belts of the Franciscan Complex from slightly south of San Francisco Bay northward.
California Division of Mines and Geology, 2001, California Division of Mines and Geology home page. Retrieved May
30, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://www.consrv.ca.gov/dmg/index.htm.
As Californias state geological survey, the Division of Mines and Geology collects geologic data and distributes information regarding earthquakes and landslides, minerals, mining, oil, gas, and geothermal resources. The
division also maps watershed regions. The home page lists Notes about single subjects such as the state gem,
mineral, rock and fossil, how earthquakes are measured, information about debris flows, and how to look for
fossils. Some reports can be downloaded from their Web site.
Magoon, L., 2001, Natural oil and gas seeps in California. Retrieved June 19, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://
seeps.wr.usgs.gov/seeps/index.html.
This site describes the importance of natural oil and gas seeps in California, what they are, where they are,
including locations in Central California, their use by the native peoples, and a link to the most famous one of all
the La Brea Tar Pits.
Rogers, T.H., 1993, Geology of the Hollister and San Felipe quadrangles, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Monterey
counties, California: California Division of Mines and Geology, Open-File Report 93-01, 26 p., 3 maps.
This report covers the geologic, seismic and economic geology of the Hollister and San Felipe quadrangles. It describes the seismic setting and history of Hollister, including pictures of the destruction from
the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. It has an inventory of existing and potential landslides and paleontological data for the area.
Sloan, D., and Wagner, D.L., eds., 1991, Geologic excursions in northern California San Francisco to the Sierra Nevada:
California Division of Mines and Geology Special Publication 109, 130 p.
This field trip guidebook for the joint meeting of Geological Society of America, Cordilleran Section, and the
Seismological Society of America in San Francisco covers the geological setting of the San Francisco Bay Area,
the Merced Formation south of San Francisco, the Franciscan Complex and Coast Range ophiolite, and the Great
Valley sequence.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, Geologic information about California. Retrieved May 30, 2001, from the World Wide
Web at http://geology.wr.usgs.gov/docs/stateinfo/CA.html.
This site gives useful links to the more general categories of research being conducted in California by the U.S.
Geological Survey. Real-time earthquake activity, coastal studies, geologic mapping projects, oil and gas seeps,
geophysical mapping, mineral resources, and landslide research are among the topics, with many concentrating on
the San Francisco Bay area.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2000, San Francisco Bay Region Project Western Earth Surface Processes Team. Retrieved June
5, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://sfgeo.wr.usg.gov.
This is the primary site for geologic maps, landslide studies, and geologic information about the San Francisco
Bay area. Two projects currently being developed are 3-D modeling of the region and a scenario-based hazard map
of the Oakland-Berkeley hills.
Wahrhaftig, C., and Sloan, D., eds., 1989, Geology of San Francisco and vicinity: International Geological Congress,
28th, 1989, Washington, D.C., Field trip guidebook T105, 69 p.
This field trip guidebook provides a good overview of the diversity of geologic features and tectonic activity in
the San Francisco Bay region. Tectonostratigraphic terranes are defined and the possible origin of the Salinian
block is discussed, as is the development of the San Andreas Fault system. Areas of volcanic rocks ranging in age
from 24 Ma to less than 0.01 Ma are also delineated.
Wahrhaftig, C.,1984, A streetcar to subduction and other plate tectonic trips by public transport in San Francisco (rev.
ed.): Washington, D.C., American Geophysical Union, 76 p.
191
Wahrhafting uses public transportation to explore plate tectonic evidence in rock formations exposed in San
Francisco, the Marin Headlands, Angel Island, and along the Hayward Fault. Includes a geologic time scale,
glossary, and selected bibliography. There are many maps and drawings of geologic features.
Hazards earthquakes, landslides, liquefaction, tsunamis

