Author(s)

J. A. Millington, M. A. Fullen, G. M. Moore, C. A. Booth, I. C. Trueman, A. T. Worsley & N. Richardson

Abstract

In this 20-year case study on the Morfa Dyffryn dunes, Gwynedd, mid-Wales (National Grid Reference: SH563240), straightforward and inexpensive photography, from fixed points and angles, proved useful for monitoring the evolution and migration of dynamic dune landforms. The mobile foredunes are particularly dynamic with cyclical morphological development paralleling an overall landward recession, evident by exposure of a World War II bunker in 1995. A cyclical trend is documented through photosets. The dune meadow has undergone cyclical patterns of sand encroachment, followed by stabilization by vegetation, while the fixed hind dunes remain stable. A general relationship between foredune morphology and erosion/accretion processes has been established, offering the prospect of predicting future dune morphological changes. Keywords: coastal dunes, photographic survey, erosion/accretion processes, pedogenic development, coastal change. 1 Introduction Erosion, transport and deposition processes lie at the core of geomorphological recognition, but lack of appropriate monitoring techniques has limited progress in understanding. Geomorphologists rely on low-resolution, frequently updated,

Keywords

coastal dunes, photographic survey, erosion/accretion processes, pedogenic development, coastal change.