Aeolian Sand and Sand Dunes Kenneth Pye · Haim Tsoar

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Aeolian Sand and Sand Dunes Kenneth Pye · Haim Tsoar Aeolian Sand and Sand Dunes Kenneth Pye · Haim Tsoar Aeolian Sand and Sand Dunes 123 Kenneth Pye Associates Ltd., Crowthorne Enterprise Centre, Crowthorne Business Estate Old Wokingham Road, Crowthorne, Berksire RG45 6AW, UK Haim Tsoar Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Department of Geography and Environmental Development POB 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel ISBN 978-3-540-85909-3 e-ISBN 978-3-540-85910-9 DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-85910-9 Library of Congress Number: 2008935393 © 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable for prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Typesetting and Production: le-tex publishing services oHG, Leipzig, Germany Cover Design: deblik, Berlin Printed on acid-free paper 987654321 springer.com Preface to the 2009 Reprint Our decision to produce a reprinted version of Aeolian Sand and Sand Dunes has been based on several factors. The original version, published by Unwin Hyman in 1990, has been out of print for several years and we have received frequent en- quiries about the availability of ’spare’ copies of the book, either new or second- hand! A measure of the book’s success is provided by the fact that it was one of the top ten most cited books in the journal Geomorphology over the period 1995–2004 (Doyle & Julian, 2005, ‘The most cited works in Geomorphology’, Geomorphol- ogy 72, 238–249). Another indicator is provided by the fact that there are only two books identified by Google Scholar related to aeolian geomorphology which have a larger number of citations, namely Bagnold’s classic The Physics of Blown Sand and Desert Dunes, originally published by Methuen in 1941, and Pye’s Aeolian Dust and Dust Deposits, published by Academic Press in 1987. During the 20 years since we first wrote the book there have inevitably been many new developments in the field, notably relating to aeolian sand transport processes, numerical modelling of dune development, the effects of climate change and other factors on the mobil- ity and stability of sand dunes, and on dune management and conservation. In our opinion, a revised edition of the original book would not have allowed full justice to be done to this new work while at the same time retaining the essential character of the original version. We have therefore opted for a reprinted and re-styled ver- sion of the original, leaving open the prospect of a totally new book with different focus some time in the future. In choosing this route we have effectively followed Bagnold, whose 1941 book has been reprinted several times with only minor modifi- cations, most recently in 2005, and which continues to provide an invaluable source of information. In preparing this reprint of Aeolian Sand and Sand Dunes, a number v vi of errors and omissions in the original text have been corrected, and the book has been given a more attractive layout by the new publishers (Springer), to whom we are most grateful for their help and support. We hope that the reprinted version will continue to be a useful aid to aeolian geomorphology researchers and a wider com- munity of scientists and environmental managers concerned with problems of sand, wind and dunes. October 2008 K. Pye H. Tsoar Preface It is more than half a century since the publication of R.A. Bagnold’s classic book The physics of blown sand and desert dunes, and it is a tribute to the quality of Bagnold’s work that many of the fundamental principles which he developed re- main valid today. His book continues to be essential reading for any serious stu- dent of aeolian processes. However, the past two decades have seen an explosion in the scale of research dealing with aeolian transport processes, sediments, and landforms. Some of this work has been summarized in review papers and edited conference proceedings, but this book provides the first attempt to review the whole field of aeolian sand research. Inevitably, it has not been possible to cover all as- pects in equal depth, and the balance of included material naturally reflects the au- thors’ own interests to a significant degree. However, our aim has been to provide as broad a perspective as possible, and to provide an entry point to an extensive multi- disciplinary scientific literature, some of which