THE MARBLE BEACHES OF TUSCANY* |
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| Authors: | Karl F. Nordstrom Enzo Pranzini Nancy L. Jackson Massimo Coli |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Dr. Nordstrom is a professor of marine and coastal sciences at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901.;2. Dr. Pranzini is a professor of earth sciences at the University of Florence, 50132 Florence, Italy.;3. Dr. Jackson is a professor of environmental sciences at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102.;4. Dr. Coli is an associate professor of earth sciences at the University of Florence, 50132 Florence, Italy. |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACT. Beach‐nourishment operations designed to replace sediment lost through erosion change the identity and meaning of coastal landscapes. Seven beaches in Tuscany, nourished with marble‐quarry waste, reveal how an industrial byproduct is naturalized by particle rounding and sorting and can become a positive symbol of human‐altered nature. The marble was placed on formerly sandy beaches, resulting in different grain size and color of sediments, beach morphology, and value for human use. The abrasion rate of marble makes the nourished beaches unsatisfactory when viewed solely as protection structures, but the rapid particle rounding and aesthetic appeal of marble increase the acceptability of the beaches for recreation. |
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| Keywords: | abrasion beach nourishment gravel beach mine waste shore protection Tuscany |
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