Geologic Map and Map Database of Western Sonoma, Northernmost Marin,

and Southernmost Mendocino Counties, California

By M.C. Blake, Jr., R.W. Graymer, and R.E. Stamski

Pamphlet to accompany
MISCELLANEOUS FIELD STUDIES MAP MF-2402
Version 1.0

2002
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Contents

Geologic explanation and acknowledgements 1

Introduction 1
Stratigraphy 1
Mesozoic and Tertiary terrane complexes 1
Description of Terranes 2
Tertiary Stratigraphy 10
Quaternary Surficial Deposits 11
Paleontology 11
Radiometric Ages 11
Structure 12
Structural History 12
Description of Map Units 15
Acknowledgements 23

Digital publication and database description 24

Introduction 24
For those who don’t use digital geologic map databases 24
MF-2402 Digital Contents 24
PostScript plotfile package 25
PDF plotfile package 25
Digital database package 25
TAR files 26
PostScript plotfiles 27
PDF plotfiles 27
Obtaining the Digital Database and Plotfile Packages 28
To obtain TAR files of database or plotfile packages from the USGS web pages 28
To obtain TAR files of database or plotfile packages by ftp 28
Obtaining plots from a commercial vendor 28
Obtaining plots from USGS Map On Demand Services 28
Revisions and version numbers 28
Digital database format 29
Converting ARC export files 29
Digital compilation 29
Base maps 29
Faults and landslides 29
Spatial resolution 29
Database specifics 30
Lines 30
Areas 32
Points 33

References Cited 35

ii
Geologic Explanation and Acknowledgements

Introduction The map in this report is modified from and

supercedes USGS Open-File Report 71-44 (Blake and
This report contains a new geologic map at 1:100,000 others, 1971). Two factors led to the decision to remap
scale and an associated set of geologic map databases (Arc- the area. First, there has been almost 30 years of new
Info coverages) containing information at a resolution geologic information accumulated for the map area. Two
associated with 1:62,500 scale. The map and map areas within the map, in particular, have received much
database, along with this interprative text, are based on the attention since the earlier work: Cazadero/Ward Creek in
integration of previous work with new geologic mapping the central part of the map, where the medium- to high-
and field checking by the authors (see Sources of Data grade blueschist rocks and minerals have been studied in
index map on the map sheet or the Arc-Info coverage wso- detail (Liou and Maruyama, 1987; Maruyama and Liou,
so and the textfile wso-so.txt). The descriptive text 1988, 1989; Erickson, 1995; Wakabayashi, 1992a), and
(below) contains new ideas about the geologic structures the Geysers geothermal field in the northeast corner of the
in the area, including the active Hayward-Rodgers Creek- map, which was carefully studied in relation to the
Healdsburg Fault system and other active faults in the production of geothermal steam for generating electricity
area, as well as the geologic units and their relations, (McLaughlin, 1978, 1981; McLaughlin and Ohlin, 1984;
including the origin of the Franciscan Complex mélange Eberhart-Phillips and Oppenheimer, 1984; Oppenheimer,
and the Coast Range ophiolite. 1986; Dalrymple, 1992; Hulen and Nielson, 1993;
Together, the map (or map database) and unit Stanley and others, 1998). Second, tectonic theories for
descriptions in this report describe the composition and the California Coast Ranges have changed since the
distribution of geologic materials and the orientation and publication of the earlier map, and the new tectonic
distribution of geologic structures within the study area at models have a strong influence on the depiction of
regional scale. Such regional geologic information is through-going active faults, volcanic fields, folds, and
important for analysis of earthquake shaking, landslide other mapped features.
susceptibility, engineering materials properties, mineral The digital nature of the geologic map
resources and hazards, and groundwater resources and information available in this publication is important for
hazards. It is also vital for answering questions about the three reasons. First, the geologic map data can be
geologic history and development of the California Coast digitally combined with other map datasets (topography,
Ranges. groundwater information, landslide distribution) for rapid
The information, however, is not sufficiently and complex regional analysis of geologic resources and
detailed for site-specific evaluations. Those seeking hazards. Second, digital maps are much more easily
detailed information of that kind should consult the more updated than traditional printed maps. Third, digital
detailed earthquake-hazards maps produced by the publication provides an opportunity for regional planners,
California Division of Mines and Geology or contact a local, state, and federal agencies, teachers, consultants, and
licensed geologist or engineering geologist. others who are interested in geologic data to have the new
The map area includes about two-thirds of information long before a traditional paper map could be
Sonoma County and a small part of Marin County west published.
of longitude 122°45’W and north of latitude 38°15’N, plus
a tiny part of southern Mendocino County along the north Stratigraphy
edge of the map. This area includes the Pacific coastline
in the western part, low rolling hills in the southern part, Mesozoic and Tertiary terrane complexes
rugged mountainous terrain in the northern and central
parts, and the broad flatlands of Santa Rosa and Alexander The bedrock units in the San Francisco Bay region are
Valleys in the eastern part. The northern and central made up of two components: amalgamated, highly
mountains are largely uninhabited, but the eastern valleys deformed tectonostratigraphic terranes that are displaced, at
are undergoing rapid development. least in part, hundreds to thousands of kilometers from
1
their position of origin (allocthonous or relationship to the older Fransiscan complex rocks and the
parautochthonous); and generally younger, less deformed Great Valley complex is not well understood. Because
rocks that overlie the amalgamated terranes and are much of the Franciscan Complex was accreted beneath the
roughly in their original location (except for transport Great Valley complex, the contact between the two
along the San Andreas fault system). In most of the Mesozoic complexes is everywhere faulted (Bailey and
region, the older set of rocks is Mesozoic and the younger others, 1964), and the Franciscan Complex presumably
is Tertiary, but in the map area the amalgamated terranes underlies the entire San Francisco Bay area east of the San
include some rocks as young as Miocene. The young age Andreas Fault. Subsequent deformation, described below,
of rocks within these displaced terranes reflects additional has obliterated the original subduction contact almost
complexity in the geologic and structural history of the everywhere.
map area that is not found in any other part of the region. A third complex crops out in the map area only
west of the San Andreas Fault Zone at Bodega Head,
The amalgamated terranes can be grouped into which is composed of granitic rocks of the Salinian
three related rock complexes. One of these, the Great complex. This is the northernmost outcrop of the
Valley complex, is made up of the Jurassic Coast Range Salinian complex, which extends southwards between the
ophiolite, which in the map area consists mostly of San Andreas and Sur-Nacimiento Fault Zones about 500
serpentinite, gabbro, diabase, basalt, and keratophyre km to the Big Pine Fault east of Santa Barbara (Ross,
(altered silicic volcanic rocks), and the Jurassic and 1972). The complex in the San Francisco Bay region is
Cretaceous Great Valley sequence, composed of sandstone, made up of Late Cretaceous (81.6-91.6 Ma, Curtis and
conglomerate, and shale. Although the sedimentary rocks others, 1958; 80-117 Ma, Kistler and Champion, 1991)
and ophiolite have been tectonically separated almost granitic rocks intruded into high-grade metamorphic rocks,
everywhere in the map area, the Great Valley sequence was Late Jurassic (161 Ma, James and others, 1993) gabbroic
originally deposited on the ophiolite. This depositional rocks, and Late Cretaceous (Campanian to Maastrictian)
relationship is extrapolated from contacts exposed outside sedimentary rocks (Branner and others, 1909; Hall and
the map area: in the Berkeley Hills (Jones and Curtis, others, 1959; Clark, 1981; Brabb and others, 2000).
1991; Graymer and others, 1996) and Solano County in Both the Franciscan and the Great Valley
the San Francisco Bay region, and elsewhere in California. complexes have been further divided into a number of
This complex represents the accreted and deformed fault-bounded tectonostratigraphic terranes (Blake and
remnants of arc-related Jurassic oceanic crust with a thick others, 1982, 1984). When the terranes were first defined,
sequence of overlying turbidites, at least in part related to the prevailing methodology was to identify separate
the North American forearc (parautochthonous). terranes if there was any doubt about stratigraphic linkage
The second set of amalgamated terranes is the between structurally separated entities. As a result of
Franciscan Complex. These terranes are composed of further research, many additional data, in particular new
weakly to strongly metamorphosed graywacke, argillite, fossil localities, are known and the distribution and nature
basalt, chert, limestone, and other rocks. The rocks of the of the original terranes have been greatly modified in this
Franciscan Complex in the map area are mostly derived report (see below). The distribution of terranes in the map
from Jurassic to Cretaceous oceanic crust and pelagic area is shown in map of terranes on the map sheet as well
deposits overlain by Upper Jurassic to lower Tertiary as in the Arc-Info coverage wso-terr.
turbidites. Although most Franciscan Complex rocks are
little metamorphosed, high-pressure, low-temperature Description of Terranes
metamorphic minerals are common in rocks that crop out GREAT VALLEY COMPLEX
as mélange blocks (Bailey and others, 1964) and in several
fault-bounded lenses within the map area. High-grade Healdsburg terrane (gvh)
KJgvc, KJgvs, Jv, Jd, sp
metamorphic blocks in sheared but relatively
unmetamorphosed argillite matrix (Blake and Jones, 1974)
Rocks assigned to the Healdsburg terrane crop out in four
reflect the multi-stage history of the Franciscan Complex.
fault-bounded lenses. The type area is near Healdsburg,
The eastern and central parts of the complex were
where as much as 3,000 m of Lower Cretaceous
subducted beneath the Coast Range ophiolite, a process
conglomerate depositionally overlie Upper Jurassic shale
that continued until after the deposition of the Franciscan
over keratophyre, basalt, gabbro, and peridotite of the
Complex sandstone exposed south of the map area that
Coast Range ophiolite. No depositional contact between
contains Campanian (Late Cretaceous) fossils (Blake and
the basal shale and the underlying ophiolitic rocks has
others, 2000). The youngest parts of the Franciscan
been observed in the map area, but west of Dry Creek
Complex, including Tertiary sedimentary rocks, must
orientation of thin shale and sandstone beds are concordant
have accreted in late Eocene or younger time, after
with the approximate trend of the basal contact,
deposition of the Tertiary strata. Their original
2
suggesting that the original depositional contact may be body is small, fault bounded, and isolated from other Del
preserved there. Puerto terrane bodies, this assignment is made because of
The Healdsburg terrane is distinguished from 1) the presence of a sliver of silicic tuff similar to the
coeval Great Valley sequence rocks by its abundant Lotta Creek Formation and 2) the absence of much silicic
conglomerate containing clasts mostly of light-colored volcanic detritus in the Upper Jurassic and Lower
(often pink) rhyolite porphyry and rhyolitic welded ash- Cretaceous strata (which would be suggestive of
flow tuff, plus minor quartzite (quartz arenite) pebbles Healdsburg rather than Del Puerto terrane).
(Blake and others, 1984; Jayko and Blake, 1993). Biotite These Del Puerto terrane rocks are stucturally
from two cobbles near Black Point south of the map area interleaved with rocks of the Franciscan Complex and
in Marin County yielded a K-Ar age of about 145 Ma Healdsburg terrane and are more than 100 km from the
(Berkland, 1969). The source for this Late Jurassic main body of Del Puerto terrane. Restoration of San
rhyolite remains unknown but, based on sedimentologic Andreas fault system offsets described for the Healdsburg
and petrologic analyses, appears to be somewhere south of terrane, however, brings the Del Puerto terrane rocks of
the present Sierra Nevada magmatic arc where a source for the map area into proximity with the equivalent rocks in
the quartzite (quartz arenite) is available in the Peninsula the Diablo Range.
Range of southern California (Jayko and Blake, 1993).
Restoration of Miocene and younger offset on the Elder Creek terrane (gve)
Hayward-Petaluma Valley /Rodgers Creek fault system KJgv, Jv, sp
proposed by Graymer (1999) juxtaposes the rocks of the
Healdsburg terrane north of San Francisco Bay with rocks Great Valley complex rocks east of the Maacama Fault at
of similar composition and age east of San Jose (the Black Mountain (Jimtown and The Geysers quadrangles)
Berryessa Formation, Wentworth and others, 1998a). The belong to the Elder Creek terrane, which is marked by the
latter rocks were included in the Healdsburg terrane by absence of much silicic volcanic rock and the presence of
Jayko and Blake (1993) based on similarity of age and ophiolite breccia at the base of the sedimentary sequence.
clast composition. Further restoration across the The Great Valley complex rocks there are composed of
Calaveras Fault Zone brings the combined serpentinite, sheeted diabase, and pillow basalt overlain by
Healdsburg/Berryessa rocks into proximity with unnamed ophiolite breccia, basaltic sandstone, and shale
rocks of similar composition but unknown age in the (McLaughlin and Ohlin, 1984).
Quien Sabe area south of Gilroy (Leith, 1949). Because The Great Valley complex rocks at Black
this offset between Black Point and Gilroy would account Mountain are interleaved with Franciscan Complex rocks,
for all faults of the San Andreas system that cut the and so have undergone considerable fault offset. However,
Healdsburg terrane, the separation between Gilroy and the Black Mountain is in the same general area as the rest of
Peninsula Range must have taken place on pre-San the Elder Creek terrane north and east of the map area, the
Andreas faults. easternmost part of which is coextensive with Great
Valley rocks that overlap Sierran rocks. Therefore, the
Del Puerto terrane (gvd) Black Mountain rocks must be considered largely in place
Jk, Jv, sp with respect to North America (parautochthonous).
The ophiolitic rocks that form the base of the
The main body of Great Valley complex rocks that have Black Mountain section are chemically distinct from the
been assigned to the Del Puerto terrane (Blake and others, bulk of the Coast Range ophiolite. Giaramita and others
1984) lies some 100 km southeast of the map area in the (1998) showed that the geochemical signature of the Black
eastern Diablo Range. There, the basal part of the Mountain rocks is more akin to mid-ocean ridge basalts
stratigraphic sequence in the terrane is composed of than most Coast Range ophiolite rocks (which have a
dismembered ophiolite and a thick accumulation of silicic forearc signature, see below), although the high Th/Ta
volcanic rocks (keratophyre and quartz keratophyre), ratio still suggested to them that the Black Mountain
overlain by silicic tuff and tuffaceous sandstone of the rocks formed in a (rifted) forearc.
Upper Jurassic Lotta Creek Formation and Upper Jurassic
to Lower Cretaceous turbidites. These rocks are overlain Point Arena terrane (gvp)
KJsb, Ka, Ks, TKu, Tg
by Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene strata that overlap
unconformably eastward onto Sierran basement, which
requires the Del Puerto terrane there to be, at least partly, The rocks west of the San Andreas Fault Zone, from Fort
in place (autochthonous). Ross northward, are assigned to the Point Arena terrane.
In the map area, a single small body of Late This terrane is composed of a basal mafic volcanic section
Jurassic rock in the Camp Meeker quadrangle is herein derived from the upper part of ophiolite crust (Phillips and
assigned to the Del Puerto terrane. Although the rock others, 1998) structurally overlain by Upper Cretaceous
and lower Tertiary turbidites. These rocks have been
3
assigned to the Great Valley complex (Wentworth and presence of ocean-island arc rocks between Coast Range
others, 1998b) based on the presence of sheeted sills in the ophiolite and North American rocks suggests that there
ophiolitic rocks, the absence of blueschist facies was at least one ocean-island arc between the ophiolite and
metamorphism, and the structural relationship between the North America when the ophiolite formed, which would
ophiolitic rocks and the overlying strata. preclude its formation in the forearc related to east-directed
However, there are major differences between the subduction beneath North America.
rocks of the Point Arena terrane and other Great Valley We thus propose a fourth model that satisfies all
complex terranes, including the lack of Jurassic and Lower these geochemical, paleomagnetic, and geologic
Cretaceous strata, the presence of tropical mollusks (Elder constraints (fig. 1). In this model, the Coast Range
and others, 1998), and the presence of mafic-clast ophiolite formed in the fore-arc of an ocean-island arc
conglomerate. Furthermore, chemical analysis of the related to east-dipping, ocean-ocean subduction some
ophiolitic rocks in the Point Arena terrane suggest that distance west of North America. The Gopher Ridge
they were formed in a back-arc environment (Phillips and Volcanics are the remnant of an island arc related to the
others, 1998) rather than the forearc environment Coast Range ophiolite, whereas the Goddard terrane
suggested by the chemistry of most Coast Range represents the remnant of the continental arc related to
ophiolite rocks (see below). east-directed, ocean-continent subduction beneath North
America. Ophiolite and island-arc rocks were transported
Coast Range ophiolite (cro) more or less directly eastward and accreted to the
continental margin after deposition of Kimmeridgian strata
The ophiolitic rocks that make up the basal part that overlie the arc rocks in the Sierra Foothills. During
of all the Great Valley complex terranes in the map area this accretion, arc volcanic rocks and overlying
include most of the rock types that make up a typical sedimentary rocks underwent penetrative deformation and
ophiolite suite, including serpentinite, pyroxenite, gabbro, greenschist-facies metamorphism, prior to intrusion of
diabase, and massive and pillowed basalt. The ophiolite latest Jurassic (Tithonian) unfoliated plutonic rocks
formed between about 164 and 173 Ma (Blake and others, (Saleeby and others, 1989; Graymer and Jones, 1994;
1992; Hagstrum, 1997; Hopson and others, 1997), but its Nockelberg, 1983). The accretion probably coincides with
origin is a matter of debate. As summarized recently by early deformation of the Coast Range ophiolite section
Dickinson and others (1996), three models of ophiolite and deposition of locally overlying ophiolite breccia
generation have been suggested for the Coast Range (Robertson, 1989). The deformed ophiolite and the
ophiolite: mid-ocean ridge volcanism at equatorial ophiolite breccia are overlain by unmetamorphosed
latitudes associated with seafloor spreading, back-arc Tithonian strata (Knoxville Formation), marking the close
spreading related to west-directed subduction under an of the deformational period. This Late Jurassic (late
ocean-island arc west of North America, and fore-arc Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian) period of accretion and
spreading related to east-directed subduction under North deformation has been called the Nevadan orogeny (Hinds,
America. Geochemical evidence suggests that most Coast 1934).
Range ophiolite rocks formed in a fore-arc setting Serpentinite that is structurally interleaved with
(Shervais, 1992; Shervais and Kimbrough, 1985; Franciscan Complex mélange or that contains high-grade
Dickinson and others, 1996; but see also MacPherson and metamorphic blocks has previously been mapped as part
others, 1985; Giaramita and others, 1998). Paleomagnetic of the Franciscan Complex (for example, Coleman,
inclinations show that they formed in roughly the same 1996). Therefore, it is important to point out that we
latitude relative to North America that they now occupy, consider all serpentinite in the map area part of, or derived
which seems to rule out large northward transport. In from, the Coast Range ophiolite. We base this
addition, there are two belts of ocean-island arc volcanics conclusion primarily on 1) the structural position of the
in the Sierra Nevada Foothills that are roughly the same Coast Range ophiolite in the upper plate of the
age as the Coast Range ophiolite [including the Logtown subduction zone associated with accretion of the
Ridge Formation, Copper Hill volcanics of Clark (1964), Franciscan Complex, which would have brought the basal
and Gopher Ridge Volcanics (Lindgren and Turner, 1894; (serpentinite generating) part of the Coast Range ophiolite
Imlay, 1961; Behrman, 1978; Graymer and Jones, 1991)] into proximity with Franciscan Complex rocks, but
and two similar belts in the Klamath Mountains (the would not have brought the base of Franciscan Complex
Hayfork and Western Klamath terranes, Murchey and ophiolite to higher structural levels and 2) on the absence
Blake, 1993). These ocean-island arc rocks lie between of intermediate parts of Franciscan Complex ophiolitic
the Coast Range ophiolite and preexisting North crust (static and cumulate gabbro) in the Coast Ranges
American crust. An additional coeval belt of arc volcanic (see Blake and others, 2000, for a more complete
rocks is preserved as roof pendants within the Sierra discussion of the serpentinite).
Nevada (the Goddard terrane of Nockelberg, 1983). The
4
FRANCISCAN COMPLEX (Lee and others, 1964; Coleman and Lanphere, 1971) in
addition to an Ar/Ar age of 142.6±0.5 Ma (Wakabayashi
In the northern Coast Ranges, the Franciscan Complex is and Deino, 1989), and the Skaggs Springs schist has
made up of three structural belts: an Eastern Belt yielded an Ar/Ar age of about 141 Ma (Wakabayashi,
composed of coherent medium- to low-grade blueschist 1999a). These rocks were previously correlated with the
metamorphic rocks (lawsonite-albite and lawsonite-jadeite- Pickett Peak terrane of the northern Coast Ranges (Blake
quartz sub-facies); a Central Belt composed of slabs of and others, 1984), but they differ from those rocks in that
coherent Jurassic and Cretaceous low-grade metavolcanics they are largely metagraywacke rather than metapelite, are
and metasediments (prehnite-pumpellyite facies) higher grade (higher P/T), and are older than most Pickett
interleaved within mélange; and a Coastal Belt composed Peak terrane rocks.
mostly of Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary, low-grade
metasediments (laumontite facies). The position of these Yolla Bolly terrane (fyb)
belts probably reflects the order of accretion of Franciscan KJfm, KJfmgs
Complex terranes from easternmost to westernmost. The
first-accreted Eastern Belt rocks were also farthest Although not extensive in the map area, one of the most
subducted and most metamorphosed, whereas Coastal Belt widespread and distinctive Franciscan Complex units in
rocks, which are generally farthest west, are least the San Francisco Bay region is the Yolla Bolly terrane.
metamorphosed. The distribution of Franciscan Complex This terrane consists of metagraywacke, metachert, and
rocks in the map area is not nearly as simple as it is metabasalt, all containing abundant blueschist-facies
farther north, but we have retained the belt nomenclature minerals such as lawsonite, jadeitic pyroxene, and
as general categories in which to group the Franciscan metamorphic aragonite. In addition, the metagraywacke is
terranes. Disruption of the simple belt pattern that is characterized by a weak to pronounced foliation (textural
observed farther north is probably due to post-accretion zone 2 of Blake and others, 1967).
faulting, including, but not limited to, offset on faults of No fossils are known from the Yolla Bolly rocks
the San Andreas Fault system. of the study area, but similar metachert from the Diablo
Range and northern Coast Ranges (Sliter and others,
Eastern Belt 1993; Isozaki and Blake, 1994) yielded ages that range
from Early(?) to Late Jurassic, and the overlying
Cazadero terrane (fcz) metagraywacke in the Diablo Range is latest Jurassic
KJfm, KJfmgs (Tithonian; Crawford, 1976). The blueschist
metamorphism shows that these rocks have been
The easternmost Franciscan Complex rocks in subducted, with the age of the graywacke, derived from arc
the northern Coast Ranges make up the Pickett Peak volcanics associated with a subduction zone, presumably
terrane, which is composed of coherent (not mélange), marking the time when the oceanic rocks approached and
glaucophane-schist facies, textural zone 2B and 3 entered the trench (Wentworth and others, 1998a). The
metagraywacke, metachert, and metabasalt. K/Ar, Rb/Sr, radiometric age of metamorphic minerals in Yolla Bolly
and Ar/Ar whole-rock and single-mineral ages range from terrane rocks is 92-100 Ma (Maruyama and others, 1992;
about 135-110 Ma (Lanphere and others, 1978; McDowell Mattinson and Echevarria, 1980), marking the peak of
and others, 1984; Wakabayashi, 1999a), whereas white- subduction zone metamorphism. Thus, Yolla Bolly
mica Ar-Ar ages range from about 121-125 Ma terrane rocks were resident in the subduction zone for at
(Wakabayashi, 1999a). least 50 million years after the Late Jurassic time of their
In the map area, medium-grade blueschist makes approach and entry into the trench.
up the newly-named Cazadero terrane. These rocks form a The outcrops of Yolla Bolly terrane rocks in the
more than 50-km-long, northwest-trending slab of textural Two Rock quadrangle comprise the northern tip of a
zone 2B-3A (Jayko and others, 1986) glaucophane- and north-northwest-trending slab of jadeite-bearing
jadeite-bearing metagraywacke (the Skaggs Springs schist metagraywacke with a pronounced foliation (textural zone
of Wakabayashi, 1992b) that runs from the Healdsburg 2B of Jayko and others, 1986). These rocks have been
quadrangle to the Gube Mountain quadrangle. They also correlated with the type Yolla Bolly terrane of northern
form a set of smaller (less than 15 km long) lenses of California (Blake and others, 1984) based on similarities
low- to medium-grade (type II and III of Coleman and Lee, in lithology, sandstone composition, and metamorphic
1963) metabasalt and metasediments (the Ward Creek state. In addition, a complex set of northwest-trending
Schist of Coleman and Lee, 1963) interleaved with slabs of type I and II basalt and metabasalt with minor
mélange and Great Valley complex rocks in the Cazadero metagraywacke (textural zone 2A) in the Duncans Mills,
and Fort Ross quadrangles. K/Ar radiometric dates from Cazadero, and Fort Ross quadrangles are tentatively
the Ward Creek schist range from 135+ 7 to 150+ 7.5 Ma assigned to the Yolla Bolly terrane, even though they were
5
previously thought to be a lower-grade equivalent of the grains of detrital white mica. Microscopic pumpellyite is
Ward Creek schist (Coleman and Lee, 1963). abundant, but lawsonite and prehnite are not. McLaughlin
and Ohlin (1984) noted that some Devils Den Canyon
Central Belt terrane graywacke is rich in chert detritus, but point
counts by Jayko and Blake (1984) showed no such
Novato Quarry terrane (fnq) distinction relative to other Central Belt terranes. No
Kfss fossils are known from the Devils Den Canyon terrane, so
its age relative to other Franciscan Complex terranes is
The Novato Quarry terrane forms a relatively not constrained.
narrow and discontinuous, northwest-trending belt between The Devils Den Canyon terrane rocks are grouped
the Hayward Fault, southeast of the map area, and the San together because of their geographic proximity and their
Andreas Fault. Though mostly southeast of the map area, lithologic similarity. They are distinguished from other,
Novato Quarry terrane rocks form a small thrust wedge similar graywacke of the Lake Sonoma terrane and the
interleaved with mélange in the Bodega Head quadrangle. Coastal Belt terranes because of their structural position
This terrane consists largely of thin-bedded and incipient foliation. They contain less lithic detritus
turbidites with local channel deposits of massive than the graywacke of the Marin Headlands terrane and
sandstone (see Blake and others, 1984, for discussion of Central “terrane”. We have discarded the Rio Nido terrane
depositional environments as well as photographs of designation, and other rocks previously assigned to that
typical outcrops). Although the strata are in many places terrane are now considered part of the newly named Lake
folded and locally disrupted (broken formation), they are Sonoma terrane and the Coastal Belt terranes (see
nearly everywhere well bedded. Undivided Central and Coastal Belt below for discussion).
The Novato Quarry terrane sandstone contains
metamorphic prehnite and pumpellyite and is arkosic with Lake Sonoma terrane (fls)
abundant K-feldspar, indicating derivation from a granitic Kfss, gs
or rhyolitic source area. Several specimens of Inoceramus
schmidti of Late Cretaceous (Campanian) age have been The positively identified extent of the newly
found in this terrane (Bailey and others, 1964). Novato named Lake Sonoma terrane is one body of coherent
Quarry terrane sandstone composition is similar to the graywacke and minor chert and greenstone southwest of
arkosic part of the Coastal belt, but Coastal belt strata are Lake Sonoma (Warm Springs Dam, Tombs Creek, and
generally more poorly bedded and more disrupted and Bigfoot Mountain quadrangles). The graywacke is
Novato Quarry terrane rocks are older. moderately lithic and unfoliated (textural zone 1 of Jayko
The age of the Novato Quarry terrane rocks and others, 1986). Small to large lenses of intercalated
constrains Central Belt Franciscan Complex sandstone chert and greenstone are common in parts of the terrane
deposition to have continued at least into Campanian and are also unfoliated.
time, with subsequent accretion at the subducting plate Lake Sonoma terrane graywacke has previously
margin. been considered part of the Coastal Belt (Bailey and others,
1964) and the Rio Nido terrane (Blake and others, 1984;
Devils Den Canyon terrane (fdd) Jayko and Blake, 1984). The lithology of the graywacke
Kfss in this terrane is indistinguishable from that of the lithic
facies of the Coastal Belt (Jayko and Blake, 1984).
Three slabs of coherent graywacke northeast of Alexander However, these rocks have yielded a fossil of Late
Valley (Jimtown, Geyserville, Asti, and The Geysers Cretaceous (Turonian) age (Bailey and others, 1964). That
quadrangles) are herein assigned to the Devils Den Canyon age is too old to permit the Lake Sonoma terrane rocks to
terrane. These rocks include those designated Devils Den be part of the Coastal Belt, because graywacke from the
Canyon terrane by McLaughlin and Ohlin (1984), rocks latter is underlain by younger pelagic deposits of Late
outside their study area, and rocks they correlated with the Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) to middle Eocene
Geysers terrane (which is considered herein part of the age (Sliter, 1984 and written commun., 1990). The Lake
Marin Headlands terrane). These rocks were also Sonoma terrane graywacke is also similar to that of the
previously considered part of the Rio Nido terrane (Jayko Devils Den Canyon terrane, but is provisionally
and Blake, 1984) and both Rio Nido and Central terranes distinguished herein based on lower structural position,
(Blake and others, 1984). lack of foliation, and presence of greenstone and chert. As
The graywacke of the Devils Den Canyon terrane noted above, we have discarded the Rio Nido terrane
is feldspathic-lithic, locally displays a very slight designation (see Undivided Central and Coastal Belt below
incipient foliation (textural zone 2A of Jayko and others, for discussion).
1986), and contains abundant, large (more than 1 mm)

