Why is the California coastline so susceptible to losses due to ...

[vicky]

Why is the California coastline so susceptible to losses due to mass wasting? Put together what you've
  learned so far for the answer What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

How would reducing the slope of a hillside help to stabilize it? What two methods can be used to
  reduce a slope's angle?c What will be an ideal response?

[cadimas]

Answer to Question 1

Western California is an active plate boundary, and the San Andreas fault and its various subsidiary
faults run through the region. The slopes are steep, and there is a lot of chance of small and large
tremors. Many of the slopes near the shore are unconsolidated sediments and are unstable. Vegetation
is sparse because the ground is steep and unstable. Rainfall can be absent for long periods and then fall
rapidly. The coast is beautiful, and many people want to live with an ocean view. Property values are
high, so most of the homes are very expensive and the monetary value of losses is high

Answer to Question 2

Overloading and oversteepening by grading are common causes of slope failure, so reducing the angle
of the slope reduces the chance of slope failure. Two methods to reduce a slope's angle are cut-and-fill
and benching. In cut-and-fill, material is removed from the upper part of the slope and used as fill at
the base; this provides a flat surface for construction and reduces the slope. In benching, a series of
benches or steps are cut into a hillside. This reduces the overall average slope, and the benches can
collect small landslides or rockfalls.