QUAIERNARY RESEARCH 13.

346-364 (1980)

Geomorphology, Deformation, and Chronology of Marine Terraces

along the Pacific Coast of Central Baja California, Mexico
ALAN J. WOODS

Received December 2 I, 1978

Three emergent marine terraces are prominent between Playa El Marron and Arroyo El Salinito
and comprise the most extensive Pleistocene planation surfaces in central Baja California, Mexico.
The deposits of the lowest terrace, the Tomatal, are 120,000 f 20.000 yr old (Sangamonian?) while
the absolute ages of the two higher and older terraces. the Andres and Aeropuerto. are unknown.
The Tomatal terrace is particularly well developed and comprises degraded sea cliffs, paleodunes,
and lagoonal sequences. Shingle paleobeach ridges also occur. locally and reflect shore prograda-
tion and tombolo formation. The Tomatal shoreline is nearly horizontal at 7 2 1 m above present
mean sea level, whereas the older Aeropuerto terrace has been tilted so that it decreases in
elevation toward the southeast. Nonetheless, coastal tilting is not nearly as great as at many other
localities in California and Baja California. This is despite the fact that the entire Baja California
peninsula has been assumed to be tectonically unstable during the Pleistocene, primarily because of
the forces generated by plate motion.

INTRODUCTION however, more is known about the penin-

Emergent marine terraces are wave-cut sula and it is recognized that the highest
benches that lie above present sea level marine terrace of northwestern Baja
and include the raised shore platform and California has been severely warped into a
any covering deposits (Fig. 1). They are wavelike pattern having an amplitude as
geomorphologically significant in providing great as 350 m above present mean sea level
a datum of original shoreline horizontality (MSL) (Orme, 1972, 1974, Fig. 1, repro-
and elevation and are important as a basis duced here as Fig. 2). Orme believes that
for the measurement of coastal deformation such intense and recent coastal deformation
and relative sea-level change. In addition, is partially a response to the forces gener-
those marine terrace deposits that can be ated by plate motion. Assuming that Orme
interpreted and dated help to advance cli- is correct and also assuming that Baja
matic and geologic understanding of the California is being carried northwestward
Pleistocene Epoch. en masse from the East Pacific Rise
Pleistocene marine terraces occur at fre- (Moore, 1973) (Fig. 3), then all marine ter-
quent intervals along the Pacific coast of races in Baja California may be deformed as
the United States and Mexico. Those oc- well. However, it is unresolved whether the
curring within the United States are well peninsula is moving en masse or in a series
known (e.g., Putnam, 1942; Alexander, of discrete slices along possible transpenin-
1953; Bradley, 1957; Palmer, 1967: Birke- sular faults such as the Agua Blanca and
land, 1972; Bradley and Griggs, 1976; Kern, San Benito (e.g., compare Moore and Buf-
1977), but those in Baja California were ne- fington, 1968; Anderson, 1971: Hamilton,
glected until the last decade. From 1971; Orme, 1972; Moore, 1973: and
hindsight, such neglect was ironic because Ortlieb, 1977) (Fig. 3).
marine terraces are often more extensive, Extension of Ormes geomorphological
continuous, and preserved in Baja Califor- work to other parts of the peninsula could
nia than in less arid and more northerly provide additional insight into the response
areas along the California coast. Today, of coastal Baja California to plate tectonics.
346
0033-5894/80/030346-19$02.00/O
Copyright @ 1980 by the University of Washington.
AU rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
 MARINE TERRACES OF BAJA CALIFORNIA 347

AARINE TERRACE ASSEMBLAGE:

TALUS COMPONENT
FLUVIAL COMPONENT
JEOLIAN COMPONENT
MARINE COMPONENT
LAGOONAL COMPONENT

SHORELINE ANGL

OUTEREDGE

RAISED SHORE PLATFORM

MODERN SHORE PLATFORM

FIG. 1. Cross section of an idealized Quaternary marine terrace with terminology included.

