Post on 22-Dec-2015
Baja California and the Sea of Cortez
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Tijuana
Ensenada
San Quintin
El Rosario
Guerrero Negro
Bahia Magdalena
Cabo San Lucas
La Paz
Bahia Concepcion
Mulege
Santa Rosalia
Bahia de Los Angeles
San Felipe
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Geology of Baja California
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• Pacific Plate moves NW past N. American Plate
• San Andreas fault between
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Murphy, 1983 as quoted in Grismer, unpublished
tropics
Early Miocene:• Part of shore or underwater• Some mountains as islands
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Murphy, 1983 as quoted in Grismer, unpublished
tropics
Middle Miocene:• Mountains rose• Mainland subsided• Gulf began to form• S. peninsula separated from mainland, became island
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Murphy, 1983 as quoted in Grismer, unpublished
tropics
Late Miocene:• Mountain chains connected, forming a contiguous peninsula
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Murphy, 1983 as quoted in Grismer, unpublished
tropics
Miocene-Pliocene:• Rapid tectonic activity• Pacific plate moved north• Mountains rose more• Sea level rose, isolating south end• Gulf extended far north
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Murphy, 1983 as quoted in Grismer, unpublished
tropics
Late Pliocene-Present:• Mountain uplift• Desertification• Gulf regressed• Temporary land bridges to islands
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History of Baja California
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Cortez
Gúzman
Mendoza 1532
Becerra 1533
Cortez 1535
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English map1641
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English map 1641
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Cabrillo 1542
Mendoza galleons 1542Francis Drake 1578
Cavendish 1586
Vizcaino 1596
Vizcaino 1602
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