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Bolinas Lagoon, California UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY AND FAULT-RELATED STUDIES, BOLINAS LAGOON, CALIFORNIA By Joel R. Bergquist Open-file Report 78-802 1978 This report is preliminary and has not been edited or reviewed for conformity with Geological Survey standards CONTENTS ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Acknowledgments 3 Location, accessibility, and culture 3 Physical features 5 Geologic setting 7 USE OF MAPS FOR DETERMINING MORPHOLOGIC CHANGE IN BOLINAS LAGOON 9 Hondius map of 1589 9 Vancouver map, 1792 10 Briones' Diseno, ca. 1841-42 10 Ringgold map, ca. 1849-50 10 U.S.C. &G.S. topographic surveys 15 U.S.C. & G.S. charts 16 Map sequences showing changes in morphology of Bolinas Lagoon 18 Comparison of 1854 and 1929 topographic surveys 21 Methods and accuracy of surveying 21 High-water line 22 Low-water line 23 Marsh areas 23 Horizontal control on 1854 and 1929 topographic surveys 24 Mechanics of compositing surveys 26 Accuracy of registration of topographic surveys with modern base map 29 COMPARISON OF 1854 AND 1929 U.S.C. & G.S. TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYS OF BOLINAS LAGOON WITH REFERENCE TO THE 1906 EARTHQUAKE 30 Marsh changes on Pepper and McKennan Islands as indications of subsidence 30 1906 trace of San Andreas Fault within Bolinas Lagoon 32 Horizontal displacement along the 1906 fault trace on Pepper Island 33 Fault-related features north of Bolinas Lagoon 33 McKennan Island 34 East shore of the Lagoon 34 Marshes on Pine Gulch Creek Delta 35 Marshes at the north end of Bolinas Lagoon 36 Spit marshes and morphology 36 West end of spit 39 Outer (MHW) line on Stinson Beach spit 39 Erosion of Bolinas Cliffs 41 Channels 43 Summary 44 SUBSURFACE STRUCTURE OF BOLINAS LAGOON 46 Subsidence during 1906 Earthquake 46 Truncated ridges east of Bolinas Lagoon 56 Topography from Bolinas Lagoon to Tomales Bay 56 Evidence of faulting on the Golden Gate Platform 56 Seismic reflection profiling in Bolinas Lagoon 56 Field methods 58 Seismic record 59 DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY DETERMINED FROM DRILLING BENEATH STINSON BEACH SPIT 64 Field methods 64 Evidence of depositional environments from megafauna 66 Borehole 2 68 Borehole 3 & 6 69 Borehole 4 70 Borehole 5 71 Barrier Formation 77 Depositional record from small-diameter cores 78 Cross-section A-A' 78 Cross-section B-B' 81 Cross-section D-D' 82 TECTONIC SUBSIDENCE 85 Postdepositional compaction of sediments 87 Measurements of subsidence 89 ENVIRONMENTAL AND PALEOCLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCE OF FOSSIL POLLEN FROM BENEATH STINSON BEACH SPIT 92 Pollen nomenclature and abbreviations 92 Environmental and paleoclimatic interpretations 92 Implications of Picea Pollen 95 Implications of other pollen 96 Summary and conclusions 100 EFFECTS OF LOGGING ON SEDIMENTATION IN THE UPPER BASIN OF BOLINAS LAGOON 102 Effects of logging 102 Core location 103 Sampling and analysis 103 Pollen markers 104 11 Calculated dates of pollen introduction and sources of uncertainty 107 Interpretation of changes in grain-size parameters and pollen frequencies 108 115-50 cm 109 50 cm to surface and possible sedimentary record of 1906 earthquake 110 Graphical summmary of changes in core sediments 111 Semi-quantitative mineralogical changes in core 6-76 114 Rates of sediment accumulation 114 Effects of floods on sedimentation 116 Long-term sediment accumulation 117 Summary and conclusions 119 PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF CHANGE IN BOLINAS LAGOON 1906/1907 - 1976/1977 121 Water-depth corrections 121 Tidal flats 123 Spit 123 Pepper (Kent) Island 125 McKennan (Pickleweed) Island 125 Summary 13 7 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 138 APPENDIXES Appendix A. Grain-size statistics for borehole samples 144 Appendix B. Borehole megafauna 148 Appendix C. Coordinates and elevations of tops of boreholes and cores 156 References cited 157 111 FIGURES Page Figure 1. Index Map showing Location of Bolinas Lagoon 4 2. Portus Novae Albionus, the Hondius Map of 1589 9 3. Part of Chart by Vancouver, 1792 11 4. Diseno of Rancho Baulines ca. 1841-42 12 5. Part of Nautical Chart by C. Ringgold, U.S.N. 14 ca. 1849-1850 6. Map Showing areas of U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic surveys that include Bolinas Lagoon 15 7. Detail fromU.S.C. & G.S. Chart 5532, San Francisco Entrance, California, May 1915 17 8. Detail from U.S.C. & G.S. Chart 5532, San Francisco Entrance, California, 1939 17 9. Map Sequences by Ritter (1973) and Rowntree (1975) 19 10. View of 1906 Trace of San Andreas Fault on Pepper 31 Island 11. Secondary Ground Crack in Marsh North of Pine Gulch Creek, ca. 1907 37 12. Map Showing Variable Configuration of Inlet and Distal End of Stinson Beach Spit 40 13. Graph Showing Seasonal Variation of the Mean High Water (MHW) Line on the Ocean Side of Stinson Beach Spit 42 14. Map of Bolinas Lagoon and Outer Coast Showing Cliff Recession During the Period 1854-1929 43 15. Map Showing Progressive Shifting and Narrowing of Kent Island Channel, 1929-48 45 16. Map Showing Faults on the Golden Gate Platform 57 17. Borehole Locations 65 18. U.S.G.S. Mobile Drill Rig and Auger 67 IV 19. Explanation of Symbols Shown on Borehole Logs 72 20. Locations of Boreholes and Cores 79 21. Cross-section A-A' and B-B' Showing Holocene Environments of Deposition in Bolinas Lagoon and Nearshore Areas 80 22. Cross-section C-C' Showing Relationship of Sedimentary Units and Faults Beneath Stinson Beach Spit 83 23. Cross-section D-D' Showing Relationship of Pleistocene(?)