This study is such an extension and investi- affected by major faults. Extension of the
gates that section of the peninsula contain- study area to the northwest or the southeast
ing the most extensive Pleistocene plana- would have been preferable but was not
tion features in central Baja California (Fig. feasible. To the northwest, the marine ter-
4). This 60-km segment of coastline be- races are often poorly expressed and more
tween Playa El Marron and Arroyo El discontinuous because they are cut into
Salinito generally parallels the northwest- predominantly metavolcanic and igneous
erly trending geologic structure and is not rock while to the southeast aeolian sand

0 20 40 00 80 100 120 140 m3 (80 200 220 2.0 260 zeo

KlLWE7ERSI 1 I I I I I I I 1 I 1 I , I I I 1 I , , , I , , I , I
FIG. 2. Deformation of the highest Quaternary marine terrace in northwestern Baja California
between Ensenada and Punta San Carlos (Fig. 3). Selected lower shorelines are shown locally. The
figure is taken with permission from Orme (1972, Fig. 1, p. 628: 1974, Fig. 1, p. 69).
348 AI.AN J. WOODS

! NEW --
ARIZONA ! MEXIC(

SONORA

PLAYA EL MARRON-
FIELD AREA -

PACIFIC
OCEAW

\X ~?..S~NAL~A

I / I I
.-

MAJOR FRACTURE ZONES

6l

PROPOSED SPREADING CENTERS

m

CREST OF THE EAST PACIFIC RISE

EB
0 50 100 150
i
UM

FIG. 3. Important Gulf of California fracture zones and spreading centers are shown here in relation
to possible transpeninsular faults and the Playa El Marron-Arroyo El Salinito field area. The data
were compiled and, in some cases, modified from Moore and Buffington (1968, Fig. 4, p. 1241) and
Orme (1972, Fig. I. p. 628: 1974, Fig. I, p. 69).
 MARINE TERRACES OF BAJA CALIFORNIA 349

Aeropuerto terrace

Pta Sta Rosalillita

TV/-

Pta Rosarito

PACIFIC OCEAN

bmatal terrace -

FIG. 4. The Playa El Marron-Arroyo El Salinito field area with the location and extent of each
recognized Quaternary marine terrace shown.

buries any existing planation forms. In both data, (2) to tie these data to an absolute
cases, satisfactory terrace correlation is chronology derived from amino acid
precluded, preventing accurate deforma- stereochemistry, (3) to correlate marine ter-
tion analysis. races between the field area and other sec-
Using data collected from the marine ter- tions of the Pacific coast, and (4) to analyze
races, the objectives here are (1) to present the nature, rate, and magnitude of Quater-
Quaternary stratigraphic and geomorphic nary coastal deformation.
350 ALAN J. WOODS

