Carolina Environmental Diversity Explorations
Large sand volume barrier islands · By Dirk Frankenberg
Beachfront dune
Figure 11. This dune is being restored after a hurricane destroyed it. (Photograph by the author. More about the photograph)
Figure 11 shows a close up view of the largest beachfront dune in Figure 10 (the steep fronted one in the left background of that photograph). In this close-up view you can see that this dune is already starting to be restored by sand collecting at its base. This sand has been blown here from the beach, and will gradually increase until a sloped front surface of the dune is reestablished. Note also the dune grass from the top of the dune has slid down the eroded front to cover what would otherwise be a bare sand surface. These plants will help trap sand and thereby restore the dune’s original triangular cross section.



