Facing two oceans and three seas, Alaska's coastline stretches through bays, fjords, and around islands for 45,000 miles. Living with the Coast of Alaska, a new volume in the Living with the Shore series, is a user's guide for both present and future inhabitants of Alaska. Providing individual property owners in all regions of the state with the fundamentals of hazard recognition and mitigation strategy, the authors discuss the geological history of Alaska and its relation to the area's cultural history and present customized hazard risk assessments for coastal communities.
Describing the dynamic nature of natural seismic events and coastal processes in Alaska, the authors emphasize the multiplicity of potential effects that result from a unique combination of geology, climate, and the sea. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami waves, avalanches, glacial advances, storm surges, flash flooding, wind channeling, and shoreline erosion combined with human-induced hazards such as oil spills, fire, and beach and offshore mining accidents make living with danger a way of life in Alaska. The authors provide information on federal and state laws and programs regarding natural disasters and coastal zone management as well as practical suggestions for the design and construction of buildings. For private, commercial, and public developments, this book offers a manual to help Alaskans make informed decisions to minimize, if not avoid, damage and danger.
About the Author: Owen Mason is a Research Associate at the Quaternary Center in Fairbanks, Alaska.
William J. Neal is Professor of Geology at Grand Valley State University.
Orrin H. Pilkey Jr. is James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences at Duke University.
Jane Bullock is Chief of Staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Ted Fathauer is Meterorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Deborah Pilkey is a graduate research assistant at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
