3D Point Cloud Profiles at Landslide Toe

In 2017, the massive Mud Creek landslide buried a quarter-mile of the famous coastal route, California’s Highway 1, with rocks and dirt more than 65 feet deep. USGS monitors erosion along the landslide-prone cliffs of Big Sur, collecting aerial photos frequently throughout the year. By analyzing overlapping photos, they made precise maps of the slopes and calculated volumes of material lost or gained over time. The images show the profiles, or side view "cross-sections" of the toe of the landslide, and how they experienced high erosion rates between May 27 (7 days after the huge landslide) and June 13, and again between June 13 and June 26.