Come explore the geology of Florida's Gulf Coast beaches, from a
bird's-eye view down to a crab's-eye view. You'll journey from
Panhandle sugar-sand beaches to southwestern shell beaches, taking
a fresh look at the ever-changing landscape. With Tonya Clayton as
your guide, you'll learn how to recognize the stories and read the
clues of these dynamic shores, reshaped daily by winds, waves, and
sometimes bulldozers or dump trucks.
This dynamic tour begins with a broad description of Florida's Gulf
Coast, roaming from popular Perdido Key in the northwest to remote
Cape Sable in the south. You'll first fly over large-scale coastal
features such as the barrier islands, learning to spot signs of the
many processes that shape the shores. In subsequent chapters you'll
visit dunes and beaches to check out sand ripples, tracings, and
other markings that show the handiwork of beach breezes, ocean
waves, animal life, and even raindrops and air bubbles. You'll also
encounter signs of human shaping, including massive boulder
structures and sand megatransfers. With a conversational style and
more than a hundred illustrations,
How to Read a Florida Gulf
Coast Beach makes coastal science accessible, carrying
vacationers and Florida natives alike on a lively, informative tour
of local beach features.
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of North Carolina Press