Earth-like sand fluxes on Mars.

PubMed

Bridges, N T; Ayoub, F; Avouac, J-P; Leprince, S; Lucas, A; Mattson, S

2012-05-09

Strong and sustained winds on Mars have been considered rare, on the basis of surface meteorology measurements and global circulation models, raising the question of whether the abundant dunes and evidence for wind erosion seen on the planet are a current process. Recent studies showed sand activity, but could not determine whether entire dunes were moving--implying large sand fluxes--or whether more localized and surficial changes had occurred. Here we present measurements of the migration rate of sand ripples and dune lee fronts at the Nili Patera dune field. We show that the dunes are near steady state, with their entire volumes composed of mobile sand. The dunes have unexpectedly high sand fluxes, similar, for example, to those in Victoria Valley, Antarctica, implying that rates of landscape modification on Mars and Earth are similar.

Analysis of Coastal Dunes: A Remote Sensing and Statistical Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, J. Richard

1985-01-01

Remote sensing analysis and statistical methods were used to analyze the coastal dunes of Plum Island, Massachusetts. The research methodology used provides an example of a student project for remote sensing, geomorphology, or spatial analysis courses at the university level. (RM)

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of aeolian sand in the otindag dune field and holocene climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhou, Y.L.; Lu, H.Y.; Mason, J.; Miao, X.D.; Swinehart, J.; Goble, R.

2008-01-01

The dune system in Otindag sand field of northern China is sensitive to climate change, where effective moisture and related vegetation cover play a controlling role for dune activity and stability. Therefore, aeolian deposits may be an archive of past environmental changes, possibly at the millennial scale, but previous studies on this topic have rarely been reported. In this study, thirty-five optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of ten representative sand-paleosol profiles in Otindag sand field are obtained, and these ages provide a relatively complete and well-dated chronology for wet and dry variations in Holocene. The results indicate that widespread dune mobilization occurred from 9.9 to 8.2 ka, suggesting a dry early Holocene climate. The dunes were mainly stabilized between 8.0 and 2.7 ka, implying a relatively wet climate, although there were short-term penetrations of dune activity during this wet period. After ???2.3 ka, the region became dry again, as inferred from widespread dune activity. The "8.2 ka" cold event and the Little Ice Age climatic deterioration are detected on the basis of the dune records and OSL ages. During the Medieval Warm Period and the Sui-Tang Warm Period (570-770 AD), climate in Otindag sand field was relatively humid and the vegetation was denser, and the sand dunes were stabilized again. These aeolian records may indicate climate changes at millennial time scale during Holocene, and these climatic changes may be the teleconnection to the climate changes elsewhere in the world. ?? Science in China Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH 2008.

Non-standard neutrino interactions at DUNE

DOE PAGES

de Gouvea, Andre; Kelly, Kevin J.

2016-03-15

Here, we explore the effects of non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI) and how they modify neutrino propagation in the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). We find that NSI can significantly modify the data to be collected by the DUNE experiment as long as the new physics parameters are large enough. For example, if the DUNE data are consistent with the standard three-massive-neutrinos paradigm, order 0.1 (in units of the Fermi constant) NSI effects will be ruled out. On the other hand, if large NSI effects are present, DUNE will be able to not only rule out the standard paradigm but alsomore » measure the new physics parameters, sometimes with good precision. We find that, in some cases, DUNE is sensitive to new sources of CP-invariance violation. We also explored whether DUNE data can be used to distinguish different types of new physics beyond nonzero neutrino masses. In more detail, we asked whether NSI can be mimicked, as far as the DUNE setup is concerned, by the hypothesis that there is a new light neutrino state.« less

Hardened Dunes in Arcadia Planitia

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-10-29

NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE, with its high resolution and eight years in orbit about Mars, has shown that many dunes and ripples on the planet are active. This demonstrates that in some areas sand is loose enough and winds strong enough, that significant change can occur. Nevertheless, other Martian dunes are clearly *inactive*. This image in Arcadia Planitia shows dunes in a crater. Unlike active dunes on the planet, those here are bright, and, zooming in, there are several lines of evidence indicating that the dunes have become indurated, that is, hardened into cohesive sediment or even into sandstone rock. For example, the dune field at the southern edge is cut off by a step cliff, indicating erosion of hard material. Although fine scale ripples on the original dune surface are preserved, we also see large scale fluting from southwest to northeast, a common texture associated with wind-induced sand abrasion. How these dunes became indurated is unknown. One possibility is that this area of Mars was buried and then exhumed, a process that seems to have occurred many times in the Martian past over various areas of the planet. During burial, compaction and possibly ground water circulation would have indurated the dunes, leaving them as a hard sandstone that, when exhumed, was subsequently partially eroded. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18890

Global map of eolian features on Mars.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, A.W.; Doyle, K.B.; Helm, P.J.; Weisman, M.K.; Witbeck, N.E.

1985-01-01

Ten basic categories of eolian features on Mars were identified from a survey of Mariner 9 and Viking orbiter images. The ten features mapped are 1) light streaks (including frost streaks), 2) dark streaks, 3) sand sheets or splotches, 4) barchan dunes, 5) transverse dunes, 6) crescentic dunes, 7) anomalous dunes, 8) yardangs, 9) wind grooves, and 10) deflation pits. The features were mapped in groups, not as individual landforms, and recorded according to their geographic positions and orientations on maps of 1:12.5 million or 1:25 million scale. -from Authors

Vegetated dune morphodynamics during recent stabilization of the Mu Us dune field, north-central China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhiwei; Mason, Joseph A.; Lu, Huayu

2015-01-01

The response of dune fields to changing environmental conditions can be better understood by investigating how changing vegetation cover affects dune morphodynamics. Significant increases in vegetation and widespread dune stabilization over the years 2000-2012 are evident in high-resolution satellite imagery of the Mu Us dune field in north-central China, possibly a lagged response to changing wind strength and temperature since the 1970s. These trends provide an opportunity to study how dune morphology changes with increasing vegetation stabilization. Vegetation expansion occurs mainly by expansion of pre-existing patches in interdunes. As vegetation spreads from interdunes onto surrounding dunes, it modifies their shapes in competition with wind-driven sand movement, primarily in three ways: 1) vegetation anchoring horns of barchans transforms them to parabolic dunes; 2) vegetation colonizes stoss faces of barchan and transverse dunes, resulting in lower dune height and an elongated stoss face, with shortening of barchan horns; and 3) on transverse dunes, the lee face is fixed by plants that survive sand burial. Along each of these pathways of stabilization, dune morphology tends to change from more barchanoid to more parabolic forms, but that transformation is not always completed before full stabilization. Artificial stabilization leads to an extreme case of "frozen" barchans or transverse dunes with original shapes preserved by rapid establishment of vegetation. Observations in the Mu Us dune field emphasize the point that vegetation growth and aeolian sand transport not only respond to external factors such as climate but also interact with each other. For example, some barchans lose sand mass during vegetation fixation, and actually migrate faster as they become smaller, and vegetation growth on a barchan's lower stoss face may alter sand transport over the dune in a way that favors more rapid stabilization. Conceptual models were generalized for the development of vegetation-stabilized dunes, which should be helpful in better understanding of vegetated dune morphology, model verification and prediction, and guiding practical dune stabilization efforts.

