Geomorphology of Dune Blowouts, Cape Cod National Seashore, MA

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Alexander B. Smith (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Dune blowouts are common erosional features that develop in dune fields worldwide. At Provincelands dunes in Cape Cod National Seashore, blowouts are eroding into shore parallel transverse dunes and the trailing arms of inland parabolic dunes. High spatial and temporal resolution data was collected with Terrestrial Laser Scanning. This allows for the detailed topographic mapping of blowouts that are monitored through time. Large scale geomorphic changes are driven by high magnitude northerly storm events that occur in the fall and winter seasons. Storm events from various incident angles are being topographically steered into the blowout and areas with increased gradient of slope within the blowouts are eroding more rapidly. Incipient embryo blowouts are developing in the lee of elevated dune crests and potentially become captured through the coalescence of landforms. This embryo capture leads to rapid modifications to the host landform and provides new considerations for the larger blowout evolutionary model. Blowouts are ubiquitous features at Cape Cod National Seashore making this an ideal study and the ability to collect high resolution geomorphic data that has greatly increased our knowledge on blowout evolution.

Additional Information

Publication

Thesis

Language: English

Date: 2023

Subjects

Geography;Geomorphology;Geographic information sciences;Aeolian;Coastal;Dune blowouts;GIS;TLS;Geodesy

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