The 2.7-mile promenade of West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz is also in danger of expedited erosion. Earlier this year, a large chunk of cliff near Lighthouse Point collapsed into surfer-filled waters.
The coastal bluff along East Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz is vulnerable to rising sea levels during big storms. Vitousek said his study could help the county prioritize certain projects on sections of beaches that are eroding faster than others. Marin County planners are working on a study of potential sea-level rise defense and adaptation projects for Stinson Beach, which faces flooding risks from both the ocean and Bolinas Lagoon. “If you look at Stinson Beach or Bolinas, even the northern portion of Point Reyes, if you get into the higher sea level rise scenarios, then the beach there is basically gone, it’s basically nonexistent,” Vitousek said. Some Marin beaches, such as the southern end of Stinson Beach and those on the northern shoreline of the Point Reyes National Seashore, are also accumulating sand, but not at a rate fast enough to offset the projected rates of sea level rise. Some beaches, such as the northern end of Ocean Beach in San Francisco, are accreting enough sand to withstand even the worst projections of sea level rise, Vitousek said. “It’s relatively mild amounts of both erosion and accretion, which is pretty fortunate,” Vitousek said. Satellite imagery of Marin County shorelines, including those in Stinson Beach, Bolinas and in the Point Reyes National Seashore, show a mix of both erosion and growth depending on the location. Particular stretches of the California coastline are more at risk of severe erosion, including Point Arena and Humboldt Bay in northern California, Pismo Beach and Morro Bay in central California, and Newport Beach and San Clemente in southern California. That range is expected to vary based on the rate and reduction of carbon emissions over time. States Geological Survey used two decades worth of satellite imagery of Ocean Beach in San Francisco - combined with models of sea levels rising from 1.6 to 10 feet because of global temperature increases - to estimate how the entire state’s coastline will shift in the next century. Beaches are natural resources, and it is likely that human-management efforts must increase in order to preserve them.” “Losing the protecting swath of beach sand between us and the pounding surf exposes critical infrastructure, businesses and homes to damage. “Beaches are perhaps the most iconic feature of California, and the potential for losing this identity is real,” wrote Sean Vitousek, the lead researcher. Substantial management efforts like dune restoration are necessary to maintain the beaches and prevent catastrophic erosion, the authors of the study said.
Geological Survey study found from 25% to 70% of California’s beaches, including those in Marin, could erode by 2100 because of rising sea levels caused by global temperature increases and greenhouse gas emissions. In the not-too-distant future, much of California’s coastline and its iconic beaches could be washed away, leaving only cliffs behind.Ī new U.S.
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