A new edition of a unique textbook that provides an exhaustive treatment of the world's different coasts - with focus on climate change sea-level rise
Coastlines of the world are as diverse and complex as any geological setting on Earth, and understanding them is extremely important. Beaches and Coasts, Second Edition is an exciting and unique textbook that covers the world’s different coasts and details the highly varied processes that have shaped them. This new edition emphasizes the future susceptibility of coast to climate driven stresses and decreasing sediment supplies, and considers various aspects of coastal management that are and/or that need to be undertaken.
Seeking to better educate students and readers about the sustainability of coast and coastal environments, this exciting and unique book offers enlightening coverage of: the Earth’s mobile crust; sediments of coastal environments; impacts of sea level change; weather systems and the effects of storms; the influence of wave energy and different tidal regimes; river deltas; coastal bays; estuaries and lagoons; tidal flats; coastal wetlands; beach and nearshore areas; coastal barriers; tidal inlets; glaciated coasts; and rocky coasts.
- Takes an extensive look at the world's varied coasts and covers the many processes that have shaped them over time
- Shows how coastal processes and landform evolution are expected to be impacted by climate change
- Includes new coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the 2005 flooding of New Orleans, Hurricane Sandy and its affect on New York and the earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean and Tohoku
- Lavishly illustrated with over 400 color photographs and figures
- Draws on a wealth of author experience that broadens the content of chapters and provides for numerous and varied examples
Beaches and Coasts, Second Edition is an excellent text for undergraduate and graduate students of coastal geology, coastal processes and coastal environments.
Table of Contents
1 Coastline Variability and Functions in the Global Environment 1
1.1 Coastal Settings 1
1.2 Population and the Coast 3
1.2.1 History of Coastal Occupation 3
1.3 General Coastal Conditions 3
1.4 Coastal Environments 4
1.5 Historical Trends in Coastal Research 8
Suggested Reading 13
2 The Earth’s Mobile Crust 15
2.1 Introduction 15
2.2 Earth’s Interior 18
2.3 Plate Boundaries 21
2.3.1 Divergent Boundaries 21
2.3.2 Convergent Boundaries 24
2.3.3 Transform Boundaries 28
2.3.4 Plate Movement 29
2.4 Continental Margins 31
2.4.1 Tectonic Evolution of Continental Margins 34
2.5 Tectonic Coastline Classification 36
2.5.1 Collision Coasts 37
2.5.2 Trailing Edge Coasts 42
2.5.3 Marginal Sea Coasts 46
2.6 Tectonic Effects on Coastal Sediment Supply 47
2.6.1 Continental Drainage 48
2.6.2 Location of Rivers 49
2.6.3 Continental Shelf Width 51
2.7 Summary 52
Reference 53
Suggested Reading 53
3 Sediments and Rocks: Materials of Coastal Environments 55
3.1 Rock Types 55
3.2 Sediment Texture 56
3.2.1 Grain Size 56
3.2.2 Grain Shape 59
3.3 Mineralogy 60
3.4 General Origin and Distribution of Sediments 60
3.4.1 Composition 61
3.4.2 Texture 64
3.5 Summary 65
Reference 66
Suggested Reading 67
4 Sea‐Level Change and Coastal Environments 69
4.1 Changing the Size and Shape of the Container 71
4.1.1 Tectonic Causes 71
4.2 Climate and Sea‐Level Change 74
4.2.1 Seasonal Changes 74
4.2.2 Non‐seasonal Cyclic Changes 75
4.2.3 Long‐term Climatic Effects 76
4.3 Sea‐level Rise due to Sediment Compaction and Fluid Withdrawal 77
4.4 Isostasy 81
