The western portion of the coyote mountains lies about fourteen miles west north west of ocotillo in south western San Diego County. Late Paleozoic to Triassic schists and dolomitic marbles were faulted up against Cenozoic marine and non marine sediments of the Salton Basin by the Elsinore fault during the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene. The throw of the Elsinore fault is increased eastward by high angle distributive faults which meet the Elsinore at 30 to 40. A facies change of the canebrake conglomerate and the palm spring formation is seperated left laterally 1000 feet. Minor faults with the same sense as the Elsinoror related faults have cut terrace gravels developed after the major tectonic activity of the Elsinore fault.
