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Coast Lines: How Mapmakers Frame the World and Chart Environmental Change
In the next century, sea levels are predicted to rise at unprecedented rates, causing flooding around the world, from the islands of Malaysia and the canals of Venice to the coasts of Florida and California. These rising water levels pose serious challenges to all aspects of coastal existence—chiefly economic, residential, and environmental—as well as to the cartographic definition and mapping of coasts. It is this facet of coastal life that Mark Monmonier tackles in Coast Lines . Setting sail on a journey across shifting landscapes, cartographic technology, and climate change, Monmonier reveals that coastlines are as much a set of ideas, assumptions, and societal beliefs as they are solid black lines on maps.
Whether for sailing charts or property maps, Monmonier shows, coastlines challenge mapmakers to capture on paper a highly irregular land-water boundary perturbed by tides and storms and complicated by rocks, wrecks, and shoals. Coast Lines is peppered with captivating anecdotes about the frustrating effort to expunge fictitious islands from nautical charts, the tricky measurement of a coastline’s length, and the contentious notions of beachfront property and public access.
Combing maritime history and the history of technology, Coast Lines charts the historical progression from offshore sketches to satellite images and explores the societal impact of coastal cartography on everything from global warming to homeland security. Returning to the form of his celebrated Air Apparent , Monmonier ably renders the topic of coastal cartography accessible to both general readers and historians of science, technology, and maritime studies. In the post-Katrina era, when the map of entire regions can be redrawn by a single natural event, the issues he raises are more important than ever.
Whether for sailing charts or property maps, Monmonier shows, coastlines challenge mapmakers to capture on paper a highly irregular land-water boundary perturbed by tides and storms and complicated by rocks, wrecks, and shoals. Coast Lines is peppered with captivating anecdotes about the frustrating effort to expunge fictitious islands from nautical charts, the tricky measurement of a coastline’s length, and the contentious notions of beachfront property and public access.
Combing maritime history and the history of technology, Coast Lines charts the historical progression from offshore sketches to satellite images and explores the societal impact of coastal cartography on everything from global warming to homeland security. Returning to the form of his celebrated Air Apparent , Monmonier ably renders the topic of coastal cartography accessible to both general readers and historians of science, technology, and maritime studies. In the post-Katrina era, when the map of entire regions can be redrawn by a single natural event, the issues he raises are more important than ever.
228 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2008
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54 people want to read
About the author
Mark Monmonier
35 books24 followersMark Stephen Monmonier is an American author and a Distinguished Professor of Geography at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.
He specializes in toponymy, geography, and geographic information systems. His popular written works show a combination of serious study and a sense of humor. His most famous work is How To Lie With Maps (1991), in which he challenges the common belief that maps inherently show an unbiased truth.
He specializes in toponymy, geography, and geographic information systems. His popular written works show a combination of serious study and a sense of humor. His most famous work is How To Lie With Maps (1991), in which he challenges the common belief that maps inherently show an unbiased truth.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 20, 2010
Wonderfully densely packed with information, especially for such a slim, readable volume. Importantly, grounds current methods in surveying and mapmaking within the context of historical events and developments- the creation of certain technologies and collection of data at specific points in time, for specific regions.
Ambiguities in determining geographical points of reference, distances, difficulties in resolving relatively incompatible data sets and maps (eg, the European Datum vs the North Atlantic Datum), and other discrepant areas, give the reader a growing sense of appreciation for the ingenuity and technological advances (from plane tables and chronometers to aerial photogrammetry and LIDAR) which result in the generation of usable, long-lasting maps.
Includes fascinating material on policy-making and issues of long-term interest to countries in general- drawing of geographical boundaries, shifts in coast lines due to climate change, computer modelling techniques to simulate effects due to natural disasters. Took fairly extensive notes from this one.
Ambiguities in determining geographical points of reference, distances, difficulties in resolving relatively incompatible data sets and maps (eg, the European Datum vs the North Atlantic Datum), and other discrepant areas, give the reader a growing sense of appreciation for the ingenuity and technological advances (from plane tables and chronometers to aerial photogrammetry and LIDAR) which result in the generation of usable, long-lasting maps.
Includes fascinating material on policy-making and issues of long-term interest to countries in general- drawing of geographical boundaries, shifts in coast lines due to climate change, computer modelling techniques to simulate effects due to natural disasters. Took fairly extensive notes from this one.
January 21, 2019
Mark Monmonier is a distinguished professor of geography at Syracuse University specializing in cartography. His "Coast Lines" takes us deep into the mapping of the land/sea interface. His opening chapter may bring to mind the deprecating phrase "Lies, damned lies, and statistics," but it is for a purpose, so stick with him.
The befuddlement comes as he is answering the question of how much shoreline does the United States have. The answer: 95,000 miles, 12,383 statute miles, and 28,889 statute miles. Each is a scientifically derived answer, and each is correct for the purpose of the scientist doing the measuring. Monmonier uses this variation to introduce the importance of scale in mapping. At larger scale, more detail is included, so there is more coastline to measure. This, coupled with the
methodology of measuring the coastline from a map is the reason for the various answers.
Equally deep is his discussion of the various lines cartographers use to mark the meeting point of land and sea. There are four (with a couple of subdivisions), which he introduces in the second chapter, with extensive discussion of the many technicalities. He more deftly summarizes them in his conclusion as "a high-water line, ... a low-water shoreline, ... a storm-surge line, and an inundation line describing the plausible effects of climate change and rising seas." The subdivisions include the mean higher-high-water tide, the mean lower-low-water tide, and the astronomical low tide favored by the military, but otherwise shunned as disruptive of normal navigation requirements. These deviations generally are caused by the variability of tides.
