Highlights of the U.S. Geological Survey's Santa Maria Province Project

Margaret A. Keller

The Santa Maria Province Project is a multi-year study of several sedimentary basins in central coastal California by the U.S. Geological Survey and collaborating scientists in other government agencies, academia, the petroleum industry, and consulting firms. The project centered on the Santa Maria, Santa Barbara-Ventura, and Huasna-Pismo basins.

Publication of project results in more than 30 chapters for USGS Bulletin 1995 is nearing completion. Major accomplishments include a province-wide study of conductive heat flow; state-of-the-art chronostratigraphic and biostratigraphic compilations for many outcrop and subsurface sections; detailed studies of the distribution, stratigraphy, and sedimentology of sedimentary and volcanic formations of Tertiary age and basement rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age; several major papers on tectonics, origin, and paleogeography of parts of the Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary sequence; a new depositional model for the Miocene Monterey Formation, which is the major petroleum source-rock and an important reservoir rock in this region; and topical studies of spectral gamma-ray signature, fractu ing, diagenesis, and phosphate occurrence and origin in the Monterey Formation.

Additional products include new geologic quadrangle maps, digital compiled geologic maps, gravity and magnetic maps, a compiled map of the thermal maturity of surface rocks, and a CD-ROM of seismic data. New offshore seismic data was collected for construction of stratigraphic correlation sections, and selected seismic data for the Hosgri Fault Zone is presented and interpreted.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #91019©1996 AAPG Convention and Exhibition 19-22 May 1996, San Diego, California