DETERMINING LANDSLIDE VOLUME INPUT TO THE COASTAL ZONE ALONG THE BIG SUR, CA COAST

Along much of the 200 km stretch of the Big Sur coastline in central California, the rugged Santa Lucia Mountain Range extends uninterrupted into the Pacific Ocean, and the Pacific Coast Highway 1 is cut into the steep coastal slope. Weak rocks, steep topography and seasonal high intensity rainfall provide ideal conditions for large landslides, which frequently block, undercut or otherwise damage Pacific Coast Highway 1. The California Department of Transportation is currently developing the Big Sur Coast Highway Management Plan in order to explore solutions to the problems faced with keeping the slide-prone Pacific Coast Highway open and safe while minimizing impacts to the shoreline and nearshore waters of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. As a contribution to a developing management plan, and in order to advance the fundamental understanding of coastal processes along this stretch of coastline, the focus of this study is to identify the spatial distribution of chronic landslides, and to quantify the historic volume of sediment that enters the littoral system from slope failures. Two sections of the Big Sur coast were chosen for an initial pilot study to develop and refine techniques of aerial photograph processing and data analysis. Using digital photogrammetry, Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) are created from stereo models generated from historical (1942) and recent (1994) photography. The generated topographic surfaces are then compared to quantify volumetric changes, and to identify the spatial distribution of these volume changes, as well as the location, number and size of historically active landslides.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Unlike most groups and organizations that meet on a regular basis, the Highway Geology Symposium has no central headquarters, no annual fees, and no formal membership requirements. The governing body of the Symposium is a Steering Committee. Recent proceedings may be obtained from the Treasurer of the Symposium, Mr. Russell Glass.
• Corporate Authors:

  Mr. Russell Glass

  100 Wolf Cove Road
  Asheville, NC  United States  28804
• Authors:
  • Hapke, C J
• Conference:
  • Better Highways Through Applied Geology. 53rd Annual Highway Geology Symposium
  • Location: San Luis Obispo, California
  • Date: 2002-8-13 to 2002-8-16
• Publication Date: 2002

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 204-215

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerial photography; Coasts; Digitized photography; Landslides; Littoral; Mountain roads; Mountains; Pilot studies; Rainfall; Slope failure; Stereoscopic models; Topography; Weak rock
• Uncontrolled Terms: Digital photogrammetry; Spatial distribution (Landslides)
• Geographic Terms: California
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; I41: General Soil Surveys; I42: Soil Mechanics; I43: Rock Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00962024
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: CD-ROM
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 11 2003 12:00AM