| Coast Range Ophiolite | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Middle-Late Jurassic | |
| Type | igneous, metamorphic |
| Underlies | Franciscan Formation, various Great Valley Sequence formations |
| Overlies | basement |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | basalt, gabbro, peridotite, schist |
| Location | |
| Region | California Coast Ranges |
| Country | United States |
| Type section | |
| Named for | California Coast Ranges |
The Coast Range Ophiolite is an ophiolite of Middle to Late Jurassic age located in the California Coast Ranges. The form the basement of the extreme western margin of central and northern California. Exposures straddle the coast from Santa Barbara County up to San Francisco. The formation then trends inland up to the southern end of the Klamath Mountains.[1]
The Coast Range ophiolite is arguably the most extensive ophiolite terrane in the United States, and is one of the most studied ophiolites in the world.