has not been given the attention it deserves in earlier textbooks and review papers. Many examples are drawn from existing published work, but the book also makes extensive use of our own research in the Middle East, Australia, Europe, and North America. The book has been written principally for use by advanced undergraduates, post- graduates, and more senior research workers in geomorphology and sedimentology. The emphasis is therefore on physical processes and sediment properties rather than ecology, human usage, and management. However, we believe that the book will also prove useful to many botanists, agriculturalists, engineers, and planners who have an interest in sand dunes. Following a short introductory chapter which outlines the nature and importance of aeolian sand research, the physical background to airflow is discussed in Chap. 2. The basic properties and formation of sand grains, together with the textural and mineralogical properties of aeolian sediments, are considered in Chap. 3. Chap- ters 4, 5, and 6, which lie at the heart of the book, deal with the mechanisms of aeolian sand transport, the formation of sand seas, and the dynamics of aeolian bed forms, respectively. Chapter 7 provides a summary of the internal structures found in aeolian sand deposits, and weathering and early post-depositional modification of dune sands are considered in Chap. 8. Chapter 9 examines the interactions between vii viii Preface the physical properties of sand and dune vegetation, the problems arising from the human use of dune areas, and techniques used to stabilize windblown sand. The final chapter (Chap. 10) provides further information about some of the main techniques currently used in aeolian research. Where possible, SI units of measurement have been used in the text. However, since many older papers present data in c.g.s. units, a conversion table is presented in Appendix 1. Acknowledgements Many people and organizations have provided practical and financial assistance dur- ing the preparation of this book. Useful comments on earlier drafts of some chapters were made by J. D. Iversen, D. Skibin, A. Danin, V. Goldsmith, N. Lancaster, A. S. Issar, B. B. Willetts, P. Nalpanis and D. Hartmann. Any remaining errors or inaccu- racies are, of course, the sole responsibility of the authors. A. Cross and J. Watkins provided invaluable assistance with the drafting and photography. Special thanks are due to Roger Jones of Unwin Hyman for his patience and fortitude during the book’s long gestation period, and to Andy Oppenheimer for assistance during the final stages of preparation. Most of all, we wish to thank our long-suffering families for their unfailing support in trying circumstances. The following organizations, individuals and publishers kindly provided illustra- tive material or gave permission to reproduce copyrighted figures and tables (some in modified form): J. R. Riley (Fig. 2.9); D. H. Krinsley (3.24); J. Shelton (6.17, 6.19, 6.22); K. W. Glennie (6.23); D. Ball (6.35); A. Warren (6.27); V. P. Wright (8.18, 8.25); V. Goldsmith (6.21); D. Blumberg (10.8); W. G. Nickling (10.2); Beach Protec- tion Authority of Queensland (9.19); C.S.I.R.O. (Australia) (10.10); Endecotts Ltd. (10.15); American Society of Civil Engineers (4.19, 4.20, 9.11, 9.28, 9.31), U.S. Army Coastal Engineering Research Center (9.29); O. E. Barndorff-Nielsen (3.7, 6.30, 6.32, 10.9); Department of National Mapping (Australia) (6.44, 6.45, 6.48); U.S. Geological Survey (3.13, 3.14, 5.4, 7.20); Surveys and Mapping Department of South Africa (6.53); D.S.I.R. (New Zealand) (5.8); Royal Meteorological Soci- ety (2.24); Geological Society of America (5.11, 5.12, 5.5, 6.6); Soil Science So- ciety of America (4.12); International Association of Sedimentologists (4.10, 6.26, 6.32, 6.36, 7.2.1, 7.3, 7.4, 7.6, 7.7, 7.12, 7.15, 7.29, 7.30); Geografisker Annaler (6.17, 6.46, 6.47, 7.2.4, 7.10, 7.11, 7.13, 7.2.6); Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists (3.10, 3.20, 6.5, 6.41, 8.6.3); The Royal Society (3.7); Episodes Secretariat (5.19); American Association of Petroleum Geologists (8.19); Gebruder Borntraeger (5.4); Longman Ltd. (6.58, 6.59); Macmillan Journals Ltd. (4.7, 4.22, 6.20, 8.12); Blackwells Ltd. (8.16); Oxford University Press (3.16, 3.17, 3.4.2); John Wiley Ltd. (7.31); University of Chicago Press (3.8, 3.30, 6.50); Elsevier Scientific ix x Acknowledgements Publishers (3.21, 3.22, 5.2, 5.5, 5.8, 6.32, 10.3); Unwin Hyman Ltd.
