Dune Mobility Research Articles

Climatic data and satellite imagery for assessing the aeolian sand deposit and barchan migration, as a major risk sources in the region of In-Salah (Central Algerian Sahara)

Climatic data from the In-Salah weather station covering the period 2005–2014 and bi-date satellite imagery have been used to investigate sand drift potential and barchan migration in the Erg Sidi Moussa dunefield. The application of the Fryberger and Dean’s (1979) model on surface wind records revealed that the studied area belongs to high-energy wind environments (drift potential (DP) = 785 VU) with strong spring (May, April) and summer (July, August) moving-sand seasons. The net drift potential RDP was about 560 VU, which is the equivalent of 39 m3 of transported sand across 1 m land width per year. The values of resultant drift direction (RDD) were fully ranged between 50 and 76° with an average of 64°; this signifies that the prevailing winds and consequently sand transport are directed toward the west-southwest sectors. Beside, significant value of the directional variability index RDP/DP was detected (0.71), confirming the low effective wind variability and its directional steadiness throughout the year. Wind regime in the Erg Sidi Moussa was recognized as wide unimodal, and fully associated with crescent-shaped sand dunes including transverse dune, barchanoid ridge, and individual barchan. Climatic data for the In-Salah airport station have been used to estimate the dune mobility index M according to Lancaster (1988); results showed that the M values were largely superior to 200, implying that barchans were fully active during the considered period. The accurate measurement of the barchan migration rate and direction had been realized, by applying the point to point geo-correlation technique on 29 individual barchans; basing on bi-temporal fine resolution imagery (2002 and 2013), results showed that the barchan movement distance were ranged between 7 and 18 m/year (12 m/year average), and that the barchan displacement rate was—in general—inversely proportional to their size, namely the height ranging from 5 to 24 m and the width which ranges from 50 to 335 m. Further, the barchan displacement angle was about 63° average, in well accordance with the calculated resultant drift direction RDD (64°). Consequently, urban areas, agricultural reclamations, and socioeconomic installations downwind are seriously facing the risk of encroaching sands and migrating barchans.

Vegetation of semi-stable rangeland dunes of the Navajo Nation, Southwestern USA

ABSTRACTDune destabilization and increased mobility is a worldwide issue causing ecological, economic, and health problems for the inhabitants of areas with extensive dune fields. Dunes cover nearly a third of the Navajo Nation within the Colorado Plateau of southwestern USA. There, higher temperatures and prolonged drought beginning in 1996 have produced significant increases in dune mobility. Vegetation plays an important role in dune stabilization, but there are few studies of the plants of the aeolian surfaces of this region. We examined plant species and their attributes within a moderately vegetated dune field of the Navajo Nation to understand the types and characteristics of plants that stabilize rangeland dunes. These dunes supported a low cover of mixed grass-scrubland with fifty-two perennial and annual species including extensive occurrence of non-native annual Salsola spp. Perennial grass richness and shrub cover were positively associated with increased soil sand composition. Taprooted shrubs were more common on sandier substrates. Most dominant grasses had C4 photosynthesis, suggestive of higher water-use efficiencies and growth advantage in warm arid environments. Plant cover was commonly below the threshold of dune stabilization. Increasing sand movement with continued aridity will select for plants adapted to burial, deflation, and abrasion. The study indicates plants tolerant of increased sand mobility and burial but more investigation is needed to identify the plants adapted to establish and regenerate under these conditions. In addition, the role of Salsola spp. in promoting decline of perennial grasses and shrubs needs clarification.

Evidence of coastal dune mobility increases over the last half century in response to historical human intervention

Given the risk of two roads being buried by the sand of two highly mobile coastal dunes (Valdevaqueros and Bolonia, SW Spain), several measures have been taken over the last half century in order to stabilize them or at least slow their progress: installation of several rows of 1-m-high concrete structures, planting of species such as Pinus pinea, Retama monosperma and Ammophila arenaria , wicker and wooden fencing, and sand mining (only performed on the Valdevaqueros dunefield). The evolution of the two dunes was investigated through the interpretation of intensive topographical monitoring and aerial photography. Average migration rates of approximately 10 m yr –1 were detected and the burial of anthropic structures has eventually occurred. This process has caused a serious regional problem, making dune management of these areas a difficult challenge. The comparison of the evolution of these two dunes has been of great importance in assessing the effect of historical human intervention and has provided a new perspective for future dune management strategies. The results obtained show that management measures based on sand removal have been proven to be unsustainable. Moreover, the monitoring methodology presented herein has proven very useful in predicting dune advance rates. For instance, the Bolonia dune could reach the nearest road in approximately 12 years.

