Gary Griggs’s research is focused on the coastal zone and ranges from coastal evolution and development, through shoreline processes, coastal engineering and coastal hazards. California has 1100 miles of coastline, 950 miles of which is eroding, and 32 million people who want to enjoy or live next to this geologically active zone. The tectonically active California coastline presents a range of interesting processes and problems within a few minutes or miles of campus. Recent research projects have focused on documenting and understanding shoreline erosion processes including temporal and spatial variations in rates of retreat; evaluating the effectiveness of coastal protection structures and the impacts of coastal engineering projects (seawalls, jetties, breakwaters) on coastal processes and beaches; evaluating littoral processes, the mechanisms which move sediment along high energy rocky coastlines; and quantifying littoral cell budgets.
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