Modeling aeolian dune and dune field evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diniega, Serina

Aeolian sand dune morphologies and sizes are strongly connected to the environmental context and physical processes active since dune formation. As such, the patterns and measurable features found within dunes and dune fields can be interpreted as records of environmental conditions. Using mathematical models of dune and dune field evolution, it should be possible to quantitatively predict dune field dynamics from current conditions or to determine past field conditions based on present-day observations. In this dissertation, we focus on the construction and quantitative analysis of a continuum dune evolution model. We then apply this model towards interpretation of the formative history of terrestrial and martian dunes and dune fields. Our first aim is to identify the controls for the characteristic lengthscales seen in patterned dune fields. Variations in sand flux, binary dune interactions, and topography are evaluated with respect to evolution of individual dunes. Through the use of both quantitative and qualitative multiscale models, these results are then extended to determine the role such processes may play in (de)stabilization of the dune field. We find that sand flux variations and topography generally destabilize dune fields, while dune collisions can yield more similarly-sized dunes. We construct and apply a phenomenological macroscale dune evolution model to then quantitatively demonstrate how dune collisions cause a dune field to evolve into a set of uniformly-sized dunes. Our second goal is to investigate the influence of reversing winds and polar processes in relation to dune slope and morphology. Using numerical experiments, we investigate possible causes of distinctive morphologies seen in Antarctic and martian polar dunes. Finally, we discuss possible model extensions and needed observations that will enable the inclusion of more realistic physical environments in the dune and dune field evolution models. By elucidating the qualitative and quantitative connections between environmental conditions, physical processes, and resultant dune and dune field morphologies, this research furthers our ability to interpret spacecraft images of dune fields, and to use present-day observations to improve our understanding of past terrestrial and martian environments.

Control parameters of the martian dune field positions at planetary scale: tests by the MCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

allemand, pascal

2016-04-01

The surface of Mars is occupied by more than 500 dunes fields mainly located inside impact craters of the south hemisphere and near the north polar cap. The questions of the activity of martian dunes and of the localization of the martian dune fields are not completely solved. It has been demonstrated recently by image observation and image correlation that some of these dune fields are clearly active. The sand flux of one of them has been even estimated. But there is no global view of the degree of activity of each the dune fields. (2)The topography of impact craters in which dune fields are localized is an important factor of their position. But there is no consensus of the effect of global atmospheric circulation on dune field localization. These two questions are addressed using the results of Mars Climate Database 5.2 (MCD) (Millour, 2015; Forget et al., 1999). The wind fields of the MCD have been first validated against the observations made on active dune fields. Using a classical transport law, the Drift Potential (DP) and the Relative Drift Potential (RDP) have been computed for each dune fields. A good correlation exists between the position of dune fields and specific values of these two parameters. The activity of each dune field is estimated from these parameters and tested on some examples by image observations. Finally a map of sand flow has been computed at the scale of the planet. This map shows that sand and dust is trapped in specific regions. These regions correspond to the area of dune field concentration.

Terrestrial subaqueous seafloor dunes: Possible analogs for Venus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neakrase, Lynn D.V.; Klose, Martina; Titus, Timothy N.

2017-01-01

Dunes on Venus, first discovered with Magellan Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) in the early 1990s, have fueled discussions about the viability of Venusian dunes and aeolian grain transport. Confined to two locations on Venus, the existence of the interpreted dunes provides evidence that there could be transportable material being mobilized into aeolian bedforms at the surface. However, because of the high-pressure high-temperature surface conditions, laboratory analog studies are difficult to conduct and results are difficult to extrapolate to full-sized, aeolian bedforms. Field sites of desert dunes, which are well-studied on Earth and Mars, are not analogous to what is observed on Venus because of the differences in the fluid environments. One potentially underexplored possibility in planetary science for Venus-analog dune fields could be subaqueous, seafloor dune fields on Earth. Known to the marine geology communities since the early 1960s, seafloor dunes are rarely cited in planetary aeolian bedform literature, but could provide a necessary thick-atmosphere extension to the classically studied aeolian dune environment literature for thinner atmospheres. Through discussion of the similarity of the two environments, and examples of dunes and ripples cited in marine literature, we provide evidence that subaqueous seafloor dunes could serve as analogs for dunes on Venus. Furthermore, the evidence presented here demonstrates the usefulness of the marine literature for thick-atmosphere planetary environments and potentially for upcoming habitable worlds and oceanic environment research program opportunities. Such useful cross-disciplinary discussion of dune environments is applicable to many planetary environments (Earth, Mars, Venus, Titan, etc.) and potential future missions.

Soil-landscape development and late Quaternary environmental change in coastal Estremadura, Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniels, Michael; Haws, Jonathan; Benedetti, Michael; Bicho, Nuno

2015-04-01

This poster integrates soil-landscape analysis with archaeological survey and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Soils in surface and buried contexts in Estremadura, Portugal, provide evidence of landscape stability and instability, relative age relationships between landforms, and general paleoenvironmental conditions during the late Quaternary. These factors provide insight into the distribution and condition of Paleolithic archaeological sites and help understand the record of human settlement in the region. Late Pleistocene and Holocene dunes extend inland approximately 10 km from coastal source regions. Surface soils in Holocene dunes under maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) forest exhibit A, E, C/Bh and A, C horizon sequences and classify as Quartzipsamments. Surface soils in late Pleistocene dunes exhibit A, E, Bh, Bhs, Bs horizon sequences and classify as Haplorthods. Both Pleistocene and Holocene dunes commonly bury a heavily weathered soil formed in calcareous sandstone. The boundary between underlying buried soils and overlying surface soils is characterized by a lag deposit of medium to coarse, moderately-rounded gravels, underlain immediately by subsurface Bt and Bss horizons. The lag deposit and absence of buried A horizons both indicate intense and/or prolonged surface erosion prior to burial by late Quaternary dunes. Soil-geomorphic relationships therefore suggest at least two distinct episodes of dune emplacement and subsequent landscape stability following an extensive episode late Pleistocene landscape instability and soil erosion. A conceptual model of soil-landscape evolution through the late Quaternary and Holocene results from the integration of soil profile data, proxy paleoenvironmental data, and the partial record of human settled as revealed in the archaeological record.

