U.S.

Department of the Interior Scientific Investigations Map 3319

U.S. Geological Survey Sheet 8 of 11
120°10' 120°5' 120°
Pamphlet accompanies map
500 m

Fig. 9
SOUTH NORTH 120° 119°40' 119°20' 119°

Trackline Map
VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 13
0 0
1 km
shelf break shelf
EXPLANATION SOUTH VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 1.5 NORTH CALIF.
0
Tracklines of select seismic-reflection slope North Channel Fault
surveys—Thick lines show locations
Santa Barbara MAP LOCATION
of profile lines depicted in figures;
thin lines show full extent of surveys
Molino 34°20' Area of

Two-way travel time, in seconds

Figure 1 shelf gas field Map
Survey S–7–08–SC (USGS) Limit of California’s
shelf break
Santa Ynez Mountains State Waters

Approximate depth, in meters

Ventura

Two-way travel time, in seconds

Figure 2 0.1 slope 80
Survey W–37–84–SC, W–6–85–SC, Santa Barbara Channel
1.0
W–40–85–SC (WesternGeco)
3-nautical-mile limit of California’s
State Waters
Santa Rosa Island Santa Cruz Island Anacapa
Area of “no data”—Areas near shoreline 0 5 10
34° Island Kilometers
not mapped owing to insufficient 34°30' Nautical Miles
0 4 8
high-resolution seafloor mapping
data; areas beyond 3-nautical-mile
34°30'
limit of California’s State Waters 2.0
were not mapped as part of California
Seafloor Mapping Program
160
DISCUSSION
0.2
This map sheet shows seismic-reflection profiles from two different surveys of the Offshore of Refugio
Beach map area, providing imagery of the subsurface geology. The area extends from the nearshore across the
continental shelf and onto the upper slope, with maximum water depths of about 100 m in California’s State
Waters. The seismic-reflection data reveal that the shelf is largely underlain by upper Pleistocene and Holocene
Figure 1. USGS chirp seismic-reflection profile SBC–219 (survey S–7–08–SC; Sliter and others, 2008), which crosses Santa Barbara shelf west of Refugio State Beach; see trackline map for location. marine sediments (blue shading in profiles; Sommerfield and others, 2009; Draut and others, 2009) deposited in
Magenta symbols show fold axes (diverging arrows, anticlines; converging arrows, synclines). Blue shading shows inferred uppermost Pleistocene and Holocene nearshore and shelf deposits, which the past about 21,000 years, following the last major glaciation and sea-level lowstand (see, for example,
have maximum thickness of about 8 m in nearshore on this transect but, in general, are thinner or altogether absent farther offshore. Dashed green lines highlight part of angular unconformity that 3.0 Fleming and others, 1998). This postglacial stratigraphic unit has a maximum thickness of about 12 m (fig. 8)
separates upper unit from underlying tilted, Miocene and younger strata; at shelf break, these older strata dip about 15° offshore (note vertical exaggeration), which could facilitate (through
parallels figure 5
offshore of El Capitan State Beach in the eastern part of the map area, but it is typically less than 5 m thick and
bedding-plane slip) submarine landslides such as Goleta landslide complex (Fisher and others, 2005; Greene and others, 2006), mapped to east in adjacent Offshore of Coal Oil Point map area. Also Figure 2. Industry 2-D, migrated multichannel air-gun seismic-reflection profile WC85–252 (collected in 1985 on survey W–40–85–SC), which traverses pinches out locally over bedrock highs. Nearshore and shelf sediment is mainly derived from eastward littoral
shown is Molino gas field (see fig. 1–2 [in pamphlet] for location). Dashed yellow line is seafloor multiple (echo of seafloor reflector). part of Santa Barbara shelf southwest of Refugio State Beach; see trackline map for location. Note that profile has similar horizontal scale to USGS drift, bluff erosion, and local coastal watersheds (Warrick and Farnsworth, 2009; see also, fig. 1–2 in pamphlet).
high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles shown in figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, but it has much less vertical exaggeration (1.5:1). Note also that Underlying bedrock is predominantly fine-grained Miocene marine strata, on the basis of the extension of
500 m

