Читать книгу Hiking & Backpacking Big Sur. Your complete guide to the trails of Big Sur, Ventana Wilderness, and Silver Peak Wilderness онлайн

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Coastal bluffs, or marine terraces, offer evidence that the Santa Lucia Range continues its abrupt rise above sea level. These bluffs form as waves carve into the bedrock and deposit coarse sand and sediments. As land west of the San Andreas Fault buckles, these platforms rise above sea level, exposing the layered sand and cobblestones. Prominent marine terraces stretch from Point Sur to Andrew Molera State Park, while broader terraces form the flat terrain at Pacific Valley.

Erosion serves as a counteracting force to the recent uplifted Santa Lucia Range. As mountain flanks rise ever steeper, streams cut deep, fast channels through the rock, carrying away thousands of tons of sediment. A clear creek in summer can become a muddy torrent during heavy winter rains or after wildfires remove anchoring vegetation. Landslides are a common phenomenon in Big Sur. Of course, the Pacific Ocean also accounts for its fair share of erosion.

Geologists believe the recent uplift has thus far outstripped these erosive forces. If the uplift slows or stops, however, the tables will turn and gradually return the region to a rumpled landscape of low, rolling hills and plains.