-Holocene Deposits in Bolinas Lagoon 84 24. Tectonic Subsidence Indicated by Comparison of Radiocarbon Dates from Beneath Stinson Beach Spit with Relative Sea Level Curve for Southern San Francisco Bay 86 25. Triangular Diagram Showing Percentages of Sand, Silt, and Clay for Samples from Core 6-76 113 26. Map of Bolinas Lagoon Showing Locations of Photographs Taken in 1906/1907 and 1976/1977 121 27a. Bolinas Lagoon, 8 March 1907, Two Hours Before Low Water 126 27b. Bolinas Lagoon, 14 March 1977, Two Hours Before Low Water 127 28a. Bolinas Lagoon, 8 March 1907, One Hour Before Low Water 128 28b. Bolinas Lagoon, 14 March 1977, One Hour Before Low Water 129 29a. Panoramic View of Pepper (Kent) Island, April 1907 . 130 29b. Panoramic View of Kent (Pepper) Island, 26 September 1976 131 30a. McKennan (Pickleweed) Island, ca. 1907 132 30b. Pickleweed (McKennan) Island, 26 September 1976 133 31a. Stinson Beach Spit, 27 September 1906 134 v 31b. Stinson Beach Spit, 26 September 1976 135 32. Coastal Plain and Exmoor Hills, Porlock, North Devonshire, England 136 VI TABLES Page Table 1. Coordinates and Azimuths for 1854 and 1929 Triangulation Stations Near Bolinas Lagoon, California 27 2. Data for Radiocarbon Dates, Elevations, Sea Level and Tectonic Subsidence 90 3. Pollen Frequency in Number Per Aliquot and Percent of Total Pollen 93 4. Core 6-76 Sediment Grain-size Parameters 105 5. Core 6-76 Pollen Concentrations, in Tens of Grains Per cm 112 6. Rates of Sediment Accumulation 115 7. Radiocarbon Dates and Rates of Sediment Accumulation 118 8. Tide and weather statistics for Bolinas Lagoon photography 1907/1977 124 VII PLATES Page Plate 1. Geologic map of part of the Bolinas quadrangle, California 8 2. 1854 survey superimposed on modern base 47 3. 1929 survey superimposed on modern base 48 4. 1854 survey superimposed on 1929 survey 51 5. Tectonic and Fault-related Features 53 6. Bolinas Lagoon Seismic Track Line 60 7. Structure Interpreted from Uniboom Records 61 8. Log of Deposits from Borehole 2 73 9. Log of Deposits from Borehole 3 & 6 74 10. Log of Deposits from Borehole 4 75 11. Log of Deposits from Borehole 5 76 12. Pollen Diagram, Concentrations Per cm 97 13. Pollen Diagram, Frequency in Percent 98 14. Grain-size Parameters and Pollen Diagram for Bolinas Lagoon Core 6-76 (in pocket) Vlll DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY AND FAULT-RELATED STUDIES, BOLINAS LAGOON, CALIFORNIA By Joel R. Bergquist, U.S. Geological Survey ABSTRACT Studies of core sediments and seismic reflection profiles elucidate the structure and depositional history of Bolinas Lagoon, Calif., which covers 4.4 km and lies in the San Andreas fault zone at the southeast corner of the Point Reyes Peninsula 20 km northwest of San Francisco. The 1906 trace of the San Andreas fault crosses the west side of the lagoon and was determined from (1) tectonically caused salt-marsh destruction indicated by comparison of 1854 and 1929 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (U.S.C. & G.S.) topographic surveys, (2) formation of a tidal channel along the border of destroyed salt marshes, and (3) azimuths of the trend of the fault measured in 1907. Subsidence in the lagoon of 30 cm occurred east of the San Andreas fault in 1906. Near the east shore, seismic-reflection profiling indicates the existence of a graben fault that may connect to a graben fault on the Golden Gate Platform. Comparison of radiocarbon dates on shells and plant debris from boreholes drilled on Stinson Beach spit with a relative sea-level curve constructed for southern San Francisco Bay indicates 5.8 to more than 17.9 m of tectonic subsidence of sediments now located 33 m below mean sea level. Cored sediments indicate a marine transgression dated at 7770+65 yrs B.P. overlying freshwater organic-rich lake deposits. Fossil pollen including 2 to 8 percent Picea (spruce) indicate a late Pleistocene (?)- Early Holocene climate, cooler, wetter, and foggier than at present. Above the transgression are discontinuous and interfingering sequences of transgressive-regressive marine, estuarine, and barrier sediments that reflect rapid lateral and vertical shifts of successive depositional environments. Fossil megafauna indicate (1) accumulation in a protected, shallow-water estuary or bay, and (2) that the lagoon was probably continuously shallow and never a deep-water embayment.
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