Fig. 9
profile has not been depth converted and so no depth scale is shown, but it probably extends to depths of about 4 km. Dashed yellow line shows
SOUTH NORTH adjacent onshore geologic mapping by Dibblee (1981a,b). This Neogene bedrock, which lies above the north-
Refugio El Capitan 0
VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 13
0
inferred trace of North Channel Fault, a “blind” structure that does not rupture surface. Magenta symbols show fold axes (diverging arrows, anticline;
converging arrows, syncline). Profile parallels southern part of figure 5 (located about 1 km to east; see trackline map). Profile shows predominant
dipping North Channel Fault, is deformed into west- to northwest-trending folds that dip predominantly to the
south, toward the Santa Barbara Basin (Kamerling and others, 2001). The offshore dips of beds are especially
State Beach State Beach south dip of Tertiary strata beneath shelf and upper slope north of North Channel Fault (also seen on high-resolution profiles in figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and
notable at the shelf break, where they could facilitate (by bedding-plane slip) submarine landslides, such as the
8), as well as syncline and anticline axes beneath slope south of fault.
Goleta landslide complex and Gaviota landslide (Fisher and others, 2005; Greene and others, 2006), both
1 km mapped to the east in the adjacent Offshore of Coal Oil Point map area. Previously Ashley and others (1977)
slope North Channel shelf

Fig. 9
also used seismic-reflection profiles to generate structural and stratigraphic interpretations in this map area.
SOUTH Fault Zone VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 1.5 NORTH
0 Most high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles displayed on this map sheet (figs. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Fig. 1
Fig. 3

were collected in 2008 on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cruise S–7–08–SC (Sliter and others, 2008). Single-
0
Fig. 1

shelf channel seismic-reflection data were acquired using the EdgeTech 512 chirp, a subbottom-profiling system that
Molino gas field

Two-way travel time, in seconds

consists of a source transducer and an array of receiving hydrophones housed in a 500-lb fish, towed at a depth

Approximate depth, in meters

shelf break of several meters below the sea surface. The swept-frequency chirp source signal was 500 to 4,500 Hz and 50
Fig. 5

slope ms in length. The data were digitally recorded in standard SEG-Y 32-bit floating-point format, using Triton
Fig. 6

Fig. 7
0.1 80 Subbottom Logger (SBL) software that merges seismic-reflection data with differential GPS-navigation data.
After the survey, a short-window (20 ms) automatic gain control algorithm was applied to the data. The vertical
scale on the high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles (figs. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) is shown as two-way travel

Fig. 4

Two-way travel time, in seconds

Fig. 9 time in seconds, as well as in meters on the basis of an inferred velocity of 1,600 m/sec for near-surface

8
1.0 sediments.

Fig.
Figures 2 and 4 show deep-penetration, migrated, multichannel seismic-reflection profiles collected in
1985 by WesternGeco on cruise W–40–85–SC. These profiles and other similar data were collected in many
Fig. 2

areas offshore of California in the 1970s and 1980s when the area was considered a frontier for oil and gas
exploration. Much of these data have been publicly released and are now archived at the USGS National
Archive of Marine Seismic Surveys (U.S. Geological Survey, 2009). These data were acquired with a large-
volume air-gun source that has a frequency range of 3 to 40 Hz and recorded with a multichannel hydrophone
streamer about 2 km long; shot spacing was about 30 m. These data can resolve geologic features that are 20 to
0.2 160
30 m thick, down to subbottom depths of about 4 km.
34°25' 2.0
REFERENCES CITED
34°25' Ashley, R.J., Berry, R.W., and Fischer, P.J., 1977, Offshore geology and sediment distribution of the El
Figure 3. USGS chirp seismic-reflection profile SBC–221 (survey S–7–08–SC; Sliter and others, 2008), which crosses Santa Barbara shelf west of Refugio State Beach; see trackline map for location. Dashed red Capitan-Gaviota continental shelf, northern Santa Barbara channel, California: Journal of Sedimentary
line shows inferred fault in core of anticline. Magenta symbols show fold axes (diverging arrows, anticlines; converging arrows, synclines). Blue shading shows inferred uppermost Pleistocene and Holocene Petrology, v. 47, p. 199–208.
nearshore and shelf deposits, which have maximum thickness of only about 3 m on this transect but, in general, are thinner or altogether absent. Dashed green lines highlight part of angular unconformity that Dibblee, T.W., Jr., 1981a, Geologic map of the Tajiguas quadrangle, California: U.S. Geological Survey
separates upper unit from underlying tilted, Miocene and younger bedrock; at shelf break, these older strata dip about 19° offshore (note vertical exaggeration), which could facilitate (through bedding-plane Open-File Report 81–371, scale 1:24,000.
slip) submarine landslides such as Goleta landslide complex (Fisher and others, 2005; Greene and others, 2006), mapped to east in adjacent Offshore of Coal Oil Point map area. Also shown is Molino gas field Dibblee, T.W., Jr., 1981b, Geologic map of the Gaviota quadrangle, California: U.S. Geological Survey
(see fig. 1–2 [in pamphlet] for location). Dashed yellow line is seafloor multiple (echo of seafloor reflector). Open-File Report 81–374, scale 1:24,000.
3.0 Draut, A.E., Hart, P.E., Lorenson, T.D., Ryan, H.F., Wong, F.L., Sliter, R.W., and Conrad, J.E., 2009, Late
500 m near overlap with figure 7 Pleistocene to Holocene sedimentation and hydrocarbon seeps on the continental shelf of a steep,

