Surf, Sand, and Stone: How Waves, Earthquakes, and Other Forces Shape the Southern California Coast

by Keith Heyer Meldahl

Southern California is sandwiched between two tectonic plates with an ever-shifting boundary. Over the last several million years, movements of these plates have dramatically reshuffled the Earth’s crust to create rugged landscapes and seascapes riven with active faults. Movement along these faults triggers earthquakes and tsunamis, pushes up mountains, and lifts sections of coastline. Over geologic time, beaches come and go, coastal bluffs retreat, and the sea rises and falls. Nothing about Southern California’s coast is stable.

Surf, Sand, and Stone tells the scientific story of the Southern California its mountains, islands, beaches, bluffs, surfing waves, earthquakes, and related phenomena. It takes readers from San Diego to Santa Barbara, revealing the evidence for how the coast's features came to be and how they are continually changing. With a compelling narrative and clear illustrations, Surf, Sand, and Stone outlines how the coast will be altered in the future and how we can best prepare for it.

Genres: Science, Earth Sciences, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2015

Reviews

[Atomman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a highly readable telling of how the Southern California coastline was formed, the geologic forces that shaped the terrain and how those forces continue to remake the coast. As a non-geologist, I appreciated the clear explanations and the ample informative pictures and diagrams. As a coastal San Diego county resident, this book gave me new ways to see the land around me.

Thank you Professor Meldahl!

[Jph12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable book that is as engaging as it is informative. While most of the explanations are presented in a straightforward factual manner, Keith Heyer Meldahl injects just enough irreverence and sly humor into the narrative to keep the reader entertained without ever overwhelming the informational aspect.

My only regret is that I read it on a black and white Kindle, which reduced the effectiveness of some of the pictures and graphs. Even with that, however, the explanations that follow clearly explain what is shown in the graphics so I don't feel like I missed out on much of the knowledge transmission, just the experience. I would definitely recommend this be read on real paper, or at least a color reader.

[Dewayne Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much of what is in this book is located around me as I live in San Pedro across from Catalina below PV and close to Sunken City.

[Sfahrney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technical geology explained in a way one can understand. Interesting dissection of how Southern California was "built."

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good introduction to geology as well as describing the history of the coast.

The description of how surf forms and how it can be predicted was especially to this old surfer.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, really good. Nice photos. Reread sometime.