Recommended publications
  • Geomorphology, Stratigraphy, and Paleohydrology of the Aeolis Dorsa Region, Mars, with Insights from Modern and Ancient Terrestrial Analogs
    University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 12-2016 Geomorphology, Stratigraphy, and Paleohydrology of the Aeolis Dorsa region, Mars, with Insights from Modern and Ancient Terrestrial Analogs Robert Eric Jacobsen II University of Tennessee, Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Jacobsen, Robert Eric II, "Geomorphology, Stratigraphy, and Paleohydrology of the Aeolis Dorsa region, Mars, with Insights from Modern and Ancient Terrestrial Analogs. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2016. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4098 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Robert Eric Jacobsen II entitled "Geomorphology, Stratigraphy, and Paleohydrology of the Aeolis Dorsa region, Mars, with Insights from Modern and Ancient Terrestrial Analogs." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Geology. Devon M. Burr,
    [Show full text]
  • Aeolian Processes and Landforms
    Aeolian Processes and Landforms Ms. Deithra L. Archie, New Mexico State University Abstract I will present an overview of Aeolian processes and landforms on Mars. The overview will consist of two components. Component one is an overview of Aeolian processes and landforms on Earth and Mars, where the two planetary bodies are shown in Figures 1a and 1b respectively The second part of this paper will consist of image comparisons using satellite and MOC (Mars Orbiter Camera) images. Figure 1a Figure 1b Introduction Understanding the aeolian activity on the planet Mars and other planets begins with the study and knowledge of similar processes on Earth. Therefore, I will discuss the following: wind, particle entrainment and landforms found in the aeolian environment. This discussion will lead into my later discussion of the Martian sand seas and sand dunes. See Table 1 for a glossary of the terms used throughout this paper. In aeolian processes, wind transports and deposits particles of sediment. Aeolian features form in areas where wind is the primary source of erosion. The particles deposited are of sand, silt and clay size (see Table 2). The particles are entrained in by one of four processes. Creep is when a particle rolls or slides across the surface. Lift is when a particle rises off the surface due to the Bernoulli effect, the same mechanism which causes aircraft to rise. If the airflow is turbulent, larger particles are trajected by a process known as saltation. Finally, impact transport occurs which one particle strikes another causing the second particle to move. Erosional Landforms Wind eroded landforms are rarely preserved on the surface of the Earth except in arid regions.
    [Show full text]
  • Origin of the Sinai-Negev Erg, Egypt and Israel: Mineralogical and Geochemical Evidence for the Importance of the Nile and Sea Level History Daniel R
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln USGS Staff -- ubP lished Research US Geological Survey 2013 Origin of the Sinai-Negev erg, Egypt and Israel: mineralogical and geochemical evidence for the importance of the Nile and sea level history Daniel R. Muhs U.S. Geological Survey, [email protected] Joel Roskin Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Haim Tsoar Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Gary Skipp U.S. Geological Survey, [email protected] James Budahn U.S. Geological Survey See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub Part of the Geology Commons, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons, Other Earth Sciences Commons, and the Other Environmental Sciences Commons Muhs, Daniel R.; Roskin, Joel; Tsoar, Haim; Skipp, Gary; Budahn, James; Sneh, Amihai; Porat, Naomi; Stanley, Jean-Daniel; Katra, Itzhak; and Blumberg, Dan G., "Origin of the Sinai-Negev erg, Egypt and Israel: mineralogical and geochemical evidence for the importance of the Nile and sea level history" (2013). USGS Staff -- Published Research. 931. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/931 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Geological Survey at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in USGS Staff -- ubP lished Research by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Authors Daniel R. Muhs, Joel Roskin, Haim Tsoar, Gary Skipp, James Budahn, Amihai Sneh, Naomi Porat, Jean-Daniel Stanley, Itzhak Katra, and Dan G. Blumberg This article is available at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/931 Quaternary Science Reviews 69 (2013) 28e48 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Quaternary Science Reviews journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/quascirev Origin of the SinaieNegev erg, Egypt and Israel: mineralogical and geochemical evidence for the importance of the Nile and sea level history Daniel R.
