Overview

accommodate terrestrial flooding. In consequence, although the natural vegetation may be severely damaged, tropical cyclones may have less geomorphic impact. Low coral islands, such as those that occur on atolls, have the most vulnerable physical environments of all. They are little more than unconsolidated heaps of coralline sands and gravels resting on reef foundations, and are especially prone to overtopping by storm surge and cyclone-driven waves. Associated sediment movement can produce rema- able changes – sometimes the complete obliteration of an island altogether, or on other occasions the creation of entirely new land. Island sensitivity to physical change is strongly conditioned by the degree to which the existing landscape is in dynamic equilibrium with the frequency of tropical cyclones. Walsh (1977) referred to this concept as ‘landscape eq- librium with the cyclone environment’. The idea is a simple one: a severe storm is more likely to produce catastrophic change on an island where one has not struck for a long time, since many of the geomorphic features are i- equipped to withstand the impact. In contrast, on islands where the effects of tropical cyclones have been felt more often, the contribution of an individual storm event to landscape change may be less significant. This is because the evolution of the island’s physical environment is in some degree of balance with regular climatic perturbations.

Full Product Details

Author:   James P. Terry
Publisher:   Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
Imprint:   Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
Edition:   2007 ed.
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.506kg
ISBN:  

9780387715421

ISBN 10:   0387715428
Pages:   212
Publication Date:   29 October 2007
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Awaiting stock  
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Reviews

From the reviews: Tropical Cyclones: Climatology and Impacts in the South Pacific describes the climatology, structure, and behavior of tropical cyclones in the South Pacific and ! impacts of these storms on the physical environment of the islands in their path. ! The text is ! well laid out with black-and-white photographs, tables, and graphs. ! appealing to students and professionals from the region. ! It would be an excellent resource for climatologists and educators ! . Researchers from other disciplines ! will also find this volume valuable. (Mark Sinclair, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, April, 2009)

From the reviews: “Tropical Cyclones: Climatology and Impacts in the South Pacific describes the climatology, structure, and behavior of tropical cyclones in the South Pacific and … impacts of these storms on the physical environment of the islands in their path. … The text is … well laid out with black-and-white photographs, tables, and graphs. … appealing to students and professionals from the region. … It would be an excellent resource for climatologists and educators … . Researchers from other disciplines … will also find this volume valuable.” (Mark Sinclair, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, April, 2009)

Author Information

James Terry is Head of the Department of Geography at the University of the South Pacific (USP), Fiji Islands. Previous positions include Associate Professor at the Research Centre for the Pacific Islands, Kagoshima University, Japan. In addition to his lecture and research experience, Dr. Terry has served as a geographer consultant for various governmental institutions.

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