News Photo Erosion in Isla Vista – Photostory Graeme Jackson - February 19, 2020 0 Wooden sea breakers have been implemented in areas to combat the natural processes. Photostory by Graeme Jackson | Photo Editor Erosion in IV 1 of 9 Parts of Isla Vista’s bluffs have been reinforced after concerns of the rapid erosion taking place along the coast. Large areas of real estate have been abandoned and houses have been scaled back away from the edges of cliffs as as a result of these weathering processes. According to Santa Barbara County, the bluffs in Isla Vista retreat an estimated six inches each year, but that a retreat of five feet at any given time is possible with increasingly frequent winter storms. The Sedimentary rock many houses reside on are especially susceptible to weathering processes. Rainfall, wave erosion and groundwater seeps have steadily crumbled the sedimentary rock that supports the properties. Wooden sea breakers have been implemented in areas to combat the natural processes. The dissipation of wave energy allows material carried by longshore currents to be deposited behind the sea breakers. Saltwater evaporates on the rocks and salt crystals are left behind. As the crystals grow, they put pressure on the rock, slowly breaking it apart and cracking it. Natural and manmade structures alike are falling victim to collapsing bluffs in Isla Vista. After a number of housing collapses within the past few years, property owners have voiced growing concerns around the climate change issue.