Fire (plus) flood (equals) beach: coastal response to an exceptional river sediment discharge event.

ABSTRACT: Wildfire and post-fire rainfall have resounding effects on hillslope processes and sediment yields of mountainous landscapes. Yet, it remains unclear how fire-flood sequences influence downstream coastal littoral systems. It is timely to examine terrestrial-coastal connections because climate change is increasing the frequency, size, and intensity of wildfires, altering precipitation rates, and accelerating sea-level rise; and these factors can be understood as contrasting accretionary and erosive agents for coastal systems. Here we provide new satellite-derived shoreline measurements of Big Sur, California and show how river sediment discharge significantly influenced shoreline positions during the past several decades. A 2016 wildfire followed by record precipitation increased sediment d

SUBMITTER: Warrick JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8907308 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature