It's hard to ward off climate change: beach replenishment failures in California and Massachusetts

A sand dune erected to protect homes in Salisbury, Massachusetts, washed away in three days. Photograph: WCVB Channel 5 Boston ("Massachusetts town grapples with sea rise after sand barrier fails," Guardian).

Last month, after a series of storms battered the area, local citizens came together to take the necessary steps to protect their homes. Volunteer organization Salisbury Beach Citizens for Change raised more than $500,000 to erect a 15,000-ton sand dune – a formidable barrier that would hopefully protect at least 15 beach houses from destruction. 

 Or so they thought. The sand dune was completed after one month in early March, but just three days later, the dune – and nearly half a million dollars – was wiped away.

Understanding the science of sand movement can make these processes work better ("Some OC Beaches Are Disappearing. New Data Gives Clues On How To Help," LAist).  

Despite periodic deliveries of sand to Oceanside beaches, they have continued to shrink. Wave patterns in the area pull the sand up the coast toward Oceanside Harbor.