Evolutionary Trajectories of Coastal Sand Barriers along the West Portuguese Coast during the Holocene

Coastal sand barriers are dynamic features with complex depositional sequences holding critical information regarding system response to disturbances at secular millennial time scales. Here, the evolutionary trajectories of three located along Portuguese coast reconstructed over Middle Late Holocene using geophysical subsurface images, modern morphology and dating dune beach deposits. The integration new available from documents selected site contrasts histories displaying ages ranging hundreds thousands years non-linear defined by shifts between morphological states. Younger appear represent latest progradational state within a history landward barrier migration, where states alternated transgressive Conversely, oldest shows single phase growth, despite some minor hiatus in progradation. Barrier have simultaneously occurred across systems, suggesting external drivers regional scale linked climate variability, namely, periods storminess activity, while different displayed sites related site-specific variables controlling exposure waves winds. Exposed showed lower ability absorb greater range responses, varying