Dunes with Frost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

31 May 2004 Springtime for the martian northern hemisphere brings defrosting spots and patterns to the north polar dune fields. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an example located near 76.7oN, 250.4oW. In summer, these dunes would be darker than their surroundings. However, while they are still covered by frost, they are not any darker than the substrate across which the sand is slowly traveling. Dune movement in this case is dominated by winds that blow from the southwest (lower left) toward the northeast (upper right). The picure covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.

Evidence of active dune sand on the Great Plains in the 19th century from accounts of early explorers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, D.R.; Holliday, V.T.

1995-01-01

Dune fields are found in several areas of the Great Plains, and though mostly stabilised today, the accounts of early explorers show that they were more mobile in the last century. Using an index of dune mobility and tree ring data, it is found that these periods of mobility were related to temperature-induced drought, the high temperatures increasing evapotranspiration. Explorers also record that rivers upwind of these dune fields had shallow braided channels in the 19th century, and these would have supplied further aeolian sand. It is concluded that these dunes are extremely susceptible to climate change and that it may not need global warming to increase their mobility again. -K.Clayton

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-01

This image shows individual dunes on the floor of Russell Crater. These dunes are in the southern part of the dune field. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21799

The Evolution of a Snow Dune Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filhol, S.; Pirk, N.; Schuler, T.; Burkhart, J. F.

2017-12-01

On March 24, 2017 we observed the evolution of a snow dune field during a passing storm on the alpine plateau of Finse, Norway. With a terrestrial lidar we captured 15 high-resolution scans of the snow surface over an area of about 5000 m2 over the course of 7.5 hours from which we analyze morphological changes. An eddy covariance system located nearby at the Finse Alpine Research Station recorded wind and its turbulent structure, and measured the snow drifting flux with a FlowCapt sensor. This combined dataset provides novel insight into the responses and changes of the snow surface morphology exposed to storm constraints (e.g. wind speed, drifting flux). We found that individual dunes have moved 30 to 37 m over the course of 7.5 hours. The wavelength of the dunes varied from 10.3±3.1 m at the time of the first scan to 13.6±3.3 m at the last scan. Within this time period we observed individual dunes 1) migrating down wind, later becoming 2) temporarily nearly static as the wind speed dropped, and finally 3) migrating, growing, and merging into larger transverse dunes under strong wind conditions accompanied by large quantities of drifting snow. This dynamics can be considered analogous to sand dune behavior, however, on much shorter time scale (1h vs 10-100 years) and smaller spatial scale (10m vs 100m). The record of this event helps us to understand the morphological evolution of a snow surface during a blowing snow storm, and further illustrates the fate of self-sustained bedforms such as dunes in varying conditions. Such detailed description of erosion/deposition processes of the snow surface are crucial for improvements of land surface models, commonly applied to hydrological and ecological purposes.

Temporal and spatial patterns of Holocene dune activity on the Great Plains of North America: megadroughts and climate links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forman, Steven L.; Oglesby, Robert; Webb, Robert S.

2001-05-01

The Holocene record of eolian sand and loess deposition is reviewed for numerous presently stabilized dune fields on the Great Plains of North America. Dune field activity reflects decade-to-century-scale dominance of drought that exceeded historic conditions, with a growing season deficit of precipitation >25%. The largest dune fields, the Nebraska Sand Hills and ergs in eastern Colorado, Kansas and the Southern High Plains showed peak activity sometime between ca. 7 and 5 cal. ka. Loess deposition between ca. 10 and 4 cal. ka also signifies widespread aridity. Most dune fields exhibit evidence for one or more reactivation events sometime in the past 2 cal. ka; a number of localities register two events post 1 cal. ka, the latest potentially after 1400 AD. However, there is not a clear association of the latest dune remobilization events with up to 13 droughts in the past 2 cal. ka identified in dendroclimatic and lacustrine records. Periods of persistent drought are associated with a La Niña-dominated climate state, with cooling of sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean and later of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico that significantly weakens cyclogenesis over central North America. As drought proceeds, reduced soil moisture and vegetation cover would lessen evaporative cooling and increase surface temperatures. These surface changes strengthen the eastward expansion of a high-pressure ridge aloft and shift the jet stream northward, further enhancing continent-wide drought. Uncertainty persists if dune fields will reactivate in the future at a scale similar to the Holocene because of widespread irrigation, the lack of migratory bison herds, and the suppression of prairie fires, all of which enhance stabilization of dune fields in the Great Plains.

Short-term changes in mobile dunes at Port Alfred, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubke, Roy A.; Sugden, Jean

1990-03-01

Development along the western beachfront of Port Alfred, which is situated along a sandy shoreline, increased markedly in the 1960s as the coastal town became a popular holiday resort. This development included the removal of coastal vegetation, which resulted in the destabilization of dunes and migration of sand westerly onto the road, West Beach parking lot, and lawns of the cabanas. Sand traps were constructed to collect sand blowing across the dunes over set periods, and the net sand movement along the mobile dune belt was calculated using Hunter's equation. The dunes show an easterly movement of sand at a rate of 3.5 m/yr, which is comparable with figures recorded along other areas of this coastline. Considering the wind regime and amount of sand movement along this coast, it is inappropriate to clear vegetation and develop within the dune region.

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-02

This image shows individual dunes on the floor of Russell Crater, as well as larger dunes created by individual dunes coalescing . These dunes are in the western part of the dune field. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 26372 Latitude: -54.372 Longitude: 12.5481 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2007-11-24 17:16 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21800

Annual monsoon rains recorded by Jurassic dunes.

PubMed

Loope, D B; Rowe, C M; Joeckel, R M

2001-07-05

Pangaea, the largest landmass in the Earth's history, was nearly bisected by the Equator during the late Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic eras. Modelling experiments and stratigraphic studies have suggested that the supercontinent generated a monsoonal atmospheric circulation that led to extreme seasonality, but direct evidence for annual rainfall periodicity has been lacking. In the Mesozoic era, about 190 million years ago, thick deposits of wind-blown sand accumulated in dunes of a vast, low-latitude desert at Pangaea's western margin. These deposits are now situated in the southwestern USA. Here we analyse slump masses in the annual depositional cycles within these deposits, which have been described for some outcrops of the Navajo Sandstone. Twenty-four slumps, which were generated by heavy rainfall, appear within one interval representing 36 years of dune migration. We interpret the positions of 20 of these masses to indicate slumping during summer monsoon rains, with the other four having been the result of winter storms. The slumped lee faces of these Jurassic dunes therefore represent a prehistoric record of yearly rain events.

