North Frisian Barrier Island
Germany · Europe
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North Frisian Barrier Island (Nordfriesische Außensände, pronounced [ˈnɔʁtˌfʁiːzɪʃə ˈʔaʊsn̩ˌzɛndə], lit. 'North Frisian Outer Sands') is the collective term for three barrier islands (outer shoals) due west of the German Halligen in the North Frisian Islands archipelago. The shoals are a natural breakwater for the Halligen and other islands closer to land. Uninhabited, they remain one of the few areas in the Wadden Sea unaffected by direct human activity. The shoals from north to south are: The shoals are subject to constant change and slowly move towards the mainland coast to the east. This changes both their location and surface area. During the last 50 years, all three shoals benefitted from their increasing area, but their individual development was very diverse. In total, 43.5 million m3 of sand were eroded by wind and water on the west coasts of the shoals, whereas 32.4 million m3 were deposited at the eastern shorelines. Especially Japsand, which is the youngest and smallest of the three shoals, could gain volume and was the fastest moving shoal. Numerical simulations by the University of Kiel have shown the likelihood of a merger between Japsand and Norderoogsand by 2050. This would cover Hallig Norderoog in sand, and large areas of mudflats still east of the sands today. The peak heights of the shoals reach about one metre above the average high tide. In summe
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