Severe coastal erosion, Isla Vista, California. Photograph: © SAF — Coastal Care
Excerpts;
Danger — Unstable Cliffs — Stay Back: The yellow warning signs that pepper coastal cliffs from northern California to the US-Mexico border may seem overly dramatic to the casual observer. But actively eroding cliffs make up the majority of the California coastline, and sudden landslides and collapses have caused injuries and several fatalities in recent years. In addition, eroding cliffs currently threaten highways, houses, businesses, military bases, parks, power plants, and other critical facilities, all in all billions of dollars of development.
Research suggests that erosion rates will increase as sea level rises, further exacerbating these problems…
Read Full Article, Science Daily (12-20-2017)
Disappearing Beaches: Modeling Shoreline Change in Southern California; USGS (02-14-2017)
Using a newly-developed computer model, scientists predict that with limited human intervention, 31 to 67 percent of Southern California beaches may become completely eroded (up to existing coastal infrastructure or sea-cliffs) by the year 2100 under scenarios of sea-level rise of one to two meters…
Worst erosion in 150 years tears 180 feet from SF’s Ocean Beach; SF Gate (02-15-2017)
The beaches lining the coast between Mexico and Canada form a protective barrier that keeps the turbulent ocean from eating away at seaside cliffs and flooding low-lying coastal towns and cities, scientists say…
