Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Pacific Coast Arch collapses

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    North Dakota
    Posts
    1,327

    Pacific Coast Arch collapses

    https://weather.com/news/weather/vid...bles-in-storms

    Near San Luis Obispo a natural arch is no more. Apparently wind and water and weathering have done it in.
    ” Never attribute to inspiration that which can be adequately explained by delusion”.

  2. #2
    Drew Wiley
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    SF Bay area, CA
    Posts
    18,338

    Re: Pacific Coast Arch collapses

    We lost three significant arches off the coast here further north in just the past couple years. Glad I got some nice 8x10 shots long before that happened. In one case, a woman walked too close to the edge last year, not realizing that the whole area formerly supporting the arch below had collapsed and was now gone, and fell to her death. It's called geology. Let those who wish for real estate right on the brink for sake of a great view take heed; I've seen houses upside down on the beach below too. And of course, all this causes a tremendous legal squabble, because in this State, private property is classified as "above the mean high tide line", yet sea level rise is progressing along quite efficiently whether people believe in it or not, and shoreline erosion has been taking away soil for millions of years, unless uplift or deposition is happening faster. One of my nephews specializes in appellate land law, and has been right in the middle of some of those sea level disputes. Surfers and beachcombers can sue homeowners over beach access, and visa versa; but no matter how rich and influential you are, suing the ocean just ain't going to work; it has a mind of its own, with plenty of muscle to back it up.

  3. #3
    Pieter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    939

    Re: Pacific Coast Arch collapses

    It's not just sea level rise that can cause bluff houses to go tumbling down. This is in the Pacific Palisades after the Northridge earthquake:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	AP_415725473330-1547765585-7849.jpg 
Views:	68 
Size:	81.4 KB 
ID:	223207

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula
    Posts
    5,808

    Re: Pacific Coast Arch collapses

    Weather can have harsh consequences.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_L...hita_landslide

    Loosing the arch is sad. It’s often sad.

  5. #5
    Drew Wiley
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    SF Bay area, CA
    Posts
    18,338

    Re: Pacific Coast Arch collapses

    An awful lot of our Calif coastline involves very poorly consolidated Pliocene mudstone bluffs. Yes, solid material like basalt plugs and sometimes granite intersperse here and there, but much of it is quite slide prone, especially given our frequency of quakes. Ironically, two of those arches at Pt Reyes which recently collapsed were granite. Not really surprising to me - centuries or millennia of expanding salt crystal build-up in even the tiniest cracks will eventually wedge just about anything apart. It's even a major component of alcove and bridge formation in sandstone further inland from here, due to salt-laden coastal fog, and technically a version of tafoni weathering. I love the photogenic opportunities of tafoni contorted sandstone formations. Now some of these are off-limits much of the year due to Peregrine Falcon nests.

    Rock climbers learned about it the hard way. They secured their ropes using wedge bolts driven into drilled holes into Miocene sandstone, then the salts eroded the adjacent sand grains slowly over a decade or so, and a few climbers fell to their death. After that, they changed to epoxied-in bolts instead. For the same reason, seismic retrofit bolts for houses into foundations now require epoxy too, and not just mechanical wedging into the hole.

    It's a fascinating topic really. But it does make one think twice before setting up your tripod too close to a suspicious seacliff edge. Pt Reyes Natl Seashore has recently rerouted certain coastal trails somewhat further from the edge for that very reason, along with warning signs.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    3,901

    Re: Pacific Coast Arch collapses

    Change is constant, Change is a given.
    Hwy. 1 land slide near Big Sur not that long ago.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59JcDmbI1hw

    Add to this, tourist that visit California Coastside then decide to get close up and "personal" with the ocean only to be taken in by the ocean. Happens more than once each year.
    https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/01/...-area-beaches/



    Bernice

Similar Threads

  1. Coast-to-coast walk across Scotland
    By cyrus in forum Location & Travel
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 1-Mar-2015, 16:17
  2. The photo business model basically collapses....
    By Frank Petronio in forum Business
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 24-Nov-2008, 18:41
  3. Arches National Park: Wall Arch Collapses
    By darr in forum Location & Travel
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 11-Aug-2008, 08:45
  4. How not to photograph Delicate Arch
    By Stewart Ethier in forum Location & Travel
    Replies: 40
    Last Post: 30-Mar-2001, 12:30

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •