Santa Cruz Mudstone

The Santa Cruz Mudstone is a geologic formation in California. The siliceous organic mudstones of the formation were deposited in deep water and fluvial environments. The formation overlies the Santa Margarita Sandstone and is overlain by the Purisima Formation. The Santa Cruz Mudstone was formerly considered part of the Monterey Formation. The formation preserves bivalve and echinoid fossils as well as vertebrates of Parabalaenoptera baulinensis and Otodus megalodon. The formation dates back to the Late Miocene (Tortonian to Messinian) period.[1][2][3]

For other uses, see Santa Cruz Formation.
Santa Cruz Mudstone
Stratigraphic range: Tortonian-Messinian
TypeFormation
UnderliesPurisima Formation
OverliesSanta Margarita Sandstone
Thickness>2,700 m (8,900 ft)
Lithology
PrimarySiliceous organic mudstone
Location
Coordinates37.1°N 122.3°W / 37.1; -122.3
Approximate paleocoordinates36.6°N 119.8°W / 36.6; -119.8
Region California
Country United States
ExtentSanta Cruz Mountains
Type section
Named forSanta Cruz County
Santa Cruz Mudstone (California)

See also

References
  1. Balinas Point at Fossilworks.org
  2. Bolinas Bay at Fossilworks.org
  3. Waddell Creek at Fossilworks.org

Further reading
  • J. C. Clark. 1981. Stratigraphy, paleontology, and geology of the Central Santa Cruz Mountains, California Coast Ranges. United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 1168:1-51
  • D. S. Jordan and H. Hanibal. 1923. Fossil sharks and rays of the Pacific slope of North America. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 22:27-63
  • C. V. Zeigler, G. L. Chan, and L. G. Barnes. 1997. A new late Miocene balaenopterid whale (Cetacea: Mysticeti), Parabalaenoptera baulinensis, (new genus and species) from the Santa Cruz Mudstone, Point Reyes Peninsula, California. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 50(4):115-138
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