Critiques of the seismic hypothesis and the vegetation stabilization hypothesis for the formation of Mima mounds along the western coast of the U.S.

Abstract

A recent paper published in Geomorphology by Gabet et al. (2014) presents the results of a numerical model supporting the hypothesis that burrowing mammals build Mima mounds - small, densely packed hillocks found primarily in the western United States. The model is based on field observations and produces realistic-looking mounds with spatial distributions similar to real moundfields. Alternative explanations have been proposed for these Mima mounds, including formation by seismic shaking and vegetation-controlled erosion and deposition. In this short communication, we present observations from moundfields in the coastal states of the western U.S. that are incompatible with these alternative theories.