Desert dune activity: concepts and significance

Abstract

The way in which desert sand dunes dynamically react to formative wind regimes (‘dune activity’) is commonly considered in terms of absolute dune movement, but in fact varies according to the type of dune concerned. This paper utilises published data to explore the concept of dune activity and to explain the variations that exist in it between different basic desert dune types. In terms of overall activity transverse dunes are migratory, linear dunes are sand-passing or extending forms and star dunes accumulate sand. These characteristics have major implications for the interpretation of relict dunes, creating a need for careful consideration of the type of dune regarded as relict and the evidence upon which such a diagnosis is based.