Geology and Landforms
The Redwood National Forest is mostly underlain by Franciscan assemblage, mostly containing sandstone and mudstone. It consists of rocks that have been sheared and lifted from the ocean floor as a result of the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
In the Redwood Forest, there are sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, and transition rocks. The sedimentary rocks serve as ground water reservoirs and conductors for the forest. They come in the form of sandstones, mudstones, and pebble conglomerate. When the sedimentary rocks get hot enough, they recrystallize, forming metamorphic rocks like redwood creek schist. Transition rocks are a type of rock that are caught in between sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
In the Redwood Forest, there are sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, and transition rocks. The sedimentary rocks serve as ground water reservoirs and conductors for the forest. They come in the form of sandstones, mudstones, and pebble conglomerate. When the sedimentary rocks get hot enough, they recrystallize, forming metamorphic rocks like redwood creek schist. Transition rocks are a type of rock that are caught in between sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
Seismic Activity
Earthquakes are very common within California, so it is no surprise that they are present within Redwood National Park. This area is prone to have more seismic activity than anywhere else in the United States. Three tectonics place, North American, Pacific, and Gorda, meet off the shore of Cape Medocine, 100 miles southwest of the park. Most of the earthquakes are small, but in the 1990s, nine earthquakes reached about 6.0 on the Richter Scale.