Variation in grain size and morphology of an inland parabolic dune during the incipient phase of stabilization in the Hobq Desert, China

A significant increase in rainfall in the summer of 2012 on the southern fringe of the Hobq Desert, Inner Mongolia, resulted in the vegetation and thus stability of dunes in this area. Our research focuses on a typical parabolic dune, which was active in 2011 and became stabilized after vegetation colonization. Topographic surveys and surface sediment analysis of the morphology and surface sands of the parabolic dune indicate that decreasing mean grain size and sorting values (better sorting), slightly more positive skewness and increasing kurtosis occurred over the dune surface during the incipient phase of stabilization. There was a strong relationship between grain size sorting and dune mobility. Surface sand from the stabilized dune was generally finer and better sorted than at the same location when the dune was active. During 2011–2012 the dune head had moved eastwards (by approximately 2.3m) while its two arms expanded outward (by approximately 3.2m), the height of the dune decreased, and the dune became larger with a decreasing volume. Once anchored (2013–2014), the overall morphology, and the grain size and sorting characteristics of the dune became more constant and quite different than when the dune was active.

Downwind Sedimentation and Habitat Development Following Ammophila arenaria Removal and Dune Erosion, Mason Bay, New Zealand

ABSTRACT Buckley, E.C.B.; Hilton, M.J., Konlechner, T.M., and Lord, J.M., 2016. Downwind sedimentation and habitat development following Ammophila arenaria removal and dune erosion, Mason Bay, New Zealand. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 268–272. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Since 2002 Ammophila arenaria has been progressively eradicated from a section of the transgressive dune system at Mason Bay, New Zealand to restore dune mobility. This study examines whether sand released from the treatment areas is accumulating in down-wind dune environments, particularly stony deflation surfaces. Deflation surfaces are nationally threatened habitats that contain at-risk native plants and are important flocking sites for endangered shore birds. Sand accumulation in the stonefield may cause a shift in texture and character from def...

Windiness spells in SW Europe since the last glacial maximum

Dunefields have a great potential to unravel past regimes of atmospheric circulation as they record direct traces of this component of the climate system. Along the Portuguese coast, transgressive dunefields represent relict features originated by intense and frequent westerly winds that largely contrast with present conditions, clearly dominated by weaker northwesterly winds. Optical dating and subsurface stratigraphy document three age clusters indicating main episodes of dune mobilization during: the last termination (20–11.6 ka), Middle Holocene (5.6 ka), and Late Holocene (1.2–0.98 and 0.4–0.15 ka).We find reconstructed windfields to be analogous during all episodes and dominated by strong westerlies. Yet, larger grain size diameters and dune volumes documented for the last termination support amplified patterns compatible with a southward shift and intensification of the North Atlantic westerlies during winters. Conversely, dunes deposited after the Middle Holocene are compatible with more variable windfields and weakened patterns controlled by interannual shifts towards low values of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO).This work demonstrates that present windfield regimes in southern Europe are not compatible with past aeolian activity. Indeed, present day analogs indicate that wind intensities compatible with past aeolian activity are rare at present (sediment transport potentials below estimates in the aeolian record), but can occur if the jet stream is diverted to the south (i.e. 30°N with negative NAO index) or if very deep cyclones anchor around 50°N, extending their influence to the western Portuguese coast (relatively low NAO index). However, these conditions represent temporary patterns lasting around one day, while we suggest that the identified episodes of aeolian activity may represent semi-permanent conditions.

Analysis of Desert Sand Dune Migration Patterns from Landsat Image Time Series for The Southern California Desert

Developers of renewable energy installations in southern California need to evaluate the risks to facility operations from proximity to active desert dunes. This study first validated Landsat image spectral data using ground-based data collection of aeolian sand migration rate measurements surveyed in Arizona as an accurate method for characterizing dune mobility. The predominant direction of measured sand dune movements was correctly mapped at this site from the satellite imagery, as well as the migration distances of the leading edges of sand dunes over the entire 1992-2010 monitoring period. Application of the Landsat image method to two dune systems in southern California demonstrated its usefulness for mapping sand migration patterns and rates. Between 1995 and 2014, Palen Dunes lost over half of its stable dune surface and increased its sand accumulation zone by nearly that same area coverage. In contrast, changes in the sand movement patterns at Kelso Dunes were not apparent, perhaps due in to its more constraining mountain landscape features. These results have an immediate application for understanding future sand transport and characterizing potential impacts to nearby utility-scale solar energy installations.

