The role of the Nile in initiating a massive dust influx to the Negev late in the middle Pleistocene

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 2011 The role of the Nile in initiating a massive dust influx to the Negev late in the middle Pleistocene Rivka Amit; Rivka Amit 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Yehouda Enzel; Yehouda Enzel 2The Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J, Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Onn Crouvi; Onn Crouvi 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel3Institute of Earth Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ori Simhai; Ori Simhai 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel3Institute of Earth Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ari Matmon; Ari Matmon 3Institute of Earth Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Naomi Porat; Naomi Porat 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Eric McDonald; Eric McDonald 4Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, Nevada 89512, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Alan R. Gillespie Alan R. Gillespie 5Quaternary Research Center, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GSA Bulletin (2011) 123 (5-6): 873–889. https://doi.org/10.1130/B30241.1 Article history received: 31 Dec 2009 rev-recd: 06 May 2010 accepted: 22 May 2010 first online: 08 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Rivka Amit, Yehouda Enzel, Onn Crouvi, Ori Simhai, Ari Matmon, Naomi Porat, Eric McDonald, Alan R. Gillespie; The role of the Nile in initiating a massive dust influx to the Negev late in the middle Pleistocene. GSA Bulletin 2011;; 123 (5-6): 873–889. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B30241.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract The late middle Pleistocene initiation of loess accretion in the Negev Desert, Israel, resulted from a chain of events starting with the exposure of shallow offshore Nile delta sands beginning ∼180 ka, during a period of glacially lowered eustatic sea level. This exposure allowed the formation of the dunes of the Sinai-Negev erg and the eastward movement of the dunes under the gusty glacial-time winds in northern Sinai. This eastward dune advance occurred by eolian saltation that generated the coarse silts that accumulated downwind as loess. We postulate that the absence of earlier Negev loess is not a result of interglacial erosion as previously proposed but is due to the relatively recent convergence of the above conditions necessary for loess formation. We based our interpretation on analyses of two long-term natural dust traps and the association of coarse quartz silt production with the advancing quartz-rich dunes over this carbonate terrain. The Nile delta is considered to be an early to middle Pleistocene feature, and therefore could have been the source of sand throughout the Quaternary. However, it was under the waters of the Mediterranean most of the time, and only exposed from marine oxygen isotope stage 7 to early stage 6. In Quaternary times prior to erg formation, Negev dust was finer, composed of silt and clays derived from distal sources in the Sahara and Arabian deserts. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.