REVIEW OF PREVIOUS WORK TABLE I

Marine terraces have been reported along RECONCILIATION OF LOCAL MARINE.
both coasts of northern Baja California TERRACE TERMINOI.OGIES
(e.g., Beal, 1948: Curray, 1970; Orme, Woods ( 1978) Arnold ( 1957) Fife (1968)
1972, 1974; Gastil et al., 1975; Ortlieb,
Tomatal 7-9 m 4.5-6 m
1977).
And&s 24 m 18 m
Farther south, detailed terrace studies Aeropuerto 61 m 61 m
are scarcer and in my field area no substan-
tive terrace study existed. However, gen- I Fifes 42-m marine terrace appears to be of fluvial
origin and flanks the Arroyo Rosarito for several kilo-
eral data on terraces are available in the meters (Fig. 9); Arnolds 17-m terrace was not
papers of Grant and Hertlein (1938), Beal recognized as a separate planation surface during field
(1948), Mina (1957), Arnold (1957), Emer- work.
son and Hertlein (1960), Anderson (1966),
and Fife (1968, 1974). In particular, Ander-
son (1966) and Fife (1968, 1974) provided Aeropuerto Marine Terrace
general information, observations, and fos- Of the three prominent marine terraces,
sil descriptions regarding the areas marine the Aeropuerto marine terrace is the high-
terraces. Emerson and Hertlein (1960) dis- est, oldest, and often the most extensive,
cussed Pliocene and Pleistocene inverte- reaching inland as far as 4.5 km. It is as-
brates collected at two fossil localities near sociated with shoreline angles that decrease
Santa Rosalillita while Arnold (1957) re- in altitude from 58 m in the northwest to 54
ported a reconnaissance of regional land- m in the southeast (Fig. 5). From its
forms and archaeology. shoreline angle, the Aeropuerto terrace
slopes toward the present coast at between
QUATERNARY STRATIGRAPHY AND
0.5 and 2.0 until it is terminated by a
GEOMORPHOLOGY
coastal escarpment. Typically, this es-
Arnold (1957) and Fife (1968) recognized carpment is the degraded sea cliff at the
four prominent marine terraces within the back-edge of the Tomatal marine terrace. It
area studied and assigned each an altitude
is both higher and steeper than the older sea
corresponding to either their back-edge or
cliffs associated with the Aeropuerto or
shoreline-angle altitude (right columns,
And& terraces.
Table 1; terminology, Fig. 1). However, al-
Between Playa El Marron and Arroyo El
titudinally based nomenclature such as
Salinito (Fig. 4), most of the Aeropuerto
these is inherently difficult to reconcile and
deposits have been eroded away so that
I have supplanted it with the informal
Tertiary deposits directly underlie the
nomenclature presented in the left column gravel-veneered marine terrace surface
of Table 1. The persistent marine terraces (Figs. 4 and 6). However, east of Millers
are its basis and provide an often continu- Landing (Location A, Fig. 7) six shingle
ous time - stratigraphic record along the beach ridges on the Aeropuerto surface
coast, becoming progressively older with occur 30 m above present MSL and essen-
increasing terrace altitude. tially parallel the present coastline. Other
Between Playa El Marron and Arroyo El contemporaneous deposits may also rest on
Salinito, a few terrace remnants occur at
the Aeropuerto shore platform, but the
altitudes of more than 100 m. However,
widespread occurrence of surficial aborigi-
their marine origin could neither be sub-
nal shell middens makes interpretation
stantiated nor could their remnants be cor-
based on fossil evidence difficult.
related. Hence, the lower and more con-
tinuous Aeropuerto, And&, and Tomatal And&s Marine Terrace
paleoshorelines must provide all of the in- The And& marine terrace is poorly pre-
formation regarding coastal deformation. served and in many places it has been en-
 Louest terrace 31t1tude measurmi
t
- - P<,Sihlt- ShOPFll"(. nnfie trrncl Arro,m=rto marl"P terracr
me - I'nslblr Sho*Pll"e ang-ir trend. AndreC marl"? terrace
--- -Posi,b,e .sl?orr,,nr an&lr trend. Totnatal marlnr terrace
l Measured elevation (rnetrrs above i,SL,) of
* ,,ea\> cti\*r (If crlllu\lum
B r3ackrdge
s Stlore,,ne nCla
F FaredRe
0 outereclgr
c crest, ralsrd bPaCh r,dge
FIG. 5. Marine terrace altitude and deformation along the coast between Playa El Marron and Arroyo El Salinito. Elevational data is mainly from
surveying altimeter, hand level, and transit survey. General format is after Birkeland (1972, Fig. 6).
352 AI-AN J. WOODS

MEXICO 1
.28*45N

UNTA

UNTA

- 28035
PACIFIC
OCEAN

ARROYO EL SALINITO

arJ KM
OURCES
F~e,1968, I Ofa,,1975),
L Gas,,, nlodltmd I .,..\\ \
I
FIG. 6. The geology of the Playa El Marron- Arroyo El Salinito field area. The data were based on
Fife (1968, 1974) and Gastil rf rrl. t 1975) but were modified by Woods (1978).

tirely removed by sea-cliff erosion during from 31 m in the northwest to 24 m south of

Tomatal times. Where preserved on Ter- Arroyo Santo Dominguito (Fig. 5).
tiary sediments (Figs. 4 and 61, the And&s Marine and terrestrial deposits com-
terrace usually is less than 300 m wide and monly cover the And& platform and pro-
is backed by former sea cliffs of poor ex- vide information regarding depositional en-
pression and slight declivity. Shoreline an- vironments. The best exposures of Andres
gles are exposed either in stream cuts or deposits are in a modern sea cliff at Loca-
modern sea cliffs and decrease in altitude tion C (Fig. 8). Here, 3.5 m of conglomerate
 MARINE TERRACES OF BAJA CALIFORNIA 353

