Submarine mass movements and their consequences are of major concern for coastal communities and infrastructures but also for the exploitation and the development of seafloor resources. A tragic example of the vulnerability of coastal communities has been provided by the Indonesian tsunami of December 2004. Since 2005, as part of the scientific community efforts to minimize the impact of such natural disasters, the International Union of Geological Science (IUGS) and the United Nation, Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have sponsored an International Geoscience...

This book focuses on issues of method and interpretation in studies of submerged landscapes, concentrating on illustrations and case studies from around Europe with additional examples from other parts of the world. Such landscapes were once exposed as dry land during the low sea levels that prevailed during the glacial periods that occupied most of the past million years and provided extensive new territories for human exploitation. Their study today involves underwater investigation, using techniques and strategies which are clearly set out in these chapters. The underwater landscape...