Coastal Environments

Sand Dune Systems

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Coastal Dunes
• Temperate latitudes. Accumulation of
windblown sediment needed in backshore zone.

• UK - around 7-8% of coast has vegetated

dunes.
• Needs vegetation, low rainfall, strong winds
and abundant sand.
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Sand Movement
• Saltation
– sand blown downwind.
Transfers energy through Sand Transport Rate
other grains.
1000
– 75% of sand moved by

Weight of Sand
800

Transported
this method. 600
400
• Surface Creep
200
– By product of saltation. 0
0 10 20
– Pushed along sand surface
Wind Velocity
– Must be dry Sand Transport Rate

Lindsey Wood, liw2, 022423830

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Formation
• Embryo dunes
– obstacle forces
deposition of sand
Embryo Fore Grey
• Foredunes
– embryo dunes coalesce
laterally
• Grey dunes
– includes 1st, 2nd, 3rd
dune ridges etc. Growth
of foredunes Lindsey Wood, liw2, 022423830
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Classification
Type Morphology Vegetation
Embryo dune Unconnected Sand Twitch & Sea
mounds, 1 or 2m Lyme
Foredune Shore parallel Marram Grass
ridges. Up to 10m
st 10 – 30m. Steep Marram Grass
1 Dune ridge
windward slope, dominant
gentler lee slope
2nd Dune ridge Larger than 1st dune Marram Grass
ridge. Up to 30m starts to die off

Lindsey Wood, liw2, 022423830

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Further Classification
• Bay Dunes eg. • Offshore Island Dunes
Studland eg. Scott Head
• Spit Dunes eg. Ynyslas Dunes
Ynyslas, see right
dunes
• Hindshore Dunes eg.
Merthyr Mawr
• Ness or Forland Dunes
eg. Tentsmuir http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/fun/wa
llpaper/pages/ynyslas_sand_dunes.shtml

Lindsey Wood, liw2, 022423830

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