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of sandy deposits from Gulang county at the southern margin of the Tengger Desert, China

Aeolian deposits from the deserts in northern China have been used for palaeoenvironmental research to understand aeolian sedimentology and its dynamic connection to past climate conditions. The Tengger Desert in China is sensitive to the waxing and waning of the monsoonal system. In response to past climate change, the southern margin of the Tengger Desert has evolved significantly since the last glacial period. However, previous attempts to date aeolian deposits in this region were mainly based on radiocarbon dating, which has problems when applied to aeolian deposits. Moreover, sedimentary records are limited. Accordingly, past aeolian activity in this desert remains poorly understood. In the present study, we dated sand samples from Gulang county at the southern margin of the Tengger Desert using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to understand the history of aeolian activity in this region. Our samples represented well-sorted aeolian sands and sandy loess. Aeolian sands are evidence of dune field buildup and sparse vegetation cover whereas sandy loess is evidence of improved stabilization of sand dunes resulting from ameliorated vegetation cover. Certain samples showed a decline in the equivalent dose (D e ) values when successive integration intervals were applied, which resulted from unstable OSL signals from non-fast components in the initial part of the decay curve. In order to obtain reliable D e estimates, we investigated component-resolved and different background subtraction approaches, and compared the resultant D e estimates. We adopted the early background subtraction method to derive D e values. Luminescence chronologies and sedimentary records indicated that sand dunes accumulation occurred before 10 ka, and sandy loess developed between 9.5 and 7.6 ka when sand dunes were stabilized as a result of increased effective moisture levels. The transition between sand dune mobilization and stabilization emphasizes the significance of an effective moisture threshold in controlling aeolian activity. Mobilization of sand dunes at ~2.3 ka might be related to an increased aridity during the Late Holocene.

Evolution of foredune texture following dynamic restoration, Doughboy Bay, Stewart Island, New Zealand

Abstract Growing concern regarding the geomorphic and associated biotic effects of dune management practises has led to an increase in the number of dune restoration projects globally. Most recent projects aim to enhance the efficiency of aeolian sediment dynamics and increase dune mobility by decreasing vegetation cover, but we lack objective measures to evaluate such projects. Here we demonstrate the use of landscape metrics to quantify the evolution of foredune texture following the removal of vegetation. A long-term program of marram grass ( Ammophila arenaria ) eradication in southern New Zealand (Doughboy Bay, Stewart Island) is examined. Four metrics: bare sand area, patch adjacency, complexity, and the range of proximity, are used to classify a series of foredune textures beginning with the pre-restoration state through the phases of marram removal, to the current state. Foredune texture at Doughboy Bay has evolved from a semi-stable to an active state as the consequence of restoration. Two metrics, bare sand and adjacency, appear to be particularly good measures of change following marram removal. Patterns and rates of change for these metrics are consistent with ground observations of increased ‘naturalness’ (native plant communities, sand mobility) over the same period. The set of landscape metrics derived for Doughboy Bay were compared to similar sets measured for a nearby foredune system where marram invasion has not occurred, and where conditions presumably represent equilibrium foredune texture. Since the removal of marram at Doughboy Bay and the consequent remobilization of the sand surface, the foredune texture has increased in similarity to that of the reference site, indicating a favourable shift in plant cover as a result of the restoration program. We conclude that landscape metrics can be used to track changes in foredune morphology following restoration. Second, the planning, management, and monitoring of coastal dune restoration programs will benefit by the routine use of reference sites to evaluate the appropriateness and success of restoration actions.