EXPLANATION OF FIG. 6

Sedimentary and Volcanic Rocks

Surficial Sediments

Qd Dunes Q/ Lacustrine deposits

QUATERNARY- Qtrl Alluvium Qf Marine terrace deposits
Volcanic flows

01. Andesite and basalt flows

?
Salada Formation
! 7j1t Marine siltstone. sandstone, and conglomerate
2 unconformity
Sepultura Formation
TERTIARY - 2
Tnl/> Marine siltstone, sandstone. and conglomerate with thin beds of lime-
: stone and claystone
Y T(./I Nonmarine siltstone, sandstone, and conglomerate, includes some
2 lacustrine siltstone unconformity
L
Plutonic Rocks

,&J, Granite
grd Granodiorite
e/d Diorite and quartz diorite
&i Gabbro and diabase

CRETACEOUS-
Metamorphic Rocks

Alisiros Formation
Km\, Basaltic and andesitic flows and breccias interbedded with volcanically
derived sedimentary rocks and occasional limestone
Kms Predominantly low-grade schists derived from argillaceous sediments

0 Fossil locality v Sample

and sandstone rests unconformably on a Saul, personal communication, 1977).

raised shore platform cut across Pliocene(?) These are the only known fossils on the
sediments. Just above the platform at 11.7 And& terrace within the field area.
m above MSL, numerous specimens of Graded to and contemporaneous with the
Derzdruster vizcainoensis Grant and Hertlein And& marine terrace is a prominent
are concentrated in life position. Other less stream terrace flanking the Arroyo Rosarito
numerous fossils occur 1 m higher in the (Location D, Fig. 9). Within 5 km of its
section and include Myteila cf. M. mouth, the stream terrace widens into a
grryanensis (Lamarck) and Mytihrs califor- deltaic form and exhibits numerous channel
rzianus Conrad. The entire fossil as- scars reminiscent of those on the lower
semblage is representative of late(?) Pleis- stream terrace and floodplain. From this
tocene shallow marine environments (L. R. evidence and that provided by a series of
BOCA SAN JAIER .

