• Morphodynamics of the Morfa Dyffryn coastal dunes, mid-Wales: photographic survey 1988–2007

      Millington, Jennifer A.; Fullen, Michael A.; Moore, Glenis M.; Booth, Colin A.; Trueman, Ian C.; Worsley, Annie T.; Richardson, Nigel (WIT Press, 2008)
      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.
    • The role of long-term landscape photography as a tool in dune management

      Millington, Jennifer A.; Booth, Colin A.; Fullen, Michael A.; Moore, Glenis M.; Trueman, Ian C.; Worsley, Annie T.; Richardson, Nigel; Baltrenaite, Edita (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 2009)
      Attitudes to maintaining dune diversity are changing under the realization that existing dune stabilization techniques are fixing dune landscapes, causing ‘coastal squeeze’ and loss of habitat as shorelines retreat. Instead, it is recommended that a natural, dynamic, migrating dune system is much more appropriate and that blown, unstable sands are encouraged to act as mobile coastal defence barriers. Lack of appropriate monitoring techniques has limited progress in understanding the role of sediment dynamics in dune environments over long timescales. Therefore, this paper outlines the role of straightforward and inexpensive photography, from fixed points and angles, as a useful approach to long-term, decadal monitoring of the evolution and migration of dynamic dune landforms. The case study, on the Morfa Dyffryn dunes, Gwynedd, mid-Wales, United Kingdom (National Grid Reference SH563240), identified particularly dynamic mobile foredunes, with cyclical morphological development, paralleling to an overall landward recession. A cyclical trend of sand encroachment, followed by stabilization with growing vegetation, is documented for semi-fixed dune pastures, while the hind dunes remained stable. A general relationship between foredune morphology and erosion/accretion processes was established, offering the prospect of predicting future dune morphological changes in other dune systems, if increased blown sand activity is encouraged as a management technique.