The North Carolina Shore And Its Barrier Islands

Download or read book The North Carolina Shore and Its Barrier Islands written by Orrin H. Pilkey and published by Duke University Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The North Carolina Shore and Its Barrier Islands is the latest volume in the series, Living with the Shore. Replacing an earlier volume, this thoroughly new book provides a diverse guide to one of America's most popular shorelines. As is true for all books in the series, it is based on the premise that understanding the changing nature of beaches and barrier islands is essential if we are to preserve them for future generations. Evidence that the North Carolina shore is changing is never hard to find, but recently the devastation wrought by Hurricane Fran and the perilous situation of the historic lighthouse at Cape Hatteras have reminded all concerned of the fragility of this coast. Arguing for a policy of intelligent development, one in which residential and commercial structures meet rather than confront the changing nature of the shore, the authors have included practical information on hazards of many kinds--storms, tides, floods, erosion, island migration, and earthquakes. Diagrams and photographs clearly illustrate coastal processes and aid in understanding the impact of hurricanes and northeasters, wave and current dynamics, as well as pollution and other environmental destruction due to overdevelopment. A chapter on estuaries provides related information on the shores of back barrier areas that are growing in popularity for recreational residences. Risk maps focus on the natural hazards of each island and together with construction guidelines provide a basis for informed island management. Lastly, the dynamics of coastal politics and management are reviewed through an analysis of the controversies over the decision to move the Cape Hatteras lighthouse and a proposed effort to stabilize Oregon Inlet. From the natural and historic perspective of the opening chapters to the regional discussions of individual barrier islands, this book is both a primer on coastal processes for the first time visitor as well as a guide to hazard identification for property owners.

Download or read book The Battle for North Carolina's Coast written by Stanley R. Riggs and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2011-09-05 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The North Carolina barrier islands, a 325-mile-long string of narrow sand islands that forms the coast of North Carolina, are one of the most beloved areas to live and visit in the United States. However, extensive barrier island segments and their associated wetlands are in jeopardy. In The Battle for North Carolina's Coast, four experts on coastal dynamics examine issues that threaten this national treasure. According to the authors, the North Carolina barrier islands are not permanent. Rather, they are highly mobile piles of sand that are impacted by sea-level rise and major storms and hurricanes. Our present development and management policies for these changing islands are in direct conflict with their natural dynamics. Revealing the urgency of the environmental and economic problems facing coastal North Carolina, this essential book offers a hopeful vision for the coast's future if we are willing to adapt to the barriers' ongoing and natural processes. This will require a radical change in our thinking about development and new approaches to the way we visit and use the coast. Ultimately, we cannot afford to lose these unique and valuable islands of opportunity. This book is an urgent call to protect our coastal resources and preserve our coastal economy.

Download or read book The Nature of North Carolina's Southern Coast written by Dirk Frankenberg and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 1997 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With The Nature of North Carolina's Southern Coast, Dirk Frankenberg's effort to provide a comprehensive field guide to the state's dynamic shoreline is complete. Picking up where his 1995 book The Nature of the Outer Banks left off, this bo

Download or read book North Carolina's Barrier Islands written by David Blevins and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2017-02-08 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this stunning book, nature photographer and ecologist David Blevins offers an inspiring visual journey to North Carolina's barrier islands as you have never seen them before. These islands are unique and ever-changing places with epic origins, surprising plants and animals, and an uncertain future. From snow geese midflight to breathtaking vistas along otherworldly dunes, Blevins has captured the incredible natural diversity of North Carolina's coast in singular detail. His photographs and words reveal the natural character of these islands, the forces that shape them, and the sense of wonder they inspire. Featuring over 150 full-color images from Currituck Banks, the Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores, and the islands of the southern coast, North Carolina's Barrier Islands is not only a collection of beautiful images of landscapes, plants, and animals but also an appeal for their conservation.

Download or read book How to Read a North Carolina Beach written by Orrin H. Pilkey and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2014-06-30 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Take a walk on the beach with three coastal experts who reveal the secrets and the science of the North Carolina shoreline. What makes sea foam? What are those tiny sand volcanoes along the waterline? You'll find the answers to these questions and dozens more in this comprehensive field guide to the state's beaches, which shows visitors how to decipher the mysteries of the beach and interpret clues to an ever-changing geological story. Orrin Pilkey, Tracy Monegan Rice, and William Neal explore large-scale processes, such as the composition and interaction of wind, waves, and sand, as well as smaller features, such as bubble holes, drift lines, and black sands. In addition, coastal life forms large and small--from crabs and turtles to microscopic animals--are all discussed here. The concluding chapter contemplates the future of North Carolina beaches, considering the threats to their survival and assessing strategies for conservation. This indispensable beach book offers vacationers and naturalists a single source for learning to appreciate and preserve the natural features of a genuine state treasure. Southern Gateways Guide is a registered trademark of the University of North Carolina Press

Download or read book The Outer Banks of North Carolina written by Robert Dolan and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Seacoast Plants of the Carolinas written by Paul E. Hosier and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2018-06-13 with total page 908 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This accessibly written and authoritative guide updates the beloved and much-used 1970s classic Seacoast Plants of the Carolinas. In this completely reimagined book, Paul E. Hosier provides a rich, new reference guide to plant life in the coastal zone of the Carolinas for nature lovers, gardeners, landscapers, students, and community leaders. Features include: * Detailed profiles of more than 200 plants, with color photographs and information about identification, value to wildlife, relationship to natural communities, propagation, and landscape use. * Background on coastal plant communities, including the effects of invasive species and the benefits of using native plants in landscaping. * A section on the effects of climate change on the coast and its plants. * A list of natural areas and preserves open to visitors interested in observing native plants in the coastal Carolinas. * A glossary that includes plant names and scientific terms. With a special emphasis on the benefits of conserving and landscaping with native plants, this guide belongs on the shelf of every resident and visitor to the coasts of the Carolinas.