Question

When looking at some land in California and trying to decide whether to buy the land for your new dream house, you are well aware that the region is at risk for mass wasting and coastal erosion. Evidence might include (pick multiple):

A. Talus piles (or large boulders) at the base of a slope
B. A flat, evenly vegetated lawn
C. Telephone poles or trees tilted at an angle
D. If a beach house, artificial structures such as jetties or seawalls
E. A setting at low elevation
F. Drainage pipes
G. Suspiciously arcuate, but vegetated steep parts of a slope

Answer 1

The evidence of the risk for mass wasting and coastal erosion might include the following indicators:

Talus piles or large boulders at the base of a slope: The piling of small rock fragment would be due to continued erosion that was once present on the slope that has formed lately.

Telephone poles or trees tilted at an angle: These might indicate that the ground as the base is undergoing settling.

If a beach house, artificial structures such as jetties or seawalls: These would mean that there is an apparent erosion going on and the seawalls and jetties are to protect the base of the beach house from eroding.