Bear Island dunes (2)

Figure 4. More high dunes on Bear Island. (Photograph by the author. More about the photograph)

Figure 4 shows the crests of dunes on the landward side of Bear Island and the back-barrier salt marsh stretching toward the mainland. By estimating the distance from the dune crests to the salt marsh surface, we can see that the dunes are tall, and once again their crests support plant growth while the flanks are bare. This pattern suggests that new sand has been blown here recently. It therefore may not surprise you to know that this photograph was taken only two months after Hurricane Floyd.

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