6
Marin Headlands terrane (fmh) continent by transform offset along the continental
Kfgwy, KJfch, KJfgcs, KJfgc, Jfgs margin.

Marin Headlands terrane is the most widely dispersed Central “terrane” (mélange, fm)
Central Belt terrane in the San Francisco Bay area, fsr, KJfs
cropping out at Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County,
in San Mateo County, in San Francisco, in several areas All of the previously described Franciscan Complex
of Marin County, and as two large bodies in the map area: terranes in the map area are tectonically enclosed in an
a complexly faulted slab more than 25 km long in the argillite matrix mélange that has been called the Central
northeast corner of the map area (Asti and The Geysers terrane (Blake and others, 1982, 1984). Most of the
quadrangles) and a narrow, tightly folded and faulted body matrix consists of sheared mudstone (argillite) and lithic
west of Healdsburg (Guerneville, Geyserville, and Warm sandstone, within which are mixed numerous blocks and
Springs Dam quadrangles). slabs of coherent graywacke, greenstone, chert,
Rocks of this terrane have been previously metamorphic rocks, limestone, serpentinite, and other
mapped as Geysers terrane (McLaughlin and Ohlin, 1984), rocks. Although treated as a single terrane, the mélange is
Central terrane (Blake and others, 1984), and Central and actually the result of the tectonic and (or) sedimentary
Nicasio Reservoir terranes (Jayko and Blake, 1984). mixing of rocks derived from several terranes: the rocks
However, Murchey and Jones (1984) showed that chert that would form the sheared matrix from one or more
bodies from the rocks in the map area contain radiolarians terranes, the chert, greenstone and metamorphic rocks
that match almost all the radiolarian assemblages known from other Franciscan Complex terranes, and the
from the Marin Headlands type area. Furthermore, like serpentinite and scarce gabbro from the Coast Range
the type area, the rocks assigned to this terrane are ophiolite. In particular, most of the chert blocks that crop
distinguished by coherent stacked sequences of pillowed out in the mélange in Marin County, south of the mapped
greenstone, ribbon chert, and lithic graywacke. area, can be assigned with confidence to the Marin
The age and tectonic history of the Marin Headlands terrane based on similarity of radiolarian faunas
Headlands terrane is also well constrained. The chert (Murchey and Jones, 1984).
layers range in age from late Early Jurassic (Toarcian to In a few places in the map area, such as the sea
Pleinsbachian) to late Early or early Late Cretaceous (late cliffs south of Goat Rock in the Arched Rock quadrangle,
Albian to Cenomanian), although the oldest cherts are the southwestern part of Pine Flat Road in the Jimtown
missing in the map area (the basal chert here is early quadrangle, and along King Ridge Road in the Cazadero
Middle Jurassic, Bajocian; Murchey and Jones, 1984). quadrangle, coherent bodies of lithic graywacke and
Graywacke that overlies chert south of the mapped area conglomerate crop out. These rocks are identical in
has yielded ammonites of Albian to Cenomanian age composition to the graywacke that forms part of the
(Bailey and others, 1964). Geochemical and mélange matrix (Jayko and Blake, 1984). The graywackes
paleomagnetic analysis of the pillow basalt and chert have yielded several Late Jurassic fossils (Bailey and
(Karl, 1984; Gromme, 1984; Shervais, 1989; Murray and others, 1964). Rocks of similar age and composition are
others, 1990; Hagstrum and Murchey, 1993) has revealed well exposed at the abandoned quarry at Greenbrae in
a history of Early Jurassic oceanic crust being Marin County south of the study area (Blake and others,
progressively overlain by pelagic deposits (chert), while 2000). There, it is possible to see preserved slabs of
being together brought closer to North America by plate interbedded graywacke, mudstone, chert, and tuffaceous
motion until close approach to the subduction margin in greenstone that have yielded both megafossils and
Albian or Cenomanian time, when arc-related detrital microfossils (radiolaria and dinoflagellates) of Late
sediments overwhelmed pelagic deposition. Soon after, Jurassic and Early Cretaceous age (Blake and Jones, 1974;
the upper oceanic crust and overlying sediments were Murchey and Jones, 1984). In Greenbrae, the strata are
accreted to the continental margin at about 10°-15° north progressively more disrupted by normal faulting outward
latitude and have been transported north to their current toward the edge of the coherent body.
position (about 37°-39° north latitude) by transform offset Despite their similar ages, the radiolarian fauna
along the continental margin. found in the Marin Headlands chert blocks in the mélange
The history of the Marin Headlands terrane is different from that found in chert interbedded in the
provides an attractive model for the tectonic history of all matrix source rock. This difference in chert faunas has led
Franciscan Complex terranes: oceanic rocks (including to the concept that the mélange matrix is derived from a
MORB and seamounts), overlain by pelagic and detrital deep-water, continental-margin deposit into which the
sediments, brought into proximity with North America by accreting terranes were introduced by tectonic or
convergent plate motion, more or less subducted, accreted, sedimentary processes. The idea that the matrix material
and moved northward to their current position on the is derived from sediments related to the continent is
7
supported by the observation that chert pebbles from We prefer the tectonic model for the Franciscan
conglomerate associated with matrix graywacke have Complex mélange for the following reasons:
yielded Late Triassic to Early Jurassic radiolaria (Seiders
and Blome, 1984), older than those known from any 1. No original depositional relationship between block
Franciscan chert, but equivalent to many chert bodies in and matrix has been observed, although areas of
the Sierra Foothills (for example, see Graymer and Jones, relatively undisrupted matrix graywacke are known.
1994). Deformation during accretion resulted in the Several workers have documented contacts reported as
interleaving of the rocks that would become mélange depositional within the mélange, but those contacts
matrix and the accreted terranes. Deformation during are either between different lithologies within a single
subsequent uplift has led to both the almost complete mélange block or coherent parts of the mélange
disruption of the original sedimentary character of the matrix strata (such as the graywacke on chert contact
matrix and the inmixing of exotic blocks derived from the reported by Erickson, 1995). Presumed contacts are
accreted terranes, such as the chert blocks from Marin the result of progressively increasing shearing at the
Headlands terrane (Blake and Wentworth, 1999). Only in transition from a coherent block to mélange (such as
a few locations, like the seacliffs south of the mouth of that reported by Gucwa (1975) and found at Rodeo
the Russian River, is the sedimentary layering of the Cove and Greenbrae).
mélange matrix source rock preserved. 2. Radiolarians in the blocks are of similar age to or
During the period of deformation and inmixing of younger than those in the matrix. If the blocks were
accreted terrane rocks, graywacke from accreted terranes deposited as olistoliths, they would have had to be
was probably also sheared into the mélange matrix at the lithified prior to redeposition. This implies that they
boundary of coherent graywacke slabs. For example, the should be appreciably older than the matrix, like
boundary between Marin Headlands terrane graywacke and those cherts found in the pebbles within matrix
adjacent mélange is gradational in the sea-cliff exposures conglomerates. Likewise, mélange blocks of
at Rodeo Cove south of the mapped area (see Blake and limestone are known to contain Late Cretaceous
others, 2000). Such inmixing of other Franciscan (Cenomanian and Turonian) fossils (Bailey and
Complex graywacke into the mélange matrix is limited, others, 1964; Sliter, 1984), much too young to be
however, as indicated by a matrix composition that is redeposited as olistoliths in Late Jurassic-Early
generally more lithic than graywacke found in coherent Cretaceous time.
slabs of other terranes (Jayko and Blake, 1984). 3. High-grade metamorphic blocks are incorporated into
The mechanism by which the mélange blocks low-grade mélange matrix. The tectonic model
(knockers) were originally incorporated into the matrix provides the mechanism (fault offset) to transport
rock is still an issue of some debate. The two contrasting material from the deeper part of the subduction zone
models can be briefly described as follows: back into the upper part of the accretionary prism,
intermixing high-grade material with lower grade
1. The sedimentary model suggests that blocks rock. The sedimentary model requires that blueschist
(olistoliths) were transported into the depositional metamorphism was complete before formation of
environment of the matrix material by gravity driven olistoliths, suggesting a tectonic history of deep
debris slides. The trench associated with the subduction, uplift to the surface, erosion and
subduction zone provides an area of suitably steep deposition, shallow subduction and accretion, and a
slope for this theory and the converging plates bring second period of uplift to the surface. The complex
the displaced terranes into proximity of the series of events required by the sedimentary model
continental margin mélange matrix. The resulting would have had to take place quickly, because,
olistostrome then underwent the deformation described although the age of the high-grade blocks is about
above, disrupting the original depositional character 160 Ma, metamorphic minerals in veins in the blocks
of the matrix/block relationships. are as young as 135 Ma (Kelley, 1982; McDowell
2. The tectonic model suggests that primary and others, 1984; Wakabayashi and Deino, 1989;
incorporation of blocks into mélange was by tectonic Nelson, 1991; Wakabayashi, 1992a, 1999a) which
processes. During and after accretion, lenses of rock overlaps with, and in some cases is younger than, the
derived from incoming exotic terranes were interleaved Late Jurassic (Tithonian, 141-146 Ma, van Eysinga,
with continental margin deposits by faulting. 1978) age of the matrix sediments.
Subsequent deformation during uplift further broke up
the lenses of exotic rocks, forming the mélange Explanations for the origin of the mélange
blocks observed today. blocks that are more complex can be proposed in order to
retain the sedimentary model. For example, some authors
have proposed distinguishing several distinct mélange
8
terranes within the Central Belt. Perhaps the younger undivided Central and Coastal Belt. Because the Rio Nido
chert and limestone blocks are limited to mélange derived area is underlain by rocks thus designated as undivided, we
from a younger olistostrome. No young fossils have been have abandoned the name Rio Nido terrane for those rocks
found in lithic graywacke associated with the mélange, known to be older and renamed them Lake Sonoma terrane
however, and no coherent graywacke of appropriate age after the large reservoir in the area of the critical Turonian
(younger than Turonian limestone blocks) and fossil locality. More detailed studies of laumontite
composition to be part of a younger olistostrome is distribution or more fossil data would probably make
known in the Franciscan Complex (Marin Headlands separation of the presently undivided rocks possible, but
terrane graywacke is similar in composition, but is too that is beyond the scope of this work.
old). Furthermore, young mélange blocks are not
concentrated in specific zones in the map area, making the Coastal Belt (fco)
idea of multiple mélanges less likely. The model of a TKfss
single mélange derived from a young olistostrome with
Late Jurassic graywacke included as detritus explains the The Coastal Belt has been subdivided into terranes in areas
presence of old fossils and the generally similar north of the map area, but although Coastal Belt rocks in
distribution of mélange blocks throughout the area but the map area were previously designated part of the
does not explain the lack of known young lithic Coastal terrane (Blake and others, 1984), we found
graywacke or the compositional similarity between the insufficient evidence to extend those terrane distinctions
Late Jurassic lithic graywacke and mélange matrix. into the map area. The Coastal Belt rocks in the map area
The presence of serpentinite blocks in the are very low grade (laumontite facies) and consist of
mélange also suggests that blocks of the Coast Range moderately lithic to quartz-feldspathic wacke, underlain
ophiolite may have been incorporated into the mélange locally by minor greenstone, chert, and limestone. Bailey
during uplift and disruption, although the correlation of and others (1964) reported a Late Cretaceous (Turonian)
the serpentinite blocks with the Coast Range ophiolite is age from one of the limestones, but that locality
unproven (see Blake and others, 2000). Macpherson and (Annapolis quadrangle) is now thought by us to be a
others (1990) argued that many of the volcanic blocks in block in an infaulted lens of Central Belt mélange.
the mélange may also come from the Coast Range Pelagic limestone interbedded with chert and basalt at the
ophiolite. base of the section on Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala
River (Tombs Creek quadrangle) has yielded fossils of
Undivided Central and Coastal Belt (fcl) middle Eocene age (W. Sliter, written commun., 1990).
TKfs In the same structural block north of the map
area, the sandstone contains fossils of Late Cretaceous to
As noted above, graywacke of the Lake Sonoma terrane is late Eocene (possibly Oligocene) age (Evitt and Pierce,
lithologically indistinguishable from that of the Coastal 1975; Bachman, 1978). There, sandstone overlies basalt
Belt lithic facies, but the age of the Lake Sonoma terrane and pelagic deposits of Late Cretaceous (Campanian to
graywacke is Late Cretaceous (Turonian) whereas the Maastrichtian) age (Bachman, 1978; Sliter, 1984) along a
Coastal Belt graywacke is Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) sheared contact. Farther north, where the Coastal Belt is
and Tertiary. Blake and others (1984) noted the age divided into three terranes, McLaughlin and others (1980)
distinction, and divided the similar graywacke in the map reported Coastal Belt rocks as young as middle Miocene
area into Coastal terrane (younger) and Rio Nido terrane overlying ophiolitic rocks of Late Cretaceous (Coniacian
(older) based on differing K-feldspar content. However, to Campanian) age from one terrane (King Range terrane).
reexamination of the K-feldspar distribution (Bailey and The Coastal Belt sandstones within the map area
others, 1964; Blake, unpub. data) reveals no distinction are mostly massive, but where fine-grained interbeds are
between rocks previously mapped as Coastal terrane and present, the bedding is almost everywhere moderately to
Rio Nido terrane. In addition, laumontite, which indicates completely disrupted by extensional deformation, creating
the very low grade metamorphism associated with the lenses (boudins) of competent sandstone in a sheared
Coastal Belt, has been found by the authors in rocks mudstone and siltstone matrix.
previously mapped as Rio Nido terrane. Therefore, at this The Coastal Belt rocks are probably derived from
time, among rocks previously mapped as Rio Nido or Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary seafloor and overlying
Coastal terrane, it is possible to categorize only those Cretaceous and Tertiary pelagic and detrital sediments that
graywacke bodies that are stratigraphically well controlled were accreted in late Eocene to Miocene time. Systematic
by fossils to specific terranes or belts with any confidence. variation in sandstone composition suggest that Coastal
As a result, we have designated all those bodies Belt detritus was derived from a number of different
of graywacke similar to Lake Sonoma terrane and Coastal sources, including two different batholithic sources as well
Belt lithic facies graywackes that lack known fossils as as an arc-volcanic source and Central Belt Franciscan
9
Complex sources (Kramer, 1976; Underwood and Salinian complex terranes have also undergone similar
Bachman, 1986; McLaughlin and others, 1994). Detailed post-Eocene offset.
geochemical studies reveal that the source of the coeval The lack of pre-late Miocene strata overlapping
Tyee Formation in Oregon was the Idaho Batholith (Heller the Central and Eastern Belt terranes of the Franciscan
and others, 1985), so Underwood and Bachman (1986) Complex and Healdsburg and Del Puerto terranes of the
proposed that Coastal Belt detritus was derived from the Great Valley complex in the map area is puzzling. The
Idaho Batholith, Sierra Nevada batholith, and eastern age of the graywacke in the Franciscan Complex suggests
Oregon/Washington volcanic arc rocks. that Central Belt terrane accretion was complete by Late
Paleontologic (Sliter, 1984) and paleomagnetic Cretaceous (Campanian or Maastrichtian) time, because
(Harbert and others, 1984) data suggest that deposition of graywacke deposition is thought to reflect approach to the
the Late Cretaceous limestone took place at about 20° N subduction zone. Furthermore, Tertiary stratigraphic
latitude and that these Coastal Belt rocks were transported relations south of the map area indicate that Franciscan
to their accretion to North America by relative motion of and Great Valley complex rocks were exposed at the
the Farallon plate. Accretion, extensional deformation, surface as early as Paleocene time (for example, see
and erosional unroofing of the Coastal Belt was completed Graymer and others, 1994; Wentworth and others, 1998a;
before the deposition of the largely undeformed, Brabb and others, 2000). The Mesozoic rocks in the map
unconformably overlying Pliocene Ohlson Ranch strata. area must either have become unroofed later than similar
rocks farther south, have been uniformly uplifted until late
Tertiary Stratigraphy Miocene time so that earlier Tertiary deposition never
took place, or have undergone pervasive uplift and total
Franciscan Complex detritus in the Paleocene strata erosion of previously overlying pre-late Miocene strata in
overlying Great Valley complex rocks in Rice Valley Miocene time. After restoration of post-late Miocene
(Berkland, 1973) and the eastern Diablo Range (Bartow, right-lateral fault offset related to the San Andreas Fault
1985), as well as the presence of unmetamorphosed early System (see below), Mesozoic rocks in the map area are
Eocene quartzofeldspathic strata overlying Franciscan adjacent to middle Miocene and older strata in the Berkeley
Complex metamorphic rocks in San Mateo County Hills. Those strata do not contain recognizable Franciscan
(Pampeyan, 1993), indicate that much of the tectonic Complex detritus, however, suggesting that the map area
activity that brought the two Mesozoic complexes was either not undergoing extensive erosion that would
together in the San Francisco Bay area was complete by produce a large amount of detritus or that at that time
early Tertiary time. In the map area, however, early sediment was transported westward and not recorded in the
Tertiary overlapping strata are missing, and the oldest onshore stratigraphic record.
overlapping strata are the late Miocene Burdell Mountain Whatever the reason for the lack of pre-late
volcanics (Tb) of Blake and others (2000). Miocene strata in the map area, by late Miocene time the
Early Tertiary strata in the map area are instead Mesozoic rocks were at the surface. In the southeastern
parts of the Coastal Belt (Franciscan Complex) and the part of the map area, Mesozoic rocks are overlain by ~12
Point Arena terrane (Great Valley complex). The Ma Burdell Mountain volcanics of Blake and others
Paleogene strata do not overlap bounding faults, and are (2000). Rocks in the northern part of the map area were
unrelated to the juxtaposed rocks in that their age and being eroded and the sediment transported eastward to form
lithology are incompatible with being part of the same alluvial deposits that now make up the Orinda Formation
depositional system. For example, Campanian graywacke in the Berkeley Hills (Wakabayashi, 1999b). Most of the
of the Novato Quarry terrane was probably deposited in an map area continued to be free of sedimentary accumulation
arc-trench environment, whereas coeval pelagic limestones until the present, except for four areas.
in the Coastal Belt were deposited far offshore. The The southeastern part of the area was covered by
Coastal Belt terranes didn’t experience arc-trench a latest Miocene to Pliocene marine embayment to
deposition until post-Maastrichtian time, and there are no produce the Wilson Grove Formation. Coeval estuarine
coeval Novato Quarry terrane rocks (the Novato Quarry deposits (sand and gravel of Cotati) and alluvial deposits
terrane had probably been accreted by that time). The (Petaluma Formation) adjoining the Wilson Grove
incompatible stratigraphies show that the Mesozoic and Formation on the east suggest a transitional marine-
Tertiary terranes have experienced a history distinct from nonmarine depositional environment. The Petaluma
adjoining rocks and, therefore, were formed apart from Formation at the surface is presently separated from the
them and have been juxtaposed with the other Mesozoic marine and estuarine rocks by the Petaluma Valley Fault,
terranes in the area by post-Eocene accretion and transform and restoration of the southern margin of these formations
offset. The Salinian complex rocks at Bodega Head lack suggests about 35 km of right offset since deposition.
any Tertiary strata whatsoever, but stratigraphic relations These marine and nonmarine rocks extend under the
at Point Reyes south of the map area show that the Quaternary deposits of Santa Rosa Valley, as revealed by
10
well logs (D. Zigler, Chevron Petroleum, retired, written Quaternary Surficial Deposits
commun.). Basalt flow rock is interlayered with the basal
part of the sequence in the southeasternmost part of the Quaternary surficial deposits in the map area are mostly
Wilson Grove Formation and the sand and gravel of Cotati undivided. The exceptions are beach sand and marine
(Two Rock quadrangle), suggesting that onset of terraces along the Pacific coast, river terraces along the
deposition was accompanied by volcanism. The basalts Russian River and other major drainages, and older
have yielded radiometric ages of about 6-8 Ma (Fox and alluvial fan deposits in Santa Rosa Valley (Healdsburg and
others, 1985b), so they are coeval with and probably Sebastapol quadrangles). The older alluvial fan deposits
associated with the development of the Sonoma Volcanic were previously mapped as Glen Ellen Formation (Blake
field farther east. It remains undetermined whether there and others, 1971; Knudsen and others, 2000), but we have
exists a causal relationship between the development of reclassified them based on three factors: 1) they are much
the Sonoma Volcanic field and the initiation of less deformed than Glen Ellen Formation, 2) they are not
deposition. as lithified, and 3) they lack the interbedded tuff that is
The eastern part of the map area (east of the widespread in much of the Glen Ellen Formation. For a
