Faults--Offshore of Carpinteria, California

This part of SIM 3261 presents data for faults for the geologic and geomorphic map (see sheet 10, SIM 3261) of the Offshore of Carpinteria map area, California. The vector data file is included in "Faults_OffshoreCarpinteria.zip," which is accessible from http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/781/OffshoreCarpinteria/data_catalog_OffshoreCarpinteria.html.
This map area lies within the Western Transverse Ranges geologic province, which is north of the California Continental Borderland (Fisher and others, 2009). This province has undergone significant north-south compression since the Miocene, and recent GPS data suggest north-south shortening of about 6 to 10 mm/yr (Larson and Webb, 1992; Donnellan and others, 1993). The active, east-west-striking, north-dipping Pitas Point Fault (a broad zone that includes south-dipping reverse faults), Red Mountain Fault, and Rincon Creek Fault are some of the structures on which this shortening occurs (see, for example, Jackson and Yeats, 1982; Sorlien and others, 2000; Fisher and others, 2009). This fault system, in aggregate, extends for about 100 km through the Ventura and Santa Barbara Basins and represents an important earthquake hazard (see, for example, Fisher and others, 2009).
References Cited:
Donnellan, A., Hager, B.H., and King, R.W., 1993, Discrepancy between geologic and geodetic deformation rates in the Ventura basin: Nature, v. 346, p. 333-336.
Fisher, M.A., Sorlien, C.C., and Sliter, R.W., 2009, Potential earthquake faults offshore southern California from the eastern Santa Barbara channel to Dana Point, in Lee, H.J., and Normark, W.R., eds., Earth science in the urban ocean--The Southern California Continental Borderland: Geological Society of America Special Paper 454, p. 271-290.
Jackson, P.A., and Yeats, R.S., 1982, Structural evolution of Carpinteria basin, western Transverse Ranges, California: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 66, p. 805-829.
Larson, K.M., and Webb, F.H., 1992, Deformation in the Santa Barbara Channel from GPS measurements 1987-1991: Geophysical News Letters, v. 19, p. 1,491-1,494.
Sorlien, C.C., Gratier, J.P., Luyendyk, B.P., Hornafius, J.S., and Hopps, T.E., 2000, Map restoration of folded and faulted late Cenozoic strata across the Oak Ridge fault, onshore and offshore Ventura basin, California: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 112, p. 1,080-1,090.