Sand dunes are an iconic feature of Cornwall's coastline and an essential, natural element of the county's coastal flood defences.
However, new research has suggested they could face an uncertain future in the face of the sea-level rises and increases in extreme storms predicted under future climate change.
The study, by experts in coastal processes at the University of Plymouth, focused on 31 sites along Cornwall's north and south coasts.
The researchers developed a method through which they could quantify historic changes in the dunes, with the ultimate aim of providing coastal managers and other agencies with predictions about how the dunes might behave in the future.
The results painted a varied picture of how the dunes have been impacted over recent years by some of the most energetic storms ever to hit the Cornish coast.
At Par Sands, on the south coast, the dunes have advanced by around 1metre per year showing that sand from the beach is being blown into the dunes and making them increase in size.
However, at Crantock - on the north coast near Newquay - the dunes had retreated inland by about 3metres a year, likely because of changes in the position of the river channel as it flows over the beach and the action of storm waves.
Writing in the study, published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management, the experts say the diversity in dune evolution across the study sites highlights the complexity of coastal dune dynamics.
They also say these varied responses emphasise the importance of developing site-specific predictive models that incorporate factors such as sediment supply, the transport of sand grains, the underlying rock surface and estuarine channel dynamics.
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