I have been studying the Quaternary sediment sequence at Abermawr for more than 60 years and have watched with fascination as the coast has retreated inexorably during that time span. When I started coming here the rocky outcrop in the centre of the photograph was not visible at all -- it was buried completely under the storm beach ridge. The ridge is being pushed further and further up the valley, on top of the Holocene sediments in the bog. The peat beds that have been overridden are now exposed intermittently on the seaward flank of the storm beach, and the "submerged forest" is currently covered by the sandy beach. I think that in my lifetime the coast has retreated by about 40m.........
....and now, we have the impact of sea level rise brought about by climate change to concern in particular the world's coastal cities and third world countries.
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