Rodgers Creek-Healdsburg Fault) was overlain in latest more detailed map of the Quaternary deposits, especially
Miocene to Pliocene time by Sonoma Volcanics and the late Pleistocene and Holocene deposits, see the recent
interleaved volcaniclastic strata of the Glen Ellen regional Quaternary map of Knudsen and others (2000).
Formation. Volcanic centers and detrital sources were all
east of the map area, as shown by clast imbrication, clast Paleontology
source, and other flow-direction indicators within both the
Sonoma volcanics and Glen Ellen Formation Many different kinds of fossils have proved invaluable in
(McLaughlin and others, 1999). understanding the geology of the map area: Buchia in the
The northeastern part of the map area developed a Franciscan and lower Great Valley complex rocks,
small basin probably related to a right-step asperity in the Inoceramus in the Franciscan Complex, ammonites and
right-lateral Maacama Fault Zone. The timing of the mollusks in the Point Arena terrane, radiolarians in the
development of this basin is poorly constrained, because Franciscan Complex chert and Great Valley complex tuff,
the infilling sedimentary deposits (unit Tls ) lack diagnostic foraminifers in the Great Valley complex shales and
fossils. Franciscan Complex limestones, palynomorphs in the
The northwestern part of the map area east of the Coast Belt, and mollusks, marine and nonmarine
San Andreas Fault Zone was overlapped by shallow vertebrates, and diatoms in the Tertiary rocks.
marine deposits in Pliocene time in a narrow embayment A partial list of references to paleontological
to form the Ohlson Ranch Formation. reports in the map area and surrounding areas includes
The overall environment of the map area in late White (1885), Stirton (1939), Weaver (1944), Gealey
Tertiary time, then, was probably one of low-lying coastal (1951), Travis (1952), Matsumoto (1960), Bailey and
hills and shallow marine embayments flanked on the east others (1964), Wentworth (1967), McNitt (1968),
by an active volcanic center with related west-facing Christensen (1973), Blake and Jones (1974), Bachman
alluvial fans. Most of the uplift that formed the steep (1978), McLaughlin (1978), McLaughlin and others
topography seen today postdates Pliocene time, except (1980), Murchey and Jones (1984), Elder and others
perhaps in the north-central part of the map area where (1998), McFadden (1998), and Naidu (1999). Preparation
Tertiary strata are not present. of a digital database of fossil localities and associated
The Tertiary stratigraphic relationships in the paleontologic information is being prepared by workers at
mapped area also reveal significant late Tertiary and the U.S. Geological Survey and University of California,
Quaternary fault offset. The Glen Ellen and the younger Berkeley.
part of the Petaluma-Cotati-Wilson Grove deposystems
were roughly coeval, but were distinct in their detritus and Radiometric Ages
depositional environment. The boundary between the two
deposystems is the Rodgers Creek-Healdsburg Fault Zone. Several different types of rock bodies in the study area
The juxtaposition of these fault-separated rock bodies with have yielded radiometric ages. The volcanic rocks at and
significantly different stratigraphies suggests that they near the base of the Wilson Grove Formation and the sand
originally formed in separate depositional basins or widely and gravel of Cotati (Tb) have been studied: the most
separated parts of a large basin and have since been recent report of ages is Fox and others (1985b). Several
juxtaposed by large offsets on the separating faults. silicic tuffs that crop out in the map area have been
studied by Sarna-Wojcicki (1976) and Sarna-Wojcicki and
others (1979). The granitic rocks at Bodega Head have
been dated by Kistler and Champion (1991). Dates from
11
the metamorphic rocks in the Eastern Belt as well as Structural History
metamorphic blocks in the Central Belt mélange have
been published by several workers (including The structures in the map area result from a
Wakabayashi, 1992a; Coleman and Lanphere; 1971, Lee complicated structural history that includes late Mesozoic
and others, 1964). An overview of radiometric ages in the to early Cenozoic subduction and accretion, at least two
map area is provided by Kelley (1982), and an overview of periods of subsequent uplift and detachment faulting,
Franciscan Complex ages is found in Wakabayashi followed by oblique strike-slip and reverse faulting that
(1999a). continues today.
The earliest structural relationships in the map
Structure area are those that juxtapose the multiple terranes of the
Franciscan Complex and the Great Valley complex.
The mapped structures fall into two general categories. Franciscan Complex terranes were transported by oceanic
The older structures are faults that trend generally about N plate motion and accreted to North America at a
60° W and are associated with terrane boundaries. Most of subduction zone margin. The Great Valley complex
these faults dip steeply to the east. The sense of offset on formed on the hanging wall of the subduction zone.
these faults is difficult to determine because the Because the structurally highest Franciscan Complex
stratigraphies on either side are at least in part unrelated. rocks are blueschists, Franciscan Complex accretion must
Parallel faults within coherent terrane slabs are mostly have been accomplished by subduction and underplating of
reverse faults that duplicate the internal stratigraphy. incoming terranes to the continental margin, rather than
The older structures are truncated by a second set obduction and overthrusting. Therefore the subduction
of structures that trend about N30°W. These folds and zone hanging wall rocks (Great Valley complex) were
faults are associated with the faults of the San Andreas originally structurally highest throughout the Coast
Fault system, including the San Andreas, Tolay, Rodgers Ranges.
Creek-Healdsburg, and Maacama fault zones. The sense of The metamorphic age of the Cazadero terrane is
offset on these faults is dominantly right lateral, but also approximately 130-160 Ma, about the same as the
includes a significant fault-normal compressional depositional age of the Yolla Bolly and mélange matrix
component. The compression is shown by folding and graywackes and the oldest part of the Great Valley
uplift of young strata (QTge, QTor , Qt) adjacent to the fault complex sediments, and is older than other Franciscan
zones, especially in the eastern part of the map area. Complex graywackes in the Central and Coastal Belts.
An exception to the overall sense of Therefore, the Cazadero terrane entered the subduction zone
transpression in the younger system is present at right before other Franciscan Complex terranes, prior to 160
steps in the fault zones, such as at Little Sulphur Creek Ma.
(Maacama Fault Zone) and Santa Rosa Valley Structural relationships in the northern Coast
(Tolay/Petaluma River Fault Zone). In those areas, small Ranges (Wentworth and others, 1984; Blake and others,
fault basins have been formed due to localized 1967) suggest that the Cazadero terrane was once the
transtension. In the Santa Rosa Valley area, these basins structurally highest and innermost Franciscan Complex
have been overlapped and covered by Quaternary alluvial terrane in the map area, although the metamorphic grade
fan deposits, but are known from gravitational anomalies of Cazadero terrane rocks shows that it was subducted
(Chapman and Bishop, 1988). This overlap of basins deeper than any other Franciscan Complex terrane, as
suggests that right-stepping, right-lateral offset on this much as 20 km (P=9.5-12 kb, T=360-380°C; Maruyama
fault zone must have died out before Pleistocene time. and Liou, 1988; Moore and Blake, 1989; Oh, 1990; Oh
Note also that near the younger fault zones, the and others, 1991). Its current structural position,
older (terrane bounding) structures are deflected to be interleaved with terranes of the Central Belt and the
parallel to the younger structural trend. Because of this Healdsburg terrane of the Great Valley complex, along
reorientation, older structures may have been reactivated with the lack of Cazadero terrane rocks along the eastern
by younger deformation. margin of the Coast Ranges, suggest that it was
Also present in the map area are many structures originally accreted south of the Great Valley, and has since
that are not depicted in this report because of their small been transported north, along with the Healdsburg terrane.
size and complexity. These structures include folded The model for the history of Franciscan Complex
foliation within coherent Eastern Belt terrane slabs; tight terranes suggested by the Marin Headlands terrane implies
folds, shear zones, and extensional fabric in coherent that the age of the graywacke sediments in any terrane
Central and Coastal Belt terrane slabs; disruption and shear marks the time of approach of that terrane to the
fabric in mélange matrix; orientation of bedding or subduction zone and the associated volcanic arc detrital
foliation in mélange blocks; and small folds in Great source. The graywacke age of the Yolla Bolly terrane
Valley complex strata. suggests that it approached the continent in Late Jurassic
12
(Tithonian, 141-146 Ma) time, coeval with deposition of dragged into the subduction zone at this time as well.
mélange matrix and early Great Valley complex Transpressive deformation in the accretionary prism above
sediments, the latter and possibly the former in the the trench probably further intercalated the mélange with
hanging wall of the subduction zone. The Yolla Bolly ophiolite and accreted terranes at this time.
terrane’s subduction resulted in metamorphic ages of about As noted above, the period of accretion and
90-110 Ma and metamorphism less than that of the crustal thickening was accompanied by detachment and
Cazadero terrane, but greater than that of any Central Belt attenuation. The previously stacked terranes were
terrane. significantly thinned, and previously buried ophiolite and
The order of accretion of the structurally lower Franciscan Complex rocks were brought to the surface.
Central Belt terranes is more problematical because of lack This thinning resulted in the almost complete attenuation
of age control in the Devils Den Canyon terrane and other of the Coast Range ophiolite in the map area, leaving
terranes outside the map area. However, known only the dismembered fragments of the ophiolite present.
graywacke ages suggest that Marin Headlands terrane Attenuation also took place between the Franciscan
approached the subduction zone first, in late Early to early Complex terranes, as evidenced by the lateral discontinuity
Late Cretaceous time (Albian to Cenomanian, 106-97 of some terranes in the region (for example, the Novato
Ma), followed by the Lake Sonoma terrane in middle Late Quarry terrane is found structurally below the Healdsburg
Cretaceous time (Turonian, 94-88 Ma) and the Novato terrane in the map area, separated only by mélange, but in
Quarry terrane in late Late Cretaceous time (Campanian, Marin County, south of the map area, coherent slabs of
76-68 Ma). All of these terranes lack the blueschist facies several terranes are present between the Novato Quarry and
metamorphism characteristic of the Eastern Belt terranes, Healdsburg terranes).
so they were never subducted as deeply as the higher-grade The timing of detachment and attenuation varied
rocks. throughout the Coast Ranges. Cowan and Page (1975)
The structural stacking of the oldest, most showed that blueschist facies Franciscan Complex rocks
subducted terranes over the youngest and least subducted were unroofed by late Late Cretaceous time (Campanian,
suggests that compressional forces at the convergent 76-68 Ma) in the southern Coast Ranges, whereas Krueger
subduction margin thrust deeply subducted rocks and Jones (1989) and Harms and others (1992) showed that
progressively upward to the top of the accretionary prism. the first period of regional attenuation probably initiated
Tagami and Dumitru (1996) used zircon fission-track data 60-70 Ma in the Diablo Range and the northern Coast
to show that Yolla Bolly terrane rocks cooled from 300°C Ranges. They suggested that extension was complete by
to 100°C between 100-70 Ma while Central Belt terranes late Oligocene time based on the age of strata that
were being accreted. Wakabayashi and Unruh (1995) overlapped extensional faults (Page, 1970), but in some
proposed that Central Belt terrane subduction at that time parts of the San Francisco Bay area, erosional and
was accompanied by thrusting of Eastern Belt terranes to possibly structural unroofing persisted into the middle
higher structural levels together with detachment and Miocene, as suggested by the unconformable contact of
attenuation of the overlying Great Valley complex rocks middle Miocene strata on Franciscan Complex rocks in
(first described by Jayko and others, 1987). the Diablo Range (Osuch, 1970; Graymer and others,
Presumably, the rocks that would become the 1996) and on Great Valley complex strata in Marin (Blake
matrix for the mélange were formed between the and others, 2000). Before attenuation was completed,
subduction zone and North America, overlying oceanic regional uplift of buried layers to the surface had been
crust related to the Coast Range ophiolite in the hanging accomplished by the early Eocene throughout most of the
wall. One of the many unique features of the mélange is San Francisco Bay region, as indicated by the presence of
that it is interleaved with elongate slabs of coherent Great ophiolite and Franciscan Complex detritus in sedimentary
Valley and Franciscan complex rocks. These relationships strata of that period both south and east of the mapped area
extend north of the Mendocino Triple Junction into (for example, the Domengene Sandstone in the Cordelia
southwest Oregon and, thus, predate the San Andreas fault area contains detritus derived from the Coast Range
system. The interleaving of slabs of mélange matrix ophiolite; Graymer and others, 1999) and by Eocene
sediments with the accreted terranes of the Central Belt sediments that lie unmetamorphosed on Franciscan
probably occurred, at least in part, as the terranes entered Complex basement (for example, the Whiskey Hill
the oblique subduction zone, dragging slabs of the Formation in San Mateo County; Pampeyan, 1993).
hanging wall down. Blueschist facies metamorphism of a Tagami and Dumitru (1996) used apatite fission-track data
small percentage of mélange matrix (Cloos, 1983) to show that Yolla Bolly rocks were lifted through the
supports the idea that matrix was dragged into the 90°C level about 40 Ma. The overall picture, then, is one
subduction zone, though only a small percentage reached of uplift and attenuation that started as early as 100 Ma (as
blueschist depths. Serpentinite and other ophiolitic rocks suggested by zircon fission-track data), had unroofed
that crop out as blocks in the mélange may have been Franciscan Complex rocks regionally by Eocene time (37-
13
57 Ma), and may have continued locally as late as middle others (1994) described a significant component of
Miocene time (20 Ma). compression normal to the San Andreas fault system and
The attenuation of this period probably suggested that the pervasive tight folding and imbricate
obliterated most of the subduction-related thrust faults in faulting of the Miocene and Pliocene strata in the San
the mapped rocks. For example, the original subduction Francisco Bay area is due to this compression (see also
related thrust fault between the Franciscan Complex and Graymer, 2000). In the map area, this type of
Coast Range ophiolite was reactivated as a detachment compressive deformation is present in the Glen Ellen
fault throughout most of its extent (Krueger and Jones, Formation and Sonoma Volcanics at the eastern edge of
1989), and many of the other rock units in the map area the map and is probably responsible for uplift of the
are also bounded by normal faults. However, the timing shallow marine Ohlson Ranch Formation to its present
of offset on most of the faults is poorly constrained, so position more than 300 m above sea level. It is
some early faults may remain unrecognized. The tectonic important to note that compressive deformation is not
model of incorporation of blocks into the Franciscan uniformly distributed throughout the map area, as shown
Complex mélange suggests that much of the tectonic by the relatively undeformed and only modestly uplifted
mixing associated with mélange was accomplished during (less than 150 m) the shallow marine Wilson Grove
attenuation, and disruption of coherent parts of the Formation.
mélange matrix in the map area by normal faulting In addition to compressive deformation, there is
supports this idea (Blake and others, 2000). strong evidence of large amounts of right-lateral offset in
The entire period of extensional faulting in the late Miocene and later time. The San Andreas Fault Zone
accretionary prism was accompanied by continued east- in central California has undergone about 290-315 km of
directed oblique subduction. By Eocene time, the Coastal total right-lateral strike slip (Wentworth and others,
Belt terranes were in position to begin receiving arc- 1998b; Dickinson, 1997). In the San Francisco Bay
derived detritus near the subduction zone. Coastal Belt region, this amount is distributed onto several splays of
rocks were accreted from late Eocene to middle Miocene the San Andreas Fault system. About 115-140 km of the
time (40-20 Ma), perhaps associated with the end of offset passed west of San Francisco Bay and feeds into the
attenuation and detachment in the accretionary prism. San Andreas Fault Zone in the map area, and about 175
The accretion of the Coastal Belt rocks was also km of offset passed east of San Francisco Bay (Fox and
coeval with the initiation of tectonic wedging that others, 1985b; McLaughlin and others, 1996; Jachens and
followed attenuation in the Central Belt. First described others, 1998). Of that eastern offset, 75 km feeds into
by Wentworth and others (1984), tectonic wedging faults east of the map area and 100 km feeds into the
describes east-dipping reverse faulting in the upper crust Tolay/Petaluma River Fault Zone (35 km) and the
that soles into a basal decollement in the mid-crust that Rodgers Creek/Healdsburg/Maacama Fault Zone (65 km)
rooted into the subduction zone. The result is wedge- via the Hayward Fault Zone (modified from Graymer,
shaped blocks of upper crust being driven eastward. This 1999; Blake and others, 2000; see the index map of faults
process probably produced much of the repetition of on the map sheet or the Arc/Info coverage wso-flt for fault
structural levels seen in the map area, as originally gently names). Additional offset feeds into the San Andreas
east-dipping bodies of Franciscan and Great Valley Fault Zone in the map area from the San Gregorio Fault
complex rocks have been compressed, steepened, and Zone that joins the San Andreas Fault Zone in southern
stacked onto originally higher structural levels. The best Marin County. The San Gregorio Fault Zone has
example of this repetition is the stacking of Franciscan undergone about 155-175 km of right offset (Clark and
Complex rocks structurally over Great Valley complex others, 1984; Jachens and others, 1998), so the San
rocks that originally formed the highest structural level in Andreas Fault Zone in Marin County south of the map
the Coast Ranges, first described in Napa County east of area has undergone about 270-315 km of right-lateral slip.
the map area (Weaver, 1949). In the map area, Franciscan As much as 105 km of that offset may splay from the San
Complex rocks wedged over Great Valley complex rocks Andreas Fault Zone and pass west of the Point Arena
have previously been documented in the Geysers area terrane on a submarine fault zone (Wentworth and others,
(Jimtown and The Geysers quadrangles; McLaughlin, 1998b), although Jachens and others (1998) used
1978) and the Camp Meeker quadrangle (Christensen, aeromagnetic evidence to argue that the proposed offshore
1973). Our work suggests that all of the slabs of Great location of that fault conflicts with the distribution of
Valley complex rocks in the map area have a similar magnetic rocks at depth. The problem may be resolved by
structural position. correlation of the granitic rocks at Bodega Head with
By late Miocene time, the regional tectonic stress similar rocks at Montara Mountain in San Mateo County
again changed to transpression associated with the (Kistler and Champion, 1991). The Bodega Head/Montara
development of the San Andreas fault system, although Mountain correlation requires a major fault between Point
upper crustal tectonic wedging continued. Jones and Reyes and Bodega Head with 105 km of right offset.
14
Because this fault would splay from the San Andreas Fault from the south prior to the development of the San
Zone farther south than the splay proposed by Wentworth Andreas Fault system (Wentworth and others, 1998b;
and others (1998b), it can pass west of the large unfaulted Elder and others, 1998). A similar Late Cretaceous to
magnetic body described by Jachens and others (1998). In early Tertiary, south to north transport history is recorded
the map area, then, the San Andreas Fault Zone may have in the Coastal Belt of the Franciscan Complex (Sliter,
only accumulated 165-210 km of right slip. 1984; Harbert and others, 1984).
As a result of the large amounts of right-lateral The Tolay/Petaluma River Fault Zone has
slip along the continental margin related to the San probably been inactive at least since Pleistocene time as
Andreas Fault system (including the San Gregorio Fault indicated by overlap of Pleistocene alluvial deposits in
Zone) since late Miocene time (less than 22 Ma), Salinian Santa Rosa Valley. Principal active faulting in the map
complex granitic rocks have been brought north as much area is thought to be focused on the San Andreas,
as 490 km, although granitic rocks at Bodega Head, as Healdsburg, and Maacama fault zones (Hart and Bryant,
well as Great Valley complex Point Arena terrane rocks, 1999). The San Andreas Fault in the map area
may have only traveled 340-385 km. Salinian rocks are experienced 4.5 to 5 m of right-lateral surface fault rupture
thought to be offset from correlative rocks in the Mojave during the 1906 earthquake (Galloway, 1966; Lawson,
Desert in southern California based on similar age and 1908). The Healdsburg/Rodgers Creek Fault is thought to
chemistry (especially Sr isotope ratios which are sensitive be the northern extension of the Hayward Fault, which
to crustal contamination and are therefore good indicators generated a large earthquake in 1868, although no fault
of intrusive environment; Kistler and others, 1973). rupture occurred in the map area during that event. The
The restoration of San Andreas Fault system more modest 1969 Santa Rosa earthquakes (M 5.6 and M
offset is not enough, however, to account for the presence 5.7) were generated by the Rodgers Creek Fault (Budding
of tropical mollusks in the Late Cretaceous (late and others, 1991). For more about active faults in the
Campanian-early Maastrichtian, about 70-67 Ma) rocks in region, see Working Group on California Earthquake
the Point Arena terrane. If those mollusks were restricted Probabilities (1999).
to tropical latitudes, the Point Arena terrane Cretaceous
rocks must have been transported hundreds of kilometers