Fig. 9
SOUTH VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 13
NORTH Figure 4. Industry 2-D, migrated multichannel air-gun seismic-reflection profile WC85–244 (collected in 1985 on survey W–40–85–SC), which extends south tectonically active margin, southern California, USA: Marine Geophysical Research, p. 193–206,
0 0 doi:10.1007/s11001-009-9076-y.
across Santa Barbara shelf southeast of Refugio State Beach; see trackline map for location. Note that profile has similar horizontal scale to USGS
high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles shown in figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, but it has much less vertical exaggeration (1.5:1). Note also that profile Fisher, M.A., Normark, W.M., Greene, H.G., Lee, H.J., and Sliter, R.W., 2005, Geology and tsunamigenic
has not been depth converted and so no depth scale is shown, but it probably extends to depths of about 4 km. Dashed yellow lines show inferred faults in potential of submarine landslides in Santa Barbara Channel, southern California: Marine Geology, v. 224,
North Channel Fault Zone, a “blind” structure that does not rupture to the surface. Magenta symbol shows syncline axis. Note near overlap with figure 7 p. 1–22.
(see trackline map). Profile shows predominant south dip of Tertiary strata beneath shelf and upper slope north of North Channel Fault (also seen on Fleming, K., Johnston, P., Zwart, D., Yokoyama, Y., Lambeck, K., and Chappell, J., 1998, Refining the eustatic
high-resolution profiles in figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8), as well as axis of prominent syncline beneath slope south of fault. sea-level curve since the Last Glacial Maximum using far- and intermediate-field sites: Earth and Planetary
Science Letters, v. 163, p. 327–342, doi:10.1016/S0012-821X(98)00198-8.
Molino Greene, H.G., Murai, L.Y., Watts, P., Maher, N.A., Fisher, M.A., Paull, C.E., and Eichhubl, P., 2006, Submarine
gas field landslides in the Santa Barbara Channel as powerful tsunami sources: Natural Hazards and Earth System
Two-way travel time, in seonds
120°10' 120°5' 120°
shelf Sciences, v. 6, p. 63–88.

Approximate depth, in meters

121/2° SCALE 1:50 000
Onshore elevation data from NOAA Coastal Services GIS database and digital cartography by Eleyne L. Kamerling, M.J., Sorlien, C.C., Archuleta, R., and Nicholson, C., 2001, Three-dimensional geometry and
Center (data collected by EarthData International in 2 1 0 2 MILES Phillips and Florence L. Wong shelf break interactions of faults and structures along the northern margin of the Santa Barbara Channel, California:
2002-2003) and from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (data 0.1 80
TH

Edited by Sarah E. Nagorsen

TRUE NORTH

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, p. A41.

NOR

collected by Fugro Pelagos in 2009). Offshore 7000 3500 0 7000 FEET

slope
Manuscript approved for publication February 4, 2015
Sliter, R.W., Triezenberg, P.J., Hart, P.E., Draut, A.E., Normark, W.R., and Conrad, J.E., 2008, High-resolution
N E T IC

shaded-relief bathymetry from map on sheet 2, this report.

1 0.5 0 1 KILOMETER
California's State Waters limit from NOAA Office of Coast
chirp and mini-sparker seismic reflection data from the southern California continental shelf—Gaviota to
MAG

