Full Title: Earth Science in the Urban Ocean: The Southern California Continental Borderland
Editors: Homa J. Lee and William R. Normark
The Southern California Continental Borderland and the associated Western Transverse Ranges constitute one of the most distinctive environments on the west coast of North America. During the past 20 years, the U.S. Geological Survey, along with many Southern California scientific partners, has conducted extensive research on geologic and oceanographic processes in the urban ocean off Southern California. The overall goal of this research has been to explore the impact that natural processes of the Borderland have on human population, and vice versa. This volume summarizes much of our recent efforts to understand fundamental natural processes through a series of six sections. Section 1 deals with surficial seafloor mapping and characterization. Sections 2 and 3 deal with fundamental geologic and oceanographic processes that introduce, transport, and deposit sediment particles and contaminants in the Southern California Bight. The remaining three sections investigate the impacts the geologic and oceanographic environments have on the human inhabitants in Southern California and the related impacts these inhabitants have on the environment.