The coastal zone is one of the most dynamic environments on our planet and is much affected by global change, especially sea-level rise. Coastal environments harbour valuable ecosystems, but they are also hugely important from a societal point of view. This book, which draws on the expertise of 21 leading international coastal scientists, represents an up-to-date account of coastal environments and past, present and future impacts of global change. The first chapter of the book outlines key principles that underpin coastal systems and their behaviour. This is followed by a discussion of key processes, including sea level change, sedimentation, storms, waves and tides, that drive coastal change. The main part of the book consists of a discussion of the main coastal environments (beaches, dunes, barriers, salt marshes, tidal flats, estuaries, coral reefs, deltas, rocky and glaciated coasts and coastal groundwater), and how these are affected by global change. The final chapter highlights strategies for coping with coastal change.
Readership: final year undergraduate and postgraduate-level students on coastal courses in a wide range subjects, including geography, environmental management, geology, oceanography and coastal/civil engineering. The book will also be a valuable resource for researchers and applied scientists dealing with coastal environments.
Table of Contents
Contributors, viiiAbout the Companion Website, ix
1 Introduction to Coastal Environments and Global Change, 1
Gerd Masselink and Roland Gehrels
1.1 Setting the scene, 1
1.2 Coastal morphodynamics, 5
1.3 Climate change, 13
1.4 Modelling coastal change, 18
1.5 Summary, 24
Key publications, 25
References, 25
2 Sea Level, 28
Glenn A. Milne
2.1 Introduction, 28
2.2 Quaternary sea-level change, 34
2.3 Recent and future sea-level change, 42
2.4 Summary, 49
Key publications, 50
Acknowledgements, 50
References, 50
3 Environmental Control: Geology and Sediments, 52
Edward J. Anthony
3.1 Geology and sediments: setting boundary conditions for coasts, 52
3.2 Geology and coasts, 54
3.3 Sediments and coasts, 62
3.4 Human impacts on sediment supply to coasts, 75
3.5 Climate change, geology and sediments, 75
3.6 Summary, 76
Key publications, 77
References, 77
4 Drivers: Waves and Tides, 79
Daniel C. Conley
4.1 Physical drivers of the coastal environment, 79
4.2 Waves, 79
4.3 Tides, 96
4.4 Summary, 102
Key publications, 102
References, 103
5 Coastal Hazards: Storms and Tsunamis, 104
Adam D. Switzer
5.1 Coastal hazards, 104
5.2 Extratropical storms and tropical cyclones, 108
5.3 Tsunamis, 114
5.4 Overwash, 118
5.5 Palaeostudies of coastal hazards, 121
5.6 Integrating hazard studies with coastal planning, 123
5.7 Cyclones in a warmer world, 125
5.8 Summary, 126
Key publications, 126
References, 126
6 Coastal Groundwater, 128
William P. Anderson, Jr.