Glimpse of Bagnold Dunes Edging Mount Sharp

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-11-16

The dark band in the lower portion of this Martian scene is part of the "Bagnold Dunes" dune field lining the northwestern edge of Mount Sharp, inside Gale Crater. The view combines multiple images taken with the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on Sept. 25, 2015, during the 1,115th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars. The images are from Mastcam's right-eye camera, which has a telephoto lens. The view is toward south-southeast. Curiosity will visit examples of the Bagnold Dunes on the rover's route to higher layers of Mount Sharp. The informal name for the dune field is a tribute to British military engineer Ralph Bagnold (1896-1990), a pioneer in the study of how winds move sand particles of dunes on Earth. The dune field is evident as a dark band in orbital images of the area inside Gale Crater where Curiosity has been active since landing in 2012, such as a traverse map at PIA20162. Dunes are larger than wind-blown ripples of sand or dust that Curiosity and other rovers have visited previously. The scene is presented with a color adjustment that approximates white balancing, to resemble how the rocks and sand would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19929

National assessment of nor’easter-induced coastal erosion hazards: mid- and northeast Atlantic coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Birchler, Justin J.; Dalyander, P. Soupy; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Doran, Kara S.

2015-09-21

Extreme coastal changes caused by hurricanes or nor’easters may increase the vulnerability of communities both during a storm and to future storms. For example, when sand dunes are substantially eroded, inland structures are exposed to storm surge and waves. On barrier islands, absent or low dunes allow water to flow inland across the island.

Investigation of Reversing Sand Dunes at the Bruneau Dunes, Idaho, as Analogs for Features on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimbelman, J. R.; Scheidt, S. P.

2012-12-01

The Bruneau Dunes in south-central Idaho include several large reversing sand dunes located within a cut-off meander of the Snake River. These dunes include the largest single-structured sand dune present in North America. Wind records from the Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) installation at the Mountain Home Air Force Base, which is ~21 km NW of the Bruneau Dunes, have proved to be very helpful in assessing the regional wind patterns at this section of the western Snake River Plains province; a bimodal wind regime is present, with seasonal changes of strong (sand-moving) winds blowing from either the northwest or the southeast. During April of 2011, we obtained ten precision topographic surveys across the southernmost reversing dune using a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). The DGPS data document the shape of the dune going from a low, broad sand ridge at the southern distal end of the dune to the symmetrically shaped 112-m-high central portion of the dune, where both flanks of the dune consist of active slopes near the angle of repose. These data will be useful in evaluating the reversing dune hypothesis proposed for enigmatic features on Mars called Transverse Aeolian Ridges (TARs), which could have formed either as large mega-ripples or small sand dunes. The symmetric profiles across TARs with heights greater than 1 m are more consistent with measured profiles of reversing sand dunes than with measured profiles of mega-ripples (whose surfaces are coated by large particles ranging from coarse sand to gravel, moved by saltation-induced creep). Using DGPS to monitor changes in the three-dimensional location of the crests of the reversing dunes at the Bruneau Dunes should provide a means for estimating the likely timescale for changes of TAR crests if the Martian features are indeed formed in the same manner as reversing sand dunes on Earth.

Aeolian dunes as ground truth for atmospheric modeling on Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayward, R.K.; Titus, T.N.; Michaels, T.I.; Fenton, L.K.; Colaprete, A.; Christensen, P.R.

2009-01-01

Martian aeolian dunes preserve a record of atmosphere/surface interaction on a variety of scales, serving as ground truth for both Global Climate Models (GCMs) and mesoscale climate models, such as the Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (MRAMS). We hypothesize that the location of dune fields, expressed globally by geographic distribution and locally by dune centroid azimuth (DCA), may record the long-term integration of atmospheric activity across a broad area, preserving GCM-scale atmospheric trends. In contrast, individual dune morphology, as expressed in slipface orientation (SF), may be more sensitive to localized variations in circulation, preserving topographically controlled mesoscale trends. We test this hypothesis by comparing the geographic distribution, DCA, and SF of dunes with output from the Ames Mars GCM and, at a local study site, with output from MRAMS. When compared to the GCM: 1) dunes generally lie adjacent to areas with strongest winds, 2) DCA agrees fairly well with GCM modeled wind directions in smooth-floored craters, and 3) SF does not agree well with GCM modeled wind directions. When compared to MRAMS modeled winds at our study site: 1) DCA generally coincides with the part of the crater where modeled mean winds are weak, and 2) SFs are consistent with some weak, topographically influenced modeled winds. We conclude that: 1) geographic distribution may be valuable as ground truth for GCMs, 2) DCA may be useful as ground truth for both GCM and mesoscale models, and 3) SF may be useful as ground truth for mesoscale models. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Observations regarding the movement of barchan sand dunes in the Nazca to Tanaca area of southern Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker Gay, S.

1999-03-01

Significant studies of sand dunes and sand movement made in coastal southern Peru in 1959-1961 [Gay, S.P., 1962. Origen, distribución y movimiento de las arenas eólicas en el área de Yauca a Palpa. Boletin de la Sociedad Geologica del Perú 37, 37-58] have never been published in the English language and consequently have never been referred to in the standard literature. These studies contain valuable information, not developed by later workers in this field, that may be of broad general interest. For example, using airphotos of barchan dunes and plotting the rates of movement vs. dune widths, the author quantified the deduction of Bagnold [Bagnold, R.A., 1941. The Physics of Blown Sand and Desert Dunes. Methuen, London.] that the speed of barchan movement is inversely proportional to barchan size (as characterized by height or width). This led to the conclusion that all barchans in a given dune field, regardless of size, sweep out approximately equal areas in equal times. Another conclusion was that collisions between smaller, overtaking dunes and larger dunes in front of them do not result in destruction or absorption of the smaller dunes if the collision is a `sideswipe'. The dunes simply merge into a compound dune for a time, and the smaller dune then moves on intact, i.e., passes, the larger dune, whilst retaining its approximate original size and shape. Another result of the 1959-1961 studies was a map that documents the Pacific coast beaches as the source of the sand ( Fig. 1), which is then blown inland through extensive dune fields of barchans and other dune forms in great clockwise-sweeping paths, to its final resting place in huge sand masses, sometimes called `sand seas' [Lancaster, N., 1995. Geomorphology of Desert Dunes. Routledge, London], at higher elevations 20 to 60 km from the coast. A minor, but nevertheless interesting, discovery was a small heavy mineral dune located directly in the lee of a large barchan, evidently formed by the winnowing action of turbulent airflow streaming off the crest of the 20 m high slipface.

