SECT. 2] 



SUBMARINE CANYONS 



48' 



La Jolla Canyon there are no appreciable levees indicated in the sounding 

 record . 



Monterey Canyon and its tributary, Carmel Canyon, like the others con- 

 sidered previously, come in right to the shore (Fig. 7). The head of Monterey 

 Canyon is located off the Salinas Valley and is definitely cut in unconsolidated 

 materials. Also, as Woodford (1951) has emphasized, the gradient in the 

 canyon far exceeds that of the Salinas Valley. The importance of turbidity 

 currents in the canyon head is shown by cores with layers of relatively coarse 



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NAUTICAL MILES 







Fig. 7. Monterey Submarine Canyon and vicinity. Note the resemblance of the canyon 

 axes to the river valleys on land. Contour interval 50 fm; shade changes at each 

 500 fm. 



sand, similar to that of the adjacent beach, interbedded with muddy sediments. 

 Out at a depth of about 100 fm (183 m) the w^alls become rocky and both 

 sedimentary rock and granite have been dredged from the precipitous slopes 

 at greater depths. The principal tributary, Carmel Canyon, is rock-walled 

 throughout its length so far as has been determined. The rock in this branch is 

 granite and the canyon has numerous entering tributaries. One tributary 

 connects with a granite land canyon and the submarine continuation is similar 



