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Diven, Quay Stowell Eocene rocks of the lower Sespe Region 1921 BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD TARGET University of California at Berkeley Library Master negative storage number: 03-67.20 (national version of the master negative storage number: CU SN03067.20) GLADIS NUMBER: 184783682E FORMAT : BK AD:991004/FzZB LEVEL:b BLT:am DCF:a CSC:d MOD: EL:7 UD:030430/MAP CP:cau L:eng INT: GPC: BIO: FIC: CON: ARCV: PC:s PD:1921/ REP: CPI: FST: ILC: II:0 040 CUScCU 090 SbDISS.DIVEN.GEOL 1921 100 1 Diven, Quay Stowell. 245 10 Eocene rocks of the lower Sespe Region. 260 $Scl1921. 300 15 leaves :S$bphoto., col. map ;$c29 cm. 502 Thesis (B.A.)--University of California, Berkeley, December, 1921. 504 Includes bibliographical references. 610 20 University of California, Berkeley.S$bDept. of Geology and Geophysics$xDissertations. 690 0 Dissertations, Academic$xUCBS$SxGeology$y1921-1930 Microfilmed by University of California Library Photographic Service, Berkeley, CA FILMED AND PROCESSED BY LIBRARY PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, 94720 DATE: 7/03 REDUCTION: 10 X PM-1 3%2"x4" PHOTOGRAPHIC MICROCOPY TARGET NBS 1010a ANSI/ISO #2 EQUIVALENT 10 BIE jz = J&Z [122 Il zz IZ ll =F l= l= EZ lid ps a gL |" } el ot bl e hf whi C 1921 eA LIBRARY COPY " EOCENE ROCKS OF THE LOWER SESPE REGION. A report of the field work done during June, 1921, by QUAY STOWELL DIVEN, to satisfy the requirements for a THESIS toward the degree of BACHELOR OF ARTS, in the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. BH SUBMITTED DEC. 192%, Map of the Region, TABLE OF CONTENTS. Bibliography - = =« = = «= = « = = Introduction ~ « « = « = «= « «a = Topography « « « « = = oo = = ww = Geologic Formationge « = « «= « = = General Statement - « « - - - = Basement CompleX- = = = = = = = Eocene Series = = 5 = = «= = = = = The Topa Topa Formation - « = « = Age of Topa Topa Formation, = = = = The Coldwater Formation Fosslls, - - - - - - - - - The Sespe Formation, = « «= «= =- =- The Coldwater Anticline Relation of the Sespe Formation to Oil, Age of the Sespe~ y =- yp = = = The Miocene Series, = = « « « « = Focsils,~- -- - .-. - —- . - or —- _. Photomicrographs Plates, 1,2,3 a Appendix, Section . Appendix. i NW WW UU BN NN 10, 11. 12 12,13. 13 14 14 —, BIBLIOGRAPHY. Eldridge, G.H., and Arnold, Ralph, The Santa Clara Valley, Puente Hills, and Los Angeles oll districts, Southern California: U,S.G.S.,Bul. 309, 1907. Louderback, G.D., The Monterey series in California; California Univ. Dept. Geology Bull. vol. 7, No. 10, pp. 177-241, Feb, 26, 1913, Kew, William S.W., Structure and 0il Resources of the Simi Valley, Southern California, U.S.Geol. Survey, Arnold, Ralph and Strong, A.M., Some Crystalline Rocks of the San Gabriel Mountains, California Bul, Geol. Soc. America, Vol, 16, pp. 183-292, Watts, W.L., Bulletin California State Mining Bureau, NO, t 1, 1897, PP. 25-26, EOCENE ROCKS OF THE LOWER SESPE REGION, INTRODUCTION. This paper presents a brief description of the Eocene rocks seen along the Big Sespe River, of Ventura County California, from the Granitic Rocks upon which the Eocene lies, to the Sespe formation, Topography. The Sespe River lies in a narrow canon in many places resembling a gorge. On each side the mountains rise, in places, to an elevation of several thousand feet. The area mapped is part of the Santa Barbara National Forest Reserve, Some of the country away from the roads 1s made accessible by trails cut in the underbrush and rock, but progress through the rest is slow and laborious. Although only a few miles from the San Joaquin altos nd the type section of the Tejon, this region is one of the most difficult and inaccessi- ble regions in the Unlted States An 0il field road along the river to Tar Creek has recently been improved and continued further up stream. This work is being done by the Sespe Light and Power Co., who contemplate the construction of six or eight miles of road as part of thelr project. Progress along the stream bed is very tedious as great boulders and deep pools bar the way. # Eldridge and Arnolé, Bul, 309, U.S8.G.S. GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS, GENERAL STATEMENT. The formations along the Sespe River in this reglon inelude the 0ld basement gneisses and granites of perhaps Jurassic age, overlain by Eocene and later merbhisry beds. It is remarkable in thie region that the sections of Eocene, Sespe and Miocene strata appear to lie conformably, one upon the other, #* BASEMENT COMPLEX. The oldest rocks in the territory under discus- ~ glon are the gneisses and granites which underlie the Topa Topa formation, The gneisses are close grained, micaceous, conspicuously banded and are greally contort- ed.