Week 6 Geological Interpretations- Big Sur California

All photos are owned by myself

This week I decided to travel to Big Sur California. Big Sur is a stretch of the California coast that is located south of Carmel and Monterey California. It is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the East by the Santa Lucia Mountains. The California 1 Highway runs along Big Sur and if famous for the mountain, ocean, and ocean cliff scenic views. It is obvious that the ocean played a role in shaping the coastline that borders Big Sur as well as the terrain and vegetation that is now present in one way or another. 

To learn more about the areas geological makeup I would request a combination of rock samples and radiometric dating tests to not only determine what types of rocks makeup Big Sur and the surrounding region, but also how old each layer is. This would help to determine what the sea level may have been in relation to Big Sur as well as when sedimentation may have been carried to the area by the river-borne mountains that make up much of the California coast. 

Lastly, I would request the chemical makeup of the water features that have formed inland of the coast to determine the salination levels to determine how long these water features have been separated from the ocean itself, as well as what animals could inhabit water inland of the coast near Big Sur. Since saltwater fish and mammals such as sea lions who prey on salmon during the first phase of their spawn. The salmon and other fish such as cutthroat trout are able to transition from a saltwater environment to a fresh-water environment. Other animals who swim up streams and estuaries are certain types of whales. This information is personally interesting to me and can provide important information on how to protect and preserve the area in order to maintain animal populations.