Association of Bay Area Governments, 2001, Bay area shaking hazard maps. Retrieved June 13, 2001, from the World
Wide Web at http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/eqmaps/mapsba.html.
In association with the U.S. Geological Survey, ABAG has made available on the Internet earthquake groundshaking intensity maps for all cities of the greater San Francisco Bay area. Maps show the degree of expected
shaking according to different fault scenarios. There are also maps showing how areas shook in the 1906 and 1989
earthquakes in the region.
Association of Bay Area Governments, 2001, The REAL dirt on liquefaction. Retrieved June 13, 2001, from the World
Wide Web at http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/eqmaps/liquefac/liquefac.html.
Similar to the earthquake hazard maps, the liquefaction susceptibility maps and liquefaction hazard maps give
information regarding probable damage by liquefaction in the San Francisco Bay area. There are tips on living with
liquefaction and how it might impact the community.
Brown, W.M. III, ed., 1989, Landslides in Central California: American Geophysical Union, International Geological
Congress, 28th, 1989, Washington, D.C.Field Trip Guidebook T381, 98 p.
A series of workshops about landslides induced by water or earthquakes and how the geology of the San
Francisco Bay region requires comprehensive landslide mapping and related mitigation studies.
Collier, M., 1999, A land in motion Californias San Andreas Fault: Berkeley, California, University of California Press,
128 p.
Accompanied by aerial photography of some of the San Andreas Faults features, this is a good explanation of
the San Andreas Fault and how scientists study it.
Highland, L.M., Godt, J., Howell, D., and Savage, W.Z., 1998, El Nio 1997 98: Damaging landslides in the San
Francisco Bay Area: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 089-98, 2 p.
This is a brief report on the effects of El Nio during the winter of 1997-98 and the resulting economic impacts
for the ten-county San Francisco Bay area.
Hirschfeld, S.E., and Klein, F., 1996, The Hayward Fault we cant ignore it [videorecording]: U.S. Geological Survey
Open-File Report 95-814 A, B.
This videorecording gives the destructive history and potential future hazards along the Hayward Fault. Includes a tour of the Hayward Fault and discussion of the possibility of widespread damage for East Bay communities.
Lajoie, K.R., and Mathieson, S.A.,1998, 1982-83 El Nio coastal erosion San Mateo County, California: U.S. Geological
Survey. Retrieved May 30, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/elnino/SMCO-coasterosion.
This report includes maps of erosion or stability for the approximately fifty miles of San Mateo County coastline. Lajoie and Mathieson discuss the primary causes of coastal erosion as a natural process rather than as a
natural hazard with the purpose of alerting planners and residents to help minimize damage in El Nio years.
Ryan, H., Gibbons, H., Hendley, J.W., II, and Stauffer, P.H., 1999, El Nio sea-level rise wreaks havoc in Californias
San Francisco Bay region: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 175-99, 4 p.
El Nio storms of 1997-98 produced high sea levels that in turn caused millions of dollars in damage by coastal
flooding and erosion. Sea level records for the past 100 years are presented and the variations in water temperature
and sea level are graphically displayed.
Sylvester, A.G., and Crowell, J.C., 1989, The San Andreas Transform BeltLong Beach to San Francisco, California:
International Geological Congress, 28th, 1989, Washington, D.C., Field Trip Guidebook T309, 119 p.
The history and tectonic setting of the San Andreas transform belt is given, along with its seismic creep rate. Of
particular interest are the descriptions of activity in and around Hollister.
Tyler, M.B., 1995, Look before you build Geologic studies for safer land development in the San Francisco Bay Area:
U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1130, 54 p.
192
The importance of geologic studies for hazards mitigation is emphasized to avoid loss of life and property. The
value of site specific maps for individual parcels vs. general hazardous zone maps is discussed. Tyler also relates
the effects of the Loma Prieta earthquake on rebuilding efforts by communities and what lessons can be learned
and reflected in building standards.
U.S. Geological Survey, 1995 [rev. and abridged 1997], Debris-flow hazards in the San Francisco Bay region: U.S.
Geological Survey Fact Sheet 112-95, 4 p. Retrieved May 30, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://
landslides.usgs.gov/html_files/nlic/sfbayfs97.pdf.
This fact sheet describes the debris flow hazards that exist in the San Francisco Bay area, what they are, where
they are located, and how to avoid becoming a victim of one.
U.S. Geological Survey, 1997, San Francisco Bay region landslide folio home page. Retrieved June 13, 2001, from the
World Wide Web at http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of97-745.
This folio is composed of six related reports and maps on past landslides, earth flows, and debris flows and on
the importance of tracking rainfall thresholds on them for the San Francisco Bay region.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2000, USGS California Hazards-Landslides. Retrieved May 30, 2001, from the World Wide
Web at http://ca.water.usgs.gov/land.
This site has reports and links to landslide facts and images and landslide hazard maps for the San Francisco
Bay area and San Mateo coastal erosion. There is information on landslide recognition and safety. In addition,
there is a link to the National Landslide Hazards Program located in Denver, Colorado.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, USGS Earthquakes Hazards programNorthern California. Retrieved May 30, 2001,
from the World Wide Web at http://quake.wr.usgs.gov.
This site has everything about earthquakes and links to other sites that provide earthquake information around
the world. It has real-time earthquake maps of California-Nevada, the United States and the world. For the San
Francisco area, there is a special regional map, an earthquake probability report, and information on how to
prepare for earthquakes at home and at the workplace. A special section addresses topics of particular interest, and
there are links to additional resources.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, Western Region Coastal and Marine Geology Table of Contents. Retrieved May 30, 2001,
from the World Wide Web at http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/sitetoc.html.
This is a portal to research and information from the Western Region Coastal and Marine Geology Team. Topics
include environmental quality and pollution, wetlands, coastal erosion with respect to El Nio weather, and salinity
of estuarine waters. Of particular interest may be the online publication titled Tsunami record from the Great 1906
San Francisco Earthquake (http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/1906.html).
Wallace, R.E., ed., 1990, The San Andreas Fault system, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1515, 283 p.
The history, geology, geophysics, and seismology are covered in this comprehensive study of the San Andreas
Fault system. It explains the processes occurring along the plate boundaries. There are many photographs and
illustrations and an extensive bibliography.
Watergroundwater, surface water, tide tables, wetlands