Description of Map Units

SURFICIAL DEPOSITS

af Artificial fill (Holocene (Historic))—Man-made deposit of various materials. Some are compacted
and quite firm, especially in earthen dams, but other fills made before 1965 are nearly everywhere not
compacted and consist simply of dumped materials. Only two bodies of this unit are shown on the map,
one in the Warm Springs Dam and one in the Arched Rock quadrangle. The many other bodies of this
unit are too small to be shown at map scale
Qal Alluvial fan and fluvial deposits (Quaternary)—Alluvial fan deposits are brown or tan, medium
dense to dense, gravelly sand or sandy gravel that generally grade upward to sandy or silty clay. Near the
distal fan edges, the fluvial deposits are typically brown, never reddish, medium dense sand that fines
upward to sandy or silty clay. This unit also includes floodplain deposits: medium to dark gray, dense,
sandy to silty clay. Lenses of coarser material (silt, sand, and pebbles) may be locally present. In
addition, this unit includes natural levee deposits: loose, moderately sorted to well-sorted sandy or clayey
silt grading to sandy or silty clay. These deposits are porous and permeable and provide conduits for
transport of ground water. Levee deposits border stream channels, usually both banks, and slope away to
flatter floodplains. This unit also includes stream channel deposits: poorly sorted to well-sorted sand,
silt, silty sand, or sandy gravel with minor cobbles. Cobbles are more common in the mountain valleys.
At the mouth of the Russian and Gualala Rivers and the two esteros in the Valley Ford quadrangle, this
unit also includes bay mud (Qm )
Qm Bay mud (Quaternary)—Water saturated estuarine mud, predominantly gray, green, and blue clay and silty
clay underlying marshlands and tidal mud flats. The mud also contains a few lenses of well-sorted, fine
sand and silt, a few shelly layers (oysters), and peat. This unit is mapped separately only in the Bodega
Head quadrangle
Qs Beach and dune sand (Quaternary)—Fine-grained, very well sorted, well-drained, eolian deposits. They
occur mainly in large sheets, as well as many small hills, most displaying Barchan morphology. Dunes

