Week 6 - Matilija Falls - Jeremy Haynes

This week, my Wife and I decided to visit the Los Padres National Forest that resides near Santa Barbara, California. Within Los Padres, we gained access to Matilija Falls. Per the first picture (Orozco, 2016), this area seen is rather beautiful with brittle deformed faults and erosion from the water path present. Within the second picture (Stillman, 2010) more faults and erosion are present with the addition to sedimentary layers.

Aside from a popular and protected history, not much is known about the rock formations here. This site screams with potential geological history. Seeing the many sedimentary layers from the second picture (Stillman, 2010), a question of the types of rock present through a sampled analysis would be interesting to know in identifying the some of the process that could have occurred here. Considering by mere look of the path in which the water flows in this picture (Stillman, 2010), these definitely seem to be sedimentary layers - but of what kind of rock?

Below this area, the Pacific Tectonic Plate and the North American Plate meet and collide with one another. Another question would be if this area is a direct and only result of such occurrence in any manner relating to these Plate actions or could some of the geological features be due to earthquakes from the many oil drilling operations that take place directly off of California's shore?

Within the first picture (Orozco, 2016), what appears to be strike-slip faults look to be present toward the left side of the picture in a near vertical manner. Below this is very dark colored rock that appears to not directly correlate with the other lightly colored rock present. A question suitable for this would be if this coloring is due to igneous type properties formed through sedimentary processes or a direct cause of igneous processes. Or is this appearance related to an entirely different process (metamorphism)? Though, water is not currently flowing over these mentioned areas, water could have been present prior. All of these questions would allow light to be shed on an area with little geological information present due to the protection that such environment has.



[Picture Above Caption]: Faults in Matilija Falls, Los Padres National Forest (Orozco, 2016)

[Picture Below Caption]: Layered Segments in Matilija Falls, Los Padres National Forest (Stillman, 2010)



References:

Orozco, L. (21 Sep 2016). Deal Creates Permanent Public Access To Scenic Trail, Falls In Los Padres National Forest. Retrieved 17 Apr. 2020 from: https://www.kclu.org/post/deal-creates-permanent-public-access-scenic-trail-falls-los-padres-national-forest#stream/0.

Stillman, D. (09 May 2010) Matilija: The Lost Falls 05/09/10. Retrieved 17 Apr. 2020 from: http://davidstillman.blogspot.com/2010/05/matilija-lost-falls-050910.html.