Atlantic Coast Beaches: A Guide to Ripples, Dunes and Other Natural Features of the Seashore

by William J. Neal, James Lainsbury (Editor)

At first glance, the beach may appear to be an endless, flat, monotone landscape meant only for swimming, snoozing, or working on your tan. Upon closer inspection, though, the beach reveals that it has myriad treasures for the curious to locate, such as ephemeral beach ripples decorating the sand, traces of miniature organisms inscribed on dunes, and armored mudballs. Atlantic Coast Beaches, from Maine to Florida, are full of amazing features formed by the interactions between tides, currents, bedrock, weather, beach critters, and much more. Written for a general audience, Atlantic Coast A Guide to Ripples, Dunes, and Other Natural Features of the Seashore covers everything, from microscopic nematodes to the potentially cataclysmic changes occurring along the coastline due to rising sea level. Its clear writing, illustrative photographs, and instructive diagrams answer some curious questions, such as why do some sands bark and sing, how do miniature sand volcanoes form, and how do barrier islands migrate?

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Science

250 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2007

Reviews

[Karen C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for people interested in the physiology of beaches: how they form; why northeast beaches are so different from southeast beaches; characteristics of different sands; why some sand makes noise when walked upon; small and large features of beaches, etc. When you go to the beach, if you tend to look at the sand and the various shapes you find there, this book is for you.