Living with the Changing California Coast

Crowded into the beautiful, narrow strip at the edge of the ocean, the large number of people who live near California's dynamic coastline often have little awareness of the hazards—waves, tides, wind, storms, rain, and runoff—that erode and impact the coast and claim property on a regular basis. This up-to-date, authoritative, and easy-to-use book, a geological profile of the California coast from Mexico to the Oregon border, describes the landforms and processes that shape the coastline and beaches, documents how erosion has affected development, and discusses the options that are available for dealing with coastal hazards and geologic instability.

A completely revised and updated edition of Living with the California Coast (1985), this book features hundreds of new photographs and the latest data on human activity on the coast, on climate change, on rising seas levels, and on coastal erosion and protection. With its dramatic photographs and mile-by-mile maps, Living with the Changing California Coast will be an essential resource for those intending to buy or build along the coast, those who need specific information about various coastal regions, and those who are seeking information about how this remarkable coastline has evolved.

*279 photographs portray natural coastal features and processes and illustrate many instances of what can happen to buildings on the coast

*81 maps, covering the entire coast, detail types of coastal landforms, coastline erosion rates, locations of seawalls or armor, and other specific areas of interest

*Offers specific advice for homebuyers,residents, and developers on which areas to avoid, on what safety measures should be taken, and on what danger signals should be heeded

Gary Griggs is Professor of Earth Sciences and Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is coauthor, with John A. Gilchrist, of Geologic Hazards: Resources and Land Use Planning (1983) and The Earth and Land Use Planning (1977). Kiki Patsch is Post-Graduate Researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Lauret Savoy is Professor of Geology and Environmental Studies at Mount Holyoke College.

1. INTRODUCTION-A Perspective on the coast of California- Gary Griggs, Kiki Patsch, Lauret Savoy

2. THE EVOLUTION OF THE CALIFORNIA COAST - Gary Griggs, Kiki Patsch, Lauret Savoy

3. WEATHER, CLIMATE CHANGE, SEA LEVEL AND THE COASTLINE - Gary Griggs, Kiki Patsch, Lauret Savoy

4. UNDERSTANDING THE SHORELINE - Gary Griggs, Kiki Patsch, Lauret Savoy

5. THE EROSION OF THE COASTLINE- Gary Griggs, Kiki Patsch, Lauret Savoy

6. BUILDING OR BUYING ON THE COAST - Gary Griggs, Kiki Patsch, Lauret Savoy

7. RESPONDING TO COASTAL HAZARDS- Gary Griggs, Kiki Patsch, Lauret Savoy

8. CALIFORNIA’S COASTAL HAZARDS: THEORY AND PRACTICE
Charles Lester

9. THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST: THE OREGON BORDER TO CAPE MENDOCINO
Lauret Savoy, Gary Griggs, and Derek Rust

10. POINT DELGADA TO POINT ARENA
Dorothy Merritts, Lauret Savoy, Gary Griggs and Robert Walker

11. POINT ARENA TO SAN FRANCISCO
Lauret Savoy, Dorothy Merritts, Karen Grove and Robert Walker

12. THE SAN FRANCISCO COASTLINE
Gary Griggs, Kim Fulton and Lauret Savoy


13. SAN FRANCISCO TO ANO NUEVO
Jerry Weber, Gary Griggs, Ken LaJoie and Scott Mathieson

14. ANO NUEVO TO THE MONTEREY PENINSULA
Gary Griggs and Kiki Patsch

15. THE MONTEREY PENINSULA TO MORRO BAY
Cheryl Hapke

16. MORRO BAY TO POINT CONCEPTION
Antony Orme

17. POINT CONCEPTION TO RINCON POINT
Robert Norris and Kiki Patsch

18. RINCON POINT TO SANTA MONICA
Antony Orme

19. THE COAST OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: SANTA MONICA TO DANA POINT
Douglas Sherman and Bernard Pipkin

20. DANA POINT TO THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER.
Reinhard Flick

APPENDIX A: References
APPENDIX B: Geologic Time Line