The Beach Book - Science of the Shore

For those with a curiosity about shores or a desire to better understand them, The Beach Book shares the basic science behind waves, tides, sea level, sand dunes, salt marshes, and beach erosion. It tells sunbathers why the beach widens and narrows from week to week and helps boaters and anglers understand why tidal inlets change. It gives home buyers insight into gauging erosion rates and provides natural-resource managers and concerned citizens with richer information on sediments, erosion control, beach nourishment, and coastal-zone development. Carl Hobbs also proposes methods for keeping our beaches healthy by discussing ways to combat erosion and the decline of habitats. Informed by the latest science and infused with a passion for its subject, The Beach Book offers an informative, useful, and wide-ranging introduction to anyone who loves, lives, and plays on the beach.

Carl Hobbs is on the faculty of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary. His research interests include coastal geology and processes, the geologic history of the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding region, marine archaeology, and the environmental consequences of marine sand mining and beach nourishment. Additionally, with colleagues from the Center for Archaeological Research and the Department of Geology at William and Mary College, he has investigated physical changes to Jamestown Island that have occurred since the early Holocene, when humans first inhabited the region.

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About Carl Hobbs