4.5 Changes in the Volume of the World Ocean 81
4.5.1 Advance and Retreat of Ice Sheets 81
4.6 Post‐Glacial Rise in Sea Level 85
4.7 Current and Future Sea‐Level Changes 86
4.7.1 Impact of Increasing Rise in Sea Level on Modern Coastal Environments 90
4.8 Summary 93
References 94
Suggested Reading 94
5 Weather Systems, Extratropical Storms, and Hurricanes 95
5.1 Introduction 95
5.2 Basic Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Patterns 97
5.2.1 Wind 97
5.2.2 Atmospheric Circulation 97
5.2.3 Prevailing Winds 101
5.2.4 Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Systems 101
5.2.5 Land‐breezes and Sea‐breezes 102
5.3 Mid‐latitude Storms 102
5.3.1 Frontal Weather 103
5.3.2 Cyclogenesis 105
5.3.3 Extratropical Storms 106
5.4 Hurricanes and Tropical Storms 109
5.4.1 Low Latitude Storms 109
5.4.2 Origin and Movement of Hurricanes 110
5.4.3 Anatomy of a Hurricane 113
5.4.4 Hurricanes at the Coast 115
5.5 Summary 125
Suggested Reading 132
6 Waves and the Coast 133
6.1 Water Motion and Wave Propagation 136
6.2 Wind Wave Types 140
6.3 Distribution and Transfer of Wave Energy 142
6.4 Other Types of Waves 146
6.5 Wave‐Generated Currents 148
6.6 Summary 150
Suggested Reading 152
7 Tides of the Ocean 153
7.1 Introduction 153
7.2 Tide‐Generating Forces 153
7.2.1 Gravitational Force 153
7.2.2 Centrifugal Force 154
7.2.3 Tide‐Producing Force 156
7.3 Equilibrium Tide 157
7.3.1 Tidal Cycle 157
7.3.2 Orbiting Moon 158
7.3.3 Inclination of Moon’s Orbit 159
7.4 Interaction of Sun and Moon 159
7.5 Effects of Orbital Geometry 161
7.6 Effects of Partitioning Oceans 162
7.7 Tidal Signatures 163
7.8 Tides in Shallow Water 167
7.9 Summary 175
References 176
Suggested Reading 176
8 River Deltas: The Source of Most of our Coastal Sediments 177
8.1 How Deltas Develop 178
8.2 Deltas and Sea Level 182
8.3 Delta Environments 184
8.4 Delta Plain 184
8.4.1 Delta Front 186
8.5 Delta Processes 189
8.6 River Processes 189
8.7 Delta Classification 190
8.7.1 River‐Dominated Deltas 192
8.7.2 Tide‐Dominated Deltas 193
8.7.3 Wave‐Dominated Deltas 193
8.8 Intermediate Deltas 195
8.9 Human Influence 195
8.10 Summary 200
References 200
Suggested Reading 201
9 Estuaries 203
9.1 Estuarine Hydrology 206
9.1.1 Classification of Estuaries 207
9.1.2 Estuarine Processes 208
9.1.3 Time-Velocity Relationships 209
9.1.4 Model Estuary 214
9.1.5 Estuary Types 219
9.2 Human Impact on Estuaries 222
9.3 Summary 227
References 227
Suggested Reading 228
10 Coastal Lagoons 229
10.1 Definition 229
10.2 Morphology and Setting 229
10.3 General Characteristics 231
10.4 Lagoonal Processes 233
10.5 Lagoonal Sediments 235
10.6 Example Lagoons 239
10.7 Summary 244
Suggested Reading 245
11 Tidal Flats 247
11.1 Morphology of Tidal Flats 247
11.2 Sediments 249
11.3 Organisms 249
11.3.1 Vagrant Organisms 250
11.3.2 Sessile Organisms 250
11.3.3 Limiting Factors 250
11.3.4 Bioturbation 254
11.4 Sedimentary Structures 254
11.5 Tidal Flat Processes 260
11.5.1 Tides 260
11.5.2 Waves 263
11.6 Tidal Channels 265
11.7 Some Examples 267
11.7.1 German Wadden Sea and Jade Bay 267
11.7.2 The Wash 272
11.7.3 Bay of St.‐Malo 273
11.7.4 Bay of Fundy 273
11.8 Human Impact on Tidal Flats 274
11.9 Summary 276
References 278
Suggested Reading 278
12 Coastal Wetlands 281
12.1 Characteristics of a Coastal Marsh 281
12.1.1 Marsh Plants 281
12.1.2 Global Distribution 284
12.2 Marsh Characteristics 285
12.2.1 Marsh Classification 287
12.3 Marsh Sedimentation 289
12.3.1 Sediments 290
12.3.2 Sea Level and Marsh Development 292
12.4 Human Impact on the Marsh Environment 293
12.5 Marsh Summary 293
12.6 Mangrove Coasts 297