A unified model of bedforms in water, Earth and other planetary bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duran Vinent, O.; Claudin, P.; Winter, C.; Andreotti, B.

2017-12-01

The emergence of bedforms as result of the coupling between a fluid flow and sediment transport is a remarkable example of self-organized natural patterns. Subaqueous bedforms generated by unidirectional water flows, like ripples, dunes or compound bedforms, have been shown to depend on grain size, water depth and flow velocity. However, this variety of morphologies, empirically classified according to their size, is still not understood in terms of mechanical and hydrodynamical mechanisms. We present a process-based model that simultaneously explain the scaling of bedforms for Water, Air, Mars and Venus, and can be potentially applied to other planetary bodies such as Titan or Pluto. The model couples hydrodynamics over a modulated bed to sediment transport and relaxation laws, and resolves pattern coarsening from initial to mature bedforms. We find two fundamental types of bedforms, called `laminar' and `turbulent' and analogous to water ripples and dunes, and the conditions leading to their formation. By relating morphology to hydrodynamic and sediment transport details, our model opens the way to extract hydrodynamic information from the stratigraphy record and shed a light to past and current planetary conditions.

Quantification of Dune Response over the Course of a 6-Day Nor'Easter, Outer Banks, NC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brodie, K. L.; Spore, N.; Swann, C.

2014-12-01

The amount and type of foredune morphologic change during a storm event primarily scales with the level of inundation during that event. Specifically, external hydrodynamic forcing (total water level) can be compared with antecedent beach and foredune morphology to predict an impact regime that relates to the type of expected morphologic evolution of the system. For example, when total water levels are above the dune toe, but below the dune crest, the impact regime is classified as "collision" and the expected morphology response is slumping or scarping of the dune face. While the amount of dune retreat scales largely with the duration of wave attack to the dune face, characteristics of the dune other than its crest or toe elevation may also enhance or impede rates of morphologic change. The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy provided a unique opportunity to observe alongshore variations in dune response to a 6-day Nor'Easter (Hs >4 m in 6 m depth), as a variety of dunes were constructed (or not) by individual home owners in preparation for the winter storm season. Daily terrestrial lidar scans were conducted along 20 km of coastline in Duck, NC using Coastal Lidar And Radar Imaging System (CLARIS) during the first dune collision event following Sandy. Foredunes were grouped by their pre-storm form (e.g. vegetated, pushed, scarped, etc) using automated feature extraction tools based on surface curvature and slope, and daily rates of morphologic volume change were calculated. The highest dune retreat rates were focused along a 1.5 km region where cross-shore erosion of recently pushed, un-vegetated dunes reached 2 m/day. Variations in dune response were analyzed in relation to their pre-storm morphology, with care taken to normalize for alongshore variations in hydrodynamic forcing. Ongoing research is focused on identifying specific metrics that can be easily extracted from topographic DEMs to aid in dune retreat predictions.

Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-24

This VIS image of Kaiser Crater shows individual dunes and where the dunes have coalesced into longer dune forms. The addition of sand makes the dunes larger and the intra-dune areas go from sand-free to complete coverage of the hard surface of the crater floor. With a continued influx of sand the region will transition from individual dunes to a sand sheet with surface dune forms. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 1423 Latitude: -46.9573 Longitude: 18.6192 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-04-10 16:44 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22173

Variations in Titan's dune orientations as a result of orbital forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, George D.; Hayes, Alexander G.; Ewing, Ryan C.; Lora, Juan M.; Newman, Claire E.; Tokano, Tetsuya; Lucas, Antoine; Soto, Alejandro; Chen, Gang

2016-05-01

Wind-blown dunes are a record of the climatic history in Titan's equatorial region. Through modeling of the climatic conditions associated with Titan's historical orbital configurations (arising from apsidal precessions of Saturn's orbit), we present evidence that the orientations of the dunes are influenced by orbital forcing. Analysis of 3 Titan general circulation models (GCMs) in conjunction with a sediment transport model provides the first direct intercomparison of results from different Titan GCMs. We report variability in the dune orientations predicted for different orbital epochs of up to 70°. Although the response of the GCMs to orbital forcing varies, the orbital influence on the dune orientations is found to be significant across all models. Furthermore, there is near agreement among the two models run with surface topography, with 3 out of the 5 dune fields matching observation for the most recent orbital cycle. Through comparison with observations by Cassini, we find situations in which the observed dune orientations are in best agreement with those modeled for previous orbital configurations or combinations thereof, representing a larger portion of the cycle. We conclude that orbital forcing could be an important factor in governing the present-day dune orientations observed on Titan and should be considered when modeling dune evolution.

Eolian deposition cycles since AD 500 in Playa San Bartolo lunette dune, Sonora, Mexico: Paleoclimatic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega, Beatriz; Schaaf, Peter; Murray, Andrew; Caballero, Margarita; Lozano, Socorro; Ramirez, Angel

2013-12-01

Records of past climatic changes in desert environments are scarce due to the poor preservation of biological proxies. To overcome this lack we consider the paleoenvironmental significance and age of a lunette dune at the eastern rim of Playa San Bartolo (PSB) in the Sonoran Desert (Mexico). Thermoluminescence and optical stimulated luminescence (TL and OSL) provide the chronology of lunette dune development. Mineralogical, geochemical (major, trace and REE element concentrations) and rock magnetic analyses allow for the assessment of sediment provenance and changes in the composition of the PSB dune over time. The upper 6 m of dune accumulation occurred over the past 1.5 ka, largely during AD 500-1200, a period that correlates with the Medieval climatic anomaly (AD 300-1300). Variability in composition of dune sediments is attributed to changes in sediment sources. Sand sized deposits are mainly eroded from granitoids from nearby outcrops. Sandy silt deposits, rich in evaporative minerals, resulted after the flooding of PSB, later deflation and accumulation of both detritic and authigenic components in the dune. These findings suggest that main dune accretion occurred during regionally extended drought conditions, disrupted by sporadic heavy rainfall.

Evidence of Active Dune Sand on the Great Plains in the 19th Century from Accounts of Early Explorers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhs, Daniel R.; Holliday, Vance T.