FIG. 7. The geomorphology of the San Javier ridge- Arroyo El Salinito portion of the field area
MARINE TERRACES OF BAJA CALIFORNIA 355
paleobeach ridges (Locations B and C, Fig. Many raised shore features. including ;I
9). a mobile Arroyo Rosarito has apparently series of raised beach ridges. occur on the
occupied much of the distal portions of its Tomatal terrace. Their expression and
valley since Andres time and has prograded number depend on proximity to a sediment
seaward building an offshore delta in an source and reflect the local. episodic pro-
episodic manner. gradation of the shore. Between Punta
Rosarito and El Muertito. four degraded
beach ridges lie inland of and parallel to
The Tomatal marine terrace is the their modern equivalent (Locations B and
youngest and lowest of the emergent ter- C, Fig. 9). However, beach ridge orienta-
races. It is backed by degraded sea cliffs tion changes in this area, probably in re-
as high as 30 m, having slopes as great sponse to increased wave refraction as-
as 24. Where formed on Tertiary marine sociated with the delta of Arroyo Rosarito.
sediments, the terrace is well developed Graded to the Tomatal marine terrace
and the many raised shore features are pre- and, therefore, contemporaneous with it is
served, closely resembling their nearby the prominent stream terrace flanking the
modern corollaries. Arroyo San Javier (Fig. 7). In response to
The Tomatal platform, covering deposits, lower relative sea levels of post-Tomatal
and shoreline angle (7 + 1 m altitude) are time, a stream of lesser width has incised
exposed in the active sea cliffs. Location B into the stream terrace and breached
(Fig. 8) displays a soil profile of reddish stabilized dunes near its mouth. Channel
brown sand with some silt, clay, gravel, and scars in the present floodplain of the Ar-
kitchen midden material to a depth of 63 royo San Javier I .5 km east of its mouth are
cm. Below this soil, the predominantly seen on aerial photographs (Fig. 7). They
sand-sized sediment is gray and, at a depth record earlier periods of flow in a mobile
of 83 cm, unconformably overlies a la- channel that widened the floodplain to its
goonal shale. The shale is blocky and rich in current width of about 0.3 km. Assuming
calcium carbonate in its upper parts but be- that this width is adapted to its present re-
comes more gypsiferous and massive with gime, modern stream flow is much less than
depth. Approximately 2 m below the during Tomatal times, when the floodplain
marine terrace surface, this shale rests on was approximately four times wider.
indurated and oxidized Pliocene sands that Amino acid racemization dates have been
are in marked contrast to the overlying obtained for shells in Tomatal marine ter-
sediments. Local variations in the Tomatal race deposits. Two samples were analyzed
deposits are common and reflect changing from Fossil Locality 6 (Fig. 6) and provide
longshore depositional environments. For leucine kinetic model age estimates of
example, at Location A (Fig. 8), Tomatal 120,000 2 20,000 yr (J. F. Wehmiller. writ-
beach deposits are composed of coarse ten communication, 1978: samples 77-38
elastic sediments deposited in a high-energy and 77-43). However, an abraded shell
environment and unconformably overlie fragment from nearby Fossil Locality 2
Pliocene siltstone (Fig. 10). In this area, (Fig. 6) yields a much older leucine kinetic
stratigraphic analysis shows that the sea model age of at least 200,000 yr (J. F.
has eroded at least 7.7 m of Pliocene and Wehmiller. personal communication, 1978;
pre-Tomatal Pleistocene marine deposits to sample 77-36). Reworking of pre-Tomatal
form the Tomatal marine terrace. Sub- terrace deposits and subsequent deposition
sequently, more modern seas have cut on the Tomatal marine terrace at Fossil Lo-
away at the outer-edge of the Tomatal ter- cality 2 may explain this disparity of ages.
race and, in places, have completely trun- All dates were for shells of Saxidorrlrrs and
cated it (Location C, Fig. 8; Fig. 11). Chiotw which were selected for analysis
 MARINE TERRACES OF BAJA CALIFORNIA 357

I
114.05
II fans . Beach sand
l *Beach shingle
-Active seacliffs <Igm
YEied LIaach ridges -Degraded bluff;
gz$ Lagoon -Riverine microbluff c3m

J,,$ ;-
/ 2EP35%+-
\. ..L,-

C
ble

Inundated during storms -

All elmrations in meters

Base. Uncontrolled vertical, B-W.

---i-l -I.^....~^h~

440. R-627: 51-12.

42-14. 41-M
440. R-632:3-13,
5-13

I CETENAL.1973 e_____. =^___. .m sb-_ IPTd

FIG. 9. The geomorphology of the Las Vacas ridge-San Javier ridge portion of the field area.
358 ALAN J. WOODS

FIG. 10. Tomatal cobble and pebble beach deposits are 2.7 m thick and unconformably overlie the
raised shore platform A, which is composed of tan. Pliocene(?) siltstone. View is to the northwest
from near high water at Location A, Fig. 8.

