Kern Canyon Fault, Southern Sierra Nevada

Abstract

The Kern Canyon fault, described in general terms in two early papers by Professor Lawson, is shown to be an important fault within the southern Sierra Nevada. The scarp is shown to be one of the few known cases of true fault-line scarps. Certain features of the "crustal-rift" hypothesis proposed by Lawson for the region are discussed and shown to be inconsistent with the facts. The peculiar geomorphic discordance of the Kern River with the fault line is pointed out and its significance briefly indicated.

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