Difference between revisions of "Sand dune types - Europe"

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Revision as of 16:54, 11 June 2008

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This article will provide a description of the main sand dune types that occur along the coast of Europe.

General introduction

Coastlines occur in two broad categories: those with a predominantly cliffed landform and low-lying areas where the action of waves and wind moves sedimentary material to create intertidal or coastal terrestrial habitats. The erosion of the former (particularly cliffs made of soft glacial material) may provide an important source of sediment for the latter, notably saltmarshes, sand dunes and shingle beaches and structures. The type of sedimentary structure that develops depends on its physical location, the size, type and availability of sedimentary material and the method of transport.

Sand dune types

Sand dunes develop on coastlines with an adequate supply of material within the size range 0.2-2.0mms. The critical factor is the availability of a sufficiently large beach, which dries out at low tide and where sand grains are blown onto the land by the action of the wind. In most locations in the temperate regions of the world, vegetation plays an important role in the growth of the typical dune landscape, which is so familiar to anyone visiting the “seaside”, by facilitating the accumulation of sediment.

Figure: Physican sand dunes types found along the coastline of Europe, after Ranwell & Boar (1986)[1]. Copyright: J Pat Doody

The figure opposite depicts the main types of sand dune that occur along the coastline of Europe. It also shows the other functional coastal formations associated with sand dunes.

The weather of the West European coast from Tarifa (Spain) to Skagen (Denmark) is especially suitable for the formation of dunes. Often a wind is blowing, varying widely in force and direction. The conditions are optimal for the formation of high and wide dune complexes, given a large supply of sand by the sea. The annual precipitation surplus is considerable for most of this coast. This favours the establishment of vegetation, and thereby it enhances dune formation. The short distance to the land-sea border causes strong gradients in several climatological parameters. These gradients lead to mesoscale effects, such as land-sea breezes and coastal fronts. The varying vegetation cover and the presence of slopes in all directions induce a strongly varying microclimate. However, this microclimate is not unique to the coastal dunes. Unique is the interaction with the wide range of ambient weather, which is inherent to the coast.

Bay dunes

Hindshore dunes

References

  1. Ranwell, D.S. & Boar, R., 1986. Coast dune management guide. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, HMSO, London.
The main author of this article is Doody, Pat
Please note that others may also have edited the contents of this article.

Citation: Doody, Pat (2008): Sand dune types - Europe. Available from http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Sand_dune_types_-_Europe [accessed on 29-03-2024]