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Sedimentological Effects of Aeolian Processes Active in the Tentsmuir Area, Fife, Scotland

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Sedimentological Effects of Aeolian Processes Active in the Tentsmuir Area, Fife, Scotland SEDIMENTOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AEOLIAN PROCESSES ACTIVE IN THE TENTSMUIR AREA, FIFE, SCOTLAND Abhilasha Wal A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 1993 Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/15197 This item is protected by original copyright SEDIMENTOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AEOLIAN PROCESSES ACTIVE IN THE TENTSMUIR AREA, FIFE, SCOTLAND by Abhilasha Wal B.Sc(Hons), M.Sc(spl) A thesis submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy University of St Andrews 9^az)&mhe-r 1992 ProQuest Number: 10170798 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest. ProQuest 10170798 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 x^ DECLARATION FOR THE DEGREE OF Ph.D. I Abhilasha Wal hereby certify that this thesis has been composed by myself, that it is a record of my own work, and that it has not been accepted in partial or complete fulfillment of any other degree of professional qualification. Signed, Dated .fl.t A A* ..................... 1 Abhilasha Wal was admitted to the faculty of Science of the University of St Andrews under Ordinance General No 12 on .. VjUX>*,..«89... and as a candidate for the degree of Ph.D. on Signed., Dated... A*"). .*.. A At ................... I hereby certify that Abhilasha Wal has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations^,pt?ropriate, to thf Degree of Ph.D. Signature of Supervisor^ Dated....... J THESIS COPYRIGHT DECLARATION In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and abstract will be published, and that a copy of work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker. Signee Dated..... iii Frontispiece Barchan dunes forming at Tentsmuir point ..........For as long as they are fed with a supply of grains, and as long as a motive power is available from the wind- just as true life requires food and motive and power from the suns rays to keep it alive - dunes can move from place to place, can grow in size, can maintain their own particular shape, repair any damage done to them , and lastly, in the case of Barchan dunes there is some evidence that they are capable of a sort of reproduction whereby baby dunes are formed in the open a hundred yards or so down-wind of the horn of a fully grown parent.............. these dunes appear to ape most of the attributes we think essential for a definition of life... Excerpt from Libyan Sands- Travel in a dead world by R.A.S. Bagnold, 1935. iv ABSTRACT SEDIMENTOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AEOLIAN PROCESSES ACTIVE IN THE TENTSMUIR AREA, FIFE, SCOTLAND Abhilasha Wal University of St Andrews Present day coastal accretion at Tentsmuir is manifest in the form of hummocky dune accumulations along the shoreline. The mode and variability of the distribution of surface sediments by the wind and the magnitude of accumulation of wind laid deposits in the Tentsmuir beach-dune complex is a measure of aeolian activity in the area. In the Tentsmuir area fine to medium grained well sorted beach sands are entrained by high to moderate energy, seasonal, directionally unimodal to bimodal winds of low variability. During the winter season the dominant winds are from the south west (blowing towards the sea) whereas, generally during the spring the more effective winds are derived from the east (blowing towards land). The bimodal winds are composed of contrasting unimodally directional winds blowing for shorter durations. Daily sea breezes are observed during the summer. Field measurements of sand transport rates, with the aid of sand traps during anemometer determined wind speeds ranging from 4 m s4 to 20 m s4, in the study area show that while the onshore transport vector results in rapid foredune development, the longshore and offshore component contributes to a positive beach sediment budget. However, the net beach sediment budget is a complex interplay of aeolian, wave and tidal processes. V Shear velocities on the Tentsmuir beaches ranged from 18.5 cm s4 to 52 cm s4 and the focal point, u' and z‘ values were 1.75 m s4 and 0.03 cm respectively. In general, the variability of the short-term aeolian sand transport rates in the Tentsmuir beach-dune subenvironments is controlled by (i) variation in wind velocity, (ii) presence or absence of vegetation, (iii) ground surface moisture, and (iv) the sand size and source limitation. The potential sand input by the onshore winds during the last eleven