The eastern Pacific Ocean encompasses three regions of modern sediment deposition that could be considered imperfect analogs to the depositional environment of the Monterey Formation. These are: (1) the shelf and slope areas off California; (2) shelf and slope areas off Peru-Chile; and (3) the basin margins of the Gulf of California.

All three regions lie within or near the influence of

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biologically productive eastern boundary current regimes. The differences between these regions, in terms of topography, climate, surface and subsurface water mass influence, and ecosystem productivity, are expressed in the modern sediment records.

Paleogeographic and paleo-oceanographic evidence indicates that at least some of the factors that influence modern deposition must have found similar expression in the Monterey. Perhaps workers familiar with the laminated sediment facies of the Monterey will recognize a range of stratigraphic features that are contained in the core samples collected from the modern deposits.

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