Survey
Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 10N
APPROXIMATE MEAN
DECLINATION, 2015
ONE MILE = 0.869 NAUTICAL MILES Mugu Canyon: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008–1246, available at
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1246/.
NOT INTENDED FOR NAVIGATIONAL USE Sommerfield, C.R., Lee, H.J., and Normark, W.R., 2009, Postglacial sedimentary record of the southern
Figure 5. USGS chirp seismic-reflection profile SBC–225 (survey S–7–08–SC; Sliter and others, 2008), which crosses Santa
Barbara shelf west of Refugio State Beach; see trackline map for location. Dashed red line shows inferred fault in core of California continental shelf and slope, Point Conception to Dana Point, in Lee, H.J., and Normark, W.R.,
anticline. Magenta symbols show fold axes (diverging arrows, anticline; converging arrows, syncline). Blue shading shows eds., Earth science in the urban ocean—The Southern California Continental Borderland: Geological
inferred uppermost Pleistocene and Holocene nearshore and shelf deposits, which have maximum thickness of about 6 m Society of America Special Paper 454, p. 89–116.
near the coast on this transect but, in general, are thinner or altogether absent farther offshore. Dashed green lines highlight U.S. Geological Survey, 2009, National Archive of Marine Seismic Surveys: U.S. Geological Survey database,
part of angular unconformity that separates upper unit from underlying tilted, Miocene and younger bedrock; at shelf break, data accessed April 5, 2011, at http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/NAMSS/.
0.2 160 these older strata dip about 7° offshore (note vertical exaggeration), which could facilitate (through bedding-plane slip) Warrick, J.A., and Farnsworth, K.L., 2009, Sources of sediment to the coastal waters of the Southern California
submarine landslides such as Goleta landslide complex (Fisher and others, 2005; Greene and others, 2006), mapped to east in Bight, in Lee, H.J., and Normark, W.R., eds., Earth science in the urban ocean—The Southern California
adjacent Offshore of Coal Oil Point map area. Also shown is Molino gas field (see fig. 1–2 [in pamphlet] for location). Profile Continental Borderland: Geological Society of America Special Paper 454, p. 39–52.
parallels northern part of figure 2 (located about 1 km west; see trackline map), which has much lower resolution but much
greater depth penetration. Dashed yellow line is seafloor multiple (echo of seafloor reflector).

parallels figure 2

500 m 500 m
Fig. 4
Fig. 9

Fig. 9
500 m

Fig. 9
SOUTH NORTH SOUTH VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 13
NORTH SOUTH NORTH
VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 13 0 0 VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 13
0 0 0 0

buried shoreline angle buried shoreline angle

and wave-cut platform and wave-cut platform
Two-way travel time, in seconds

Two-way travel time, in seconds

shelf

Two-way travel time, in seconds

shelf
Approximate depth, in meters

shelf

Approximate depth, in meters

shelf break shelf break

Approximate depth, in meters

0.1 shelf break 80 0.1 slope 80 0.1 80
slope
slope

0.2 160 0.2 160 0.2 160

Figure 6. USGS chirp seismic-reflection profile SBC–212 (survey S–7–08–SC; Sliter and others, 2008), which crosses Santa Barbara shelf south of Refugio State Beach; see trackline map for location. Blue shading
shows inferred uppermost Pleistocene and Holocene nearshore and shelf deposits, which have maximum thickness of about 9 m on this transect but, in general, are thinner or altogether absent farther offshore.
Dashed green lines highlight part of angular unconformity that separates upper unit from underlying tilted, Miocene and younger bedrock. Bedrock dips offshore across entire profile; at shelf break, these older strata
dip about 6° offshore (note vertical exaggeration), which could facilitate (through bedding-plane slip) submarine landslides such as Goleta landslide complex (Fisher and others, 2005; Greene and others, 2006),
mapped to east in adjacent Offshore of Coal Oil Point map area. Dashed yellow line is seafloor multiple (echo of seafloor reflector).
Figure 8. USGS chirp seismic-reflection profile SBC–204 (survey S–7–08–SC; Sliter and others, 2008), which crosses Santa Barbara shelf south of El Capitan State Beach; see trackline map for location. Magenta symbols show fold axes
near overlap with figure 4 (diverging arrows, anticline; converging arrows, syncline). Blue shading shows inferred uppermost Pleistocene and Holocene nearshore and shelf deposits, which have maximum thickness of about 12 m near coast but, in general, are thinner
or altogether absent farther offshore. Dashed green lines highlight part of angular unconformity that separates upper unit from underlying tilted, Miocene and younger bedrock; at shelf break, these older strata dip about 9° offshore (note
Figure 7. USGS chirp seismic-reflection profile SBC–206 (survey S–7–08–SC; Sliter and others, 2008), which crosses Santa Barbara shelf south of El Capitan State Beach; see trackline map for location. Magenta symbols
show fold axes (diverging arrows, anticline; converging arrows, syncline). Blue shading shows inferred uppermost Pleistocene and Holocene nearshore and shelf deposits, which have maximum thickness of about 8 m on vertical exaggeration), which could facilitate (through bedding-plane slip) submarine landslides such as Goleta landslide complex (Fisher and others, 2005; Green and others, 2006), mapped to east in adjacent Offshore of Coal Oil Point map
area. Dashed yellow line is seafloor multiple (echo of seafloor reflector).
this transect. Dashed green lines highlight part of angular unconformity that separates upper unit from underlying tilted, Miocene and younger bedrock; at shelf break, these older strata dip about 7° offshore (note vertical
exaggeration), which could facilitate (through bedding-plane slip) submarine landslides such as Goleta landslide complex (Fisher and others, 2005; Greene and others, 2006), mapped to east in adjacent Offshore of Coal Oil
Point map area. Note near overlap with figure 4 (see trackline map), which has much lower resolution but much greater depth penetration. Dashed yellow line is seafloor multiple (echo of seafloor reflector).

