Ecuador - Beachfront Property Buyers Need to Know ...Gringo Tree-

Saturday, February 1, 2014 

 Excerpted from the forthcoming GringoTree Book,

   

Beachfront Property Buyers Need to Know ...

An important consideration for those purchasing beachfront property in Ecuador is beach stability. Ecuador has the highest rate of coastal erosion in South America and hundreds of residential and commercial properties have been washed into the ocean in recent decades. Unfortunately, buyers will hear little about this from developers, real estate agents and individual property sellers.

A 2010 report to the World Conference on Climate Change in Cancun, Mexico, showed that while Ecuador's beaches are eroding at an average rate of two to three meters per decade, some of the country's most popular beaches are eroding at a much faster rate. Among these are Atacames, Montañita and Salinas. The Montañita and Salinas areas have lost more than 300 buildings and seen more than 100 meters of beach disappear since the mid-1980s.

A factor contributing to the erosion is the tectnonic subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate, just off shore of Ecuador. The subduction not only means that the coast experiences the country's strongest earthquakes but that there is constant movement of the sea floor which, in turn, affects the shoreline.

Not all beaches in Ecuador are eroding. In fact, many have been stable for centuries and others have actually grown. Before putting down money on a lot, house or condominium, however, a buyer is well advised to check historical and geologic records. Talking to old-timers (who, most likely, will be locals) in the area isn't a bad idea either.

Excerpted from the forthcoming GringoTree Book, Ecuador Real Estate Buyer's Guide by David Morrill and Deke Castleman.

Jour-Ja Comments: at this time there is a major Crisis on the coast of Ecuador In Jama / El Matal at Coco Beach Village, they are having a meeting today to take action & save their homes: Stand together: I want to hold your hand - Saturday, February 1, 2014
Please join hands for El Matal and Coco Beach
Stand together at 3:30 p.m. hand in hand between La Esquina Del Cheo and El Punto de Víctor — See b4 photos from NOV 2012: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.432003030200191.101674.112919505441880&type=1&l=90d4a282dd 

...also a crisis in Mompiche, Esmealdas:
https://twitter.com/ECU911Esmeralda/status/429371092788973568/photo/1

Waves have also been pounding the malecón in Mompiche. There has been flooding and damage in several areas near the beach. The strongest waves were Friday around 16:00 when some of them hit buildings. ...See b4 photos from JUL 2012: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.403205069746654.94100.112919505441880&type=1&l=02ece6120a 

Jack Abercrombie --This could be a contributing factor to what is happening on the Ecuador shoreline as well as throughout the planet.-- How many supermoons in 2014? Therefore, the year 2014 gives us a total of five supermoons: two January new moons, and the full moons of July, August and September.

Spring tides accompany January 2014′s supermoons. Will the tides be larger than usual at the January 1 and 30 new moons? Yes, all new moons (and full moons) combine with the sun to create larger-than-usual tides, but perigee new moons (or perigee full moons) elevate the tides even more.

Each month, on the day of the new moon, the Earth, moon and sun are aligned, with the moon in between. This line-up creates wide-ranging tides, known as spring tides. High spring tides climb up especially high, and on the same day low tides plunge especially low.

The January 1 and 30 extra-close new moons will accentuate the spring tide, giving rise to what’s called a perigean spring tide. If you live along an ocean coastline, watch for high tides caused by the two January 2014 new moons – or supermoons.: http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-supermoon

When is the next supermoon? | EarthSky.org

earthsky.org