    [Show full text]
  • Stratigraphy and Sedimentology of a Dry to Wet Eolian Depositional System, Burns Formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars
    Earth and Planetary Science Letters 240 (2005) 11–72 www.elsevier.com/locate/epsl Stratigraphy and sedimentology of a dry to wet eolian depositional system, Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars J.P. Grotzinger a,*, R.E. Arvidson b, J.F. Bell III c, W. Calvin d, B.C. Clark e, D.A. Fike a, M. Golombek f, R. Greeley g, A. Haldemann f, K.E. Herkenhoff h, B.L. Jolliff b, A.H. Knoll i, M. Malin j, S.M. McLennan k, T. Parker e, L. Soderblom g, J.N. Sohl-Dickstein b, S.W. Squyres b, N.J. Tosca k, W.A. Watters a a Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Earth, Atmos. and Planetary Sci., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA b Department Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA c Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Bldg. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA d University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89501, USA e Lockheed Martin Corporation, Littleton, CO 80127, USA f Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA g Department Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Box 871404, Tempe, AZ 85287-1404, USA h U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA i Botanical Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138, USA j Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA 92191, USA k Department of Geosciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA Accepted 22 September 2005 Editor: A.N. Halliday Abstract Outcrop exposures of sedimentary rocks at the Opportunity landing site (Meridiani Planum) form a set of genetically related strata defined here informally as the Burns formation.
    [Show full text]
  • Atmospheric Significance of Aeolian Salts in the Sandy Deserts Of
    Solid Earth, 7, 191–203, 2016 www.solid-earth.net/7/191/2016/ doi:10.5194/se-7-191-2016 © Author(s) 2016. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Atmospheric significance of aeolian salts in the sandy deserts of northwestern China B.-Q. Zhu Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China Correspondence to: B.-Q. Zhu ([email protected]) Received: 7 November 2015 – Published in Solid Earth Discuss.: 3 December 2015 Revised: 18 January 2016 – Accepted: 18 January 2016 – Published: 4 February 2016 Abstract. Large sandy deserts in the middle latitudes of derived from the study of modern sedimentary environments. northwestern China were investigated for soluble salt vari- The formation of soluble/inorganic salts in many types of ations in modern and ancient aeolian sediments, aiming to deposits (e.g. soils, playa, and lake sediments) is supposed explore the environmental significance of “aeolian salts”. Re- to be governed mainly by climate factors including annual sults revealed that aeolian salt variations have a clear rela- precipitation inputs, soil moisture changes, evapotranspira- tionship with the changing meridional and zonal gradients tion losses, and solar radiation (Borchert and Muir, 1964; of the desert locations and the aeolian differentiation ef- Sinha and Raymahashay, 2004; Warren, 2006; Singer, 2007). fect, but are weakly linked to local geological conditions. Thus salt archives in sediments are critical to understanding a Atmospheric depositions of water-soluble chemical species number of geochemical processes in the supergene environ- are an important process/source contributing to aeolian salt.
