Can we predict deadly cliff collapses along the California coast? Scientists say its possible

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Set us as preferred Researchers have figured out how to develop hurricane warnings, tsunami warnings, even an earthquake early warning system.But when it comes to predicting cliff collapses along California’s iconic shoreline, the science has been infamously tricky to pin down.But with every dramatic landslide and tragic death along the coast, officials have turned to scientists for help.

Is it possible, many have wondered, to foresee when and where a bluff might collapse — and perhaps even turn these predictions into early warning alerts?Now, after an innovative pilot study backed by decades of specialized research, a team at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography says it may have cracked the code.In a report released this month, scientists shared a proof of concept and found that there are remarkably reliable ways to detect a coastal landslide well before it happens.The pilot study was able to predict five collapses at least several hours — sometimes even days — before they happened.“It was surprising how good the data turned out to be, and how consistent it was for these types of landslides that we were monitoring,” said Adam Young, a coastal geomorphologist at Scripps who led the study.

“We have a lot of confidence that what we’ve learned in San Diego could absolutely be applied to other places throughout the state.” California The consensus of computer models suggests that the new El Niño climate pattern will probably be a very strong one.Bluff collapse predictions have been in high demand along the California coast, and the stakes are even greater with sea level rise and a particularly strong El Niño on its way.In Southern California, cliffs could erode more than 130 feet by the end of the century, and the consequences of erosion have already proved to be severe on major roads, railw...