1. Salton Trough area : Coachella Imperial Valleys Western half of the Mexicali Valley The Colorado River Delta in Mexico Formation : Small scale : A complex transition zone between the right-lateral motion of the San Andreas transform fault system, and the northwestward progressing spreading ridge complex of the Gulf of California segment. Large scale: A deep sedimentary basin formed by the extensional forces associated with an underlying tectonic plate boundary. Salton Trough

2. A graben is a strip of land bounded on opposite sides by roughly parallel faults. Through movement of the faults, the strip of land sinks in a process called subsidence. The region around the south San Andreas fault is actively being stretched due to extensional deformation. Numerous faults, high levels of seismicity and a series of young volcanic buttes suggest this region may be a source for future geo-hazards Physical Features and Characteristics of the Salton Trough Area

3. Alles, David L. "Geology of the Salton Trough." Western Washington University, 28 Oct. 2011. Web.. "Salton Sea Tectonic Research." Salton Sea Tectonic Research. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1 June 2010. Web. 20 June 2013.. Viento, Pasar. "Garben Laguna Salada by the Horns." Geocaching. Groundspeak, 14 July 2007. Web. 20 June 2013.. References