377 



Barbara a lagoon indicates that the sea has sunken again so that 

 the sea has crept inshore thus far. Sunken basins and elevated 

 terraces far along the California coast show that the land has 

 been elevated many feet and again depressed somewhat. South- 

 east of Santa Barbara the valley opens toward the Santa Barbara 

 Channel, in which the water is shallow, and beyond which are 



Photo by ]. W. Collinge. Courtesy Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce 

 FIG. 105. Old Mission, Santa Barbara. Founded by the Franciscan Fath- 

 ers in 1786. 



the Channel Islands. The submerged bottom of the channel 

 and the islands really belong to the continent rather than to 

 the ocean. The hills just north of Santa Barbara are remnants 

 of old marine terraces. The highway for a distance of 30 

 miles, to Gaviota, runs on a well-defined terrace but little above 

 sea level. The terrace is strikingly sculptured into vertical 

 cliffs east of Goleta. West of Goleta to Gaviota beautiful views 

 of ravines, cut in the terrace, and views of the sea, may be en- 



