350 Eruption of Augustine

A series of debris avalanches have occurred every few hundred years on Augustine during the last 2000 years. One of the largest of these event was the debris avalanche emplaced shortly before the 1610 +/ 70 yr BP. Modeling shows that the Northeast Point debris avalanche was large enough to generate a tsunami. Paleotsunami deposits dating to ca 1600 yr BP were recognized at 3 distant locations: Nanwalek and 2 near Seldovia. Radiocarbon dating of these deposits yields dates indistinguishable from the age of the Northeast Point debris avalanche. Archeologists have shown that the well-developed Kachemak cultural tradition, which had existed for ca. 2000 years, came to an end in the southern Cook Inlet area at this time (ref #4231).