Tag:landform=dune system

The tag landform=dune_system is used to map a dune system, an area of sand dunes : a landform of hills or ridges of loose sand piled up by the wind. Also sometimes called dune field or erg, a dune system is usually found along ocean coasts, in desert regions, near lakes or inland, usually covered with little or no vegetation.

Dune systems occur in different shapes and sizes, formed by interaction with the flow of air or water. Dunes are characterized by blowing sand that abrades vegetation.

Areas of exposed sand in the dune system can be mapped as natural=sand. Some dunes are partially covered by grass (natural=grassland).

Dunes are also mapped with the tag natural=dune, which has been used in over 100 different locations. This tag landform=dune_system, as of Dec 2020, has been used in only 5 areas, mostly by 1 mapper in southeastern Algeria, and another mapper in coastal Belgium

Most uses (67%) are combined with natural=sand as of Dec 2020. Most of the rest (32%) are combined with natural=ridge, in which case it is always mapped as a linear way rather than an area.

See also

• natural=dune - a sand dune: A hill of sand formed by wind. This tag has been used by more users and in more places than landform=dune_system
• natural=sand - an area covered by loose sand with no or very little vegetation (and which is not a beach)
• natural=beach - a landform along a body of water which consists of sand, shingle or other loose material, formed by waves