26 lines
1.2 KiB
Markdown
26 lines
1.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "Sandplain"
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chunk: 1/1
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source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandplain"
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category: "reference"
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tags: "science, encyclopedia"
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date_saved: "2026-05-05T07:21:20.475676+00:00"
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instance: "kb-cron"
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---
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A sandplain is an area where the soil is sand deposited from elsewhere by processes such as wind or ocean, rather than direct weathering of bedrock.
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Sandplains are quite flat. There may be dune systems, and given time and the right conditions these may form eolianite ridges, but other than that there is little to give a sandplain any topographical character.
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Inland sandplains are often extremely infertile, because the sand is often low in nutrients when deposited, plus the good drainage means any nutrients are rapidly leached away.
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Coastal sandplains in intertidal zones like those seen in the Wadden Sea in western Europe for example, are wet with nutrients added continuously, so they can often support a very rich and important fauna of birds, worms, mussels, etc..
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In North America, sandplains are often vegetated by pine barrens. In Western Australia, kwongan is the dominant vegetation.
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== See also ==
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Outwash plain
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== References ==
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== External links ==
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Sand Plains/Sand Sheets (U.S. Army Geospatial Center) |