1995-03-01

Eolian sand is extensive over the Great Plains of North America, but is at present mostly stabilized by vegetation. Accounts published by early explorers, however, indicate that at least parts of dune fields in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas were active in the 19th century. Based on an index of dune mobility and a regional tree-ring record, the probable causes for these periods of greater eolian activity are droughts, accompanied by higher temperatures, which greatly lowered the precipitation-to-evapotranspiration ratio and diminished the cover of stabilizing vegetation. In addition, observations by several explorers, and previous historical studies, indicate that rivers upwind of Great Plains dune fields had shallow, braided, sandy channels, as well as intermittent flow in the 19th century. Wide, braided, sandy rivers that were frequently dry would have increased sand supplies to active dune fields. We conclude that dune fields in the Great Plains are extremely sensitive to climate change and that the potential for reactivation of stabilized dunes in the future is high, with or without greenhouse warming.

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-13

Dunes cover the majority of this image of Rabe Crater. As the dunes are created by wind action the forms of the dunes record the wind direction. Dunes will have a long low angle component and a short high angle side. The steep side is called the slip face. The wind blows up the long side of the dune. In this VIS image the slip faces are illuminated more than the longer side. In this part of the crater the winds were generally moving from the lower right corner of the image towards the upper left. Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 35105 Latitude: -43.8533 Longitude: 34.8802 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-11-12 19:59 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22141

Geochemical evidence for a complex origin for the Kelso dunes, Mojave National Preserve, California USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, Daniel; Lancaster, Nicholas; Skipp, Gary L.

2017-01-01

The Kelso Dune field in southern California is intriguing because although it is of limited areal extent (~ 100 km2), it has a wide variety of dune forms and contains many active dunes (~ 40 km2), which is unusual in the Mojave Desert. Studies over the past eight decades have concluded that the dunes are derived primarily from a single source, Mojave River alluvium, under a dominant, westerly-to-northwesterly wind regime. The majority of these studies did not, however, present data to support the Mojave River as the only source. We conducted mineralogical and geochemical studies of most of the 14 geomorphically defined dune groups of the Kelso Dune field as well as potential sand sources, alluvial sediments from the surrounding mountain ranges. Results indicate that sands in the nine western dune groups have K/Rb and K/Ba (primarily from K-feldspar) compositions that are indistinguishable from Mojave River alluvium (westerly/northwesterly winds) and Budweiser Wash alluvium (southwesterly winds), permitting an interpretation of two sources. In contrast, sands from the five eastern dune groups have K/Rb and K/Ba values that indicate significant inputs from alluvial fan deposits of the Providence Mountains. This requires either rare winds from the east or southeast or, more likely, aeolian reworking of distal Providence Mountain fan sediments by winds from the west, at a rate greater than input from the Mojave River or other western sources. The results indicate that even a small dune field can have a complex origin, either from seasonally varying winds or complex alluvial-fan-dune interaction. Application of K/Rb and K/Ba in K-feldspar as a provenance indicator could be used in many of the world's ergs or sand seas, where dune origins are still not well understood or are controversial. Four examples are given from Africa and the Middle East where such an approach could yield useful new information about dune sand provenance.

A complex origin for the Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA: A case study using a simple geochemical method with global applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhs, Daniel R.; Lancaster, Nicholas; Skipp, Gary L.

2017-01-01

The Kelso Dune field in southern California is intriguing because although it is of limited areal extent ( 100 km2), it has a wide variety of dune forms and contains many active dunes ( 40 km2), which is unusual in the Mojave Desert. Studies over the past eight decades have concluded that the dunes are derived primarily from a single source, Mojave River alluvium, under a dominant, westerly-to-northwesterly wind regime. The majority of these studies did not, however, present data to support the Mojave River as the only source. We conducted mineralogical and geochemical studies of most of the 14 geomorphically defined dune groups of the Kelso Dune field as well as potential sand sources, alluvial sediments from the surrounding mountain ranges. Results indicate that sands in the nine western dune groups have K/Rb and K/Ba (primarily from K-feldspar) compositions that are indistinguishable from Mojave River alluvium (westerly/northwesterly winds) and Budweiser Wash alluvium (southwesterly winds), permitting an interpretation of two sources. In contrast, sands from the five eastern dune groups have K/Rb and K/Ba values that indicate significant inputs from alluvial fan deposits of the Providence Mountains. This requires either rare winds from the east or southeast or, more likely, aeolian reworking of distal Providence Mountain fan sediments by winds from the west, at a rate greater than input from the Mojave River or other western sources. The results indicate that even a small dune field can have a complex origin, either from seasonally varying winds or complex alluvial-fan-dune interaction. Application of K/Rb and K/Ba in K-feldspar as a provenance indicator could be used in many of the world's ergs or sand seas, where dune origins are still not well understood or are controversial. Four examples are given from Africa and the Middle East where such an approach could yield useful new information about dune sand provenance.

Creating dune landscapes for nature and housing - how to assess the designs?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Ancker, J.; Jungerius, P. D.; Hartman, J.

2012-04-01

Over the last decades landscape and nature organisations in The Netherlands initiated discussions about safeguarding characteristic historical landscapes, as well as improving nature and landscape quality. In these discussions they were supported by Dutch government agencies and newspapers. As a consequence, architects, landscape architects and building firms in the Netherlands try to upgrade the quality of houses and build-up areas by creating special landscape settings. Dunes are one of the landscapes that appeal to the designers, and several projects make use of dunes to create a quality living environment. Also nature manager construct dunes in what is called 'new nature'. This contribution evaluates several projects creating dune landscapes. Criteria for the evaluation are: - the subsequent geomorphology, - the materials used for construction, - the resulting internal structure, - the soil profile, - the relationship with the vegetation, - the historical integrity of the location. These examples indicate that engaging earth-scientific knowhow would substantially improve the authenticity of the designs.

Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-23

Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southeastern part of the crater floor. Most of the individual dunes in Kaiser Crater are barchan dunes. Barchan dunes are crescent shaped with the points of the crescent pointing downwind. The sand is blown up the low angle side of the dune and then tumbles down the steep slip face. This dune type forms on hard surfaces where there is limited amounts of sand. Barchan dunes can merge together over time with increased sand in the local area. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 1036 Latitude: -46.7795 Longitude: 20.2075 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-03-09 20:07 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22172

Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-29

This VIS image of Kaiser Crater shows a region of the dunes with varied appearances. The different dune forms developed due to different amounts of available sand, different wind directions, and the texture of the crater floor. The dune forms change from the bottom to the top of the image - large long connected dunes, to large individual dunes, to the very small individual dunes at the top of the image. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 17686 Latitude: -46.6956 Longitude: 19.8394 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-12-09 13:25 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22261

A review of the chronologies and geomorphology of the aeolian landforms in the northwestern Negev dunefield (Israel)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roskin, Joel

