96 H. W. FAIRBANKS — GEOLOCY OF THE COAST RANGES. 



the range for several miles, crosses it on the head of Morro creek, and on 

 Toro creek appears enclosed between two high serpentine ridges which 

 form the crests of the range. It was found again on Pine mountain on 

 the summit of the range back of San Simeon. Here it is capped by a 

 body of liparite. Outcrops of somewhat limited extent of supposed 

 Lower Cretaceous shales were seen a few miles west of Santa Ynez, in 

 Red Rock canyon, and Cachuma canyon, Santa Barbara county. 



SEPARATION FROM THE PRE-CRETACEOUS BY AN UNCONFORMITY. 



The unconformity of the Lower Cretaceous on the older rocks of the 

 southern Coast ranges is evident, though no good contacts were observed. 

 Excellent contacts of the Upper Cretaceous with the pre-Cretaceous were 

 seen in a number of places and will be described later. The small area 

 of ^Mce^^a-b earing Cretaceous on the summit of Pine mountain overlies 

 rocks of the pre-Cretaceous series. The Cretaceous consists of shale with 

 some thin strata of sandstone dipping irregularly into the mountain. 

 As the mountain is descended this is seen to be replaced by crushed 

 and distorted rocks of the older series, consisting of shale, sandstone 

 and jasper, with an apparently vertical dip. The area of Aucella-h esiring 

 rocks farther south was inclosed in serpentine in such a manner that 

 the contact with the older rocks was not seen. The sharp contrast, 

 however, between these soft shales and sandstone, with comparatively 

 regular strike and dip, and the older distorted series is very marked. 

 Areas of undoubtedly Lower Cretaceous age occur in Cachuma canyon 

 and Red Rock canyon in such relation to the underlying series that there 

 can be not the slightest doubt as to an unconformity. 



ABSENCE OF REGIONAL METAMORPHISM. 



There is an entire lack of regional metamorphism in all the known 

 Cretaceous of the state. As far as the amount of consolidation and 

 hardening is concerned, both upper and lower divisions present much 

 the same character in the southern Coast ranges as in Tehama and Shasta 

 counties. There is an absence also of the great crushing exhibited by 

 the older rocks. Although in some places much disturbed and folded, 

 the stratification is generall}^ very distinct. The regularity of the bedding 

 of the Upper Cretaceous, when found resting on the pre-Cretaceous series, 

 is in very marked contrast to the irregular, wavy and often almost in- 

 distinguishable bedding of the latter. 



LITHOLOGIC CHARACTER. 



The lithologic character of the Lower Cretaceous in the southern Coast 

 ranges is much the same as farther north. There is the same excess of 

 soft, dark shales, with thin strata of sandstone and calcareous nodules 