Relationship between vegetation dynamics and dune mobility in an arid transgressive coastal system, Maspalomas, Canary Islands

This paper explores the relationship between vegetation dynamics and dune mobility in an arid transgressive coastal dune system, specifically the dune field of Maspalomas (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands). The aim is to understand the strategies of colonization and survival that plant communities have developed in slacks that face dune advance. The relationship between plant colonization and dune migration was performed by following Tamarix canariensis and Traganum moquinii plants for several years. Morphological data about each individual as well as the distance of each plant to the dune were measured. A study of the colonization patterns developed by T. moquinii, T. canariensis, Cyperus laevigatus and Launaea arborescens communities was performed by analyzing the evolution of consolidated plant patches and adult plants in relation to the dune advance. This was achieved using digital orthophotos and spatial analysis from geographic information systems.Initiation of plant colonization over transgressive dunes occurs on both wet and dry slacks. The results show that both plant colonization and development of adult plants are largely related to dune mobility. Thus, survival of T. moquinii and T. canariensis plants under dune migration conditions is related to both distance to the dune front and plant height at the moment of burial. Distance from the dune front and plant height increases chance of survival. The dynamics of adult plants is also related to dune displacement rates. Thus, each community has different thresholds of resistance to mobility rates. The T. canariensis community withstands average rates higher than 3m/year. Its arboreal structure allows this species to grow high enough to resist the advance of the dunes and burial. For the T. moquinii community, the population decreases gradually to eventually disappear when dune mobility rates exceed 4m/year. The C. laevigatus community develops at dune mobility rates lower than 3m/year, decreasing its surface area at higher rates. The L. arborescens community endures dune migration rates of at least 1.8m/year. However, different distances between the dune front and the vegetated area also significant factor, because these can compensate for the effects of displacement rates. Thus, the closer a vegetated area is to a dune front, the lower the rates of displacement must be to produce a greater reduction in the surface vegetation. Plant communities present two patterns of plant colonization to resist burial by sand, one vertical and the other horizontal. The horizontal pattern is employed by C. laevigatus and L. arborescens communities and consists of locating new generations of plants in progressive alignment with the dune front migration. The vertical pattern is employed by the T. canariensis community, and consists of increasing the heights of the plants. The T. moquinii community can utilize both patterns because it reacts positively to some degree of burial since it is located in areas where the dunes reach different heights.

Temporal and spatial variability in dune reactivation across the Nebraska Sand Hills, USA

The Nebraska Sand Hills is a stabilized dune field on the Great Plains of North America. Although it is well known that this dune field, like several others on the Great Plains, last experienced widespread activity during the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA, ~AD 900–1300), spatial variation in the timing and nature of drought development is poorly constrained. To elucidate spatial trends in dune reactivation, samples potentially representing MCA activity across the Sand Hills were collected and dated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). Ages from the older part of the MCA were obtained from eolian sediments in the northwestern Sand Hills, while ages from later in the episode were obtained to the southeast, suggesting a geographic trend in the timing of revegetation of the dunes near the end of the drought. Revegetation likely occurred to the northwest initially as a result of renewed moisture availability from a rising water table in the interdunes, which serve as refugia for vegetation during times of drought. Vegetation then gradually spread to the southeastern Sand Hills. An additional spatial trend in ages is apparent in the chronology of linear dune mobilization across the Sand Hills. Linear dunes in the northwest are superimposed on megadunes and originated during the last reactivation, while linear dunes in the southeast are built around older cores of dunes and formed during several reactivations. Our geochronology reveals three episodes of eolian transport, including the MCA, in the formation of linear dunes in the southeast.

Field measurement and analysis of climatic factors affecting dune mobility near Grand Falls on the Navajo Nation, southwestern United States

Aeolian sand covers extensive areas of the Navajo Nation in the southwestern United States. Much of this sand is currently stabilized by vegetation, although many drier parts of these Native lands also have active and partly active dunes. Current prolonged drought conditions that started in the mid-1990s are producing significant changes in dune mobility. Reactivation of regional aeolian deposits due to drought or increasing aridity from rising temperatures resulting from climate change could have serious consequences for human and animal populations, agriculture, grazing, and infrastructure. To understand and document the current and future potential for mobility, seasonally repeated surveys were used to track the location of multiple active barchan dunes. By utilizing Real-Time Kinematic GPS field surveys and simultaneously collecting in-situ meteorological data, it is possible to examine climatic parameters and seasonal variations that affect dune mobility and their relative influences. Through analysis of the recorded data, we examined the fit of various climate parameters, and demonstrate that under the current prolonged drought, wind power is the dominant factor controlling dune mobility.

