Storm-driven beach-ridge-building at Sandbukt, northern Norway: Indicators of climate change

This paper describes and discusses the present sand-transfer during various wind-generated wave conditions, and the wind-climatic significance of raised late Holocene fields of sandy beach ridges and swales at Sandbukt in northern Norway. From 1993 to 1997, three events of beach-ridge-building due to overtopping storm-wave breakers were recorded, whereas a prominent mid-beach pro-gradation occurred in 1998 due to a lower intensity of northerly wind leading to reduced beach erosion. This distinct change of sand-transfer appeared to be delayed by about 2 years in relation to the extreme low index of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the winter 1995-96. Fields of raised beach ridges and swales at Sandbukt indicate alternating periods of northerly stormy and fair-weather conditions. Beach-ridge-building seems to have been particularly active during the 'Little Ice Age'.