Alpers, C.N., and Hunerlach, M.P., 2000, Mercury contamination from historic gold mining in California: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 061-00, 6 p. Retrieved May 21, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://ca.water.usgs.gov/
mercury.
Use of mercury was an important element of gold mining in California, and much of it came from the Coast
Ranges in and near the San Francisco Bay area. The effects of mercury contamination to human health, the sites of
mercury contamination, and location of fish consumption advisories are discussed in this fact sheet.
Association of Bay Area Governments, 2001, San Francisco Estuary Project. Retrieved May 30, 2001 from the World
Wide Web at http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/sfep/sfep.html.
The San Francisco Estuary Project is part of the National Estuary Program to protect and improve water quality
and natural resources of estuaries nationwide. The project has information on wetlands, wildlife, aquatic, and land
use resources that pertain to the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento Delta ecosystem.
California Department of Water Resources, 2001, DWR California water page. Retrieved May 30, 2001, from the World
Wide Web at http://wwwdwr.water.ca.gov.
193
The home page of the California Department of Water Resources has information about the state water project,
the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, river and reservoir information, and legislation relevant to California water
projects. One of the DWR Web sites includes educational resources and more than 17,000 nature images.
Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2000, Measuring land subsidence from space: U.S. Geological
Survey Fact Sheet 051-00, 4 p.
Using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), the subsidence of ground caused by compaction of
aquifer systems can be detected and measured by satellite. Of particular interest is the section on the subsidence in
Santa Clara Valley, where subsidence of 14 feet occurred between 1910 and 1995.
Ingebritsen, S.E., Ikehara, M.E., Galloway, D.L., and Jones, D.R., 2000, Delta subsidence in California The sinking heart
of the state: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 005-00, 4 p.
The delta and the San Francisco estuary are the subject of this fact sheet on the danger of subsidence and the
possibility of degradation of water quality if large amounts of fresh water are diverted to other areas.
National Ocean Service, 2001, Marine Sanctuaries. Retrieved May 30, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://
www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/oms/oms.html.
The home page for the Nations marine sanctuaries links to individual sanctuary Web sites with information
about biological, physical, archaeological, and cultural resources. Education activities are also included. The San
Francisco Bay area is home to the Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones, and Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuaries.
Oakland Museum of California, 2001, Guide to San Francisco Bay area creeks The Oakland Museum of California
Creek and Watershed Information Source. Retrieved May 23, 2001, from the World Wide Web at http://
www.museumca.org/creeks.
This site has a historical creek map of San Francisco, outlines the current progress of a creek-mapping project in
the East Bay and includes images of topographic maps from the late 1800s of watershed areas around San Francisco Bay and links to regional and local information. There is also an animation of the stages of the evolution of
San Antonio Creek into the Oakland Estuary.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, Access USGSSF Bay and Delta. Retrieved May 24, 2001, from the World Wide Web at
http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov.
This site pulls together biological, geological, mapping, and water resources research studies conducted by the
USGS. Some of the topics include the introduction of exotic species into the waterways, restoration of wetlands,
and hazards in and around San Francisco Bay.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2001, USGS water resources of California table of contents. Retrieved May 30, 2001, from the
World Wide Web at http://water.wr.usgs.gov/toc.html.
The table of contents page leads to an incredible number of information resources, available primarily from the
USGS. Topics are arranged by the themes of natural resources, environmental concerns, and hazards. Real-time
water data, historical data, the hydrodynamics of San Francisco Bay, land subsidence information, San Mateo
coastal erosion, and potential San Francisco Bay landslides and seawater intrusion are a few of the subjects
covered. Specific reports address issues from around California. There are links to comparable State agencies and
to other Federal entities that give weather, tides, and water quality information. There is a category for water
education with links to other interesting science resources that include museums and universities.
194