Persistent aeolian activity at Endeavour crater, Meridiani Planum, Mars; new observations from orbit and the surface

Aeolian-driven bedform activity is now known to occur in many regions of Mars, based on surface and orbital observation of contemporary martian ripple and dune mobility events. Many of these sites have only been monitored with sufficient resolution data for the last few Mars years, when the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) began acquiring images of Mars. One exception is the well-monitored Endeavour crater in Meridiani Planum, which was one of the first known sites of unambiguous dune activity (migration and deflation). However, those early detections used lower resolution images over longer temporal baselines (versus the HIRISE data now available), leaving some measurements poorly constrained. New orbital and surface observations of Endeavour show multiple spatial (cm, m, km) and temporal (seasons, Mars year) scales of aeolian-driven surface change, which confirms earlier reports. Dome dunes in the eastern portion of the crater persistently deflate, disseminating dark sand across lighter-toned regolith and/or eroded bright dust, and likely contribute to the crater interior’s episodic decreases in orbital albedo measurements. Other dome dunes are detected with the highest migration rates (4–12m per Mars year) and volumetric sand fluxes reported yet for Mars. Estimated dune construction times or “turnover times” here and elsewhere on Mars are significantly shorter than martian obliquity cycles, implying that it is not necessary to invoke paleoclimate wind regimes to explain current dune morphologies. Located on the crater rim, the Opportunity rover detected evidence for near- and far-field aeolian-driven activity, with observations of spherules/sand movement in the rover workspace, bedform albedo alteration, and dust-lifting events. Observations of intracrater dunes show periodic shifting dark streaks that significantly constrain local wind regimes (directionality and seasonality). Constraints on wind directions from surface and orbital images show that aeolian bedforms can be extremely active in bi-, and possibly tri-, modal wind regimes, and during periods without major dust storms.

Chronology of Quaternary coastal aeolianite deposition and the drowned shorelines of southwestern Western Australia – a reappraisal

Aeolianite successions of low-gradient continental margins commonly show complex records of coastal dune deposition linked to a wide range of sea-level positions and climatic periods of the middle and late Pleistocene, recording both regional and broader-scale drivers of sediment production, coastal dune development and landform preservation. To better characterise the general pattern of sedimentation that occurs over Quaternary glacial–interglacial cycles on low-gradient, temperate carbonate continental shelves we examine the morphology, stratigraphy and age of aeolianite deposits in the Perth region, Western Australia. This includes an analysis of well-defined drowned coastal landforms preserved on the adjacent shelf. New and previously published optical ages provide a preliminary timeframe for the deposition of aeolianite in the Perth region and on Rottnest Island, 17 km offshore. An extensive aeolianite ridge near Perth, representing a former barrier, has Optically Stimulated Luminesence (OSL) ages that range from 120 ± 12 to 103 ± 10 ka (MIS 5e–5a in the context of associated age uncertainties). OSL ages for an exposure in the same ridge 2.5 km inland, record the onlap of much older aeolianite, OSL age 415 ± 70 ka, by shell-rich estuarine beds, OSL age 290 ± 30 ka. A further 5.5 km inland from the coast, two thick aeolianite units, separated by a well-developed palaeosol, have stratigraphically consistent OSL ages of 310 ± 30 and 155 ± 20 ka. In contrast, aeolianite units that form the northern coast of Rottnest Island have OSL ages of 77 ± 12 ka and 27 ± 5 ka. The new OSL ages and previously reported TL and U/Th ages indicate that the bulk of the island comprises dunes deposited around the end of the Last Interglacial sensu lato (MIS 5a–4) and during the Last Glacial (MIS 4–2), accumulating over a Last Interglacial coral reef and basal calcarenite. Drowned barrier and dune landforms preserved on the adjacent continental shelf reveal that barriers were formed during periods of intermediate sea level (e.g. MIS 3) and significant dune mobility occurred when the shelf was subaerially exposed. The pattern of shelf sedimentation discernible in the Perth region – large-scale coastal carbonate dune deposition during periods of high and intermediate sea level and reactivation during glacial lowstands – is largely consistent with published stratigraphic and age data for large-scale aeolianite deposits on other low-gradient carbonate shelves. Based on these data, a general model is proposed for the cycle of Quaternary sedimentation and landform evolution that occurs on these shelves, which are dynamic sedimentary environments with coastal landforms and sedimentary successions that are very sensitive to erosion and sediment reworking.