    [Show full text]
  • Aeolian Sediment Transport and Natural Dune Development, Skodbjerge, Denmark
    Aeolian Sediment Transport and Natural Dune Development, Skodbjerge, Denmark January 2020 Project Building with Nature (EU-InterReg) Start date 01.11.2016 End date 01.07.2020 Project manager (PM) Ane Høiberg Nielsen Project leader (PL) Per Sørensen Project staff (PS) Henrik Vinge Karlsson and Britt Gadsbølle Larsen Time registering 402412 Approved date 27.01.2020 Signature Report Aeolian sediment transport and natural dune development, Skodbjerge, Denmark. Author Henrik Vinge Karlsson and Britt Gadsbølle Larsen Keyword Aeolian sediment transport, Aeolian sedimentary budget, Skodbjerge, Dune development, Building with nature, Distribution www.kyst.dk, www.northsearegion.eu/building-with-nature/ Kystdirektoratet, BWN Krogen, 2018 Referred to as Kystdirektoratet (2020), Aeolian sediment transport and natural dune de- velopment, Skodbjerge, Denmark. Lemvig. 2 Aeolian Sediment Transport and Natural Dune Development, Skodbjerge, Denmark Abstract This study is part of the EU-InterReg project Building with Nature. The focus of this report is the natural development of a 3.7 km dune stretch at Skodbjerge located on the North Sea coast of Denmark. Since 2005, the designated study area has been subject to high-resolution digital elevation mappings (DEMs). The DEMs derive from LIDAR scans and serve as primary data resource throughout this report. Previous analyses of the coast assume that sediment accumulation inland of the dune top could be dis- regarded when analyzing the sedimentary budget of the coast, as the volumes in question were consi- dered insignificant. The analysis of this report suggests otherwise, as considerable amounts of sediment accumulated in the area leeward of the dune crest during the study period. Findings are based on the changes in elevation over time, obtained by analyzing the DEMs and thereby determining the sedimen- tary budget between dune face and dune leeside.
    [Show full text]
  • Aeolian Features on Venus Preliminary Magellan Results
    JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 97, NO. E8, PAGES 13,319-13,345, AUGUST 25, 1992 Aeolian Featureson Venus' Preliminary Magellan Results RONALDGREELEY, • RAYMOND E. ARVIDSON,2 CHARLES ELACHI, 3 MAUREEN A. GERINGER,• JEFFREY J. PLAUT,3 R. STEPHENSAUNDERS, • GERALD SCHUBERT, 4ELLEN R. STOFAN,• Emc J.P. THOUVENOT,3's STEPHEND. WALL)• ANDCATHERINE M. WEITZ• Magellan synthetic aperture radar data reveal numerous surface features that are attributed to aeolian, or wind processes. Wind streaksare the most common aeolian feature. They consistof radar backscatterpatterns that are high, low, or mixed in relation to the surfaceon which they occur. A data base of more than 3400 wind streaksshows that low backscatterlinear forms (long, narrow streaks)are the most common and that most streaksoccur between 17øS to 30øS and 5øN to 53øN on smoothplains. Moreover, most streaksare associatedwith depositsfrom certain impact cratersand some tectonicallydeformed terrains. We infer that both of these geological settingsprovide fine particulatematerial that can be entrainedby the low-velocity winds on Venus. Turbulenceand wind patternsgenerated by the topographicfeatures with which many streaksare associatedcan account for differencesin particle distributionsand in the patternsof the wind streaks. Thus, some high backscatterstreaks are consideredto be zonesthat are swept free of sedimentaryparticles to expose rough bedrock;other high backscatterstreaks may be lag depositsof densematerials from which low-density grains have been removed (densematerials such as ilmenite or pyrite have dielectric propertiesthat would producehigh backscatterpatterns). Wind streaksgenerally occur on slopes < 2 ø and tend to be oriented toward the equator, consistentwith the Hadley model of atmospheric circulation. In additionto wind streaks,other aeolianfeatures on Venusincludg[ yardangs(?) and dune fields.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil Geomorphology (Geog 525)