12.7 Mangrove Distribution 297
12.7.1 Global Distribution 297
12.7.2 Local 297
12.7.3 Zonation 298
12.8 Mangroves and Coastal Processes 300
12.9 Human Impact on Mangroves 303
12.10 Summary 303
References 305
Suggested Reading 305
13 Beach and Nearshore Environment 307
13.1 Nearshore Environment 307
13.2 Foreshore 312
13.3 Backbeach 322
13.4 Human Impact on Beaches 328
13.5 Summary 331
Suggested Reading 337
14 Coastal Dunes 339
14.1 Types of Coastal Dunes and Their Distribution 339
14.2 Dune Formation 345
14.3 Dune Dynamics 349
14.3.1 Dune Structures 351
14.4 Human Influence on Dunes 352
14.5 Summary 353
Suggested Reading 357
15 Barrier Systems 359
15.1 Introduction 359
15.2 Physical Description 359
15.3 Distribution and Coastal Setting 362
15.4 Summary 366
15.5 Barrier Types 366
15.5.1 Barrier Spits 367
15.5.2 Welded Barriers 374
15.5.3 Barrier Islands 376
15.6 Prograding, Retrograding, and Aggrading Barriers 380
15.6.1 Prograding Barriers 381
15.6.2 Retrograding Barriers 384
15.6.3 Aggrading Barriers 388
15.7 Barrier Stratigraphy 390
15.8 Barrier Coast Morphology 393
15.8.1 Hayes Models 394
15.8.2 Georgia Bight 396
15.9 Barrier Coasts: Morphology and Evolution 399
15.9.1 Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia 399
15.9.2 Mississippi River Delta Barriers 400
15.10 Summary 403
References 403
Suggested Reading 404
16 Tidal Inlets 405
16.1 Introduction 405
16.2 What is a Tidal Inlet 405
16.3 Inlet Morphology 409
16.3.1 Tidal Deltas 409
16.3.2 Ebb‐Tidal Delta Morphology 413
16.4 Tidal Inlet Formation 415
16.4.1 Breaching of a Barrier 415
16.4.2 Spit Building across a Bay 415
16.4.3 Drowned River Valleys 417
16.4.4 Ephemeral Inlets 419
16.5 Tidal Inlet Migration 419
16.6 Tidal Inlet Relationships 423
16.6.1 Inlet Throat Area-Tidal Prism Relationship 423
16.6.2 Ebb‐Tidal Delta Volume-Tidal Prism Relationship 425
16.7 Sand Transport Patterns 426
16.7.1 General Sand‐Dispersal Trends 427
16.7.2 Inlet Sediment Bypassing 427
16.8 Tidal Inlet Effects on Adjacent Shorelines 438
16.8.1 Number and Size of Tidal Inlets 439
16.8.2 Tidal Inlets as Sediment Traps 440
16.8.3 Changes in Ebb‐Tidal Delta Volume 441
16.8.4 Wave Sheltering 442
16.8.5 Effects of Inlet Sediment Bypassing 445
16.8.6 Human Influences 446
16.9 Summary 448
References 451
Suggested Reading 452
17 Glaciated Coasts 453
17.1 Introduction 453
17.2 The World’s Glaciers 454
17.2.1 Glacier Formation 456
17.2.2 Glacier Movement 457
17.2.3 Distribution and Types of Glaciers 458
17.3 Pleistocene Glaciation 462
17.3.1 Introduction 462
17.3.2 Defining the Pleistocene 463
17.3.3 Causes of the Ice Ages 464
17.3.4 The Late Pleistocene 466
17.4 Glacial Effects on Coastlines 467
17.4.1 General Erosional Processes 467
17.4.2 Fjords 468
17.4.3 Rocky Coasts 469
17.4.4 General Depositional Processes 471
17.4.5 Depositional Landforms 473
17.5 Examples of Glaciated Coastlines 477
17.5.1 Cape Cod 477
17.5.2 Drumlin Coasts 480
17.5.3 Sand and Gravel Beaches 482
17.5.4 Uplifted Coasts 482
17.5.5 Drowned River Valleys 485
17.6 Summary 485
References 487
Suggested Readings 488
18 Rocky Coasts 489
18.1 Introduction 489
18.2 Types and Distribution 490
18.2.1 Tectonic Settings 490
18.2.2 Glaciated Regions 490
18.2.3 Other Bedrock Coasts 491
18.3 Erosional Processes 493
18.3.1 Physical Processes 493
18.3.2 Biological Processes 497
18.3.3 Chemical Processes 498
18.4 Factors Affecting Rates of Erosion 498
18.5 Morphology 500
18.5.1 Sea Cliffs 501
18.5.2 Horizontal Erosional Landforms 504
18.5.3 Sea Stacks, Arches, and Erosional Features 506
18.6 Summary 511
Suggested Reading 512
Index 513