# In this region they appear to have an average strike of about ¥, 60 W and dip from 50-80 North. The underlying granitie rocks are medium fine grained dlior- ites, similar to those lying further East, which make up a large part of the San Gabriel range. These and the other crystalline rocks found in the San Gabriels have been described by Arnold and Strong, (Arnold, Ralph, and Strong, A.M., Some Crystalline Rocks of the San Gab- riel Mountains, Calif, Bull. Geol, Soc. America, Vol. 16, pp. 183-292. ) In fact, the San Gabrlel batholith, limited byithem on the West by the Santa Clara river, seems 1n reality to extend North and West, through the # Bul. 309, U.S.G.S., Eldridge and Arnold. core of these mountains nearly to Santa Barbara. EOCENE SERIES, Eocene rocks in this paper have been dgvided into two groups, The Topa Topa series and the Cold- water series, The Topa Topa series is the same as that of Eldridge and Arnold# . The name Coldwater la suggested to replace the name of Lower Sespe given by Eldridge and Arnold. Since their report numerous fossils have been found which place the rocks definitely in the Eocene, whereas the Sespe rocks have not yet been definitely placed in any geologic period. Fossils found both in the Topa Topa amd the Coldwater place them both in the Te jon, or upper Eocene, THE TOPA TOPA FORMATION, This formation gets its name from the mountains in which it occurs. Its total thickness is not known but about 5,500 feet are exposed. This consists of a very hard sub-massive sandstone with occasional thin beds of shale, The sandstone has characteristically a greenish color, clear, or mottled with white, the latter variety predominating. This is the rock called a Quartzite by Eldridge and Arnold # and seen in prints t and 2 on plate 1, These mottlings are very character- # Eldridge, and Arnold, Bul, 309, U.S.G.S. istic, are about 1/8 inch in diameter, are round or irregular in outline and are very persistent. The cause of these mottlings is not known, but may be due to a difference in degree of oxidation. It has also been suggested that it 1s caused by the spotted occur- rence of organic matter which de-oxidized the areas where it was present. The arrangement of the minerals as seen in thin section did not indlcate any segrega- tion or different orlentation in different parts of the rock, The green color of the sandstones seems to be chiefly due to ferrous oxide present in the cementing material between the grains. This cementing materlal is probably chiefly quartz as seen by 1ts optical properties and insolubllity in acid. Minerale making up the rock are quartz, albite-oligoclase and ortho- clase feldspars, and a positive feldspar of high index of refraction, probably anorthite, chlorlte and occas- jonal specks of black and white mica. The grains are very small but emen then are very angular, Fossils are very sparsely distributed throughout the formation, In some places appreciable amounts of lime impregnated with organic matter in the rock seems to have colored 1t to almost a black. Very few fossils other than casts have been found, The question naturally occurs as to the presence of lower Eocene, Martinez or Meganos, but no definite statement can be made on that score until better preserved fossils are found. Correlation on the basis of fossil casts is dangerous in this area as the distinctive characters have been eroded away. Some of the members are conspicuous in having a tendency toward a broad concretionary structure; the presence of smaller brown ferruginous sand concretions. There are also, in places, some evidences of woody tissue, though imperfectly preserved. Oyster fragments, about six inches by four finches and of a dark color, are also found at various places but are so fragmental as to be indeterminate. Cross bedding is here and there observable. There also appears to be a certain number of intra-formational unconformities. AGE, From the fossils determined, the age seems to be Tejon, upper Eocene. As before stated, there at times appear to be suggestions of the presence of Martinez beds, but their accurate identification will have to be made on the basis of better fossils than those found along the Sespe River. Possibly the region of the Ojal Valley will disclose @leterminable fossils. From the fact that Topa Topa beds were thrown up by a fault on the marBin of the Santa Blara vakley as seen on the map in Bull, 309, it seems quite probable that the Topa Topa formation underlies the whole region. THE COLDWATER FORMATION. This formation appears to be the upper contin- uation of the Topa Topa and is separated from it only on a basis of differences in the character of the rock. This formation was