6.1 Introduction, 128
6.2 The subterranean estuary, 129
6.3 Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), 133
6.4 Controls on SGD variability, 134
6.5 Human influences, 142
6.6 Influence of global climate change, 146
6.7 Summary, 147
Key publications, 148
References, 148
7 Beaches, 149
Gerben Ruessink and Roshanka Ranasinghe
7.1 Introduction, 149
7.2 Nearshore hydrodynamics, 153
7.3 Surf-zone morphology, 158
7.4 Anthropogenic activities, 167
7.5 Climate change, 171
7.6 Summary, 175
Key publications, 175
References, 176
8 Coastal Dunes, 178
Karl F. Nordstrom
8.1 Conditions for dune formation, 178
8.2 Dunes as habitat, 183
8.3 Dunes in developed areas, 183
8.4 Dune restoration and management, 186
8.5 Effects of future climate change, 190
8.6 Summary, 192
Key publications, 192
References, 192
9 Barrier Systems, 194
Sytze van Heteren
9.1 Definition and description of barriers and barrier systems, 194
9.2 Classification, 195
9.3 Barrier sub-environments, 202
9.4 Theories on barrier formation, 203
9.5 Modes of barrier behaviour, 203
9.6 Drivers in barrier development and behaviour, 206
9.7 Barrier sequences as archives of barrier behaviour, 219
9.8 Lessons from numerical and conceptual models, 219
9.9 Coastal-zone management and global change, 221
9.10 Future perspectives, 221
9.11 Summary, 223
Key publications, 224
References, 225
10 Tidal Flats and Salt Marshes, 227
Kerrylee Rogers and Colin D. Woodroffe
10.1 Introduction, 227
10.2 Tidal flats, 227
10.3 Salt marshes, 235
10.4 Human influences, 245
10.5 Summary, 247
Key publications, 248
References, 248
11 Mangrove Shorelines, 251
Colin D. Woodroffe, Catherine E. Lovelock and Kerrylee Rogers
11.1 Introduction, 251
11.2 Mangrove adaptation in relation to climate zones, 251
11.3 Mangrove biogeography, 253
11.4 Zonation and succession, 253
11.5 Geomorphological setting and ecosystem functioning, 256
11.6 Sedimentation and morphodynamic feedback, 256
11.7 Mangrove response to sea-level change, 260
11.8 Human influences, 261
11.9 Impact of future climate and sea-level change, 263
11.10 Summary, 264
Key publications, 265
References, 265
12 Estuaries and Tidal Inlets, 268
Duncan FitzGerald, Ioannis Georgiou and Michael Miner
12.1 Introduction, 268
12.2 Estuaries, 269
12.3 Tidal inlets, 278
12.4 Summary, 296
References, 296
13 Deltas, 299
Edward J. Anthony
13.1 Deltas: definition, context and environment, 299
13.2 Delta sub-environments, 305
13.3 The morphodynamic classification of river deltas, 306
13.4 Sediment trapping processes in deltas and coastal sediment redistribution, 318
13.5 Delta initiation, development and destruction, 322
13.6 Syn-sedimentary deformation in deltas and ancient deltaic deposits, 327
13.7 Deltas, human impacts, climate change and sea-level rise, 328
13.8 Summary, 335
Key publications, 335
References, 335
14 High-Latitude Coasts, 338
Aart Kroon
14.1 Introduction to high-latitude coasts, 338
14.2 Ice-related coastal processes, 340
14.3 Terrestrial ice in coastal environments, 342
14.4 Coastal geomorphology and coastal responses, 343
14.5 Relative sea-level change, 348
14.6 Climate change predictions and impacts for high-latitude coasts, 349
14.7 Future perspectives, 351
14.8 Summary, 353
Key publications, 353
References, 353
15 Rock Coasts, 356
Wayne Stephenson
15.1 Introduction, 356
15.2 Geology and lithology, 357
15.3 Processes acting on rock coasts, 359
15.4 Rock coast landforms, 367
15.5 Towards a morphodynamic model for rock coasts, 372
15.6 Impacts of climate change on rock coasts, 375
15.7 Summary, 378
Key publications, 378
References, 378
16 Coral Reefs, 380
Paul Kench
16.1 Coral reefs in context, 380
16.2 Coral reefs and their geomorphic complexity, 381
16.3 Coral reef development, 388
16.4 Reef island formation and morphodynamics, 392
16.5 Management in reef environments, 397
16.6 Future trajectories of coral reef landforms, 401
16.7 Summary, 406
Key publications, 407
References, 407
17 Coping with Coastal Change, 410
Robert J. Nicholls, Marcel J.F. Stive and Richard S.J. Tol
17.1 Introduction, 410
17.2 Drivers of coastal change and variability, 411
17.3 Coastal change and resulting impacts, 416
17.4 Impacts of coastal change since 1900, 418
17.5 Future impacts of coastal change, 419
17.6 Responding to coastal change, 420
17.7 Concluding thoughts, 428
17.8 Summary, 428
Key publications, 429
References, 429
Geographical Index, 432
Subject Index, 436
