Barrier Islands of the Florida Gulf Coast Peninsula

Synopsis

With Text And Hundreds Of Figures, Charts, Drawings, And Color Photos, This Book Covers The Long, Narrow Islands That Run Near And All Along The Gulf Coast Of The Florida Peninsula. These 30 Islands And Inlets Create A Barrier Along The 200-mile Coast, Protecting The Mainland And The Coastal Bays From Storms And Heavy Waves. The Land On These Islands Is Among The Most Expensive Real Estate On The Planet, And Most Of The Islands Are Now Heavily Developed And Populated, Though Some Natural Areas Remain. This Book Looks First At The Geological Aspects Of This Barrier-inlet System, Which Is Very Young In Terms Of The History Of Our Planet, Only About 3,000 Years, Appearing Since The Great Glaciers Melted And Sea Level Reached Near Its Present Position. Hurricanes Have Had A Significant Impact On This Coast, Although They Are Less Frequent Here Than Along Most Of The Gulf Of Mexico. There Are Very Few Sand Dunes On These Flat, Narrow Islands--provided By Publisher. Introduction To Barrier Islands -- How Barrier Islands Work -- Pristine Wave-dominated Barriers -- Moderately Developed Wave-dominated Barriers -- Densely Developed Wave-dominated Barriers -- Pristine Mixed-energy Barriers -- Moderately Developed Mixed-energy Barriers -- Densely Developed Mixed-energy Barriers -- Unusual Barriers -- Epilog -- Glossary. Richard A. Davis Jr. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.