lumped with the Sespe and Vaqueros sandstones by Eldridge and Arnold®# and the age glven as doubtful, possibly Oligocene, 0k, posslbly Eocene. Eldridge in going through the district did not seem to have found any good fossils, but they are quite common, though not well preserved, As a general thing, the rocks in this group are white to brownish-red sandstones, coarse conglomerates and greenish, reddish and black shalese quite a wilde variation. Pebbles in the conglomerate are almost entlre- ly granitic and are charatteristic of the Coldwater 1n thie district. The sandstones of the Coldwater are notab- ly coarser than those of the Topa Topa. In fact, there seems to be a gradual gradation from the fine gralns of the Topa Topa sandstones through the medium grained sandstones of the Coldwater to the noticeably coarse sandstones and grits of the Sespe. More mica particles are in evidence. There appears to have been more decom- position. The lower sandstones are noticeably of a more greenish color than those higher in the series, In fact as we approach the top, the beds grade into those of the Sespe. Shales become more common and foesll beds more # Eldrédge and Arnold, Bull, 309, U,S8.G.S. scarce, Separation from the Sespe beds ls made on the basls of lack of fossils Ur HF re@Bfhinance of the @ark red color so characteristically Sespe. Thls ls a more or less arbitrary separation in many places ,due to this almost insensible grading and in places was mapped arbi- trarily. An important bed in the upper part of the Cold- water series very much resembles the Sespe sandstone in color and texture. However 1t is a somewhat lighter color, being of a more pinkish tint then the typlcal red beds, The Coldwater rocks are best exposed in the beds of Coldwater, Pine and West Fork creeks and along the hillside near the mouth of Tar Creek. Eroslon in Pine and Coldwater creeks has cut through the overlying Sespe beds exposing the Coldwater series. Many oyster beds similar to those found and described in the Topa Topa are found in rocks of the above named creeks, and are also so much broken up and eroded as to be of no value in correlation. Minerals found in the Coldwater include quartz, soda-lime and alkall feldspars, biotite, muscovite, chlorite, and with a cementing materlal ranging from quartz, colored by iron, to calcite, coloring the rock almost a black. Some spaces are left through the rock, as seen in the thin sections which could ald in forming a storage reservolr for oll. Fossila. Quite a number of fossils were found in different localities in the Topa Topa from the lowest beds exam= ined to the top, and in different localities examined In the Coldwater series. The majority of these were elther fragments or casts and therefore doubtful. The aceompaning l1lst however were sufficlently preserved to give a satisfactory determination. All are present in Tejon, upper Eocene beds in other localities, and some are regarded as good markers of that horison. Amuropsis alveata. Garaiun brewerii, conus, n, 8p. Fasclolaria slnuata, Glycimeris perrini sp. Glyclimerilis sagittata. Meretrix hornii, . Rimella simplex Gabb. Tureitella uvasana. Venericardia horn#gi,. Natica sp. “{ 2* THE SESPE FORMATION, Lying comformably on the Coldwater series is the Sespe formation. The typical rock in this group is the coarse brownish red sandstone forming the bulk of the exposed rocks on the tilted plateau between Coldwater Creek and West Fork Creek, No sharp line of distinction has been drawn between this and the Coldwater series, except, as stated previously, on the basis of the lack of fossils and a predominance of the typical red beds in the Sespe formation and on the presence of fosslls and lesser amounts of red beds in the Coldwater series. The rock making up these red beds in texture resembles the "Brown Stone" of the East and attempts have been made to exploit it for building purposes on that account. However, it 1s not very resistant to weathering. The predominating beds are sandstone, but scattered all through the section are thin bodies of shale, this latter element becoming of more importance higher in the sedtion., These sandstones and shales are of a peculiarly conslstent color wherever encountered in the region. The sandstone is by far the harder element, usually being found as the cap rock on the ridges. This Sespe formation in this region is much folded, contorted and eroded, giving generally the appearance of a remnant of a once thicker element which has been subjected to all the movements - “2, :. of the rocks upon which it lies. * Watts, W,L., Cal, State Mining Bureau, Bull, No, 11, 1897, PP. 25, 26, In places are evidences of cross bedding, but these are not of a very definite nature, due