America S Most Vulnerable Coastal Communities

"Sea level is rising, and yet Americans continue to develop beaches with little regard. In this volume, a group of coastal geologists discusses the startling saga of ten U.S. East and Gulf Coast shoreline communities (plus Puerto Rico and some western Europe strands) and the problems created by their inevitable interaction with natural processes in this highly dynamic geologic environment. The authors discuss the geologic context of the hazards of each site as the history of societal responses and their environmental impacts. Response to the natural coastal processes that threaten lives and buildings is carried out in a context of local, state and national politics with fixed short-term engineering solutions (beach replenishment, seawalls) generally favored over longer-term approaches (moving back, prohibition of seawalls). This essential GSA Special Paper foreshadows the impending rise of sea level and the myriad of shoreline responses and political controversies it will provoke."--Publisher's description.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for assessing the science related to climate change. It provides policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of human-induced climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. This IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate is the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the observed and projected changes to the ocean and cryosphere and their associated impacts and risks, with a focus on resilience, risk management response options, and adaptation measures, considering both their potential and limitations. It brings together knowledge on physical and biogeochemical changes, the interplay with ecosystem changes, and the implications for human communities. It serves policymakers, decision makers, stakeholders, and all interested parties with unbiased, up-to-date, policy-relevant information. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Tens of millions of Americans are at risk from sea level rise, increased tidal flooding, and intensifying storms. A Blueprint for Coastal Adaptation identifies a bold new research and policy agenda and provides implementable options for coastal communities responding to these threats. In this book, coastal adaptation experts present a range of climate adaptation policies that could protect coastal communities against increasing risk, including concrete financing recommendations. Coastal adaptation will not be easy, but it is achievable using varied approaches. A Blueprint for Coastal Adaptation will inspire innovative and cross-disciplinary thinking about coastal policy at the state and local level while providing actionable, realistic policy and planning options for adaptation professionals and policymakers.

This Proceedings contains about 270 papers on a wide range of research topics on coastal sediment processes, including nearshore sediment transport and modeling, beach processes, shore protection and coastal managements, and coastal resilience building.The unique book provides a comprehensive documentation of cutting-edge research on coastal sediment process and morphodynamics from eminent researchers worldwide. Readers can learn the most current knowledge on numerous topics concerning coastal sediment processes and shore protection.

Measuring sea-level change – be that rise or fall – isone of the most pressing scientific goals of our time and requiresrobust scientific approaches and techniques. This Handbookaims to provide a practical guide to readers interested in thischallenge, from the initial design of research approaches throughto the practical issues of data collection and interpretation froma diverse range of coastal environments. Building on thirtyyears of international research, the Handbook comprises 38 chaptersthat are authored by leading experts from around the world. The Handbook will be an important resource to scientists interestedand involved in understanding sea-level changes across a broadrange of disciplines, policy makers wanting to appreciate ourcurrent state of knowledge of sea-level change over differenttimescales, and many teachers at the university level, as well asadvanced-level undergraduates and postgraduate research students,wanting to learn more about sea-level change. Additional resources for this book can be found at: ahref="http://www.wiley.com/go/shennan/sealevel"www.wiley.com\go\shennan\sealevel/a

Take this book to the beach; it will open up a whole new world. Illustrated throughout with color photographs, maps, and graphics, it explores one of the planet’s most dynamic environments—from tourist beaches to Arctic beaches strewn with ice chunks to steaming hot tropical shores. The World’s Beaches tells how beaches work, explains why they vary so much, and shows how dramatic changes can occur on them in a matter of hours. It discusses tides, waves, and wind; the patterns of dunes, washover fans, and wrack lines; and the shape of berms, bars, shell lags, cusps, ripples, and blisters. What is the world’s longest beach? Why do some beaches sing when you walk on them? Why do some have dark rings on their surface and tiny holes scattered far and wide? This fascinating, comprehensive guide also considers the future of beaches, and explains how extensively people have affected them—from coastal engineering to pollution, oil spills, and rising sea levels.