Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands

Ritienne Gauci is a Lecturer in Physical Geography at the Department of Geography of the University of Malta. Her research interests are mainly in coastal geomorphic processes and resultant landforms, rocky coasts, geoheritage and melitensia cartography. She holds a B.A. (Hons) and M.A. in Geography from the University of Malta and a Ph.D. from the Department of Geography of the University of Portsmouth, UK. Ritienne is currently the national scientific representative for the International Association of Geomorphology (IAG), member of the British Society of Geomorphology (BSG) and the Royal Geographic Society (RGS-IBG). She is also on the committee board of the Malta Map Society and acts as consultant editor for the Malta Map Society Journal. She has authored and co-authored a number of papers, also in collaboration with European universities such as the University of Portsmouth, University of Liverpool Hope, University of Trieste and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.John A Schembri is a Professor at the Department of Geography of the University of Malta. He read Contemporary Mediterranean Studies and History as an undergraduate at the University of Malta. This was followed by post-graduate studies at Durham University from where he obtained a M.A. in the Geography of the Middle East and the Mediterranean and later a Ph.D. through the Department of Geography at Durham. In 2016 he was conferred D. Educ. (Honoris Causa) by Liverpool Hope University, UK, for his contribution to Geography. John lectures in Geography at the University of Malta and his publications range from coastal land use, historical geography to cartography. John is a Chartered Geographer and a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society (with IGB). He contributes regularly to lectures at the International Ocean Institute.

• Chapter 1. Introduction to Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands.- Part I: Background.- Chapter 2. The Geographical Context of the Maltese Islands.- Chapter 3. Central Mediterranean Tectonics: A Key Player in the Geomorphology of the Maltese Islands.- Chapter 4. Sedimentary Evolution and Resultant Geological Landscapes.- Chapter 5. A Synthesis of Different Geomorphological Landscapes on the Maltese Islands.- Part II: Selected Geomorphological Landscapes.- Chapter 6. By Gentlemen for Gentlemen: Ria coastal landforms and their fortified imprints of Valletta and its harbours.- Chapter 7. Landscapes, Landforms and Monuments in Neolithic Malta.- Chapter 8. Cave Dwellers at Għar il-Kbir: Malta’s Best Documented Troglodytic Community.- Chapter 9. Humans as Agents of Geomorphological Change: The Case of the Maltese Cart-ruts at Misraħ Għar il-Kbir, San Ġwann, San Pawl tat-Tarġa and Imtaħleb.- Chapter 10. Malta’s Submerged Landscapes and Landforms.- Chapter 11. Dwejra and Maqluba: Emblematic Sinkholes in the Maltese Islands.- Chapter 12. Palaeosoils: Legacies of Past Landscapes, with a Series of Contrasting Examples from Malta.- Chapter 13. The Terraced Character of Maltese Rural Landscape: A Case-study of Buskett area.- Chapter 14. The Spectacular Landslide-Controlled Landscape of the Northwestern Coast of Malta.- Chapter 15. Limestone Dissolution and Temporary Freshwater Rockpools of the Maltese Islands.- Chapter 16. Fomm ir-Riħ and the Vigorous Nature of Its Shingle Beaches.- Chapter 17. A Sandy Enclave Worth Conserving: Xatt l-Aħmar (the ‘red coast’, Gozo).- Chapter 18. The Beaches of the Maltese Islands: A Valuable but Threatened Resource?.- Chapter 19. Ras il-Ġebel: An Extreme Wave-Generated Boulder Beach on the Xgħajra coast, Malta.- Chapter 20. Saline Marshlands of the Maltese Islands.- Chapter 21. Filfla: A Case Study of the Effect of Military Target Practice on Coastal Landforms.- Chapter 22. Tsunamigenic Landscapes in the Maltese Islands: The Comino Channel Coasts.- Chapter 23. Landform Loss and Its Effect on Health and Wellbeing: The Collapse of the Azure Window (Gozo) and the Resultant Reactions of the Media and the Maltese Community.- Chapter 24. Landforms and Processes at Il-Majjistral Park and Its Environs.- Chapter 25. Sea Caves and Coastal Karst Scenery along the Maltese coasts: the Case Study of Blue Grotto.- Chapter 26. Selmun: A Coastal Limestone Landscape Enriched by Scenic Landforms, Conservation Status and Religious Significance.- Chapter 27. The Physical Characteristics of Limestone Shore Platforms on the Maltese Islands and Their Neglected Contribution to Coastal Land Use Development.- Part III: Conclusion.- Chapter 28. Landscape Diversity and Protection in Malta.- Chapter 29. The Sustainability of Landforms and Landscapes.