The Earth changes over the course of millions of years, yet there is one place where the geological processes often occur right before our eyes: along the coastline of a great body of water. Piloting a Cessna 180, Michael Collier soars above North America's rivers and beaches, and with these collections of his aerial photographs he offers expert commentary and awe-inspiring perspectives on our world.
Our coastlines are less stable than they may seem, shaped by wind and currents but also human activity. In the dozens of color images here, the Hyannis, Massachusetts sand dunes are formed by waves; an Alaskan glacier disintegrates into the sea; and islands of every possible shape dot the Mississippi Delta.