    Soil Geomorphology (Geog 525). Spring 2013. Instructor: Joe Mason [email protected] 262-6316 207 Science Hall Office hours: Monday, 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon; Tuesday, 1:00-2:00 PM, or by appointment. What is Soil Geomorphology? Geomorphic processes shape the Earth surface, and pedogenic processes produce soil horizons from parent material; this course deals with how these two groups of processes overlap and interact. That is, the work of geomorphic processes affects soil formation, for example, when stream sediment is deposited on an existing floodplain soil. At the same time, the development of soil horizons can alter the effectiveness of geomorphic processes such as hillslope erosion. Both geomorphic and pedogenic processes cannot really be separated from the rest of the ecosystems in which they occur; without land- based life of all kinds, Earth’s landscapes and soils would be very different. Course Overview. The first part of this course is organized around a series of process connections and interactions. We start with the basic soil-forming process of organic matter accumulation, discuss how it can be modeled as a function of time, taking into account ecosystem processes, and how we can test that modeling with soil chronosequences. We then add geomorphology, in the sense that we consider what happens to organic matter and its radiocarbon age as a soil erodes or as sediment is deposited on top of it. The same approach is then taken with bioturbation and other physical mixing and disturbance of soils: These processes have important roles in shaping both soils and landscapes and they have been extensively studied with both field observations and models.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 8. Glacioaeolian Processes, Sediments, and Landforms
    CHAPTER GLACIOAEOLIAN PROCESSES, SEDIMENTS, AND LANDFORMS 8 E. Derbyshire1 and L.A. Owen2 1Royal Holloway, University of London, Surrey, United Kingdom, 2University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States 8.1 INTRODUCTION The frequently strong association of aeolian processes with present and former glaciation has been recognized for over 80 years from field observations (Hogbom, 1923). Bullard and Austin (2011) point out that the interaction between glacial dynamics, glaciofluvial, and aeolian transport in proglacial landscapes plays an important role, not only in local environmental systems, but also in the global context by affecting the amount of dust generated and transported. Moreover, glacial outwash plains have been cited as a significant source of dust in the Southern Hemisphere (Sugden et al., 2009) and must also have been important dust sources in the northern hemisphere (Bullard and Austin, 2011). Cold climate aeolian processes and landforms have been widely acknowledged in proglacial and paraglacial geomorphology (e.g., Ballantyne, 2002; Seppa¨la¨, 2004). However, relatively little work has been undertaken on glacioaeolian processes, sediments, and landforms compared to other glacial systems. The ISI Web of Science does not even provide one reference to the term ‘glacioaeolian’ and Google Scholar provides a mere 61 references. Variations on the spell- ing of glacioaeolian, including glacioeolian, glacio-aeolian, glacio aeolian, and glacio-eolian yield less than 40 citations. Even the international journal Aeolian Research provides only one reference to the term glacioaeolian. A search of glacial aeolian yields 924 and 35,300 citations in the ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar, respectively. However, this includes reference to aeolian sedi- ments that are not of glacial origin, but were deposited during a glacial event.
