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, scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography say they may have cracked the code. In a report released this month, the team shared a proof of concept and found that there are remarkably reliable ways to detect a coastal landslide well before it happens…