Dating and recurrence frequency of prehistoric mudflows near Big Sur, Monterey County, California

Botanical evidence based on the dendrochronology and root horizons of redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) and radiocarbon dating were used to date prehistoric mudflows near Big Sur, Calif. At least three periods of mudflow activity were delineated for the approximate prehistoric period 1370-1800. Two historic periods of mudflow activity have occurred, 1908-10 and 1972-73. The documentation of mudflows as characteristic surficial processes in the Santa Lucia Range indicates a hazard to development on recent mudflow deposits in this region.