    [Show full text]
  • Aeolian Processes and the Biosphere
    AEOLIAN PROCESSES AND THE BIOSPHERE Sujith Ravi,1 Paolo D’Odorico,2 David D. Breshears,3 Jason P. Field,3 Andrew S. Goudie,4 Travis E. Huxman,1 Junran Li,5,6 Gregory S. Okin,6 Robert J. Swap,2 Andrew D. Thomas,7 Scott Van Pelt,8 Jeffrey J. Whicker,9 and Ted M. Zobeck10 Received 3 January 2010; revised 22 February 2011; accepted 18 April 2011; published 3 August 2011. [1] Aeolian processes affect the biosphere in a wide variety at a variety of scales, including large‐scale dust transport of contexts, including landform evolution, biogeochemical and global biogeochemical cycles, climate mediated interac- cycles, regional climate, human health, and desertification. tions between atmospheric dust and ecosystems, impacts on Collectively, research on aeolian processes and the bio- human health, impacts on agriculture, and interactions sphere is developing rapidly in many diverse and specialized between aeolian processes and dryland vegetation. Aeolian areas, but integration of these recent advances is needed to dust emissions are driven largely by, in addition to climate, better address management issues and to set future research a combination of soil properties, soil moisture, vegetation priorities. Here we review recent literature on aeolian pro- and roughness, biological and physical crusts, and distur- cesses and their interactions with the biosphere, focusing bances. Aeolian research methods span laboratory and field on (1) geography of dust emissions, (2) impacts, interactions, techniques, modeling, and remote sensing. Together these and feedbacks, (3) drivers of dust emissions, and (4) method- integrated perspectives on aeolian processes and the bio- ological approaches. Geographically, dust emissions are sphere provide insights into management options and aid highly spatially variable but also provide connectivity at in identifying research priorities, both of which are increas- global scales between sources and effects, with “hot spots” ingly important given that global climate models predict an being of particular concern.
    [Show full text]
  • Our Evolving Understanding of Aeolian Bedforms, Based on Observation Of
    Aeolian Research 26 (2017) 5–27 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Aeolian Research journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/aeolia Review Our evolving understanding of aeolian bedforms, based on observation of dunes on different worlds ⇑ Serina Diniega a, , Mikhail Kreslavsky b, Jani Radebaugh c, Simone Silvestro d,e, Matt Telfer f, Daniela Tirsch g a Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA 91109, USA b Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California – Santa Cruz, 1156 High Str., Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA c Department of Geological Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA d INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy e Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute, 189 N Bernardo Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA f SOGEES, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK g Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany article info abstract Article history: Dunes, dune fields, and ripples are unique and useful records of the interaction between wind and gran- Received 5 April 2016 ular materials – finding such features on a planetary surface immediately suggests certain information Revised 30 September 2016 about climate and surface conditions (at least during the dunes’ formation and evolution). Accepted 4 October 2016 Additionally, studies of dune characteristics under non-Earth conditions allow for ‘‘tests” of aeolian pro- Available online 24 October 2016 cess models based primarily on observations of terrestrial features and dynamics, and refinement of the models to include consideration of a wider range of environmental and planetary conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Mass Flux Decay Timescales of Volcanic Particles Due to Aeolian Processes
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Mass fux decay timescales of volcanic particles due to aeolian processes in the Argentinian Patagonia steppe Lucia Dominguez1*, Eduardo Rossi1, Leonardo Mingari2, Costanza Bonadonna1, Pablo Forte3, Juan Esteban Panebianco4 & Donaldo Bran5 We investigate the timescales of the horizontal mass fux decay of wind remobilised volcanic particles in Argentina, associated with the tephra-fallout deposit produced by the 2011–2012 Cordón Caulle (Chile) eruption. Particle removal processes are controlled by complex interactions of meteorological conditions, surface properties and particle depletion with time. We fnd that ash remobilisation follows a two-phase exponential decay with specifc timescales for the initial input of fresh ash (1–74 days) and the following soil stabilisation processes (3–52 months). The characteristic timescales as a function of particle size shows two minimum values, identifed for sizes around 2 and 19–37 µ m, suggesting that these size-range particles are remobilised more easily, due to the interaction between saltation and suspension-induced processes. We fnd that in volcanic regions, characterised by a sudden release and a subsequent depletion of particles, the availability of wind-erodible particles plays a major role due to compaction and removal of fne particles. We propose, therefore, a simple and reproducible empirical model to describe the mass fux decay of remobilised ash in a supply-limited environment. This methodology represents an innovative approach to link feld measurements of multi-sized and supply-limited deposits with saltation erosion theory. Wind-remobilisation phenomena in volcanic regions result from a complex combination of meteorological conditions, surface properties and the intrinsic features of pyroclastic deposits at diferent temporal and spatial scales.
    [Show full text]