사구이동성 지표를 통해 본 해안사구의 발달과 기후와의 관계

바람, 모래, 식생, 지형 등이 밀접한 관련을 맺고 발달하는 해안사구 시스템의 전사구의 모래 나지는 내륙으로의 모래 이동의 공급원이 되며 그 크기는 기후와 관련이 깊다. 모래 이동률과 기후와의 관계에 대한 연구는 내륙, 사막 사구지대에서 사구 이동성 지표를 통해 이루어져왔다. 이렇게 활용되어 온 지표가 해안 사구 지대에도 적용할 수 있는지를 미국 해안사구 지대 22곳을 사례로 살펴보았다. 대표적인 사구이동성 지표인 Lancaster와 Tsoar의 지표 중에 Lancaster의 것이 해안사구의 모래 나지의 크기를 설명할 수 있었다. 이지표 내에서 특별히 연평균 강수량이 99% 신뢰 수준에서 52%로 해안사구의 전사구 지역에 나타나는 모래 나지의 크기를 설명할 수 있었다. 나머지 기후 변수 중, 연평균 잠재증발산량은 미 대륙의 몇 개의 해안을 제외하고는 변별력이 없었으며 풍력도 미 해안 사구지대의 전사구에 나타나는 모래 나지의 크기를 설명할 수 없었는데 이것은 아마도 내륙, 사막 사구와는 달리 비교적 충분한 강수량으로 인해 많아진 식생피복과 관련이있을 것으로 예상된다.

Last millennium development and dynamics of vegetated linear dunes inferred from ground‐penetrating radar and optically stimulated luminescence ages

AbstractUsing ground‐penetrating radar, optically stimulated luminescence dating, particle‐size distribution and morphological analysis, the study of the construction phases of a vegetated linear dune in the arid north‐western Negev dunefield of Israel during the last millennium improves current knowledge about vegetated linear dunes that developed in the late Pleistocene. Vertical accretion in rapid pulses forming horizontally bedded units along the axis of vegetated linear dunes, regardless of their age, was found to be characteristic of vegetated linear dunes. The combination of the unique topographic feature of a longitudinal 5 m step‐like fall in dune crest elevation with the substantial narrowing of dune width constitutes a distinct morphological marker for interpreting local dune growth and stabilization of the last, albeit localized, dune mobilization episode at ca 0·5 ka. Evidence for lateral dune migration was not observed. Where local sediment supply exists, short episodes of powerful winds within the Holocene (with recurrence intervals separated by hundreds of years) can lead to the construction of vegetated linear dunes. The spatially constrained extent of such young dunes in the north‐western Negev may be due to limited sand availability because most of the Negev dunes were stable during the Holocene. These findings imply that vegetated linear dune construction can occur in glacial and interglacial (including Holocene) environments in semi‐arid to arid climates if certain conditions are met. In times of increased wind power during the Anthropocene, a period characterized by simultaneous rises in the human impact on the landscape and in climate variability (i.e. drought), local growth of vegetated linear dunes can be expected. This study demonstrates that ground‐penetrating radar is a reliable tool for interpreting the shallow internal structure of young vegetated linear dunes.

Resilience and recovery potential of duneland vegetation in the southern Kalahari

Many dune fields around the world have undergone alternating periods of mobilization and stabilization in response to changes in wind power and rainfall. However, in modern times disturbances associated with land use are believed to be a dominant factor contributing to the activation of stabilized vegetated dunes in drylands, while the reduction in human activities such as grazing and farming may lead to stabilization of once active dune fields. The Kalahari region of southern Africa has recently begun to exhibit visible signs of dune mobilization, a process that could lead to an activation of aeolian transport in the region with important implications for the biogeochemistry of downwind terrestrial and marine ecosystems. It is still unclear whether the region is poised at a tipping point between its current state (i.e., vegetated fixed linear dunes), and a “degraded” state (i.e., barren and active dunes). Here we investigate the ability of the landscape to recover from the degraded state by assessing the resilience of duneland vegetation and evaluating the vegetation and soil characteristics. Using field observations and soil seed bank experiments, we show that palatable perennial grass cover is reduced while the seedbank is depleted on grazed dunefields. Conversely, the interdunes generally exhibit relatively rich seed banks. Soils from grazed and ungrazed sites show that plant available nutrient contents are not significantly different; therefore, soil nutrients are likely not a major factor limiting the recovery of perennial vegetation in this region. It is observed that the perennial grasses reestablish on the recovering dunes after grazers have been excluded, indicating that the landscape is still able to recover after years of denudation and that any irreversible shift to a stable degraded state is likely during extended periods of disturbance and/or climatic shifts that promote the degraded state. We also find that changes in grass cover, grass community composition, and seed bank can serve as indicators of whether the system has irreversibly shifted from a vegetated to a bare dune state.