to the great lrreg- ularity of the beds. Minerals going to make up the Sespe include angular fragments of quartz, albite, orthoclase and anorthite feldspars, chlorite, etc. The rock has been very much oxidized and contains iron, probably as hematite dust, which forms the chief coloring matter in the rock. The tests made on it indicate the coloring matter 1s ferric oxide, although a small amount of iron seems also to be in a ferrous condition, ~ In several places 1t was noted that the “espe sand- stones had lost their characteristic red color in the vicinity of sulfur springs. The sulfur water dissolved the color out of the rock. In these places there was a marked resemblance to some of the white sandstones of the Coldwater series, "The rocks of the Sespe as a whole are but slightly indurated, a condition which has allowed relatively rapid erosion and produced a bad land type of topography. The general aspect of these beds suggests that they are of continental origin, and this suggestion is strengthened by the fact that no fossils have been obtalned from them. They are regarded as probably of Oligocene age, because of their position between lower Miocene and Eocene beds, # ¥Kew, W.S.W., Structure and 0il Resources of the Simi Valley, Southern California, U.S8.G.S., Bull, 691-M, THE COLDWATER ANTICLINE, The Coldwater anticline can best be seen, perhaps, from the summit of the hills North of Devil's Gate. From here, it can be seen that the anticline has 1lts axils in Coldwater canon, though the overlying Sespe beds have been eroded down exposing the Coldwager formation. The North limb is still covered with Sespe beds. After the anticline crosses Sespe Creek, the Coldwater is burled and all the exposed beds are of the Sespe. The anticline takes an E.S.E, direction and plunges below and disappears in the hills bounding, ta the North, Little Sespe Creek, Examined locally there 1s little evidence of an anticline, due to its irregularity, and the high degree of erosion to which it has been subjected. Valleys cut across and into it, and slides have been numerous. In explaining the position of many of these beds the question as to whether or not the Sespe beds were brought to their present position by thrust faults may well be asked. In the area under discussion in this paper many points may be cleared up if this explanation is adopted. But very little direct evidence in thls area was noticed. Perhaps a detailed study of the whole region where these rocks are found will give positive evidence. RELATIONS TO OIL. These Sespe beds are the chief reservoir of the oil found in the district. Being coarse grained, lqQosely consolidated rocks they form a very sultable storage 13. place for the oil, but the beds are so contorted, the production is not large on any one structure, There 1s little new work being done in the area along the Sespe river at present, as better producing areas have been found in other places, notably along Oak Rldge, on the South slde of the Santa Clara river. Numerous oil seeps are seen throughout the section and much oil is probably contained in the numerous small irregularities in the strata. AGE OF THE SESPE. No new evidence is submitted as to the age of the Sespe. In fact there seems little chance of solving that problem in this area unless determinable fossils are found. Eldridge and Arnold place the Sespe as perhaps belonging to the Oligocene, because of its position between known upper Eocene beds and lower Miocene beds. But there seems little argument against the fact that the Sespe could as well be Eocene, Oligocene or Miocene, Placing 1t as Oligocene ? seems as convenlent a position as any. THE MIOCENE SERIES. The two members of the Miocene series found on this area are the Vaqueros and the Modello. The lower member of the Vaqueros was mapped as upper Sespe by Eldridge and #Arnold., This was done because they did not find good fossils. Later work hag shown it to be of undisputed Vaqueros age,## Many fossils in a poor state of preser- vation were found indicating the age to be lower Miocene. This Miocene series rests conformably on the Sespe as a rule, but the latter is so contorted and has so many local variations that in many places we find fair evidence. of unconfommitiee. However in this paper it is not attempted to enter into a discussion of the Vaqueros, or of the Miocene,except in so far as it affects the age of the Sespe. FOSSILS FOUND IN VAQUEROS-LOWER MIOCENE, Balanus, sp.(Several.) Turritella inezana. Cardium gp. Turritella lompocoensis. Dosinia sp. Turritella sp. Ostrea sp. Pecten sespensis var, Hydeil, Spisula sp. Trophon gp. Turrltella n. sp. #Bull. 309, U.S5.G.S. Eldridge and Arnold. ## Louderback, G.D., The Monterey series in California, Dept. Geol. Univ. Calif,, Bull, Vol. 7, NO. 10, pp. 177- 241, 1913, ' PHOTOMICROGRAPHS MADE FROM THIN SECTIONS OF TYPICAL ROCKS IN THE AREA, Plate 1. No. 1. Ord. Light, 41 X. No nicols. v - Topa Topa sandstone. Chief mineral quartz, but . 