Geo 365: Feb. 11, Day 42: Sunset Bay

Looking north from the south side of Sunset Bay State Park, Near Charleston, Oregon. There's a set of three state parks along this bit of coast- the other two are Shore Acres and Cape Arago. Together, they make up my absolute favorite spots on the coast. Other spots may have more unusual geology, but the rocks here are outstanding, and the scenery is unforgettable.

Here, we're standing on a wave-cut terrace of steeply-dipping sedimentary rocks; the strike of more resistant beds is apparent in the foreground. There's another wave-cut platform across the bay, though it's not as obvious from this perspective. The dip of the beds is visible in the distance.

There's a fault described as strike-slip between the side this view is from, and the opposite side, and the gentle arc to the left in the foreground strike ridges has been identified as drag folding associated with that fault. However, as I mentioned in a post shortly after this trip (toward the end of this one), I'm not sure it's as straightforward as all that.

Photo unmodified. March 8, 2012. FlashEarth Location.