Catalina Schist

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The Catalina Schist is a metamorphic rock complex found mainly on Santa Catalina Island in California’s Channel Islands. It formed during the Cretaceous Period in the Mesozoic Era. It is closely related to the Franciscan Complex along the California coast; both units record rocks that were transformed under high pressure and low temperature as the Farallon plate sank beneath North America during subduction. The difference between them lies in the way the rocks were mixed together during subduction (the mélange). In the Los Angeles Harbor area, the Catalina Schist is associated with the Wilmington Oil Field.