Coastal Natural Hazards: Science, Engineering, and Public Policy

This book lays out the risks of building on the sifting sands and eroding sea cliffs that typify the U.S. Pacific coast. It also looks at some of the ways people have tried to stop the changing coastline from doing what comes naturally. Although written mainly for lay readers, the book grew out of an October, 1990 conference of coastal geologists, oceanographers, engineers, planners, and resource managers. The book discusses the effects of El Nino on beach and shore erosion and recent research into factors that control sea cliff erosion, as well as evidence for periodic great subduction zone earthquakes. Planning and engineering approaches to hazard mitigation on the west coast and the successes and shortcomings of public policies designed to deal with development in hazardous areas are addressed.