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14.1: Physiographic Overview of the Transverse Ranges Province

Geology of California · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-NC, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Location of the Transverse Ranges

    The Transverse Ranges Province is an east-west trending region in California that is adjacent to the San Andreas Fault System. This region is bounded by the Coast Ranges Province to the north, the Mojave Province to the east, and the Peninsular Ranges Province to the south; the San Andreas System runs through this region. To the west, this province extends offshore to include the northern Channel Islands, along with the submarine basins that separate them.

    Physiographic Features

    Fault-bounded east-west trending ranges are a distinctive feature of this region (Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). Pronounced and well-known ranges such as the San Bernardino, San Gabriel, Santa Monica, and Santa Ynez Mountains, as well as the northern Channel Islands are recreational destinations for many of those in southern California. Smaller east-west trending ranges create a visually stunning landscape and provide additional opportunities to study geologic exposures.

    Mountains and valleys of Southern California; access a description in the caption.
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Digital elevation model of the Transverse Ranges Province highlighting mountains and valleys of Southern California. The Transverse Ranges Province is encircled; Los Angeles is on the boundary between this province and the Peninsular Ranges Province to the south. "Southern California digital elevation map" by USGS is in the public domain. Access a detailed description.

    The east-west trending ranges in this province are separated by modern sedimentary basins, the larger of which are the Santa Barbara-Ventura-Soledad Basins and the Los Angeles Basin. Cenozoic sediments within these large subsurface basins are deformed and locally uplifted by recent (Pleistocene and younger) faulting such that their strata can be observed in outcrop as well as in drill cores. Sedimentary deposits within these basins preserve the history of basin development, erosion of adjacent ranges, and changes in sea level that impacted this region since the Mesozoic. Most of these basins host oil-bearing units, as seen by the abundance of oil drilling infrastructure throughout the region.

    Query \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    References

    1. Harden, D. R. (2004). California Geology. Pearson Prentice Hall.
    2. Norris, R. M., & Webb, R. W. (1976). Geology of California. Wiley.
    3. Wallace, R. E. (1990). The San Andreas Fault System, California US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1515. USGS.

    14.1: Physiographic Overview of the Transverse Ranges Province is shared under a CC BY-NC license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Martha House.