15
 display as much as 30 m of erosional relief and are presently being buried by bay mud (Qm ). They
probably began accumulating after the last interglacial high stand of sea level began to recede about 71
ka, continued to form when sea level dropped to its Wisconsin minimum about 20-15 ka, and probably
ceased to accumulate after sea level reached its present elevation (about 6 ka)
Qls Landslide deposits (Quaternary)—Poorly sorted clay, silt, sand, gravel, boulders, and rock masses.
Only a few large landslides are shown. For a more complete map of landslide deposits, see Nilsen and
others (1979)
Qt Alluvial and marine terrace deposits (Pleistocene)—Deposits consist of crudely bedded, clast-
supported gravels, cobbles, and boulders with a sandy matrix. Clasts as much as 35 cm intermediate
diameter are present. Coarse sand lenses may be locally present. Alluvial terrace deposits lie on flat
surfaces cut into bedrock a few meters that are up to several tens of meters above Qal deposits. Marine
terrace deposits lie on one or more flights of flat surfaces that are cut into bedrock and lie up to 275 m
above present sea level. These terrace deposits are the remnants of an older alluvial system that have been
lifted above present depositional levels by tectonic uplift associated with regional transpression
Qpoaf Older alluvial fan deposits (Pleistocene)—Roughly horizontal beds of buff siltstone and claystone,
buff to gray, fine- to coarse-grained lithic sandstone, pebbly sandstone, pebbly mudstone, and pebble to
cobble conglomerate. Clasts include silicic to intermediate volcanics, obsidian, varicolored chert,
graywacke and metagraywacke, quartzite, metachert, hornfels, quartz, charcoal, and petrified wood.
Previously mapped (Blake and others, 1971; Fox, 1983) as Glen Ellen Formation based on similar clast
composition (especially obsidian), we differentiate Qpoaf from QTge based on the lack of deformation and
volcanics interbedded in Qpoaf and because Qpoaf is softer and less resistant than QTge. Qpoaf deposits
probably formed as a large alluvial fan system at the west edge of hills and ridges underlain by Glen Ellen
Formation and Sonoma Volcanics during uplift and transpression related to the Rodgers Creek/Healdsburg
Fault Zone. Much Qpoaf detritus is probably reworked from the Glen Ellen Formation. This unit is at
least 65 m thick. It is incised and overlain by Qal. This unit may be coeval in part with Qt and related in
part to the same older alluvial system

ROCKS EAST OF AND WITHIN THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT ZONE

Clear Lake Volcanics—In the northeast corner of the map area (The Geysers quadrangle) are a few small
outliers of the large Clear Lake volcanic complex that crops out mostly in Lake County to the northeast.
This very young volcanic center (Pliocene to Holocene) is the northernmost manifestation of northward
younging volcanism thought to be related to the initiation of the San Andreas Fault system (Fox and
others, 1985b). The near-surface magma and remnant heat from plutonic rocks related to the volcanic
center is probably driving the hydrothermal activity at The Geysers. For a more complete description of
the Clear Lake Volcanics, see Hearn and others (1995). In the map area, the Clear Lake volcanics include:
Qr Rhyolite and rhyodacite (Pleistocene)—Porphyritic biotite rhyolite and rhyodacite flows. Contains
parts of the rhyolite of Alder Creek and rhyodacite of Cobb Mountain of Hearn and others (1995).
Rhyolite has yielded radiometric ages of 1.11+ 0.02 to 1.15+ 0.02 Ma, and rhyodacite has yielded ages of
1.05+ 0.02 to 1.06+ 0.02 Ma (Hearn and others, 1995)
Qob Olivine basalt (Pleistocene)—Olivine-rich basalt flows, dikes, and diatreme breccia. Equivalent to
the olivine basalt of Caldwell Pines of Hearn and others (1995). The basalt has yielded a radiometric age
of 1.66+ 0.12 Ma (Hearn and others, 1995)

QTge Glen Ellen Formation (Pleistocene(?) and Pliocene)—Brown- to buff-weathering, interbedded siltstone,
fine- to coarse-grained sandstone, pebbly and cobbly sandstone, conglomerate, and tuff. Sandstone is tuffaceous
or feldspathic arenite. Coarse clasts include mafic to silicic volcanics, obsidian, pumice, varicolored chert, and
graywacke. The eastern part of the Glen Ellen Formation (mapped as QTget ) contains more interbeds of tuff.
Radiometric ages from interbedded tuff show that the Glen Ellen Formation is 3.1 Ma or younger (McLaughlin
and others, 1999). The basal part of the Glen Ellen Formation is coeval with and interfingers with the upper
part of the Sonoma Volcanics

Tor Ohlson Ranch Formation (Pliocene)—Mostly horizontal, thick beds of buff weathering, white to light-gray,
well-consolidated, soft, quartz-lithic arenite. Also includes buff-weathering gray siltstone, pebbly to cobbly

16
 sandstone and conglomerate, red lithic sandstone, and white tuff. A tuff bed near the base of the unit in the
Plantation quadrangle has been correlated (Sarna-Wojcicki, 1976) with the Nomlaki Tuff, which has yielded a
radiometric age of 3.3 + 0.4 Ma (Everndon and others, 1964). Locally concentrated Pliocene marine molluscan
fossils have also been identified from this unit (Peck, 1960). This formation lies in angular unconformity over
Franciscan Complex rocks and in at least one location (Soda Springs Road in the Annapolis quadrangle) includes
slabs as much as 10 m long of the underlying rock. For a more complete description of the formation, see
Higgins (1960). The unit has been locally subdivided into:
Tors Sandstone
Torc Conglomerate

Tls Sedimentary rocks of Little Sulphur Creek (Pliocene and (or) Miocene)—Confined to a narrow band
in the northeast part of the map area (Asti, The Geysers, and Jimtown quadrangles), this unit is composed of
massive to distinctly bedded boulder to pebble conglomerate and breccia, lithic sandstone, siltstone, and
mudstone. Coarse clasts in places exceed 3 m in length and include varicolored chert, blueschist, graywacke,
gabbro, serpentinite, diabase, and basalt, probably derived from surrounding Mesozoic rocks. One clast of
middle Miocene fossiliferous arkose has also been found (McLaughlin and Nilsen, 1982), but no similar rock is
known from the surrounding area. Freshwater ostracod and gastropod fossils have been reported from this unit,
as have brackish or marine foraminifers, but none of these fossils provide good age control (Gealey, 1951;
McNitt, 1968; McLaughlin and Nilsen, 1982). A Miocene or younger whale vertebra has also been reported
(McNitt, 1968), but given the partly nonmarine nature of the unit, it is possible that this fossil was reworked
from an older unit, perhaps the same as the fossiliferous arkose clast. McLaughlin and Nilsen (1982) interpreted
this unit to have formed in a fault basin associated with a right step in the Maacama Fault Zone and suggested
the unit was 3 Ma or younger based on the timing of initiation of San Andreas Fault system activity at this
latitude. However, it is possible that the fault basin was related to a pre-San Andreas structure. Therefore, the
age of the unit can only be constrained with confidence to post-date the middle Miocene age of the included
arkose clast

Sonoma Volcanics (Pliocene and Miocene)—In the eastern part of the map area are a few outliers of the
large, young Sonoma Volcanic complex, the bulk of which lies farther east. The complex includes rhyolite,
dacite, andesite, and basalt tuff; glass; flow rock; pyroclasitic breccia; and intrusives that were probably derived
from several eruptive centers; along with interbedded volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks. Radiometric ages from
the Sonoma Volcanics range from 2.9+ 0.2 Ma to 6.95+ 0.2 Ma (Fox , 1983; Fox and others, 1985a). The
Sonoma Volcanics, together with the Clear Lake Volcanics, Donnell Ranch volcanics of Youngman (1989), and
Burdell Mountain volcanics of Blake and others (2000), are thought to have formed as part of the northward
younging series of volcanic centers related to initiation of the San Andreas Fault system (Fox and others,
1985b). For more about the Sonoma Volcanics, see Fox (1983) and Sarna-Wojcicki (1976). In the map area,
the Sonoma Volcanics are divided into:
Tsa Andesite—Plagioclase and plagioclase-hornblende porphyry andesite flow rock. Also includes minor
plagioclase-quartz porphyry dacite flow rock
Tsb Basalt—Plagioclase porphyry basalt flow rock. Also includes minor vesicular andesite flow rock and
volcanoclastic conglomerate

Twg Wilson Grove Formation (late Pliocene to late Miocene)—Mostly massive or thick-bedded, buff-
weathering, light-gray, fine-grained quartz-lithic arenite. Also locally includes beds of mollusk- and gastropod-
shell hash, pebble to boulder conglomerate, and tuff. Fossils from the Wilson Grove Formation range in age
from late Miocene to late Pliocene (C. Powell, oral commun.; Travis, 1952; Naidu, 1999). The lower part of
the unit overlies and is interbedded with late Miocene and early Pliocene basalt flow rock (Tb). At least part of
the Wilson Grove Formation is probably the marine equivalent of the estuarine sand and gravel of Cotati and the
alluvial Petaluma Formation. A distinctive tuff marker is distinguished locally:
Twgt Tuff (late Miocene)—White, water-lain tuff and pumice breccia. Informally named Roblar tuff by Sarna-
Wojcicki (1992), this tuff has yielded K/Ar ages ranging from 5.68+ 0.68 to 6.26+ 0.1 (Bartow and others, 1973;
Sarna-Wojcicki, 1976; Fox and others, 1985a)

Tc Sand and gravel of Cotati (Pliocene and late Miocene)—Thick-bedded to massive, white quartz arenite,
buff-weathering siltstone, and pebble conglomerate. Coarse clasts include varicolored chert; gray or brown
17
 laminated chert; red, gray, and white quartz- and plagioclase-porphyry volcanics; black basalt; blueschist;
graywacke; greenstone; quartz; and black hornfels. Locally present within the sandstone beds are estuarine
mollusk, crustacean, and gastropod fossils. The laminated chert clasts may be derived from middle Miocene
Monterey or Claremont Formation cherts (Fox, 1983), although the nearest outcrop of these units is several
tens of kilometers to the southeast. However, offset on the Hayward-Rodgers Creek/Healdsburg and the
Hayward-Tolay/Petaluma River Faults have probably moved the sand and gravel of Cotati and Wilson Grove
Formation about 60 km from the southeast since deposition of the sand and gravel of Cotati. The sand and
gravel of Cotati overlies and is interbedded with late Miocene and early Pliocene basalt flow rock (Tb), overlies
the rhyolite intrusive breccia of the Donnell Ranch volcanics of Youngman (1989; Tdb ), and interfingers on the
west with the marine Wilson Grove Formation. The age of the sand and gravel of Cotati is not as well
constrained as that of the Wilson Grove Formation, but must postdate the underlying Donnell Ranch volcanics
(Tdb , about 9.3 Ma) and include the age of interlayered basalt (Tb, 4.26±0.27 Ma). Because it interfingers with
the Wilson Grove Formation, we consider the sand and gravel of Cotati to be the estuarine equivalent of at least
part of the Wilson Grove Formation. The sand and gravel of Cotati is probably also the estuarine equivalent of
at least part of the alluvial Petaluma Formation. The sand and gravel of Cotati is in places indistinguishable
from the Petaluma Formation, although some beds may be distinguished by having estuarine fossils or by
having small, very spherical pebbles in conglomerate. Because the sand and gravel of Cotati is so similar in
places to the Petaluma Formation, we have mapped the boundary between the two units at the Petaluma Valley
Fault, which separates verifiable sand and gravel of Cotati outcrops from the main extent of Petaluma
Formation. However, the two formations probably interfingered during deposition, and therefore some of what
is mapped herein as sand and gravel of Cotati might actually be Petaluma Formation

Tp Petaluma Formation (Pliocene and late Miocene)—Only the northwesternmost part of the outcrop area of
this formation is within the map area (Two Rock quadrangle), although oil-well data show that it extends under
Santa Rosa Valley (D. Zigler, written commun.). Gray weathering, brown and green pebble- and cobble-
conglomerate, gritstone, lithic and quartz-lithic arenite, and mudstone. Coarse clasts include varicolored chert,
quartz- and plagioclase-porphyry rhyolite and andesite, vesicular andesite, laminated rhyolite, white tuff, basalt,
quartz, graywacke, greenstone, and laminated chert. Locally present within the sandstone and conglomerate are
land-mammal fossils, and lacustrine and estuarine ostracods (Liniecki-Laporte and Anderson, 1988) have been
found in the mudstone. Mammalian fossils originally described as late Pliocene (Stirton, 1939) are now known
to be late Miocene (late Hemphilian, McFadden, 1998). However, early Pliocene mammalian fossils have been
found elsewhere within the unit (early Blancan; Bartow and others, 1973; Davies, 1986). East of the map area,
the Petaluma Formation also includes a tuff bed correlated with Twgt (Sarna-Wojckici, 1976) and a layer of
basalt flow rock dated at 8.52±0.18 Ma (Fox and others, 1985a). The Petaluma Formation overlies and
interfingers with the Donnell Ranch volcanics of Youngman (1989) at its base (Fox, 1983; Youngman, 1989)
and is coeval with (and may interfinger with) the lower part of the Sonoma Volcanics at its top. It is probably
the nonmarine equivalent of the estuarine sand and gravel of Cotati and marine Wilson Grove Formation. As
described above, the sand and gravel of Cotati and the Petaluma Formation are in part indistinguishable, and
strata that include estuarine ostracods that were previously mapped as Petaluma Formation would be considered
by us to be interfingered sand and gravel of Cotati. The Petaluma Formation lies mostly east of the Petaluma
River Fault and has been offset about 35 km from the Wilson Grove and sand and gravel of Cotati west of the
fault. It has also been offset about 25 km by movement on the Rodgers Creek-Healdsburg Fault from its
original depositional position

Tb Undivided basalt (Pliocene and Miocene)—Black basalt, plagioclase porphyry basalt and andesite, and
vesicular basalt and andesite flow rock. In the map area, outcrops of Tb have yielded radiometric ages ranging
from 4.26±0.27 Ma to 7.83±0.29 Ma (Fox and others, 1985a). However, Tb also includes older basalt which is
intruded by Tdb . We correlate this older basalt with either an older part of the Donnell Ranch volcanics of
Youngman (1989) or the about 12 Ma Burdell Mountain volcanics of Blake and others (2000; the nearest
verified outcrop of Burdell Mountain volcanics is at Meecham Hill, Cotati quadrangle, just southeast of the map
area)

Tdb Donnell Ranch volcanics of Youngman, 1989 (Miocene)—Plagioclase-porphyry rhyolite pumice-tuff

vent breccia. This unit has yielded a K/Ar age of 9.36±0.38 Ma (A. Sarna-Wojcicki, written commun., 2000)
and is correlated with the Donnell Ranch volcanics of Youngman (1989) and the volcanics of Berkeley Hills,
18
 southeast of the map area, based on similar age and composition. It has been offset from these correlated
volcanics by movement on the Hayward-Petaluma River and Hayward-Rodgers Creek-Healdsburg Faults

Franciscan Complex

Coastal Belt

TKfss Sandstone (late Eocene to Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian)—Mostly massive, brown-weathering, dark-
green or gray, feldspathic and feldspathic-lithic wacke. Sandstone in places contains detrital biotite and (or) large
slate chips. This unit also locally includes disrupted, thin-bedded sandstone and blue-gray weathering, greenish-
gray or dark-gray shale or slate. Structural disruption ranges from shearing evident in the fine-grained beds to
dismemberment into lenses of sandstone (boudins) in a sheared shale matrix. The zeolite mineral laumontite is
visible in veins and shear zones throughout the unit. This unit has yielded Paleocene and Eocene palynomorphs
north of the map area (Bachman, 1978) and overlies middle Eocene to Late Cretaceous basalt and pelagic
limestone (Bachman, 1978; Sliter, 1984). The feldspathic-lithic part of the unit (not mapped separately) is
lithologically indistinguishable from TKfs and parts of Kfss

