67 



contoured „ However, these contours are based on only a few 

 snapper samples. Cores for foundation studies indicated that 

 the gravel extends a considerable distance towards shore, but 

 lies under the band of coarse sediment inshore from the gravel. 

 This coarse sediment is a thin cover, 6 to 10 inches thick, 

 over the underlying gravel. From the sediments collected by 

 a snapper sampler in the rock and gravel area, it is evident 

 that at least a portion of the zone has some fine sedimentary 

 material mixed with the coarser fragments. Due to the variabi- 

 lity of sediment in this zone, and the paucity of samples, the 

 exact sedimentary pattern cannot be completely defined. 



Inshore from the central shelf projection, or the outer 

 shelf, the sediment is roughly banded parallel to the coast. 

 The outer band of sediment is coarse and extends along the 

 head of Santa Monica Canyon and across the inshore side of 

 the outer shelf. Shoreward from this is a pattern of finer 

 sediment extending northward from Redondo Canyon. North of 

 the tip of this deposit there are patches of fine sediment 

 which bridge the gap between the southern zone of fine sedi- 

 ment and a tongue of this material which projects towards 

 Santa Monica on the shelf off Malibu. This fine-grained 

 sediment covers most of the northern shelf, except for a 

 zone with slightly coarser fragments nearshore. South of 

 Redondo Canyon the sediment also occurs in bands parallel to 

 shore with very coarse sands close to the Palos Verdes Hills 

 shoreline. To break this parallel pattern, between Venice 

 and Hyperion close to shore are several tongues of coarse 

 material which project seaward. 



