ABSTRACT
An episode of unusually intense rainfall triggered over a thousand landslides on Santa Cruz Island, California, during the winter of 1977–78. These included large, deep-seated failures, composite mudflows, and hundreds of shallow soil slips. In this study, landslide occurrence is examined in relation to lithologic, pedologic, topographic, and vegetational conditions. Their effects on soil permeability, water movement patterns, and shear strength are found to be related to landslide morphology and process.