Sandhaushalts

Sandhaushalts is a concept used in geomorphology and coastal engineering to describe the sand budget of a given system, i.e., the net balance between sand input and sand removal. The term is commonly applied to coastal dunes, beaches, riverbanks, and desert surfaces where sand moves under wind and water. A positive budget indicates net gain of sand, tending to accrete or advance, while a negative budget leads to erosion or retreat. The balance depends on inputs such as riverine sand supply, coastal or aeolian transport, and cliff or dune erosion, and outputs including dune migration, offshore losses, deposition in sheltered zones, and human actions like beach nourishment or mining.

Estimating a sandhaushalt combines field surveys, sediment sampling, and remote sensing with numerical models of sediment transport and dune dynamics. Common methods include shoreline and dune-profile surveys, sand-rate calculations, and tracer studies. The budget varies seasonally, with storms, and over longer climate cycles, and is affected by human interventions such as nourishment, construction, or extraction.

Understanding sandhaushalts supports coastal risk management, habitat conservation, and sustainable sand-resource planning. It offers a framework for predicting dune stability, beach erosion, and the effects of management actions on sediment pathways. In English-language geomorphology, the concept is commonly referred to as the sand budget.