2015-04-01

The northwestern (NW) Negev Desert dunefield covering an area of only 1,300 km2, comprises the eastern end of the northern Sinai Peninsula - NW Negev erg and is probably the most densely dated dune body in the INQUA Dunes Atlas chronologic database. Over 230 luminescence ages (TL, IRSL, and mainly OSL) and radiocarbon dates have been retrieved over the past course of 20 years from calcic and sandy palaeosols serving as dune substrates, sand sheets, vegetated linear dunes (VLDs), fluvial deposits, and archaeological sites. Despite being from different deposit types and aeolian morphologies, and based on different methodologies, the chronologies usually show good compatibility. By reviewing and reassessing the significance of the Eastern Mediterranean INQUA Dunes Atlas chronologies, along with detailed stratigraphic, structural and geomorphologic data and understandings, the major, and possibly extreme, episodes of aeolian activity and stability are outlined. Repetitive chronostratigraphic sequences in VLDs indicate that this dune type, at least in the Negev, comprises a reliable recorder of main dune mobilization periods. This presentation demonstrates that certain combinations of research finds, using different OSL dating strategies and other regional and local late Quaternary records and in particular aeolian ones, are required assets for providing for acceptable local and regional palaeoclimatic interpretations. The distribution of the VLD chronologies points to rapid mobilization during the Heinrich 1 and Younger Dryas, characterized by powerful winds, though VLDs also form in late Holocene palaeoenvironments. Time slices illustrate the different sensitivities of the studied aeolian landforms to the source, availability, and supply of sediment; long- and short-term climate change, local human-induced environmental changes and also their joint effects, that enable evaluation of aeolian responses to future environmental and climate changes.

Relating sedimentary processes in the Bagnold Dunes to the development of crater basin aeolian stratification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, R. C.; Lapotre, M. G. A.; Lewis, K. W.; Day, M. D.; Stein, N.; Rubin, D. M.; Sullivan, R. J., Jr.; Banham, S.; Thomas, N. M.; Lamb, M. P.; Gupta, S.; Fischer, W. W.

2017-12-01

Wind-blown sand dunes are ubiquitous on the surface of Mars and are a recognized component of the martian stratigraphic record. Our current knowledge of the aeolian sedimentary processes that determine dune morphology, drive dune dynamics, and create aeolian cross-stratification are based upon orbital studies of ripple and dune morphodynamics, rover observations of stratification on Mars, Earth analogs, and experimental and theoretical studies of sand movement under martian conditions. Exploration of the Bagnold Dunes by the Curiosity Rover in Gale Crater, Mars provided the first opportunity to make in situ observations of martian dunes from the grain-to-dune scale. We used the suite of cameras on Curiosity, including Navigation Camera, Mast Camera, and Mars Hand Lens Imager. We measured grainsize and identified sedimentary processes similar to processes on terrestrial dunes, such as grainfall, grainflow, and impact ripples. Impact ripple grainsize had a median of 0.103 mm. Measurements of grainflow slopes indicate a relaxation angle of 29° and grainfall slopes indicate critical angles of at least 32°. Dissimilar to terrestrial dunes, large, meter-scale ripples form on all slopes of the dunes. The ripples form both sinuous and linear crestlines, have symmetric and asymmetric profiles, range in height between 12cm and 28cm, and host grainfall, grainflow, and impact ripples. The largest ripples are interpreted to integrate the annual wind cycle within the crater, whereas smaller large ripples and impact ripples form or reorient to shorter term wind cycling. Assessment of sedimentary processes in combination with dune type across the Bagnold Dunes shows that dune-field pattern development in response to a complex crater-basin wind regime dictates the distribution of geomorphic processes. From a stratigraphic perspective, zones of highest potential accumulation correlate with zones of wind convergence, which produce complex winds and dune field patterns thereby limiting the potential distribution of types of aeolian stratification preserved within crater basins.

Late Pleistocene dune-sourced alluvial fans in coastal settings: Sedimentary facies and related processes (Mallorca, Western Mediterranean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pomar, F.; del Valle, L.; Fornós, J. J.; Gómez-Pujol, L.

2018-05-01

Aeolian-alluvial sedimentary interaction results in the formation of deposits characterized by typical alluvial sedimentary structures, but is composed of conspicuous amounts of aeolian sediments. The literature on this topic is limited and most works relate more with continental aeolian dunes or fluvial dune interference with fan bodies. Furthermore, there is a lack of examples of aeolian-alluvial sedimentary interference in coastal settings. In the western Mediterranean, there are many Pleistocene alluvial fan deposits built up partly by sediment originating from coastal dunes dismantled by alluvial streams. Very often, these deposits show a continuous sedimentary sequence through which we can derive the contribution and predominance of coastal, alluvial-colluvial and aeolian processes and their controls on landscape formation. This is an outstanding feature within coastal systems since it shows marine sediments reworked and integrated within coastal dune fields by aeolian transport, and the latter built up into alluvial fan bodies. In this sense, aeolian-alluvial interaction is the geomorphic-sedimentary expression of the coexistence and overlapping of alluvial and aeolian environments resulting in deposits sharing sedimentary features from both environments. The aim of this paper is to unravel the contribution of coastal dunes in the construction of alluvial fans bodies and identify the main sedimentary facies that constitute these deposits, as well as their climatic controls. For this reason, Es Caló fan (northern Mallorca) has been selected due to its well-exposed deposits exhibiting the alternation of aeolian, alluvial and colluvial deposits. Sedimentological and stratigraphic analyses based on 33 logs and complementary analyses demonstrate that most of the facies constituting the fan body are made up completely of marine bioclastic sands. These deposits record an alluvial fan sedimentary environment characterized by sediments inputs that do not proceed from non-alluvial/fluvial/colluvial systems. In fact they relate with a marine source. Chronologies on aeolianites of northern Mallorca indicate that up to four periods of aeolian deposition took place during cooling stages and marine regressions over the last 100 kyr. Moreover, the alternation of short warming-cooling fluctuations between the cooling stages may have provided the conditions necessary to generate stormy weather in the western Mediterranean, resulting in aeolian-alluvial interactions. Additionally, the dynamics of this sedimentary environment were only possible because during the Last Glacial Maximum, the sea level remained low enough to allow for the formation of coastal dune fields and fans.

Coupling Aeolian Stratigraphic Architecture to Paleo-Boundary Conditions: The Scour-Fill Dominated Jurassic Page Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardenas, B. T.; Kocurek, G.; Mohrig, D. C.; Swanson, T.