9 important amounts of albite, orthoclase and anorthite also present, together with chlorite and specks of biotite and muscovite. Very fine grained sandstone. Rock graine very irregular, and show no particular orientation in the section, Makes a good bullding stone. Rock characterized by presence of lighter blotches in the green rock, about 1/8 inch in diam- eter, either rounded or irregular in shape. No. 2 No. 2. Ord. Light. Lower nicol only. 135 X. Topa Topa sandstone , Same as No, 1. No. 3. Ord. Light. No nicols. 135 X. Topa Topa shale near West Fork. Very fine grained shale, strongly stained with oil, and containing shell fragments. Minerals chiefly quartz with lesser amounts of indlistinguj}shable feldspars. Cementing material ranges from quartz to calcite and contains some iron, with all variations in percentages of quartz and calcite. . No. 4. Ord. Light. No nicols. 41 X. Topa Tope shale near West Fork, a different facies from No, 3. Not as heavily stained with oil, but conpaining more important amounts of shell fragments and having more calcite as cementing material. Principal minerals are quartz wlth lesser amounts of albitefeldspars and still less of orthoclase and No. 3 No. 4 anorthite. : ' No. 5. Ord. Light, Lower nicol only. 118 X. Coldwater sandstone facies. Medium fine grained brownish white sandstone, containing much argil- laceous material, Fossil fragments also found. Chief mineral is quartz, with lesser amounts of indistinguishable feldspars. Only loosely cemented, Much of cementing material apparently calcite. No. 6, Ord. Light, No nicol. 41 X. same as No, 5, Occasional grain of chlorite seen. No. 7. Ord. Light. Lower nicol only, 118 X. Coldwater sandstone facies. Medium fine grained, greenish white, containing fossils which have been much weathered. Grains very angular, as they are in all this series. Chief mineral quartz, with lesser amounts of indistinguishable feldspars, and occas- ional grains of chlorite, Calcite an important part of the cementing material, No. 8. Ord. Tight, Lower nicol only. 135 X. Coldwater sandstone facies. Coarse grained, hard, white to gray, found in Pine Creek. Chief mineral quartz, but contains important amouhts of albite=- oligoclase., Orthoclase and anorthite are also present together with noticeable amounts of blotite, muscovite, chlorite and iron oxlde-hematite in the form of minute opaque specks. Note- Several members of this series are very fine grained and so dark colored as to not give a distinguishable photograph. & Plate 2, No. 9. Ord, Light, No nicols. 41 X, Coldwater sandstone facies. Medium grained greenish sandstone containing noticeable amountse of muscovite ahd biotite, with many plant fragments. Chief mineral quartz, with lesser number of feldspars having albite twinning. Occasional fragments of chlorite seen. Rather loosely cemented and many volds are present, No. 10. Ord. Light, Lower nicol only. 18 X,. Coldwater sandstone, same as No. 9, No. 11, Ord. Light. No nicols. 41 X, Coldwater sandstone near top of section,of a peculiar pink color resembling the Sespe cand- stone, Medium grained, medium hard, Chief mineral quartz, but feldspars are important, chiefly albite, Chlorite present in scattered grains, Color in rock copes from iron oxide coloring the cementing material, which 1s mostly quartz, Eplidote also present in small quantities, with blotite and occasional fragments of muscovite. No. 12, Ord. Light. Lower nicol nnly. 85 X. Coldwater sandstone, same as No, 11, Resembles Sespe sandstone except that the grains are finer and the color is lighter. Plate 3, No. 13, No nicols. Ord. Light, 18 X, Sespe sandstone. A coarse brownish-red loosely cemented sandstone made up chiefly of quartz, but containing important amounts of alblte,oligoclase, orthoclase and anorthite. Chlorite is also seen in places in the rock, but biotite and muecovite are not seen. Hematite dust with silica form the chief cementing material, hematite giving the characteristic of dark red to the rock. No. 14, No nicols., 18 X. Ord. Light, Sespe sandstone, Same as No, 13, No. 15. Lower nicol only. Ord light. 18 X. Sespe sandstone, same as No. 12, V4, Plate 4, Qc Ne = He = Wl te A QO Ve} u ul Re a SESPE EF MAT 10 . Titre ALWATIER FORMATION [1 SCALE 2" =1 Ml TOPA TOPS FORMATION £1 | | ns | fg | 2 i | | - | > CLAIR L bh oft le 18 1 18 8 hdl el hadi —- 5000 — ——— —- —— 6 2 [MRL gal ga | " 1 Za = \ \ =, A? =! OCENE VAQUEROS SA | i" 1] S$ MODELLO ~ Tree of Aho» SANTA PAVLA QUADRANGLE END OF TITLE