Santa Susana Formation

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Santa Susana Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Paleocene-Early Eocene
Type Formation
Underlies Meganos Formation
Overlies Martinez Formation
Thickness1,000–1,500 ft (300–460 m)
Lithology
Primary Shale
Other Sandstone, conglomerate
Location
Region Los Angeles County and Ventura County, California
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Extent Simi Hills, Santa Susana Mountains
Type section
Named for Santa Susana, California

The Santa Susana Formation is a Paleogene period geologic formation in the Simi Hills and western Santa Susana Mountains of southern California. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The formation consists largely of light-gray shale and some fine-grained shaly sandstone, with a lens of heavy conglomerates in the lower part. [1] [4] Small beds of limestone are also present. [5] It is from 1,000–1,500 feet (300–460 m) thick. [1] [4]

Fossil content

The Santa Susana Formation preserves fossils from the Late Paleocene to Early Eocene epochs in the Paleogene period of the Cenozoic Era. [4] [6] Fossilized fauna in the Santa Susana Formation is entirely different from that of underlying Martinez Formation, and has very little in common with that of the overlying Meganos Formation. [1] [3] [7]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 USGS.gov: Geolex - Santa Susana Formation; accessed 8.15.2015
  2. "A summary of work in progress on the Tertiary and Quaternary of western North America"; Clark, B.L.; Pan-Pacific [2nd] Science Congress Proceedings, Australia, v. 1, p. 874-879 (1924); accessed 8.15.2015.
  3. 1 2 "A contribution to the paleontology of the Martinez Eocene of California"; Nelson, R. N.; University of California Publications in Geological Sciences v. 15, no. 11 (1925); [p. 397-466]; accessed 8.15.2015.
  4. 1 2 3 USGS.gov: "Preliminary geologic map of the Santa Susana quadrangle, Southern California"; R. F. Yerkes1 and R. H. Campbell; accessed 8.15.2015.
  5. Campbell, R.H., Wills, C.J., Irvine, P.J., and Swanson, B.J., 2016. Preliminary geologic map of the Los Angeles 30' x 60' quadrangle, California.Version 2.1, California Geological Survey, Preliminary Geologic Maps PGM-13-06 https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/mapview/?center=-118.371,34.313&zoom=10
  6. Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database" . Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  7. "Checklist of California Tertiary marine Mollusca"; Keen, A.M., and Bentson, Herdis; Geological Society of America Special Paper, 56, 280 p. (1944); [Pg. 21 (fig. 4) shows age as [late] Paleocene through early Eocene]; accessed 8.15.2015.