TKfgs Greenstone (middle Eocene to Late Cretaceous)—Orange-red weathering greenstone derived from pillow
and massive basalt and basalt breccia. Original rock texture (pillows, bedding) well preserved. Includes middle
Eocene to Late Cretaceous (Campanian to Maastrichtian) pelagic limestone locally. Depositionally underlies
TKfss

Coastal or Central Belt

TKfs Sandstone (late Eocene to Late Cretaceous, Turonian)—Mostly massive, brown- and orange-weathering,
green to gray feldpathic-lithic wacke. Contains detrital biotite and muscovite in places. Locally includes
disrupted thin beds of sandstone and dark-gray shale and slate. Laumontite is visible in veins and shear zones in
places. This unit lacks known fossils and other stratigraphic control and is lithologically indistinguishable from
TKfss and parts of Kfss

Central Belt

Kfss Sandstone (Late Cretaceous, Turonian to Campanian)—Massive to distinctly bedded, brown-weathering,

green, gray, or white, feldspathic and feldspathic-lithic wacke. In the Bodega Head quadrangle, this unit consists
of distinctly bedded white and gray, K-feldspar- and biotite-bearing feldspathic wacke and dark-gray shale.
Similar rocks south of the map area contain Late Cretaceous (Campanian) fossils (Bailey and others, 1964). In
the Lake Sonoma area (Warm Springs, Tombs Creek, and Bigfoot Mountain quadrangles), the unit consists of
massive to distinctly bedded, buff-weathering, gray, K-feldspar- and biotite-bearing feldspathic-lithic wacke,
pebbly wacke, and conglomerate, and dark-gray concretionary shale. Coarse clasts include graywacke, shale,
limestone (concretions, some fossiliferous), greenstone, and chert. The unit in this area overlies chert and
greenstone and has yielded a Late Cretaceous (Turonian) Inoceramus labiatus (Bailey and others, 1964). Other
than this fossil and the presence of chert, this unit is indistinguishable from TKfs and the feldspathic-lithic part
of TKfss. In the northeasternmost part of the area (Jimtown, Geyserville, Asti, The Geysers, and Highland
Springs quadrangles), this unit is composed of distinctly bedded, brown-weathering, greenish-gray, muscovite-
and K-feldspar-bearing feldspathic-lithic wacke and dark-gray, mica-bearing siltstone and slate. The sandstone in
this area has locally an incipient foliation (textural zone 2A of Jayko and others, 1986), bears muscovite instead
of biotite, and has not yielded age-diagnostic fossils but is otherwise similar to the wacke near Lake Sonoma as
well as TKfs and the feldspathic-lithic part of TKfss. These rocks are mapped as Kfss because of their structural
position east of Lake Sonoma

Kfg Greenstone (Late(?) Cretaceous)—Massive and pillowed greenstone, lacking evidence of metamorphism in
hand sample, and minor chert. This unit crops out in small lenses at the base of Late Cretaceous (Turonian)
sandstone in the Lake Sonoma area

19
Kfgwy Sandstone (Late and Early Cretaceous, Cenomanian and (or) late Albian)—Thick-bedded, buff-
weathering, gray lithic wacke and dark-gray shale. The unit locally includes lenses of pebble and cobble
conglomerate and pebbly sandstone and mudstone. Coarse clasts include basalt, diabase, gabbro, andesite,
varicolored chert, blueschist, and serpentinite. This unit overlies Cenomanian or late Albian chert (KJfc ), and
similar sandstones in Marin and San Francisco Counties (south of the map area) have yielded both Cenomanian
and Albian fossils. This unit is distinguished from other Cretaceous Franciscan Complex sandstones by the
large amount of lithic detritus and small amount of K-feldspar (0-6%). It is similar in composition to coherent
parts of KJfs, but differs by age and preserved depositional contact with chert

KJfgcs Greenstone, chert, and sandstone (Cretaceous and Jurassic)—Disrupted and interleaved graywacke
(Kfgwy), chert (KJfc ), and greenstone (Jfgs ). Individual rock bodies too small to show at map scale

KJfc Chert (Cretaceous and Jurassic)—Thin-bedded red chert with buff-weathering, dark-gray shale and slate
partings. Radiolarians from this unit range from Late or Early Cretaceous (Cenomanian or late Albian) to
Middle Jurassic (Bajocian; Murchey and Jones, 1984)

KJfgc Greenstone and chert (Cretaceous and Jurassic)—Disrupted and interleaved chert (KJfc ) and greenstone
(Jfgs ). Individual rock bodies too small and complicated to show at map scale. Minor amounts of graywacke
(Kfgwy) also present locally

KJfs Graywacke and mélange (Cretaceous and Jurassic)—Massive to distinctly bedded, brown-, orange-, and
white-weathering, green to gray, lithic wacke and dark-gray or black siltstone, shale, and slate, grading into
mélange consisting of sheared argillite and graywacke matrix enclosing blocks and lenses of sedimentary,
metamorphic, and volcanic rocks (see fsr below for a more complete description of mélange). Because contacts
between coherent graywacke and mélange are gradational (derived from different amounts of shearing) and because
of the size and amount of cover in the map area, it was not possible in this study to differentiate everywhere
between coherent graywacke and mélange. Where observed, coherent graywacke masses within the unit are
indicated by a green hachure, while large observed blocks that are too small to map at 1:100,000 scale are
indicated by diamonds (high-grade) and triangles (low-grade), and structural bodies known to be comprised
primarily of mélange are mapped separately (fsr ). Coherent graywacke bodies also locally include conglomerate,
pebbly sandstone, and rare thin beds of red and white chert. Coarse clasts include black chert, quartzite, hornfels,
granite, rhyolite, lithic wacke, blueschist, greenstone, green chert, marble, amphibolite, and quartz-mica schist.
In many places, the graywacke contains conspicuous large chips of black and green shale. Coherent sedimentary
rocks range from completely unfoliated to moderately foliated (Textural Zones 1-2A of Jayko and others, 1986).
Late Jurassic (Tithonian) fossils have been found in both the coherent graywacke and the mélange matrix (Bailey
and others, 1964; D.L. Jones, written commun.). Interbedded chert from the Asti quadrangle has been sampled,
but not yet processed for microfossils. Interbedded chert in similar coherent graywacke in Marin County has
yielded Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous microfossils (Murchey and Jones, 1984). Chert pebbles from
conglomerate have yielded Late Triassic to Early Jurassic microfossils (Seiders and Blome, 1984). Graywacke in
this unit is distinguished from most other Franciscan Complex graywacke by its high lithic content. It is
similar in composition to Kfgwy but is significantly older, is in places more foliated, and lacks the
depositionally underlying sequence of chert (KJfc ) and greenstone (Jfgs )

fsr Mélange—Sheared argillite, graywacke, and minor green tuff matrix enclosing blocks and lenses of graywacke,
chert, metachert, greenstone, serpentinite, silica-carbonate rock, blueschist (metasediment and metabasalt),
eclogite, amphibolite, limestone, and quartz-mica schist. Enclosed blocks and lenses range in size from pebbles
to several hundred meters. The matrix graywacke has yielded Late Jurassic (Tithonian) fossils. It is identical in
age and composition to coherent graywacke in unit KJfs, and is probably derived from tectonic dismemberment
of that unit. High-grade blocks in the map area have yielded metamorphic ages of about 138-150 Ma (K/Ar;
Kelley, 1982; Lee and others, 1964), similar to the age of Cazadero terrane blueschists. Chert blocks from the
map area have been sampled but not yet analyzed for microfossils. Chert blocks in Marin County south of the
map area are almost all similar to coherent chert of the Marin Headlands terrane (Murchey and Jones, 1984).
Mélange blocks are probably derived from tectonic detachment of pieces of surrounding coherent Franciscan and
Great Valley complex terranes. Blocks about 5-50 m. in size are shown where recognized by diamonds (high-

20
 grade metamorphic rocks) and triangles (low-grade and unmetamorphosed rocks), whereas the largest mélange
blocks are mapped as separate units:
gs Greenstone block—Includes massive and pillowed greenstone and basalt. Also locally includes greenstone
and basalt breccia and diabase
ch Chert block—Includes massive and thinly bedded red, green, and white chert and metachert
gwy Graywacke block
m High-grade metamorphic rock block—Includes blueschist metabasalt and metasediment, amphibolite,
eclogite, and quartz-mica schist
sp Serpentinite block

Jfgs Greenstone (Jurassic)—Massive and pillowed basalt metamorphosed to greenstone. Amygdaloidal in places.
Geochemical analysis suggests that these rocks originated as MORB, and paleomagnetic analysis suggests a near
equatorial origin (Hagstrum and Murchey, 1993). This unit depositionally underlies chert (KJfc ), and therefore
predates Middle Jurassic chert deposition.

Eastern Belt

KJfm Metagraywacke (Cretaceous and Jurassic)—Blueschist facies metagraywacke. In the map area, this unit
mostly consists of brown-weathering, blue, schistose (textural zone 2B-3A of Jayko and others, 1986), white-
mica- and glaucophane-bearing metagraywacke. These rocks crop out both as a large coherent belt in the central
part of the map area (the Skaggs Springs schist of Wakabayashi [1992b]), a much smaller coherent body in the
Cazadero and Fort Ross quadrangles, and small slabs and lenses within mélange (fsr ) in the Healdsburg,
Jimtown, and Geyserville quadrangles. The Skaggs Springs schist has yielded an Ar/Ar metamorphic age of
about 141 Ma (Wakabayashi, 1999a). This unit also includes the northernmost tip of a belt of brown-
weathering, gray, foliated (textural zone 2A of Jayko and others, 1986), jadeite-bearing metagraywacke in the
Two Rock quadrangle. Similar jadeite-bearing metagraywacke elsewhere in the Coast Ranges has yielded
radiometric metamorphic ages of 90-110 Ma (Wakabayashi, 1999a; Mattinson and Echevarria, 1980) and has
yielded Late Jurassic (Tithonian) fossils

KJfmg Metabasalt (Cretaceous and Jurassic)—Blueschist facies metabasalt. In the map area, this unit consists of
medium-grade (Type III), blue and green, glaucophane-epidote-garnet-sphene-bearing, foliated metabasalt (the
Ward Creek schist of Coleman and Lee, 1963) and lower grade (Type II), green, glaucophane-muscovite-
lawsonite-sphene-bearing, nonfoliated metabasalt. Type III metabasalt is interlayered with pink, green, brown,
or blue metachert, dark-brown or bluish-black metashale and metaironstone, and white, aragonite-bearing
metacarbonate. The original textures (pillows, vesicles, amygdules) are generally preserved in Type II
metabasalt, but are mostly obliterated in Type III. The contact between Type II and III metabasalts is
gradational. In some structural blocks, Type II metabasalt grades into Type I greenstone, which lacks
blueschist-facies metamorphic minerals, but Type III metabasalt does not crop out in those areas. Structural
blocks containing Type II and III metabasalt are indicated on the map by a black hachured pattern, whereas those
blocks containing only Type I and II metabasalt are unhachured. Geochemical analysis of the higher grade part
of the unit suggests it was derived from a seamount (Coleman and Lee, 1963) that was subducted to a maximum
depth of about 20 km (P=9.5-12 kb, T=360-380°C; Maruyama and Liou, 1988; Moore and Blake, 1989; Oh,
1990; Oh and others, 1991). Type III metashale has yielded K/Ar metamorphic ages of 130-135 Ma (Lee and
others, 1964), and Ward Creek metabasalt (presumably Type III) has yielded an Ar/Ar metamorphic age of
142.6±0.5 Ma (Wakabayashi and Deino, 1989). Other reported metamorphic ages for higher grade (type not
specified) rocks of this unit are 135±7 Ma to 150±7.5 Ma (K/Ar; Coleman and Lanphere, 1971), 130-140 Ma
(Ar/Ar, K/Ar; Wakabayashi, 1999a), and 133.1±6.7 to 153.6±7.7 Ma (K/Ar, Rb/Sr; Kelley, 1982)

Great Valley complex

KJgv Sandstone, shale, and conglomerate (Early Cretaceous and Late Jurassic)—Distinctly bedded,
brown-weathering, dark-gray to white, biotite- and muscovite-lithic wacke and siltstone, dark-gray siltstone and
shale, and pebble to boulder conglomerate. Coarse clasts include quartz- and plagioclase-porphyry volcanics,
granitic rocks, gray rhyolite tuff, and chert. Sparse Late Jurassic (Tithonian) and Early Cretaceous (Valanginian)
molluscan fossils have been found throughout the unit west of the Maacama Fault (Bailey and others, 1964;
21
 Travis, 1952; Christensen, 1973; Gealey, 1951), whereas east of the Maacama Fault the strata have yielded
Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Barremian) fossils (McLaughlin and Ohlin, 1984; D.L Jones, written commun.).
Largely subdivided into:
KJgvs Sandstone, siltstone, and shale
KJgvc Conglomerate
Jk Knoxville Formation (Late Jurassic)—Distinctly-bedded black shale and thin beds of biotite-lithic wacke
that contain only Late Jurassic fossils. Mapped only in the Camp Meeker quadrangle

Jsv Keratophyre and quartz keratophyre tuff (Late Jurassic)—This unit is only mapped in one small area in
Camp Meeker quadrangle. Highly altered, distinctly bedded, red, green, and white intermediate and silicic tuff.
Feldspars are almost all replaced by albite. Contains Late Jurassic (Tithonian) radiolarians and bright green
celadonite crystals. Probably correlative with tuff of the Lotta Creek Formation of the western San Joaquin
Valley hundreds of kilometers southeast of the map area. This unit also includes minor amounts of augite-
porphyry breccia. These rocks are probably the altered remnants of tuff and volcanic detritus derived from a
volcanic arc and deposited on the Coast Range ophiolite. The presence of Lotta Creek Formation tuff here is
indicative of the large amounts of fault offset experienced by the California Coast Ranges

Coast Range ophiolite (Late and Middle Jurassic)—Consists of:

Jv Mafic and intermediate volcanic rocks—Mostly massive basalt, also includes amygduloidal and
plagioclase-porphyry basalt, pillow basalt, diabase, keratophyre, and amygduloidal and plagioclase-hornblende-
porphyry andesite. Coast Range ophiolite volcanic rocks are distinguished from Franciscan Complex volcanic
rocks by lack of metamorphism and alteration, by association with intrusive rocks, and by lack of associated
ribbon chert.
Jd Mafic and intermediate intrusive rocks—Diabase, gabbro, and diorite. Also includes minor intrusive
keratophyre. The Franciscan Complex terranes contain very few outcrops of intrusive rocks, especially plutonic
rocks like gabbro and diorite, so presence of this unit is indicative of Coast Range ophiolite affinity
Ju Ultramafic rocks—Peridotite and pyroxenite. More or less serpentinized, but rocks of this unit generally
maintain relic plutonic fabric (bastite).
sp Serpentinite—Mainly sheared serpentinite, but also includes massive serpentinized harzburgite. In places,
pervasively altered to:
sc Silica carbonate rock
spm Serpentinite matrix mélange—Sheared meta-serpentinite containing large blocks and lenses (as much as 10
m. or more in diameter) of high-grade metamorphic rocks, graywacke, and greenstone. Only large lenses are
mapped. In the eastern part of the Warm Springs Dam quadrangle, serpentinite, greenstone, and blueschist are
tightly interleaved at outcrop scale

ROCKS WEST OF AND WITHIN THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT ZONE

Tsm Sandstone and mudstone of the Fort Ross area (early Miocene)—Gray-white, K-feldspar-bearing
arkose overlain by black, somewhat fissile clayey siltstone. The sandstone is interbedded with black mudstone.
The siltstone contains thin beds and laminae of fine-grained sandstone and has yielded fish scales and early
Miocene (Saucesian) foraminifers (Wentworth, 1967)

Great Valley(?) complex

Tg German Rancho Formation of Wentworth and others (1998b) (Eocene and Paleocene)—Distinctly
bedded, fine- to medium-grained, K-feldspar-bearing feldspathic arenite, mudstone, and conglomerate. Coarse
clasts consist mostly of granitic rocks, amphibolite, schist, gneiss, quartzite, and porphyry volcanics. Eocene
and Paleocene fossils have been collected from many places in the unit (for a recent discussion, see Wentworth
and others, 1998b; Elder and others, 1998; McDougall, 1998), although the Paleocene section occurs only south
of Black Point. North of Black Point, the base of the unit is marked by red and green mudstone yielding early
Eocene microfossils (Wentworth and others, 1998b; McDougall, 1998) and the Paleocene section is missing.
This absence is attributed by Wentworth and others (1998b) to attenuation faulting
22
TKu Undifferentiated German Rancho and Gualala Formations (Eocene to Late Cretaceous)—Because
of poor exposure, fault offset, lack of fossil age control, and similarity of lithologies, it has not been possible
to differentiate between these two formations in a fault bounded sliver just west of the San Andreas Fault Zone
(Stewarts Point, Annapolis, and Plantation quadrangles). Outcrops of this unit are primarily deeply weathered
arkose

