Lake Michigan Coastal Dunes
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Lake Michigan Coastal Dune Home
Introduction to Lake Michigan Coastal Dunes
Features and Types of Dunes
Wind, Sand and Coastal Dunes
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Dunes - Blowouts


A blowout is a hollow or depression formed on an existing sand deposit by wind erosion. Blowouts come in different shapes and sizes and occur on any kind of dune.

Parabolic dunes are large blowouts. The blowout in the photograph started as a bare area on the dune; the blowout now has the shape of a small parabolic dune.
Blowout on dune ridge (Hoffmaster State Park)
Blowout on dune ridge in Hoffmaster State Park
(February 2005).

Blowout development is a product of wind interacting with the surface. Two common types of blowouts are trough blowouts and saucer-shaped blowouts.

Blowouts: next page / return to Hoffmaster dunes

 

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Last updated 03/23/10.