Geomorphology Of Rocky Coasts

For review see: Stephen K. Donovan, in Caribbean Geography, vol. 5, nr. 2 (September 1994); p. 145-147.

This volume is the only comprehensive reference work in the English language to deal specifically with landforms and processes of rock coasts. The workings of mechanical wave action, chemical weathering, bio-erosion, frost, and mass movement are among the topics covered in the first section. The second half discusses the landforms resulting from these processes, such as cliffs, bays and headlands, and elevated marine terraces. The material is clearly expressed and up-to-date, with examples taken from a wide range of environments. It is highly relevant reading for geomorphologists in physical geography departments, as well as for engineers, biologists, and geologists working in coastal areas.

Rocky landforms dominate large portions of the world’s coast. Cliffs and shore platforms form spectacular landscapes, yet when compared to other landforms they are relatively unstudied with many contemporary controversies dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. The past decade has seen a reinvigoration of research driven by advances in technology that now enable precise measurements of erosion to the micron scale and quantification of wave energy onto and through cliff edifices to be made, as well as being able to directly date rock surfaces. In order to integrate this diverse range of research this volume’s regional approach first integrates the latest data with longstanding theory and then analyses this research through the boundary conditions that exist in each area. The volume brings together the research leaders in the field; includes chapters on nearly all the major rock coasts of the world and identifies future research needs.

Rocky landforms dominate large portions of the world's coast. The past decade has seen a reinvigoration of research driven by advances in technology that now enable precise measurements of erosion to the micron scale and quantification of wave energy onto and through cliff edifices to be made, as well as being able to date rock surfaces directly. In order to integrate this diverse range of research this volume's regional approach first integrates the latest data with long-standing theory and then analyses this research through the boundary conditions that exist in each area.

This Special Publication provides a range of methods and approaches for characterizing and modelling mass-wasting phenomena responsible for land degradation and erosion in rocky coastal areas. Rocky coasts occur in a variety of geological settings with a wide range of morphologies depending on rock type, tectonics and climate. In all these settings, slope instability represents the most important geological process that significantly influences the human use of coastal resources over a range of magnitudes and periods of recurrence.

Grounded in current research, this second edition has been thoroughly updated, featuring new topics, global examples and online material. Written for students studying coastal geomorphology, this is the complete guide to the processes at work on our coastlines and the features we see in coastal systems across the world.