Figure 3. Mile Beach has a continuous high frontal dune ridge. An artificially high "back stop" dune is vegetated with shrubs on the landward side (above the life guard station). The artificial dune was built in the 1940s. See the discussion of Additional Facts in the text and also Figure 6 for beach profiles taken in front of this large dune. The sand fence along the seaward edge of the frontal dune helps trap wind-blown sand to fortify the frontal dune and also keeps foot traffic off the fragile American beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata) that holds the dune in place. The clear sand area seaward of the fence is called the berm; the intertidal beach profile has stranded seaweed on the beach face. Photo taken by S. M. Dickson, Maine Geological Survey, 1990.

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Last updated on October 6, 2005

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