500 m
Fig. 5

500 m
Fig. 6
Fig. 1

Fig. 3

Fig. 4
Fig. 7

Fig. 8
WEST VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 13 EAST WEST VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~ 13
EAST
0 0 0 0m

projection of Figure 10. USGS chirp seismic-reflection profile SBC–209 (survey S–7–08–SC;
Eagle Fault (?) Sliter and others, 2008), which crosses nearshore area south of Refugio State
Beach, roughly parallel to shoreline; see trackline map for location. Blue
shading shows inferred uppermost Pleistocene and Holocene nearshore and
shelf deposits, which have maximum thickness of about 7 m on this profile but
thin abruptly over buried, near-vertical scarp that aligns with possible

Two-way travel time, in seconds

Two-way travel time, in seconds

westward projection of Eagle Fault, mapped onland by Dibblee (1981a) and

Molino gas field Minor and others (2009). Underlying strata are probably rocks of the lower

Approximate depth, in meters

Miocene Rincon Shale and (or) the Miocene Monterey Formation. Dashed

Approximate depth, in meters

0.1 80 yellow line is seafloor multiple (echo of seafloor reflector).
0.1 80

0.2 160 0.2 160

Figure 9. USGS chirp seismic-reflection profile SBC–213T (survey S–7–08–SC; Sliter and others, 2008), which crosses outer Santa Barbara shelf offshore of Refugio State Beach,
subparallel to shoreline; see trackline map for location. Dashed red line shows fault. Magenta symbols show syncline axes. Blue shading shows inferred uppermost Pleistocene
and Holocene nearshore and shelf deposits, which have maximum thickness of about 7 m but are thin to absent over much of western part of profile. Dashed green lines
highlight part of angular unconformity that separates upper unit from underlying tilted, Miocene and younger bedrock. Profile crosses axis of same syncline twice (see sheet 10)
and crosses the predominant structural trend at a highly oblique angle, resulting in irregular, hummocky character of bedrock reflections (in contrast to figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8,
which are roughly perpendicular to structural trend). Also shown is Molino gas field (see fig. 1–2 [in pamphlet] for location). Dashed yellow line is seafloor multiple (echo of
seafloor reflector).

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the
U.S. Government

Seismic-Reflection Profiles, Offshore of Refugio Beach Map Area, California

This map was printed on an electronic plotter directly from digital files. Dimensional calibration may vary between electronic plotters
and between X and Y directions on the same plotter, and paper may change size due to atmospheric conditions; therefore, scale and
proportions may not be true on plots of this map.
For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, 1–888–ASK–USGS

By Digital files available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3319/

Suggested Citation: Johnson, S.Y., Sliter, R.W., Conrad, J.E., Ritchie, A.C., East, A.E., Hart, P.E., and Phillips, E.L., 2015,
Seismic-reflection profiles, Offshore of Refugio Beach map area, California, sheet 8 in Johnson, S.Y., Dartnell, P., Cochrane, G.R.,
Samuel Y. Johnson, Ray W. Sliter, James E. Conrad, Andrew C. Ritchie, Amy E. East, Patrick E. Hart, and Eleyne L. Phillips Golden, N.E., Phillips, E.L., Ritchie, A.C., Krigsman, L.M., Dieter, B.E., Conrad, J.E., Greene, H.G., Seitz, G.G., Endris, C.A., Sliter, R.W.,
Wong, F.L., Erdey, M.D., Gutierrez, C.I., Yoklavich, M.M., East, A.E., and Hart, P.E. (S.Y. Johnson and S.A. Cochran, eds.), California
ISSN 2329-132X (online) State Waters Map Series—Offshore of Refugio Beach, California: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3319,
2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3319 pamphlet 42 p., 11 sheets, scale 1:24,000, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3319.