Coarse Sediment Yields from Seacliff Erosion in the Oceanside Littoral Cell

The coarse sediment fraction of geologic formations exposed in 42 km of southern California seacliffs in the Oceanside Littoral Cell was estimated using more than 400 samples An impulse laser, oblique photographs, and coastal maps were used to define thickness and alongshore extent of the geologic units exposed in the seacliffs The coarse sediment (defined as diameter > 0 06 mm) fraction in each geologic unit was estimated by sieving About 80% of the exposed cliff face is coarse and can contribute to beach building Finer cliff sediments are transported offshore by waves and currents Although there are some differences, the observed 80% coarse fraction is generally consistent with previous estimates based on an order of magnitude fewer samples Coastal development has largely eliminated about 40% of seacliffs in the Oceanside Littoral Cell as potential beach sand sources For the remaining seacliffs, 1 cm of average cliff retreat yields 10,000 m(3) of potential beach-building material