The World's Beaches : A Global Guide to the Science of the Shoreline

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. 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. 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. It 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 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 CONTENTS FOREWORD BY THE DONOR, THE SANTA AGUILA FOUNDATION PREFACE PART I. THE GLOBAL CHARACTER OF BEACHES 1. A WORLD OF BEACHES 2. BEACHES OF THE WORLD 3. OF WHAT ARE BEACHES MADE? SEDIMENTS 4. HOW BEACHES WORK: WAVES, CURRENTS, TIDES, AND WIND 5. THE FORM OF THE BEACH: CRAB’S‐EYE AND BIRD’S‐EYE VIEWS PART II. HOW TO READ A BEACH 6. THE BEACH SURFACE UP CLOSE: IMPRINTS OF TIDES, CURRENTS, AND WAVES 7. ESCAPE FROM WITHIN: AIR AND WATER IN THE BEACH 8. WHICHEVER WAY THE WIND BLOWS: REWORKING THE BEACH SURFACE 9. BEACH CREATURES: TRACKS, TRAILS, AND TRACES 10. CARBONATE BEACHES: SEASHELLS AND THE STORIES THEY TELL 11. DIGGING THE BEACH: INTO THE THIRD DIMENSION PART III. THE GLOBAL THREAT TO BEACHES 12. BEACHES AT RISK: SEA-LEVEL RISE AND THE HUMAN RESPONSE 13. THE URBANIZED BEACH: FROM MIDDENS TO THE MAELSTROM OF DEVELOPMENT GLOSSARY SELECTED REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING INDEX