Moving Under, Around, and Through the Miocene Reconstruction of Southern California

Modern southern California is fragmented by faults that juxtapose blocks with contrasting topographies and differing geologic histories. Many of the tectonic events that have shaped southern California were initiated during the Miocene, as subduction along the ancient trench margin off southern California was replaced by transform (strikeslip) faulting, such as that along the San Andreas fault.