Submarine Landslide Scarps: Hueneme Canyon and Vicinity, California, 2012

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract
This line shapefile represents submarine landslide scarps of the geologic/geomorphic map of the Hueneme Canyon and surrounding vicinity in California. The offshore map area is characterized by two major physiographic features: (1) the nearshore continental shelf and upper slope; and (2) Hueneme Canyon and parts of three smaller, unnamed submarine canyons incised into the shelf southeast of Hueneme Canyon. The nearshore, shelf and slope are underlain by recent sediments and characterized by active sediment transport. Shelf and slope morphology and evolution result from drainage incision into deltaic sediments of the Oxnard plain during sea-level lowstand and subsequent sedimentation as sea level rose about 125 to 130 m over the last ~18,000 to 20,000 years (Lambeck and Chappell, 2001). Hueneme Canyon extends about 15 km offshore from its nearshore canyon head. The canyon is relatively deep (~150 m at the California's State Waters 3-nm limit) and steep (canyon walls as steep as 25 degrees to 30 degrees). The heads of the three smaller unnamed canyons southeast of Hueneme Canyon are not connected to the nearshore. During the last sea-level lowstand, these canyons were connected to coastal watersheds that fed coarse-grained sediment directly to Hueneme submarine fan (Normark and others, 2009). In the ensuing transgression, Hueneme Canyon maintained its connection with the shoreline as it eroded headward, while these smaller canyons were isolated and abandoned. "Outer" canyon walls in both Hueneme Canyon and the smaller unnamed canyons extend upward to the shelf edge and vary from smooth to deeply incised. "Inner" canyon walls occupy an intermediate position between the shelf edge and canyon floor. Both outer and inner canyon walls formed primarily by landsliding. Three different landslide units are mapped in Hueneme Canyon based on their morphology and relative age inferred from crosscutting and (or) draping relationships. Landslide units are undifferentiated where these morphology and relative age indicators are not distinct. The landslide units commonly include both steep erosional scarps and paired hummocky landslide deposits, and it is this genetic pairing (scarps with landslides) that distinguishes the scarps within landslide units from the scarps within the canyon-wall units. Lower-relief, sediment-draped, deep-seated slumps are mapped as separate landslide units. The map was published in Scientific Investigations Map 3225. This layer is part of the USGS Data Series 781.
Purpose
In 2007, the California Ocean Protection Council initiated the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP) to create a comprehensive seafloor map of high-resolution bathymetry, marine benthic habitats and geology within the 3-nautical-mile limit of California's State Waters. CSMP has divided coastal California into 110 map blocks, each to be published individually as United States Geological Survey Open-File Reports (OFRs) or Scientific Investigations Maps (SIMs) at a scale of 1:24,000. Maps display seafloor morphology and character, identify potential marine benthic habitats and illustrate both the seafloor geology and shallow (to about 100 m) subsurface geology. Data layers for bathymetry, bathymetric contours, acoustic backscatter, seafloor character, potential benthic habitat and offshore geology were created for each map block, as well as regional-scale data layers for sediment thickness, depth to transition, transgressive contours, isopachs, predicted distributions of benthic macro-invertebrates and visual observations of benthic habitat from video cruises over the entire state. This coverage can be used to aid in assessments and mitigation of geologic hazards and to provide sufficient geologic information for land-use and land-management decisions both onshore and offshore.These data are intended for science researchers, students, policy makers, and the general public. This information is not intended for navigational purposes.The data can be used with geographic information systems (GIS) software to display geologic and oceanographic information. Additionally, this coverage can provide a geologic map for the public and geoscience community to aid in assessments and mitigation of geologic hazards in the coastal region and sufficient geologic information for land-use and land-management decisions both onshore and offshore. This information is not intended for navigational purposes.

Description

Type of resource cartographic, software, multimedia
Form Shapefile
Extent 0.024
Place Santa Cruz, California, US
Publisher Geological Survey (U.S.)
Date valid 2012
Publication date 2012
Language English
Digital origin born digital
Map data Scale not given. ; EPSG::32611 W 119°19ʹ41ʺ--W 119°8ʹ23ʺ/N 34°13ʹ23ʺ--N 34°3ʹ30ʺW 119°15ʹ20ʺ--W 119°11ʹ31ʺ/N 34°8ʹ33ʺ--N 34°3ʹ35ʺW 119°15ʹ14ʺ--W 119°11ʹ31ʺ/N 34°8ʹ31ʺ--N 34°3ʹ39ʺ, Scale not given ; EPSG::4326

Creators/Contributors

Creator Ritchie, Andrew C.
Creator Clahan, Kevin B.
Creator Johnson, Samuel Y.
Creator Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Creator Golden, Nadine E.

Subjects

Subject Coasts
Subject Geomorphology
Subject Ocean bottom
Subject Seismic reflection method
Subject California
Subject Ventura County (Calif.)
Subject Pacific Ocean
Subject 2012
Subject Geoscientific Information
Subject Oceans
Genre Geospatial data
Genre Cartographic dataset

Bibliographic information

Supplemental information Map political location: Ventura County, California Compilation scale: 1:24,000 Base maps used are hillshades generated from IfSAR, LiDAR, and multibeam mapping both onshore and offshore (see sheet 2, SIM 3225, for more information). References Cited: Lambeck, K., and Chappell, J., 2001, Sea level change through the last glacial cycle: Science, v. 292, p. 679-686. Normark, W.R., Piper, D.J.W., Romans, B.W., Covault, J.A., Dartnell, P., and Sliter, R.W., 2009, Submarine canyon and fan systems of the California Continental Borderland, in Lee, H.J., and Normark, W.R., eds., Earth science in the urban ocean--The Southern California Continental Borderland: Geological Society of America Special Paper 454, p. 141-168.
WGS84 Cartographics This layer is presented in the WGS84 coordinate system for web display purposes. Downloadable data are provided in native coordinate system or projection.
Location https://purl.stanford.edu/zr860pg9083

Access conditions

Use and reproduction
This item is in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use.
Copyright
This work is in the Public Domain, meaning that it is not subject to copyright.

Preferred citation

U.S. Geological Survey. (2013). Submarine Landslide Scarps: Hueneme Canyon and Vicinity, California, 2012. California State Waters Map Series Data Catalog: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 781. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/zr860pg9083.

Collection

California State Waters Map Series Data Catalog

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