Figure 3: Ten-meter tall storm swells combined with a high tide to attack the weak sea cliff along Marina, California (Fig. 1) on January 5, 2007. The bedrock at the base of the cliff is being directly attacked by the wave run-up. This occurred because the loose debris apron of sand usually armoring the base of the cliff was previously removed by strong currents. The seaward-directed water wave was generated by the landslide toe crossing the beach. The landslide was triggered by erosion at the base of the slope. Most of the long-term average coastal retreat along this coastline occurs during a few large storms that occur each decade. After this storm, the beach was much higher and wider than before the storm.
Image 18225 is a 680 by 1024 pixel WebP
Uploaded:
Dec1 09
