Synonyms
Coastal strand; Rear dune; Secondary dune
Definition
Back dune is a generic term for established dunes in a coastal setting that lie detached from the shoreline by other dunes referred to as foredunes (Salm et al., 2000; Hansen et al., 2002; Hansen et al., 2010; West, 2004). The location of the back dunes behind the foredunes generally offers them protection from the direct effects of onshore winds such that the deposition of new sediment or erosion by wind is often minimal (Timmons et al., 2007). As a result, soils may develop on the surface of the back dunes and vegetal communities usually flourish. Blowouts may develop on back dunes if the vegetation on the dunes is disrupted naturally or by human activity.
Origin: The term back dune has no morphogenetic connotations. Hence, any dune shape formed by any process could be described as a back dune. In many cases back dunes are former foredunes and parabolic dunes that become stable. Thus, the term back dune is more of a...
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Bibliography
Hansen, E. C., Arbogast, A. F., Packman, S. C., and Hansen, B., 2002. Post-Nipissing origin of a backdune complex along the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan. Physical Geography, 23, 233–244.
Hansen, E. C., Fisher, T. G., Arbogast, A. F., and Bateman, M. D., 2010. Geomorphic history of low-perched, transgressive dune complexes along the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan. Aeolian Research, 1, 111–127.
Timmons, E. A., Fisher, T. G., Hansen, E. C., Eisaman, E., Daly, T., and Kashgarian, M., 2007. Elucidating aeolian dune history from lacustrine records in the Lake Michigan Coastal Zone, USA. Holocene, 17, 789–801.
Salm, R. V., Clark, J. R., and Siirla, E., 2000. Marine and Protected Coastal Areas: A Guide for Planners and Managers, 3rd edn. Gland, Switzerland/Cambridge, UK: International Union for Conservation and Natural Resources (IUCN).
West, N., 2004. Marine Affairs Dictionary: Terms, Concepts, Laws, Court Cases and International Conventions and Agreements. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Munyikwa, K. (2016). Back Dune. In: Kennish, M.J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Estuaries. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4_197
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4_197
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