The coastal zone is one of the most dynamic environments on our
planet and is much affected by global change, especially sea-level
rise. Coastal environments harbour valuable ecosystems, but they
are also hugely important from a societal point of view. This book,
which draws on the expertise of 21 leading international coastal
scientists, represents an up-to-date account of coastal
environments and past, present and future impacts of global change.
The first chapter of the book outlines key principles that underpin
coastal systems and their behaviour. This is followed by a
discussion of key processes, including sea level change,
sedimentation, storms, waves and tides, that drive coastal change.
The main part of the book consists of a discussion of the main
coastal environments (beaches, dunes, barriers, salt marshes, tidal
flats, estuaries, coral reefs, deltas, rocky and glaciated coasts
and coastal groundwater), and how these are affected by global
change. The final chapter highlights strategies for coping with
coastal change.
Readership: final year undergraduate and postgraduate-level
students on coastal courses in a wide range subjects, including
geography, environmental management, geology, oceanography and
coastal/civil engineering. The book will also be a valuable
resource for researchers and applied scientists dealing with
coastal environments.
Additional resources for this book can be found at: href=’http://www.wiley.com/go/masselink/coastal’>www.wiley.com/go/masselink/coastal
A propos de l’auteur
Gerd Masselink is a Professor in Coastal Geomorphology
and Associate Head of Marine Science in the School of Marine
Science and Engineering at Plymouth University, UK. Gerd
specialises in nearshore sediment transport processes, surf zone
hydrodynamics and beach morphodynamics.
Roland Gehrels is a Professor in Physical Geography at the
University of York, UK. He studies sea-level changes over various
timescales, but has a particular interest in regional sea-level
variability during past centuries. Roland is the President of the
Commission on Coastal and Marine Processes of the International
Quaternary Union (INQUA).
The Editors have published over 160 peer-reviewed articles in
coastal and sea-level research.