Changing wave climate and littoral drift along the California coast

Changes in wave climate that occurred along the California coast during the El Nino of 1982/83 can have catastrophic effects on beaches and may reverse the prevailing direction of transport within littoral cells. Research during the past two decades has advanced our understanding of world climate and the abrupt change in wave climate associated with the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Although ENSO events are not clearly understood, it is now possible to forecast their occurrence several months in advance; and their frequency of occurrence requires that they be factored into existing estimates of wave climate and the yield of sediment from streams and cliff erosion.