The desert is caused by the "groyne effect," which describes how sand accumulates on the updrift side of breakwaters. Here it has created a little desert of 300 hectares, equal in area to 12 Chiang Kai-shek Memorials.
這個因「突堤效應」改變海流積沙，而造成近 300 公頃（相當於 12 個中正紀念堂）的沙漠，位於閒置已久的崙尾工業區北部，前陣子喧騰一時、被環評委員封殺的「彰工火力發電廠」預定地就緊鄰此片沙漠。