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Can California's coastline be saved? Study shows up to 70% could be wiped out by 2100

Source(s): PhysOrg, Omicron Technology Ltd
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A new U.S. Geological Survey study found from 25% to 70% of California's beaches could erode by 2100 due to rising sea levels caused by global temperature increases and greenhouse gas emissions.

Substantial management efforts like dune restoration are necessary to maintain the beaches and prevent catastrophic erosion, the authors of the study said.

"Beaches are perhaps the most iconic feature of California, and the potential for losing this identity is real," wrote Sean Vitousek, the lead researcher. "Losing the protecting swath of sand between us and the pounding surf exposes critical infrastructure, businesses and homes to damage. Beaches are natural resources, and it is likely that human-management efforts must increase in order to preserve them."

The U.S. 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 due to global temperature increases—to estimate how the entire state's coastline will shift in the next century.

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