because they have yielded enantiomeric area and other coastlines is also possible
ratios of comparative precision in the past, with the advent of suitable biochemical and
uncertainties being usually less than 6%~ of radiometric dating techniques. Assuming
their mean value (Wehmiller et Cal., 1977, that the Tomatal deposits are actually
Table 5). The amino acid age estimates are 120,000 ? 20,000 yr old, then the Tomatal
based on an assumed present-day average sediments were probably laid down during
temperature of 18.5 ? O.YC and effective a higher eustatic sea level correlated with
temperature reductions of 1 .O- 1.5C oxygen-isotope stage 5e (Shackleton and
(Wehmiller et al., 1977, pp. 14- 18). Opdyke, 1973) which also deposited sedi-
ment on the
CORRELATION OF THE MARINE
(1) Nestor platform, western side of
TERRACES
southern Point Loma, San Diego, Califor-
Accurate long-shore terrace correlation nia (average age = 120,000 + 10,000 yr,
is a prerequisite to successful coastal de- uranium-series coral dates; Ku and Kern,
formation studies. In the field area, the ter- 1974: Kern, 1977);
races have been correlated using con- (2) Corral terrace, Point Dume, Califor-
tinuity, elevation, and stratigraphic posi- nia (average age = 131,000 * 15,000 yr,
tion. Between Playa El Marron and Arroyo open system uranium-series mollusk dates;
El Salinito, such a correlative technique is Szabo and Rosholt, 1969, as reported in
accurate and readily adaptable because ex- Birkeland, 1972); or Dume terrace, Santa
cellent long-shore terrace continuity exists, Monica Mountains, California (95,000 +-
independent of either complex deformation 25,000 to 112,000 t 15,000 yr, open system
or major faulting (Fig. 5). uranium-series mollusk dates; Szabo and
Terrace correlation between the field Rosholt, 1969):
 FIG. 11. Truncation of the Tomatal terrace by modern shoreline erosion at Location C, Fig. 8.
Upper photograph: In the foreground, Tomatal terrace deposits overlie tan, Pliocene(?) marine sedi-
ments which compose the raised shore platform, A. At Al, the Tomatal terrace is truncated by
modern wave activity. The view is to the west toward the higher Andres terrace. Bottom photograph:
The Tomatal shoreline angle, Bl, is exposed in the active sea cliff at 7.3-m elevation. The view is to
the north from the modern shore platform and shows the point of truncation.

