Introduction to Coastal Processes and Geomorphology

Robin Davidson-Arnott completed his Ph.D. in 1975 from the Department of Geography at the University of Toronto. He was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph in 1976, Associate Professor in 1980, and has served as Professor from 1988 onwards. He has been a member of the Task Force of the International Joint Commission (Canada/USA) Great Lakes Water Levels Reference Study Phase 1 (1987–9), and has been seconded as a Scientist to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Development of Ontario Shoreline Management Policy and Technical Guideline (1992–5), and to the International Joint Commission (Canada/USA) Upper Great Lakes Water Level Regulation Study (2007–11). He has worked as a consultant for a number of studies for Ontario Conservation Authorities and Parks, Canada, and been awarded the R. J. Russell Award from the Coastal and Marine Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers in 2000. His research interests are in coastal geomorphology - on beach and nearshore processes on sandy coasts, nearshore erosion of cohesive coasts, coastal saltmarshes, aeolian sediment transport and coastal dunes - and he has received continuous support in this from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for over 30 years. He has authored and co-authored many books and journal articles on the subject, including a contribution to Geomorphology and Global Environmental Change (Cambridge University Press, 2009).

Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Coastal geomorphology; 3. Sea level fluctuations and changes; 4. Wind-generated waves; 5. Waves - wave theory and wave dynamics; 6. Surf zone circulation; 7. Coastal sediment transport; 8. Beach and nearshore systems; 9. Coastal sand dunes; 10. Barrier systems; 11. Salt marshes and mangroves; 12. Coral reefs and atolls; 13. Cliffed and rocky coasts; Index.