Gualala Formation of Wentworth and others (1998b) (Late Cretaceous and Paleocene?)—In the
map area, everywhere divided into:
Ka Anchor Bay member—Greenish-gray, fine- to medium-grained, plagioclase-bearing feldspathic arenite and
mafic-clast pebble to boulder conglomerate. Laumontite veins are found throughout the sandstone. Coarse
clasts include mostly basalt, diabase, gabbro, diorite, quartz diorite, and andesite, although pyroxenite is locally
present in boulder conglomerate. Molluscan fossils of Late Cretaceous age have been found throughout the
member (Elder and others, 1998), but foraminifers of Late Cretaceous to late Paleocene age have been found in
the same section, interleaved both with each other and with Late Cretaceous molluscan fossils (Wentworth and
others, 1998b; McDougall, 1998). This apparent conflict is still unresolved
Ks Stewarts Point member—Gray, fine- to medium-grained, K-feldspar and plagioclase-bearing feldspathic
arenite and conglomerate. Coarse clasts include porphyry volcanics and granitic rocks. This unit has yielded
Late Cretaceous (late Campanian or younger) molluscan fossils and foraminifers (Wentworth and others, 1998b;
McDougall, 1998; Elder and others, 1998)

KJsb Spilite near Black Point of Wentworth and others (1998b) (Cretaceous? or Jurassic?)—Massive
to pillowed basalt flows and sheeted diabase sills, metamorphosed to low-grade greenschist facies (albite-chlorite-
clinozoisite; Phillips and others, 1998). Wentworth and others (1998b) correlate this unit with the Coast Range
ophiolite, but the geochemical studies of Phillips and others (1998) suggest a back-arc magmatic affinity, which
differs from the Coast Range ophiolite (fore-arc affinity). Jachens and others (1998) correlate the positive
magnetic anomaly related to this unit with that related to the Logan gabbro in San Mateo County to the south
(offset by the San Andreas/San Gregorio Fault Zone), but there is no unequivocal match between any strata in
the area underlain by Logan gabbro and strata underlain by this unit. This unit was originally assigned to the
Cretaceous (Wentworth, 1967), but no direct evidence is available and both correlated mafic bodies are Jurassic
(James and others, 1993; Blake and others, 1992; Hagstrum, 1997; Hopson and others, 1997)

Salinian complex

Kgr Quartz diorite of Bodega Head (Cretaceous)—White or gray, hornblende-biotite quartz diorite. Includes
intermediate and felsic, fine-grained to pegmatitic dikes and pods. Plagioclase- and K-feldspar-porphyry quartz
diorite present locally. This unit has yielded a Rb/Sr age of 80-92 Ma (Kistler and Champion, 1991)
Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge our many colleagues at the U.S. Geological Survey, University of California, and Stanford
University for their many contributions over the years.
We are grateful to the following U.S. Geological Survey paleontologists who have examined our fossils and
provided ages necessary to establish the stratigraphic sequence and structure: David Bukry (Cretaceous and Tertiary
nannoplankton), Kristin McDougall (Tertiary foraminifers), William Sliter (Cretaceous and Eocene foraminifers), John Barron
(Tertiary diatoms), Charles Powell, II (Tertiary mollusks), and Bonita Murchey (Mesozoic radiolaria).
We are also very grateful to managers and staff of Chevron, EXXON, UNOCAL, ARCO, and Shell Petroleum
Companies who have provided reports, maps, picked slides, and residues for about 25,000 microfossil localities in the San
Francisco Bay Region.
Finally, we are indebted to C.M. Wentworth, W.P. Irwin, and E.E. Brabb of the USGS and D.L. Jones of the
University of California for their thorough reviews of the manuscript for this report, as well as C.L. Powell, II, for his
review of stratigraphic nomenclature, Z.C. Valin for his review of the digital database, and J.L. Zigler for her thorough map
and manuscript edit.

23
Digital Publication and Database Description

Introduction accompanying text (available as digital files wsomf.txt,

wsomf.pdf, or wsomf.ps), it provides current information
This publication includes, in addition to cartographic and on the geologic structure and stratigraphy of the map area.
text products, geospatial (GIS) databases and other digital The database delineates map units that are identified by
files. These files are published on the Internet through the general age and lithology following the stratigraphic
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) web sites. The database nomenclature of the USGS. The scale of the source maps
files are particularly useful because they can be combined limits the spatial resolution (scale) of the database to
with any type of other geospatial data for purposes of 1:62,500 or smaller. The content and character of the
display and analysis. The other files include digital files database, as well as two methods of obtaining the
that support the databases, and digital plot files that can be database, are described below.
used to display and print the cartographic and text products
included in this publication. For those who don't use digital geologic map
Following is the digital publication and database databases
description. It contains information about the content and
format of the digital geospatial databases used to create For those interested in the geology of the mapped area
this digital geologic map publication. This who do not use an ARC/INFO compatible Geographic
information is not necessary to use or Information System (GIS), we have provided two sets of
understand the geologic information in the plotfiles containing images of much of the information in
map and preceding geologic description. The the database. Each set contains an image of a 1:100,000
digital publication and database description contains scale geologic map sheet and explanation and an
information primarily useful for those who intend to use explanatory pamphlet. There is a set of images in
the geospatial databases. However, it also contains PostScript format and another in Adobe Acrobat PDF
information about how to get digital plot files of the map format (see the sections “PostScript plot files” and “PDF
and geologic pamphlet via the Internet, as well as plot files” below).
information about how the map sheet and pamphlet were Those interested who have computer capability
created, and information about getting copies of the map can access the plot file packages in either of the two ways
sheet and text from the USGS. described below (see the section “Obtaining the digital
In addition, in 1999, the USGS adopted policies database and plotfile packages”). However, it should be
regarding revision of publications, introducing the concept noted the plot file packages do require gzip and TAR
of version numbers similar to those used in the computer utilities to access the plot files. Therefore additional
industry. See the section called “Revisions and version software, available free on the Internet, may be required to
numbers” for information about the version system and use the plot files (see section “Tar files”).
about how to access a revision list explaining changes Those without computer capability can obtain
from version 1.0, if any have been made. plots of the map files through USGS plot-on-demand
The digital map database, compiled from service for digital geologic maps (see section “Obtaining
previously published and unpublished data and new plots from USGS Map On Demand Services”) or from a
mapping by the authors, represents the general commercial vendor (see section “Obtaining plots from a
distribution and orientation of bedrock and surficial commercial vendor”).
deposits in the mapped area. Together with the

MF-2402 Digital Contents

This report includes three digital packages. The first is the PostScript Plotfile Package, which consists of PostScript plot
files of a map sheet containing a geologic map and explanation and a pamphlet containing a geologic description. The second
is the PDF Plotfile Package, which contains the same plotfiles as the first package but in Portable Document Format (PDF).
The third is the Digital Database Package, which contains the geologic map database itself and the supporting data, including
base maps, map explanation, geologic description, and references.

24
Postscript plotfile package

This package contains the images described here in PostScript format (see below for more information on PostScript plot
files):

wsomap.ps A PostScript plotfile containing an image of the geologic map and base maps at a scale of
1:100,000 along with a map explanation including terrane map, index maps, and correlation chart

wsomf.ps A PostScript plotfile that contains an image of the pamphlet containing detailed unit descriptions
and geological information, a description of the digital files associated with the publication, plus
references cited

PDF plotfile package

This package contains the images described here in PDF format (see below for more information on PDF plot files):

wsomap.pdf A PDF file containing an image of the geologic map and base maps at a scale of 1:100,000, along
with a map explanation including terrane map, index maps, and correlation chart

wsomf.pdf A PDF file that contains an image of the pamphlet containing detailed unit descriptions and
geological information, a description of the digital files associated with the publication, plus
references cited

Digital database package

The database package includes geologic map database files for the map area. The digital maps, or coverages, along with their
associated INFO directory have been converted to uncompressed ARC/INFO export files. ARC export files promote ease of
data handling, and are usable by some Geographic Information Systems in addition to ARC/INFO (see below for a discussion
of working with export files). The ARC export files and the associated ARC/INFO coverages and directories, as well as the
additional digital material included in the database, are described below:

ARC/INFO Resultant Description of Coverage

export file Coverage
-------------- ----------- --------------------------------
wso-geol.e00 wso-geol/ Polygon and line coverage showing faults, depositional contacts, and rock units
in the map area

wso-strc.e00 wso-strc/ Point and annotation coverage showing strike and dip information

wso-blks.e00 wso-blks/ Point and annotation coverage showing location of high- and low-grade blocks in
Franciscan rock units

wso-grst.e00 wso-grst/ Polygon coverage showing areas of medium- to high-grade blueschist facies
metamorphism within unit KJfmg

wso-ss.e00 wso-ss/ Polygon coverage showing areas of coherent greywacke in unit KJfs (graywacke
and mélange)

The database package also includes the following ARC coverages and files:

ARC Coverages, which have been converted to uncompressed ARC/INFO export files

ARC/INFO Resultant Description of Coverage

export file Coverage
-------------- ----------- --------------------------------

25
wso-quad.e00 wso-quad/ Polygon, line, and annotation coverage showing index map of quadrangles in the
map area

wso-corr.e00 wso-corr/ Polygon, line, and annotation coverage of the correlation table for the units in
this map database. This database is not geospatial

wso-so.e00 wso-so/ Polygon, line, and annotation coverage showing sources of data index map for
this map database

wso-terr.e00 wso-terr/ Polygon and line coverage of the index map of tectonostratigraphic terranes in
the map area (terranes are described above)

wso-xsl.e00 wso-xsl/ Line and annotation coverage of the cross-section line A-A’

wso-xsa.e00 wso-xsa/ Polygon, line, and annotation coverage of SW- to NE-trending cross section.
Note: This coverage is NOT georeferenced

ASCII text files, including explanatory text, ARC/INFO key files, PostScript plot files, and an ARC Macro Language file
for conversion of ARC export files into ARC coverages

wsomf.ps A PostScript plotfile that contains an image of the pamphlet containing detailed unit descriptions
and geological information, a description of the digital files associated with the publication, plus
references cited

wsomf.pdf A PDF version of wsomf.ps

wsomf.txt A text-only file containing an unformatted version of wsomf.ps without figures

wsofig1.tif A TIFF file of figure 1 from wsomf.ps

wsoso.txt ASCII text-only file containing sources of data related to coverage wso-so

import.aml ASCII text file in ARC Macro Language to convert ARC export files
to ARC coverages in ARC/INFO

mf2402d.met A parsable text-only file of publication level FGDC metadata for this report

mf2402e.rev A text-only file describing revisions, if any, to this publication

The following supporting directory is not included in the database package but is produced in the process of reconverting the
export files into ARC coverages:

info/ INFO directory containing files supporting the databases

Tar files

The three data packages described above are stored in TAR (UNIX tape archive) files. A TAR utility is required to extract the
database from the TAR file. This utility is included in most UNIX systems and can be obtained free of charge over the
Internet from Internet Literacy's Common Internet File Formats Webpage (http://www.matisse.net/files/formats.html). All
TAR files have been compressed and may be uncompressed with gzip, which is available free of charge over the Internet via
links from the USGS Public Domain Software page (http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/doc/edchome/ndcdb/public.html). In
addition, several common proprietary freeware programs such as Stuffit Expander
(http://www.aladdinsys.com/expander/index.html) and shareware programs such as WinZip (http://www.winzip.com) can
handle both TAR file extraction and gzip uncompression. When the TAR file is uncompressed and the data is extracted from
26
the TAR file, a directory is produced that contains the data in the package as described above. The specifics of the TAR files
are listed below:

Name of Size of Directory Data package

compressed compressed produced when contained
TAR file TAR file extracted from
(uncompressed) TAR file
------------ --------------------- ---------------------- ----------------------------

mf2402a.tgz 5.9 MB (27.4 MB) wsops PostScript Plotfile Package

mf2402b.tgz 6.4 MB (6.5 MB) wsopdf PDF Plotfile Package

mf2402c.tgz 3.4 MB (33.7 MB) wsogeo Digital Database Package

PostScript plot files from the Internet. In addition, PDF files allow for
printing of portions of a map image on a printer smaller
For those interested in the geology of the map area who than that required to print the entire map without the
don't use an ARC/INFO compatible GIS system, and for purchase of expensive additional software. All PDF files
those who want a copy of the USGS format cartographic in this report have been created from PostScript plot files
product, we have included a separate data package with two using Adobe Acrobat Distiller. In test plots we have
PostScript plot files. One contains a color plot of the found that paper maps created with PDF files contain
geologic map at 1:100,000 scale, along with a terrane almost all the detail of maps created with PostScript plot
map, index maps, correlation chart, and map explanation files. We would, however, recommend that those users
(wsomap.ps). A second PostScript file (wsomf.ps) with the capability to print the large PostScript plot files
contains the geologic and digital publication description use them in preference to the PDF files.
and discussion (this pamphlet). To use PDF files, the user must get and install a
The PostScript images of the geologic maps and copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. This software is available
map explanation are 50 inches high by 34.5 inches wide, free from the Adobe website (http://www.adobe.com).
so it requires a large plotter to produce paper copies at the Please follow the instructions given at the website to
intended scale. In addition, some plotters, such as those download and install this software. Once installed, the
with continual paper feed from a roll, are oriented with the Acrobat Reader software contains an on-line manual and
long axis in the horizontal direction, so the PostScript tutorial.
image will have to be rotated 90 degrees to fit entirely There are two ways to use Acrobat Reader in
onto the page. Some plotters and plotter drivers, as well conjunction with the Internet. One is to use the PDF
as many graphics software packages, can perform this reader plug-in with your Internet browser. This allows for
rotation. The geologic description is on 8.5- by 11-inch interactive viewing of PDF file images within your
pages. browser. This is an easy way to quickly look at PDF
The PostScript plotfiles for maps were produced files without downloading them to your hard disk. The
by the ‘postscript’ command with compression set to zero second way is to download the PDF file to your local hard
in ARC/INFO version 7.1.1. The PostScript plotfiles for disk and then view the file with Acrobat Reader. We
pamphlets were produced in Microsoft Word 6.0 using the strongly recommend that large map images be
Destination PostScript File option from the Print handled by downloading to your hard disk,
command. because viewing them within an Internet browser tends to
be very slow.
PDF plot files To print a smaller portion of a PDF map image
using Acrobat Reader, it is necessary to cut out the
We have also included a second digital package containing portion desired using Acrobat Reader and the standard cut
PDF versions of the PostScript map sheet and pamphlet and paste tools for your platform and then to paste the
described above. Adobe Acrobat PDF (Portable Document portion of the image into a file generated by another
Format) files are similar to PostScript plot files in that software program that can handle images. Most word
they contain all the information needed to produce a paper processors (such as Microsoft Word) will suffice. The
copy of a map or pamphlet and they are platform new file can then be printed. Image conversion in the cut
independent. Their principal advantage is that they require and paste process, as well as changes in the scale of the
less memory to store and are therefore quicker to download map image, may result in loss of image quality.
27
However, test plots have proven adequate. Superior
quality can be obtained by using image processing Obtaining plots from a commercial vendor
software that can open PDF files (like Adobe Photoshop
Elements) to crop and print a portion of the map. Those interested in the geologic map, but who use neither
a computer nor the Internet, can still obtain the
Obtaining the Digital Database and Plotfile information. Many vendors can download the plotfiles via
Packages the Internet. Important information regarding file formats
is included in the sections “Tar files,” "PostScript plot
The digital data can be obtained in either of two ways files," and “PDF plot files” above, so be certain to provide
listed below: a copy of this document to your vendor.

a. Western Region Geologic Publication Web

Page Obtaining plots from USGS Map On Demand
b. Anonymous ftp over the Internet Services

To obtain TAR files of database or plotfile packages from The USGS provides a plot-on-demand service for map
the USGS web pages files, such as those described in this report, through Map
On Demand Services. In order to obtain plots, contact
The USGS now supports a set of graphical pages on the Map On Demand Services:
World Wide Web. Digital publications (including this
one) can be accessed via these pages. The location of the U.S. Geological Survey
main Web page for the entire USGS follows: Information Services
Box 25286
http://www.usgs.gov Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225-0046
The Web server for digital publications from the Western
Region is: (303) 202-4200
1-800-ASK-USGS
http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov
FAX: (303) 202-4695
To access this publication directly, go to the following:
e-mail: infoservices@usgs.gov
http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/map-mf/mf2402
Be sure to include with your request the MF report
Besides providing easy access to the entire digital database, number.
the Western Region Web page also affords easy access to
the PostScript and PDF plot files for those who do not Revisions and version numbers
use digital databases (see below).
From time to time, new information and mapping, or
To obtain TAR files of database or plotfile packages by other improvements, will be integrated into this
ftp publication. Rather than releasing an entirely new
publication, the USGS has adopted a policy of using
The files in this report are stored on the USGS Western version numbers similar to those used in the computer
Region FTP server. The Internet ftp address of this server industry. The original version will be labeled Version
is: 1.0. Subsequent small revisions will be denoted by the
increase of the numeral after the decimal, while large
ftp://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov changes will be denoted by increasing the numeral before
the decimal. Information about the changes, if any, that
The user should log in with the user name ‘anonymous’ have been made since the release of Version 1.0 will be
and then input an e-mail address as the password. This listed in the publication revision file. This file will be
will give the user access to all the publications available available at the publication web site (see above) and also
via ftp from this server. will be included in the digital database package. A
simplified version of the revision list will be included in
The files in this report are stored in the subdirectory: the publication metadata.
pub/map-mf/mf2402
28
Digital database format coordinates with digital tics placed by hand at quadrangle
corners. The scanned lines were edited interactively by
The databases in this report were compiled in ARC/INFO, hand using ALACARTE, color boundaries were tagged as
a commercial Geographic Information System appropriate, and scanning artifacts visible at 1:24,000
(Environmental Systems Research Institute [ESRI], were removed.
Redlands, California), with version 3.0 of the menu
interface ALACARTE (Fitzgibbon and Wentworth, 1991; Base maps
Fitzgibbon, 1991; Wentworth and Fitzgibbon, 1991).
The files are in either GRID (ARC/INFO raster data) Base map layers were derived from published digital maps
format or COVERAGE (ARC/INFO vector data) format. (Aitken, 1997) obtained from the USGS Geologic
Coverages are stored in uncompressed ARC export format Division Website for the Western Region
(ARC/INFO version 7). ARC/INFO export files (files (http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov). Please see the website for
with the .e00 extension) can be converted into ARC/INFO more detailed information about the original databases.
coverages in ARC/INFO (see below) and can be read by Because the base map digital files are already available at
some other Geographic Information Systems, such as the website mentioned above, they are not included in the
MapInfo via ArcLink and ESRI's ArcView (version 1.0 digital database package.
for Windows 3.1 to 3.11 is available for free from ESRI's
web site: http://www.esri.com). The digital compilation Faults and landslides
was done in version 7.1.2 of ARC/INFO with version 3.0
of the menu interface ALACARTE (Fitzgibbon and This map is intended to be of general use to engineers and
Wentworth, 1991; Fitzgibbon, 1991; Wentworth and land-use planners. However, its small scale does not
Fitzgibbon, 1991). provide sufficient detail for site development purposes. In
addition, this map does not take the place of fault-rupture
Converting ARC export files hazard zones designated by the California State Geologist
(Hart and Bryant, 1999). Similarly, because only some of
ARC export files are converted to ARC coverages using the landslides in the mapped area are shown, the database
the ARC command IMPORT with the option COVER. cannot be used to completely identify or delineate
To ease conversion and maintain naming conventions, we landslides in the region. For a more complete depiction of
have included an ASCII text file in ARC Macro Language landslide distribution, see Nilsen and others (1979), Ellen
that will convert all of the export files in the database into and others (1997), and Wentworth and others (1997).
coverages and create the associated INFO directory. From
the ARC command line type: Spatial resolution