His following chapters disclose many details of mapmaking over time, from the Age of Exploration to today's GPS-based mapping from space. He also discusses the reasons why accurate mapping is essential, from keeping ships from running aground, to plotting evacuation routes during severe coastal storms. Monmonier introduces many people around the globe who have added to the theory and tools of cartography.
Apart from the details of the past, his examinations of what lies ahead may have the greatest relevance to readers, especially those living in coastal areas. He posits the growing risks that beset these areas because of climate change and its melting icecaps and stronger storms. That coastal areas are increasingly populated compounds the potential danger. Non-climate threats include land subsidence because of the extraction of oil and natural gas from beneath coastal areas, or the normal changes induced by continually shifting continents.
A frequent point of reference throughout the book Five Islands, Maine It is dear to the heart of the author, as it is a favorite vacation place of his. A number of maps of the area are used to make various points. By the end of the book, the reader may feel like an honorary resident of Five Islands, or, is it Four, or Six? Whatever, you will be familiar with it.
Monmonier is serious, but not strident, about the risks of climate change. He notes that better mapping may help land managers in the coastal zone better prepare for future problems, or their avoidance. He notes, however, the long timelines for some of the predicted impacts, hundreds of years in the worst cases. This leads him to question if people are likely to be moved to action on problems that are more than a few generations away.
Geographers and cartographers may read this interesting book to their profit. General readers, also, may gain insight about the value of cartography, and of how it may be of economic value to them, as well. The discussion of flood insurance zoning maps, for instance, could be a pocketbook issue for many.
The befuddlement comes as he is answering the question of how much shoreline does the United States have. The answer: 95,000 miles, 12,383 statute miles, and 28,889 statute miles. Each is a scientifically derived answer, and each is correct for the purpose of the scientist doing the measuring. Monmonier uses this variation to introduce the importance of scale in mapping. At larger scale, more detail is included, so there is more coastline to measure. This, coupled with the
methodology of measuring the coastline from a map is the reason for the various answers.
Equally deep is his discussion of the various lines cartographers use to mark the meeting point of land and sea. There are four (with a couple of subdivisions), which he introduces in the second chapter, with extensive discussion of the many technicalities. He more deftly summarizes them in his conclusion as "a high-water line, ... a low-water shoreline, ... a storm-surge line, and an inundation line describing the plausible effects of climate change and rising seas." The subdivisions include the mean higher-high-water tide, the mean lower-low-water tide, and the astronomical low tide favored by the military, but otherwise shunned as disruptive of normal navigation requirements. These deviations generally are caused by the variability of tides.
His following chapters disclose many details of mapmaking over time, from the Age of Exploration to today's GPS-based mapping from space. He also discusses the reasons why accurate mapping is essential, from keeping ships from running aground, to plotting evacuation routes during severe coastal storms. Monmonier introduces many people around the globe who have added to the theory and tools of cartography.
Apart from the details of the past, his examinations of what lies ahead may have the greatest relevance to readers, especially those living in coastal areas. He posits the growing risks that beset these areas because of climate change and its melting icecaps and stronger storms. That coastal areas are increasingly populated compounds the potential danger. Non-climate threats include land subsidence because of the extraction of oil and natural gas from beneath coastal areas, or the normal changes induced by continually shifting continents.
A frequent point of reference throughout the book Five Islands, Maine It is dear to the heart of the author, as it is a favorite vacation place of his. A number of maps of the area are used to make various points. By the end of the book, the reader may feel like an honorary resident of Five Islands, or, is it Four, or Six? Whatever, you will be familiar with it.
Monmonier is serious, but not strident, about the risks of climate change. He notes that better mapping may help land managers in the coastal zone better prepare for future problems, or their avoidance. He notes, however, the long timelines for some of the predicted impacts, hundreds of years in the worst cases. This leads him to question if people are likely to be moved to action on problems that are more than a few generations away.
Geographers and cartographers may read this interesting book to their profit. General readers, also, may gain insight about the value of cartography, and of how it may be of economic value to them, as well. The discussion of flood insurance zoning maps, for instance, could be a pocketbook issue for many.
June 9, 2018
Fascinating read on the history and complexities of mapping coastlines.
December 4, 2013
I've always enjoyed losing myself in the exotic worlds of a map (or spinning the globe and planning a fictional trip to Addis Ababa), but I never gave much thought to the process of creating a map. Mark Monmonier focuses on, appropriately, coastlines, arguing that these are difficult to map due to the nature of tides, hidden objects, and the intended usage of the map (be it for short or long-distance navigation).
As both a map fan and neophyte, I loved this. A lot of information is packed into 160ish pages, and it all feels necessary to understand why the high-water line is important, the weirdness of mapping a curved object on a rectangular plane, and the legal trickiness of defining international waters and a floodplain. It's a lot of information that I take completely for granted, presented densely, but in an accessible way.
As both a map fan and neophyte, I loved this. A lot of information is packed into 160ish pages, and it all feels necessary to understand why the high-water line is important, the weirdness of mapping a curved object on a rectangular plane, and the legal trickiness of defining international waters and a floodplain. It's a lot of information that I take completely for granted, presented densely, but in an accessible way.
July 20, 2016
Technical and detailed, well presented overview. Occasionaly entertaining
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews