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Letter BGeology glossary

Blowout

A blowout is a depression in a sand dune or other sandy area caused by wind erosion. Blowouts occur when vegetation cover is disturbed or removed, allowing the wind to erode the underlying sand. These features are common in coastal and desert environments and can indicate changes in wind patterns, climate, or land use.

Diagram showing wind erosion forming a sand blowout.
Fig. 1 Diagram showing wind erosion forming a sand blowout.

Source Carter, R. W. G., & Woodroffe, C. D. (1994). Coastal Evolution: Late Quaternary Shoreline Morphodynamics. Cambridge University Press.

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