Holocene Dune Mobility and Forcing Mechanisms at the Northern Margin of the East Asian Monsoon

Abstract:Dune fields at the northern margin of the East Asian monsoon (EAM), are mosaics of mobile and vegetation‐stabilized aeolian dunes. These sand dunes are highly sensitive to environmental change, thus the distribution and the timing of their development may provide important clues to past environmental dynamics. Due to the strong wind erosion and dune migration, long and continuous stratigraphic records are seldom preserved. Synthesizing a large body of events, ultimately producing a relatively complete and high‐resolution record, may be a proper method to investigate the dune development history and climate change. In this study, we synthesized a large body of luminescence ages for aeolian deposits from the Mu Us, Otindag, Horqin dune fields at the northern margin of the EAM. The results show that these dune fields, as a whole experienced a most extensive mobility during the early Holocene, followed by a widespread shift toward limited mobility and soil development in the mid‐Holocene, and widespread reactivation occurred during late Holocene. The dune developments are directly linked to the effective moisture change controlled by the EAM changes, which respond to the low latitude summer insolation variation. The increased subsidence at the margin contrary to the core EAM, the delay from the feedback of the soil‐vegetation‐air coupled system, the increased evaporation due to the high temperature all play partial role in the lag of the margin EAM effective moisture change to the low latitude summer insolation. The asynchronous end of the wetter mid‐Holocene mainly responds to the southeastwardly shift of the precipitation belt, while the regional sensitivity, response speed and internal feedback also contributed. The correspondence between dune records and North Atlantic drift‐ice records of the rapid climate changes implies a close relationship between North Atlantic climate and the frequent dune activity at the northern margin of EAM.

Climate-driven episodes of dune mobilization and barrier growth along the central coast of Portugal

Abstract Here, we explore the evolution of the coastal stretch between Mira Beach and Quiaios Beach in Portugal to understand how it adapted to climatic oscillations. To accomplish this, we integrate subsurface radar images, and sedimentological and chronological data, of the emerged coastal barrier. Our results show the installation and progradation of a stable barrier anchored to transgressive dunes 400 years ago. This is just the last pulse of barrier growth within a complex approximately 5000 year-long history of shoreline stability/instability. Episodes of inland dune mobility have been related to instabilities in the beach sediment budget driven by enhanced storminess and wave rotation around 4.25 and 1.14 ka ago. Conversely, lagoonal deposits documented in the literature suggest periods of relative barrier stability and growth around 4.3 and 2.7 cal ka BP. Wave and wind climate variability are driven by shifts in one of the major modes of atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Episodes of persistent positive mode of the NAO related to barrier growth and enhanced longshore sediment transport; those of persistent negative mode contributed to instabilities in the beach sediment budget and aeolian activity by enhancing storminess, but reduced effective longshore sediment transport.

Intensification of North American Megadroughts through Surface and Dust Aerosol Forcing*

Abstract Tree-ring-based reconstructions of the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) indicate that, during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), the central plains of North America experienced recurrent periods of drought spanning decades or longer. These megadroughts had exceptional persistence compared to more recent events, but the causes remain uncertain. The authors conducted a suite of general circulation model experiments to test the impact of sea surface temperature (SST) and land surface forcing on the MCA megadroughts over the central plains. The land surface forcing is represented as a set of dune mobilization boundary conditions, derived from available geomorphological evidence and modeled as increased bare soil area and a dust aerosol source (32°–44°N, 105°–95°W). In the experiments, cold tropical Pacific SST forcing suppresses precipitation over the central plains but cannot reproduce the overall drying or persistence seen in the PDSI reconstruction. Droughts in the scenario with dust aerosols, however, are amplified and have significantly longer persistence than in other model experiments, more closely matching the reconstructed PDSI. This additional drying occurs because the dust increases the shortwave planetary albedo, reducing energy inputs to the surface and boundary layer. The energy deficit increases atmospheric stability, inhibiting convection and reducing cloud cover and precipitation over the central plains. Results from this study provide the first model-based evidence that dust aerosol forcing and land surface changes could have contributed to the intensity and persistence of the central plains megadroughts, although uncertainties remain in the formulation of the boundary conditions and the future importance of these feedbacks.