332 



EDWARD HOIT NUTTER 



From Spence's to a few miles southeast of Soledad the floor 

 of the valley is covered by material washed in from the granite 

 hills and mountains on either side. This alluvium or granite 

 wash is very porous, and this has given rise to topographic fea- 

 tures characteristic to this part of the valley. In the rainy season 

 the water rushes out of the steep canyons bearing a heavy burden 



SHOWING GEOLOGY 



MONTEREY COUNTY 



CALIFORNIA 



of sediments until it reaches the floor of the valley, where it 

 sinks, leaving sand, gravel, mud and drift strewn around over 

 the place where it disappeared. This has gone on until alluvial 

 cones have been built up several miles wide and of considerable 

 thickness. These alluvial cones or fans have themselves been 

 cut by smaller gulches having steep sides and flat bottoms. A 

 rudely stratified earthy conglomerate, the pebbles of which are 

 angular fragments of granite, schist and gneiss, varying in size 

 from sand grains to pieces the size of one's head, is usually 

 found capping these fans. 



It seems probable that both Pliocene and Miocene sediments 

 underlie the alluvium, for they occur at the northwestern end of 



