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Playa Coastal Change
 CABRILLO Home | Playa

Southern California Coastal Change
The southern California coast is complex and varied, exhibiting a wide variety of coastal landforms and subject to a number of natural hazards. In places, the coast is strongly influenced by human activities. High population densities and threatened natural resources characterize much of the coast. Beach loss, cliff retreat, and coastal erosion are widespread and locally severe within the region and there have been few region-wide studies to assess coastal change in southern California.
This landslide closed Highway 1 and damaged homes near Mailbu during the El Niño winter of 1998. photo of landslide near Malibu, CA
Photo taken by: Bruce Richmond,
USGS. 3/12/98, near Malibu, CA.

The primary issues are the loss of critical coastal habitats and recreational resources, and damage to private property and public infrastructure caused by coastal change. The main goal of this task is to better understand the causes and processes of long-term coastal change in the California Bight.

The overall objectives are three-fold: 1) Document the regional geologic changes that have occurred along the coast, 2) Conduct research to improve our understanding of the processes and causes driving coastal change at critical sites, and 3) Provide useful and high-quality data to coastal scientists, managers, planners, and engineers for better management of coastal resources.
COASTAL PROCESSES

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Project coordinator: Homa J. Lee
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URL: http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/cabrillo/playa/
Site maintained by: Laura Zink Torresan
Modified: 2 February 2005 (lh)
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