Whither shore platforms?

Abstract

This paper reviews the research on shore platforms since 1980. Although some quantitative work on platforms was conducted in the late 1970s, it was principally in the 1980s that there was a change in the research paradigm, from qualitative observations to quantitative analyses. Researchers are now closer than ever before on agreeing that no single process can produce shore platforms in itself. The last decade has seen remarkable proliferation of research interests in shore platforms. Consequently, there are much-improved data sets on the processes acting on them. Even so, it has not yet been possible to establish definitively the precise role of each individual process in shore platform evolution. Laboratory simulation of platform morphodynamics has received much less attention compared to field-based studies. There are also some other aspects, such as threshold determination, geological control, inheritance, application of geo-informatics and focus on low-energy and tropical coasts, that have received limited attention. These areas are avenues for future research. To enable a better understanding of platform dynamics in a particular area, fieldwork, laboratory simulation and numerical modelling should be carried out simultaneously. Shore platforms are a global feature, and their study should be undertaken in all parts of the world through increased collaborative work among researchers.