The World S Beaches

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.

"Beaches occupy a magical place in the human consciousness. We fish from their tidal waters, run with our children on the cushioning sands and dream of what waits over life's horizon as we gather for a sunset. But there is much more to be known of these coastal wonderlands. Learn in The World's Beaches their critical function as a delicate ecosystem, how to read the signs left by winds, waves, plants and animals of the beach. Discover the surprising ways our irreplaceable beaches are increasingly threatened and what must be done to save them."—Rob Lowe, Actor “Ask 100 people their views about beaches and you'll get 100 love stories. We all love the beach. The World's Beaches delivers a comprehensive view into what a beach is, why it exists and how they are increasingly at risk."—Jim Moriarty, CEO Surfrider Foundation "Read this book and you'll never look at a beach in the same way. From waves and crab tracks, to sand, gravel and climate change, this book is filled with engrossing details to remind humankind of its enduring love of beaches worldwide.”—Miles O. Hayes, Coastal Geomorphologist, Research Planning, Inc. “Beach visitors around the world will want to own this superb collection of images and explanations of how the beach works. It’s a must-read book for anyone wanting to know more about these dynamic natural resources.”—Robert A. Morton, United States Geological Survey (USGS) "We now have an outstanding, lively, readable, well illustrated and thorough resource to lead us towards a deeper understanding of the how beaches form and function and what we should be concerned for in their future. This book should be everyone’s pillow and companion for the day at the beach."—Dr. Harold R. Wanless, University of Miami "The more you know about a place the more you will learn to love it, and want to protect it. The photos and captions alone in this book will gain you a great new appreciation of these precious coastlines."—Yvon Chouinard, owner, Patagonia, Inc.

The Last Beach is an urgent call to save the world's beaches while there is still time. The geologists Orrin H. Pilkey and J. Andrew G. Cooper sound the alarm in this frank assessment of our current relationship with beaches and their grim future if we do not change the way we understand and treat our irreplaceable shores. Combining case studies and anecdotes from around the world, they argue that many of the world's developed beaches, including some in Florida and in Spain, are virtually doomed and that we must act immediately to save imperiled beaches. After explaining beaches as dynamic ecosystems, Pilkey and Cooper assess the harm done by dense oceanfront development accompanied by the construction of massive seawalls to protect new buildings from a shoreline that encroaches as sea levels rise. They discuss the toll taken by sand mining, trash that washes up on beaches, and pollution, which has contaminated not only the water but also, surprisingly, the sand. Acknowledging the challenge of reconciling our actions with our love of beaches, the geologists offer suggestions for reversing course, insisting that given the space, beaches can take care of themselves and provide us with multiple benefits.

"A collection of aerial photography of beaches and exotic coastal locations around the world"--

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.