| Mulholland Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Pliocene epoch Neogene Period  | |
| Type | Geologic formation | 
| Underlies | Leona Rhyolite | 
| Overlies | Bald Peak Basalt | 
| Lithology | |
| Primary | siltstone, sandstone, conglomerates  | 
| Location | |
| Region | Berkeley Hills and San Leandro Hills, Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California  | 
| Country | United States | 
| Type section | |
| Named for | William Mulholland | 
The Mulholland Formation is a Pliocene epoch geologic formation in the Berkeley Hills and San Leandro Hills of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, California.[1] It is found within Alameda County and Contra Costa County.[1]
Geology
It overlies the Bald Peak Basalt formation, and underlies the Pleistocene epoch Leona Rhyolite formation.[1] It is composed of siltstone, sandstone, and conglomerates. It has fluviatile and lacustrine deposits.[1]
Descending under the Bald Peak Basalt formation are the Pliocene epoch units of the Siesta Formation, Moraga Formation, and Orinda Formation.[1] Below the Orinda are the local Miocene epoch units of the Monterey Formation Group: Tice Shale, Oursan Sandstone, Claremont Shale, and Sobrante Sandstone.[1]
Fossils
The Mulholland Formation preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period.[2]
Other local formations
- Units of other local formations in the Berkeley and San Leandro Hills, in descending geologic column order from higher/younger to lower/older, include:[1]
 
- Local Late/Upper Cretaceous−Pliocene units of the Chico Formation:
 
- Redwood Canyon Formation — sandstone, shale, and conglomerate.
 - Shephard Creek Formation — shale and sandstone.
 - Oakland Conglomerate — conglomerate, exposed on Skyline Boulevard.
 - Joaquin Miller Formation — sandstone, shale, and conglomerate.
 - Knoxville Conglomerate
 
See also
- Pliocene geology in California
 - List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in California
 - Paleontology in California
 
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 USGS.gov: "Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary Rocks Berkeley and San Leandro Hills, California", by J. E. Case, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1251-J, 1968.
 - ↑ Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database. "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.