Abstract
AbstractThe wide spatial coverage of sand dunes in continental interiors makes the understanding of their activity and accumulation history valuable for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and the interpretation of landscape evolution. Nevertheless, the study of aeolian landscape development at the million‐year timescale is hampered by the complex interaction of factors determining dune migration and the inherently self‐destructive nature of their chronostratigraphy, thus limiting the applicability of traditional dating methods. This study presents a standalone program that simulates aeolian transport based on luminescence‐derived chronologies coupled with numerical modelling of the accumulation of cosmogenic nuclides. This integrative approach to modelling the history of aeolian landforms reveals phases of emergence of aeolian sand into the landscape, and provides a data‐based scheme that facilitates the morphodynamical study of aeolian processes over multiple timescales and up to several millions of years. The application of the program for reanalysing previously reported data from the Australian Simpson Desert reveals multiple pulses of sand dispersion into central Australia at 3.8–3.4, 2.9–2.5 and 1.5–1 Ma, corresponding to pronounced changes in climatic conditions and landscape deformation events. The synchronicity of the results with the established environmental framework that would promote the production and aeolian distribution of sand exemplifies the applicability of process‐based modelling in constructing a timeframe of key landscape evolution events in arid environments by studying aeolian deposits. The dependence of the parameters used to determine environmental settings on sand transportation patterns additionally makes the program a powerful tool to further investigate the triggers and mechanisms of aeolian processes.
Highlights
An understanding of sand dunes dynamics has been long and widely sought out, because of its importance in deciphering terrestrial environmental records in arid environments, which are usually devoid of temporally and spatially continuous geological archives (Bagnold, 1936; Bowler, 1976; Fitzsimmons et al, 2013; Grove, 1969; Haynes, 1982; Lancaster, 1997; Yang et al, 2012)
The numerical model encompassed in Cosmolian relies on the method presented by Vainer et al (2018) that provides a statistically based scheme to reconstruct the chronological development of aeolian dunefields. This approach is set to reproduce both 26Al and 10Be concentrations measured in sand by simulating the accumulation of cosmogenic nuclides during aeolian transport, where displacement rates are based on luminescencederived chronologies
The Cosmolian program is based on the modelling approach of Vainer et al (2018) that includes a pre-aeolian step of cosmogenic nuclides build-up, followed by the main simulation stage of aeolian sand migration
Summary
An understanding of sand dunes dynamics has been long and widely sought out, because of its importance in deciphering terrestrial environmental records in arid environments, which are usually devoid of temporally and spatially continuous geological archives (Bagnold, 1936; Bowler, 1976; Fitzsimmons et al, 2013; Grove, 1969; Haynes, 1982; Lancaster, 1997; Yang et al, 2012). This approach is set to reproduce both 26Al and 10Be concentrations measured in sand by simulating the accumulation of cosmogenic nuclides during aeolian transport, where displacement rates are based on luminescencederived chronologies.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