359
360 AL-AN J. WOODS

(3) Lowest emergent terrace, Cayucos, east of Santa Rosalillita (Fig. 5). The
California (124,000 2 27,000 yr, uranium- shoreline angle was not observed farther
series coral date, Ku and Kern, 1974); northwest but it may follow the abruptly
(4) Terrace 2 of Vedder and Norris rising back-edge trend. The 7-m increase in
(1963), San Nicholas Island, California back-edge altitude in 3 km (averaging 2.3
(125,000 + 25,000 to 128,000 * 25,000 yr, m/km) is anomalously large and possibly
open system uranium-series mollusk dates, reflects fault movement along the north-
~rrrd 110,000 -t 30,000 yr, uranium-series western flank of the Arroyo Santo Domin-
coral dates; Szabo and Vedder, 1971): guito superimposed on the tilting seen to
(5) Lowest exposed terrace between the south.
Newport Beach and Dana Point, California Southeasterly tilting possibly continued
(average age = 98,000 +- 16,000 yr, open through And& time because the And&s
system uranium-series mollusk dates; shoreline drops from an elevation of 24 m to
Szabo and Vedder, 1971); 23 m near the Arroyo El Tomatal. 20 km
(6) Terrace 4 (Locality 84 of Woodring P! farther southeast (about 0.05 m/km) (Fig.
al., 1946), 80 m above MSL, Palos Verdes 5). However, this very slight range of
Hills, California (120,000 ? 10,000 yr, shoreline angle altitudes could be a product
amino acid racemization date; Wehmiller et of local irregularities in the raised shore
(11.. 1977): platform or accuracy of the measurement
(7) Magdalena Terrace, Puerto Mag- techniques themselves. Faulting along the
dalena, Santa Magdalena Peninsula, Baja northwestern flank of the Arroyo Santo
California Sur. Mexico (average age = Dominguito possibly continued through
116,500 -C 6,000 yr. uranium-series coral Andres time and combined with coastal
and echinoid dates: Omura et rrl.. 1979). tilting to displace the Andrts shoreline
angle upwards by 7 m to an altitude of 3 1 m,
TILTING AND FAULTING 3.75 km east-southeast of Punta Rucosa
The amount of coastal deformation is ex- (about 0.54 m/km) (Fig. 5).
pressed as variation in the altitude of a Tomatal marine terrace deposits were
raised shoreline along the coast. The probably laid down 120,000 2 20,000 yr ago
Aeropuerto terrace is tilted and faulted to a when sea level was possibly between 2 and
greater extent than younger/lower marine 6 m higher than present (Steinen ct nl.,
terraces, indicating that tectonic activity 1973). Unlike the older shorelines, the To-
has occurred since the Aeropuerto terrace matal lacks obvious faulting or southeast-
was cut (Fig. 5). However, this coastal de- erly tilting because its shoreline angle al-
formation and faulting is slight when com- titudes remain essentially uniform at 7 t 1
pared with many other areas such as near m (Fig. 5). Hence, along this section of
Punta Gorda, California (K. R. Lajoie, per- coast, tilting, faulting, and possibly uplift
sonal communication, 1977) and between ceased or became so minimal between To-
Valle Camalu and Valle de1 Rosario, Baja matal time and the present as to be unde-
California (Orme, 1972, 1974) (Fig. 2). tectable.
The Aeropuerto terrace is the oldest of
the three prominent marine terraces and SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
slopes gently downward toward the south-
east roughly parallel to the dips of Tertiary The marine terraces between Playa El
sediments. Its southeasternmost measured Marron and Arroyo El Salinito are the most
shoreline angle is 54 m above MSL on San extensive Pleistocene planation surfaces in
Javier ridge. From here, the shoreline angle central Baja California. They offer abun-
rises toward the northwest at about 0.2 dant geologic and geomorphologic infor-
m/km to an altitude of 58 m, 5.3 km north- mation and are nicely adapted for use in
 MARINE TERRACES
coastal deformation studies, being origi-
nally horizontal, cut near sea level, and cor-
relatable alongshore for many kilometers.
Their expression varies, but is generally
best on the widespread Cenozoic marine
sediments of Paleocene and Pleistocene
age.
In the field area, several Pleistocene
shorelines are visible and can be traced
alongshore from Playa El Marron to Arroyo
El Salinito. In order of decreasing eleva-
tion, they are the Aeropuerto, And&, and
Tomatal marine terraces.
The Aeropuerto marine terrace is the
oldest and most areally extensive surface,
reaching inland up to 4.5 km. The bulk of the
Aeropuerto deposits has been stripped
away since deposition, but the general in-
tegrity of its original, near planar surface
has been retained. The Aeropuerto
shoreline slopes downward toward the
southeast at about 0.2 m/km from a mea-
sured shoreline angle altitude of 58 m and
may have been faulted locally along the Ar-
royo Santo Dominguito.
The Andres marine terrace is the next
lower surface and, although younger, is
neither so vast or so continuous as the
Aeropuerto terrace. In addition, it has ex-
perienced significantly less faulting and
southeasterly tilting than the older terrace.
Colluvial, aeolian, and marine deposits
often cover the Andres platform but, as on
the other terraces, they are seldom thick.
Fossiliferous marine deposits were found in
one locality and included specimens of
Dendrmter vizcainoensis Grant and Hertlein
previously recorded only on the younger
Tomatal marine terrace near Punta Santa
Rosalillita (Grant and Hertlein, 1938).
The Tomatal marine terrace is the lowest
emergent surface and displays shoreline
angle altitudes of 7 2 1 m. It is also the
youngest of the emergent terraces (120,000
t 20,000 yr old) and is probably correlative
with other dated terraces in California in-
cluding the Nestor marine terrace at San
Diego. The Tomatal marine terrace is par-
ticularly well developed, comprising both
OF BAJA CALIFORNIA 361
erosional features, such as degraded sea
cliffs and a wave-cut platform up to 1 km
wide, and depositional elements, including
dunes, lagoonal sequences, and shingle
beach ridges. These raised shore features
are distinct and have modern corollaries
along the present coastline. Unlike the
older shorelines, the Tomatal remains es-
sentially horizontal and lacks any obvious
faulting, tilting, or uplift. Hence, the slight
southeasterly tilting apparent in both the
Aeropuerto marine terrace and Tertiary
sediments had essentially ceased by To-
matal time.
The aforementioned marine terrace data
provide some insight into the nature, tim-
ing, and magnitude of regional structural
deformation in central Baja California dur-
ing the Quaternary Period. But how does
this relate to the broader patterns of
Quaternary crustal movement in Baja
California? To answer this question fully
requires more peninsular research to sup-
plement the offshore data collected during
the last decades. However, the Baja
California peninsula is clearly separated
from mainland Mexico by a lithospheric
plate boundary under the modern Gulf of
California. During the last 4 my, motion
between the Pacific and North American
lithospheric plates has been taken up as
shear along en rchelon transform faults that
connect the San Andreas Fault system with
the East Pacific Rise (Fig. 3). As a result,
the peninsula has been carried northwest-
ward from mainland Mexico, either rn
NzCISse or as a series of discrete crustal
slices, at an average rate of 6 cm/yr (Moore
and Buffington, 1968: Moore, 1973). This
plate motion may have led to massive uplift
and complex deformation of some Pleis-
tocene marine terraces in Baja California.
There are several possible explanations for
such deformation put forth by Orme (1972).
First, the Pacific margin of Baja California
may well be affected by magnitudes of
shear and tension absent from the more
easterly and probably more slowly moving
crustal slices. Second, broad coastal uplifts
362 ALAN J. WOODS