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A Field-Trip Guidebook

2001 Fall Field Conference

U.S. Department of the Interior

NAGT FIELD-TRIP AREAS

1. The Geology from

3. Geology of the Golden

4. San Andreas Fault and

6. The Calaveras and San

U.S. Department of the Interior

Geology and Natural History

September 1416, 2001

U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2188

U.S. Department of the Interior

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for

Additional USGS publications can be found online at

Published in the Western Region, Menlo Park, California

Field trip guides:

2. A Geologic Excursion to the East San Francisco Bay Area

Russell W. Graymer, U.S. Geological Survey

3. Geology of the Golden Gate Headlands

6. The Calaveras and San Andreas Faults in and Around Hollister

Deborah R. Harden, San Jos State University

8. Consumer Uses of Industrial Minerals in the San Francisco Bay AreaHouses

Page Mosier, U.S. Geological Survey

10. Resource Directory For Discovering Native Americans and Archaeology in

The Geology from Santa Cruz to Point Ao Nuevo

8 to 3 Ma (late Miocene-late Pliocene)

Approaching Santa Cruz by Highway 17

Road Log: Santa Cruz to Point Ao Nuevo

Stop 1Ben Lomond Mountain Marine Terraces

Estimated age Paleosea

DAV, Davenport wave-cut platform;

Determination of Marine Terrace Ages

Discussion: Terrace Ages and Uplift Rates

Hanks and others,

Lajoie and others,

Weber and others,

Estimated age Paleosea

Santa Cruz Mountains

Santa Cruz Terrace

Western Terrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bolsa Terrace

Quarry Terrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mesa Terrace

Oil and Gas Production at Majors Creek

Stop 2Quaternary Faulting at Point Ao Nuevo

Age of the Marine Terrace at Point Ao Nuevo

Age of the Wave-Cut Platform West of Ao Nuevo Creek

The Ao Nuevo Creek Fault

Waddells Wharf, Coastal Erosion, and Littoral Drift

Late Quaternary Slip Rates on the San Gregorio Fault Zone

Road Log for Those Not Hiking

Figure 1.1. Regional map of central California

Figure 1.2. Stops of National Association

Texas Oil Co.

Two small faults

Offshore lineaments in kelp beds

Pholad bored 105 ka

Poor exposure and

View looking north in

Pholad bored 105 ka wave-cut platform