Arc: &run import.aml Uses of this digital geologic map should not violate the
spatial resolution of the data. Although the digital form
ARC export files can also be read by some other of the data removes the constraint imposed by the scale of
Geographic Information Systems. Please consult your a paper map, the detail and accuracy inherent in map scale
GIS documentation to see if you can use ARC export files are also present in the digital data. The fact that this
and the procedure to import them. database was edited at a scale of 1:62,500 means that
higher resolution information is not present in the dataset.
Digital compilation Plotting at scales larger than 1:62,500 will not yield
greater real detail, although it may reveal fine-scale
The geologic map information was digitized from stable irregularities below the intended resolution of the database.
originals of the geologic maps at 1:62,500 scale. The Similarly, where this database is used in combination
author manuscripts (pen on mylar) were scanned using an with other data of higher resolution, the resolution of the
Altek monochrome scanner with a resolution of 800 dots combined output will be limited by the lower resolution
per inch. The scanned images were vectorized and of these data.
transformed from scanner coordinates to projection

29
Database specifics

What follows is a brief and simple description of the main databases included in this report and the data in them. For a
comprehensive look at the database structure and content, please see the FGDC Metadata file, mf2402d.met, included in the
database package and available separately at the publication web page.
The map databases consist of ARC coverages and supporting INFO files, which are stored in a Universal Transverse
Mercator (UTM) projection (table 1). Digital tics define a 2.5 minute grid of latitude and longitude in the geologic coverages
corresponding with quadrangle corners and internal tics. Note that coverage wso-xsa/ is not georeferenced.

Table 1. Map Projection File

The maps are stored in UTM projection. The following is an annotated projection file of the type used in Arc/Info.

PROJECTION UTM
UNITS METERS
ZONE 10
SPHEROID CLARKE1866
DATUM NAD27
PARAMETERS
END

The content of the geologic database can be described in terms of the lines, points, and areas that compose the map. Each
line, point, or area in a map layer or index map database (coverage) is associated with a database entry stored in a feature
attribute table. Each database entry contains both a number of items generated by Arc/Info to describe the geometry of the
line, point, or area and one or more items defined by the authors to describe the geologic information associated with that
entry. Each item is defined as to the amount and type of information that can be recorded. Descriptions of the database items
use the terms explained in table 2.

Table 2. Field Definition Terms

ITEM NAME name of the database field (item)

WIDTH maximum number of digits or characters stored
OUTPUT output width
TYPE B-binary integer, F-binary floating point number, I-ASCII integer, C-ASCII character string
N. DEC. number of decimal places maintained for floating point numbers

Because some of the database structure is similar for all coverages, some descriptions apply to all coverages in the
publication. In that case, the notation <coverage> has been used to indicate the description is valid for any included coverage.
The precise description for a particular coverage can be made by substituting the name of the coverage for <coverage>. For
example, <coverage>-ID means that the description is the same for every coverage. The specific notation for a single
coverage can be derived by replacing <coverage> with the coverage name (such as WSO-GEOL-ID for the coverage wso-geol).

Lines

The lines (arcs) are recorded as strings of vectors and are described in the arc attribute table (the format of the arc attribute table
is shown in table 3). They define the boundaries of the map units, the boundaries of open bodies of water, and the map
boundaries. These distinctions, including the geologic identities of the unit boundaries, are recorded in the LTYPE field
according to the line types listed in table 4.

30
Table 3. Content of the Arc Attribute Tables

ITEM NAME WIDTH OUTPUT TYPE N. DEC

FNODE# 4 5 B starting node of arc (from node)

TNODE# 4 5 B ending node of arc (to node)
LPOLY# 4 5 B polygon to the left of the arc
RPOLY# 4 5 B polygon to the right of the arc
LENGTH 4 12 F 3 length of arc in meters
<coverage># 4 5 B unique internal control number
<coverage>-ID 4 5 B unique identification number
LTYPE 35 35 C line type (see table 4)
FAULTNAME 35 35 C name of fault, if any, only in WSO-GEOL

Table 4. Line Types Recorded in the LTYPE Field

wso-geol and wso-terr wso-so and wso-quad

-------------------------------- --------------------------------
contact, approx. located leader
contact, certain map boundary
contact, concealed quad boundary
contact, concealed, queried water boundary
contact, inferred source, boundary
contact, inferred, queried
fault, active
fault, approx. located
fault, certain
fault, concealed
fault, concealed, queried
fault, inferred
fault, inferred, queried
map boundary,
reverse fault, approx. located
reverse fault, certain
reverse fault, concealed
scratch boundary
thrust fault, approx. located
water boundary,

Table 4a. Fault Names Recorded in the FAULTNAME Field

wso-geol ONLY
--------------------------------
Bloomfield Fault
Healdsburg Fault Zone
Maacama Fault Zone
Petaluma Valley Fault
San Andreas Fault Zone
Tolay Fault

Note, not every line type listed is present in every coverage. For example, wso-terr only has some of the fault types listed.

31
The geologic linetypes are ALACARTE line types that correlate with the geologic line symbols in the ALACARTE line set
GEOL.LIN according to the ALACARTE lines lookup table (GEOL.LUT). For more information on ALACARTE and its
linesets, see Wentworth and Fitzgibbon (1991).

Areas

Map units (polygons) are described in the polygon attribute table (the format of the polygon attribute table is shown in table
5). In the geologic coverages (wso-geol) and the correlation coverage (wso-corr), the identities of the map units from
compilation sources are recorded in the PTYPE field by map label (table 6). Map units are described more fully in the
accompanying text file. In other coverages, various areal information is recorded in the PTYPE field (data source region
number, assemblage number, terrane label, quadrangle name). Note that ARC/INFO coverages cannot contain both point and
polygon information, so only coverages with polygon information will have a polygon attribute table, and these coverages
will not have a point attribute table.

Table 5. Content of the Polygon Attribute Tables

ITEM NAME WIDTH OUTPUT TYPE N. DEC

AREA 4 12 F 3 area of polygon in square meters

PERIMETER 4 12 F 3 length of perimeter in meters
<coverage># 4 5 B unique internal control number
<coverage>-ID 4 5 B unique identification number
PTYPE 35 35 C unit label

Table 6. Unit labels (see also Description of Map Units)

Jd Kgr Tor
Jfgs Ks Torc
Jk QTge Tors
Jsv QTget Tp
Ju Qal Tp?
Jv Qls Tsa
KJfc Qm Tsb
KJfgc Qob Tsm
KJfgcs Qpoaf Twg
KJfm Qr Twgt
KJfmg Qs af
KJfs Qt ch
KJgv TKfgs fsr
KJgvc TKfs fsr?
KJgvs TKfss gs
KJsb TKu gwy
Ka Tb m
Kfg Tc sc
Kfgwy Tdb sp
Kfss Tg spm
Tls water

Note, not every unit label listed is present in every coverage. For example, queried units are not present in the Correlation of
Map Units coverage (wso-corr).

32
Points

Data gathered at a single locality (points) are described in the point attribute table (the format of the point attribute table is
shown in table 7). The identities of the points from compilation sources are recorded in the PTTYPE field by map label
(tables 8, 9). Note that ARC/INFO coverages cannot contain both point and polygon information, so only coverages with
point information will have a point attribute table, and these coverages will not have a polygon attribute table.

Table 7. Content of the Point Attribute Tables

ITEM NAME WIDTH OUTPUT TYPE N. DEC

AREA 4 12 F 3 area of polygon in square meters

PERIMETER 4 12 F 3 length of perimeter in meters
<coverage># 4 5 B unique internal control number
<coverage>-ID 4 5 B unique identification number
PTTYPE 35 35 C unit label
DIP 3 3 I dip of bedding or foliation (structure
coverage only)
STRIKE 3 3 I strike of bedding or foliation (structure
coverage only)

Table 8. Point Types Recorded in the PTTYPE Field for structure coverage (wso-strc)

wso-strc
-----------------------------
approx bedding
bedding
bedding w/tops
crumpled bedding
flat bedding
foliation
foliation and bedding
ot bedding
ot bedding estimated from afar
vert bedding
vert foliation and bedding
vert joint

The geologic point types in the structure coverage are ALACARTE point types that correlate with the geologic point
symbols in the ALACARTE point set ALCGEOL.MRK according to the ALACARTE point lookup table. For more
information on ALACARTE and its pointsets, see Wentworth and Fitzgibbon (1991). The point types in the block coverage
(wso-blks) indicate specific rock types as listed in table 8a.

33
Table 8a. Block Types Recorded in the PTTYPE field and their corresponding metamorphic grade as shown by symbol on
the map (wsomap.ps or wsomap.pdf)

wso-blks high/low grade wso-blks high/low grade

---------------------------------------- ------------------- ---------------------------------------- -------------------
bio qtz lith sandstone Low metagreenstone High
blsch metabasalt High metagreenstone and gneiss High
blueschist High metagreywacke High
blueschist? High mica schist High
chert Low mica-lithic wacke Low
chert breccia Low phyllite High
eclgte + blscht + bio schst High pillow greenstone Low
eclogite High plag porph andesite Low
foliated green lithic wacke High pyrite blueschist High
gar omph eclog w/blsch ovrprnt High red chert Low
garnet blueschist High red chert breccia w/rads Low
green chert w/rads Low red chert w/rads Low
green ribbon chert w/rads Low red limestone Low
greenstone Low red ribbon chert Low
greenstone and metachert Low red ribbon chert w/rads Low
greenstone and metatuff Low ribbon chert Low
greenstone breccia Low ribbon chert and chert breccia Low
greenstone? Low schist High
greywacke Low schistose greenstone High
high grade block High serpentinite Low
high grade block? High sheared greywacke High
low grade block Low sheared arg w/sp + gs High
metachert High yellow chert-tuff breccia Low

34
References Cited

Aitken, D.S., 1997, A digital version of the 1970 U.S. Geological Survey topographic map of the San Francisco Bay region,
three sheets, 1:125,000 scale: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-500.
Bachman, S.B., 1978, A Cretaceous and early Tertiary subduction complex, Mendocino Coast, northern California: Los
Angeles, Pacific Section, Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Pacific Coast Paleogeography
Symposium, no. 2, p. 419-430.
Bailey, E.H., 1946, Geological map and sections of the Mayacamas quicksilver district, Sonoma, Lake, and Napa Counties,
California: California Journal of Mines and Geology, State Mineralogist’s Report, v. 42, no. 3, pl. 29, map scale
1:62,500.
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 Mines and Geology, Bull. 183, 177 p.
Bartow, J.A., 1985, Map showing Tertiary stratigraphy and structure of the northern San Joaquin Valley, California: U.S.
Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1761, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.
Bartow, J.A., Sarna-Wojcicki, A.M., Addicott, W.O., and Lajoie, K.R., 1973, Correlation of marine and continental Pliocene
deposits in northern California by tephrochronology: The American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 57,
no. 4, p. 769.
Bedrossian, T.L., 1981, Geology and slope stability in the West Sebastapol study area, Sonoma County, California:
California Division of Mines and Geology Open File Report 81-12, 45 p.
Behrman, P.G., 1978, Paleogeography and structural evolution of a middle Mesozoic volcanic arc-continental margin, Sierra
Nevada foothills, California: Berkeley, University of California, Ph.D. dissertation, 301 p.
Berkland, James, 1969, Geology of the Novato quadrangle (Marin County), California: San Jose, California, San Jose State
University, Masters thesis, 33 p.
Berkland, J.O., 1973, Rice Valley outlier – New sequence of Cretaceous-Paleocene strata in the northern Coast Ranges,
California: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 84, p. 2389-2406.
Blake, M.C., Jr., Graymer, R.W., and Jones, D.L., 2000, Digital geologic map and map database of parts of Marin, San
Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Sonoma Counties, California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field
Studies Map MF-2337, 29 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:62,500, 8 Arc/Info coverages [available on the World Wide Web at
http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/map-mf/mf2337].
Blake, M.C., Jr., Howell, D.G., and Jayko, A.S., 1984, Tectonostratigraphic terranes of the San Francisco Bay Region, in
Blake, M.C., ed., Franciscan Geology of Northern California: Pacific Section, Society of Economic Paleontologists and
Mineralogists, v. 43, p. 5-22.
Blake, M.C., Jr., Howell, D.G., and Jones, D.L., 1982, Preliminary tectonostratigraphic terrane map of California: U.S.
Geological Survey Open-File Report 82-593, 9 p., 3 sheets, scale 1: 750, 000.
Blake, M.C., Jr., Irwin, W.P., and Coleman, R.G., 1967, Upside-down metamorphic zonation, blueschist facies, along a
regional thrust in California and Oregon: U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 575C, p. 1-9.
Blake, M.C., Jr, Jayko, A.S., Murchey, B.L., and Jones, D.L., 1992, Formation and deformation of the Coast Range
Ophiolite and related rocks near Paskenta, California: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 76, no.
3, p. 417.
Blake, M.C., Jr., and Jones, D.L., 1974, Origin of Franciscan mélanges in northern California: Society of Economic
Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Special Paper No. 19, p. 255-263.
Blake, M.C., Jr., Smith, J.T., Wentworth, C.M., and Wright, R.H., 1971, Preliminary geologic map of western Sonoma
County and northernmost Marin County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 71-44, 5 sheets, scale
1:62,500.
Blake, M.C., Jr., and Wentworth, C.M., 1999, Structure and metamorphism of the Franciscan Complex, Mt. Hamilton area,
northern California: International Geology Review, v. 41, p. 417-424.
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 A - today
East
Middle to Late
West SIERRA NEVADA Jurassic
Continental
Arc Rocks
Pre-Nevadan
accreted rocks
COAST RANGES
Melones
GREAT VALLEY Fault
KJgv
Q
KJgv CR
CRO+
Fran+ CRO
O Kl T Nevadan accretionary prism
Ku
(Includes Middle to Late Jurassic island-
J arc rocks and turbidites and
older oceanic crust,
Franciscan Complex Ophiolite seamount rocks, pelagic
(highly magnetic) sediments, and high-grade Cretaceous
Ophiolite (CRO?) metamorphic rocks) Batholith

Pre-Nevadan
B - about 165 Ma Middle to Late Jurassic accreted rocks Middle to Late Jurassic
Island Arc Continental Arc
Franciscan
Complex,
Cazadero CRO
terrane Spreading Ridge

Older oceanic crust, seamount NORTH

rocks, pelagic sediments, and AMERICA
high-grade metamorphic rocks

Q Quaternary deposits
T Tertiary strata
Depositional or intrusive contact
Great Valley complex
KJgv Great Valley strata Fault
Ku Upper Cretaceous strata
Kl Lower Cretaceous strata Relative crustal movement
J Jurassic (Knoxville) strata
CRO Coast Range ophiolite

Fran Franciscan Complex

Figure 1. Schematic cross sections showing the observed and proposed original distribution of different major rock units that today underlie the
California Coast Ranges, Great Valley, and Sierra Nevada Foothills. Cross section A shows distribution today, B shows relative distribution about 165
Ma. Note the position of the Coast Range ophiolite relative to the Middle to Late Jurassic island arc rocks (including the Logtown Ridge, Gopher Ridge,
and Copper Hill volcanics) and the Middle to Late Jurassic continental arc rocks (including the Goddard terrane). The proposed model places the origin
of the Coast Range ophiolite in the forearc of an oceanic island arc over an east-dipping, ocean-ocean subduction zone outboard of the North American
subduction margin. The Coast Range ophiolite, island arc rocks, other older rocks, and overlying Late Jurassic turbidites were subsequently accreted to
North America during the Nevadan Orogeny, about 150 Ma. The boundary between Nevadan and pre-Nevadan accretionary bodies is currently formed
by the Melones Fault, a structure which remained active for several tens of millions of years after the Nevadan Orogeny. (Cross section A modified
from Jachens and others, 1995)
43