along the northwestern peninsula could dated absolutely and it may well be that
occur with the crowding of the entire Baja those studied in northwestern Baja Cali-
California crustal raft (Orme, 1972, p. 633) fornia by Orme (1972, 1974) are much older
against the deeply rooted Sierra Nevada than the Aeropuerto terrace of the west
and San Bernardino Mountains farther central peninsula. There are other possible
north. Third, assuming that Baja California explanations, of course. Among them is that
is moving in a series of discrete crustal the anomalously level expression of the
slices along major transpeninsular (?) faults marine terraces is a relict of the field area
such as the Agua Blanca and San Benito, itself being too short to pick up periodic
then differential motion between these coastal deformation and too short to include
slices explains why some areas are uplifted major faults, all the while paralleling geo-
and other areas are topographically de- logic structure.
pressed (Figs. 2 and 3). It has been assumed that Baja California
The northern limit of the field area, Playa was tectonically unstable during Pleis-
El Marron, is just south of a massively up- tocene time, primarily because of the forces
lifted segment of coastline near Los Morros generated by plate motion. The relatively
(Orme, 1972) (Fig. 3). However, the field small amount of Pleistocene tilting along
area exhibits no indication of either rapid the west coast of central Baja California is a
uplift or extreme deformation. Instead, the new finding that may have broader implica-
Playa El Marron to Arroyo El Salinito field tions for the Quaternary history of the
area ranks with the Rio San Vicente to Mexican coast and the Pacific borderland in
Arroyo Salado section (Figs. 2 and 3) as the general. However, further research is re-
least deformed segment of coast so far quired before this is definitely known. Ide-
identified along the Pacific margin of north- ally, such work must investigate critical
ern or central Baja California. areas of the coastline including that seg-
The anomalously level expression of the ment between El Rosario and Playa El Mar-
Aeropuerto, Andres, and the Tomatal ron (Fig. 3). In addition, future research
marine terraces can be explained in several must also address the basic issues of
ways. First, if Baja California is separated whether Baja California is actually moving
into a series of crustal slices by trans- en masse and whether the stresses from
peninsular faults, then the relative absence plate motions are equally distributed along
of coastal deformation may be characteris- the Pacific coast of Baja California.
tic of the entire crustal slice that encom-
passes the field area. Second, the relative ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
horizontality of the paleoshorelines may be P. W. Birkeland. K. R. Lajoie, B. Mears. A. R.
Orme, R. G. Reider, and J. F. Wehmiller reviewed the
a function of a generalized reduction in manuscript: it is a pleasure to thank them for their time.
structural tensions with distance away from comments, and suggestions. J. F. Wehmiller also pro-
the deeply rooted structures of southern vided the amino acid racemization dates and L. R.
California (see above). Third, the relatively Saul identified many invertebrate fossils. In addition, 1
small amount of deformation and uplift may sincerely appreciate the help of A. J. Brown. N. Diar,
M. I. FitzSimmons, R. Halliday. W. E. Reed. R. L.
be a result of insignificant coastal compres-
Shreve, W. Thompson, the Williams family. and M. F.
sion in this part of central Baja California. Woods. The research was partially supported by the
Fourth, near horizontality of the highest University of California, Los Angeles.
persistent terrace in the field area relative
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