Catalina Schist facts for kids
The Catalina Schist is a special type of metamorphic rock found mostly on Santa Catalina Island. This island is part of the Channel Islands off the coast of California. This rock formed a very long time ago, during the Cretaceous Period of the Mesozoic Era, which was the age of dinosaurs!
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What is Catalina Schist?
The Catalina Schist is a rock that has changed its form. Imagine play-doh being squished and heated deep underground. That's a bit like how metamorphic rocks are made. This particular rock is important because it tells us about the Earth's past.
Where Can You Find Catalina Schist?
You can mainly find Catalina Schist on Santa Catalina Island. This beautiful island is a popular spot for visitors. The rock is a key part of the island's geology. It also appears in other places, like under parts of the Los Angeles Harbor Region.
How Did Catalina Schist Form?
Catalina Schist formed deep inside the Earth. It was created under very high pressure and cooler temperatures. This happened when one of Earth's giant plates, called the Farallon plate, slowly slid underneath the North American plate. This process is called subduction.
Understanding Subduction
Think of two giant puzzle pieces of the Earth's crust. When one piece slides under another, it's called subduction. This action creates huge forces. These forces can change existing rocks into new ones, like the Catalina Schist. This process took place during the Mesozoic Era.
Catalina Schist and Other Rocks
The Catalina Schist is very similar to another rock formation called the Franciscan Complex. The Franciscan Complex is found along the California coast. Both of these rock types formed in similar ways through subduction. However, they have slight differences in how their pieces mixed together during their formation.
Catalina Schist in the Los Angeles Area
Besides Santa Catalina Island, the Catalina Schist is also found in the Los Angeles Harbor Region. Here, it is connected to the Wilmington Oil Field. This shows how these ancient rocks can be found in different places, even under busy cities.