years is estimated to have been approximately 28,532 m3. During the same period the potential amount of sand blown towards the sea was 109,570 m3. The amount of predicted onshore sediment input (28,532 m3) compares well with the 33,000 m3 of sand estimated to have accumulated in the lee of the beach at Tentsmuir Point The close agreement of the measured and predicted values of aeolian transport suggests that the White (1979) expression, used in the present study to predict transport rates on the beach, provides fairly reliable estimates. Very high velocity offshore winds (>9 ms4) produce a shelly deflation surface along the backshore, surface parallel sand sheets and sand strips on the foreshore; adhesion plane bed and adhesion structures along the moist/wet tidal margin and pyramidal dunes (offshore transport across a dune ridge >2.5m high.). Onshore high velocity winds result in the formation of surface parallel sand strips on the foreshore and a high volume of aeolian sediment accumulation in the backshore and foredune area. Prolonged days of high velocity unidirectional winds result in the formation of barchans. Medium to high wind velocities (~6-9 ms4) produce ballistically rippled foreshore sand lobes, lee dunes downwind of tidal debris, adhesion structures (offshore/longshore transport) and some sand accumulation in the foredune area (onshore transport). Abundant parallel laminated sand, pinchout laminae, sand lenses, precipitation deposits, trough crossbeds, plant remains at places overlying beach shell layers constitute a prograding coastal dune facies at Tentsmuir. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project could not have been carried out and completed without the assistance and cooperation of numerous people, to whom I am greatly indebted. I would particularly like to thank Dr John McManus, as my supervisor of studies, for his stimulating supervision, encouragement and support during this work and critical review of the manuscript. His experience, guidance and insight were nothing short of outstanding. A special word of thanks is extended to Dr Ken Glennie for his sincere advice, helpful discussions and for welcoming me on my trips to his highland home in Ballater. To Mr Pete Kinnear, Senior Warden, Nature Conservancy Council, I am more deeply indebted than can be adequately expressed, for supplying me with earlier records (manuscripts and photographs), areal photographs of the Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve and field assistance during the course of my study. Permission for access to the field site by the Forestry Commission, Kelty is grately acknowledged. This thesis was produced at University of St Andrews, where I am indebted to a many individuals in the Department of Geography & Geology. Financial support provided by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities in U.K. in form of an Overseas Research Award, and FCO maintenance grant through British Council is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also extended to Dr G W Whittington, Chairman of the Department, for his support in organization of some of the financial resources. Support from the Director and staff of Tay Estuary Research Centre, for the construction of traps, field assistance and financial support is grately acknowledged. I am especially thankful to Dr Jack Jarvis for the construction of the data logger, Jim Allen for his photographic skills, Mr C B Bremner of Reprographic services for helping me with presentation diagrams, Angus Calder and Andy Mackie for the day to day technical assistance. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the help of Mrs Jean Galloway, Mrs Ramona McCormack and Mr. Stuart Harvey for administrative assistance. The project has without doubt benefited from the friendly and vii communicative attitude of majority of staff and students with special thanks to Robin, Phillipa, Justin, Rod and Gopal. I would also like to thank Professor Ken Walton, University of St. Andrews and Dr Kenneth Pye, Postgraduate Research Institute of Sedimentology, Reading for many helpful periods of discussion. Sincere gratitude is extended to Richard Batchelor, Parthasarthy Joerdar and the Computing Lab for providing the invaluable assistance in computing. A great deal of invaluable cooperation was provided by Dr Brian Willetts and Dr Ann Rice of Aberdeen University for loaning me the Cassella Cup Rotation Anemometers. Constant motivation and enlightening discussions with Mohit have undoubtedly benefitted this work. It is my pleasure to record sincere appreciation for my parents, brother and other family members for their constant encouragement and dedication throughout my studies.
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