2017-12-01

The stratigraphic architecture of aeolian sandstones is thought to encode signals originating from both autogenic dune behavior and allogenic boundary conditions within which the dune field evolves. Mapping of outcrop-scale bounding surfaces and sets of cross-strata between these surfaces for the Jurassic Page Sandstone near Page, AZ, USA, demonstrates that dune autogenic behavior manifested in variable dune scour depth, whereas the dominant boundary conditions were antecedent topography and water-table elevation. At the study area, the Page Sandstone is 60 m thick and is separated from the underlying Navajo Sandstone by the J-2 regional unconformity, which shows meters of relief. Filling J-2 depressions are thin, climbing sets of cross-strata. In contrast, the overlying Page consists of packages of one to a few, meter-scale sets of cross-strata between the outcrop-scale bounding surfaces. These surfaces, marked by polygonal fractures and local overlying sabkha deposits, are regional in scale and correlated to high stands of the adjacent Carmel sea. Over the km-scale outcrop, the surfaces show erosional relief and packages of cross-strata are locally truncated. Notably absent within these cross-strata packages are early dune-field accumulations, interdune deposits, and apparent dune-climbing. These strata are interpreted to represent a scour-fill architecture created by migrating large dunes within a mature dry aeolian sand sea, in which early phases of dune-field construction have been cannibalized and dune fill of the deepest scours is recorded. At low angles of climb, set thickness is dominated by the component of scour-depth variation over the component resulting from the angle of climb. After filling of J-2 depressions, the Page consists of scour-fill accumulations formed during low stands. Carmel transgressions limited sediment availability, causing deflation to the water table and development of the regional bounding surfaces. Each subsequent fall of the water table with Carmel regressions renewed sediment availability, including local breaching of the resistant surfaces and cannibalization of Page accumulations. The Page record exists because of preservation associated with Carmel transgressions and subsidence, without which the Page would be represented by an erosional surface.

Southern high latitude dune fields on Mars: Morphology, aeolian inactivity, and climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenton, L.K.; Hayward, R.K.

2010-01-01

In a study area spanning the martian surface poleward of 50?? S., 1190 dune fields have been identified, mapped, and categorized based on dune field morphology. Dune fields in the study area span ??? 116400km2, leading to a global dune field coverage estimate of ???904000km2, far less than that found on Earth. Based on distinct morphological features, the dune fields were grouped into six different classes that vary in interpreted aeolian activity level from potentially active to relatively inactive and eroding. The six dune field classes occur in specific latitude zones, with a sequence of reduced activity and degradation progressing poleward. In particular, the first signs of stabilization appear at ???60?? S., which broadly corresponds to the edge of high concentrations of water-equivalent hydrogen content (observed by the Neutron Spectrometer) that have been interpreted as ground ice. This near-surface ground ice likely acts to reduce sand availability in the present climate state on Mars, stabilizing high latitude dunes and allowing erosional processes to change their morphology. As a result, climatic changes in the content of near-surface ground ice are likely to influence the level of dune activity. Spatial variation of dune field classes with longitude is significant, suggesting that local conditions play a major role in determining dune field activity level. Dune fields on the south polar layered terrain, for example, appear either potentially active or inactive, indicating that at least two generations of dune building have occurred on this surface. Many dune fields show signs of degradation mixed with crisp-brinked dunes, also suggesting that more than one generation of dune building has occurred since they originally formed. Dune fields superposed on early and late Amazonian surfaces provide potential upper age limits of ???100My on the south polar layered deposits and ???3Ga elsewhere at high latitudes. No craters are present on any identifiable dune fields, which can provide a lower age limit through crater counting: assuming all relatively stabilized dune fields represent a single noncontiguous surface of uniform age, their estimated crater retention age is

Multiscale Geoarchaeological Approaches from the Laurentine Shore, Castelporziano, Lazio, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bicket, A. R.; Rendell, H. M.; Claridge, A.; Rose, P.; Brown, F. S. J.

2009-04-01

The relationship between the meso-scale record of human activity during the Roman period and the larger-scale coastal development of the Tiber Delta (ca. 20 ka) is investigated using the archaeological and sedimentary record from a large aquaculture pond and its wider meso- to macro-scale geomorphological setting. The position of the pond is adjacent to the Roman period shoreline, known as the Laurentine Shore on the southern, distal flank of the Tiber delta, Lazio Italy, within what is now the Castelporziano Estate. The pond is thought to have been constructed in the wet dune slack behind the active coastal foredune. Magnetometer survey and excavation of the archaeological structures around this pond have shown them to be substantial features ca. 80m in length with high-status Imperial Roman architecture and with evidence for water management. Sedimentological analysis of sediment cores from within the ponds are supplemented with diatom analysis to assess the period of pre-construction, use and abandonment of this aquaculture pond. Diatom analysis suggests a relatively short period of use and it is argued that abandonment of the aquaculture structures may be linked to both alkali groundwater conditions and the dynamism of the coastal zone preventing effective management. Optical luminescence dating of the archaeological sediments and the post-abandonment dunes that bury part of the site suggest that the aquaculture pond was abandoned ca. 100 years prior to final abandonment of the Roman settlement. This case-study also highlights the implications for meso-scale investigations of human/environment relationships utilising relatively low-sensitivity sedimentary records without high-resolution proxy records. D-GPS survey in conjunction with a high-quality DEM has permitted important archaeological remains to be understood relative to sea level; a key variable for examining the formation and development of the dune ridge record. These surveys have also permitted the effective mapping of dune ridges, from aerial photography, under the extremely dense vegetation that hinders easy access across much of the site. The D-GPS georeferenced DEM has been linked to the diatom analysis of a cored salt marsh to peat sediment transition providing valuable biostratigraphic information for deriving an accurate measurement of the Roman period sea level (Lambeck et al., 2004a). This measurement is in line with published literature from nearby coastal sites, ca. - 1.3m RSL (Lambeck et al., 2004b). Understanding the sites geomorphological development in the context of eustatic sea level is a key consideration for issues of sand supply driving dune formation, linked ultimately to the development of the Tiber Delta since the Last Glacial Maximum and throughout the Holocene. On this larger spatial scale, the archaeological sites described within the Laurentine Shore, built upon the Roman period coastline, are now preserved several hundred metres inland of the contemporary shoreline. The development of the shoreline can now be investigated within the macro-scale progradation of the Tiber delta relative to eustatic sea level rise. Archaeological excavations since the 1980's have provided a rich record of high status villas, and also the supporting infrastructure of a village settlement (vicus), roads, aqueduct and the large aquaculture ponds. The dominant geomorphological features on the site are preserved coastal dune ridges. Sampling was undertaken along an alongshore transect and three inland transects. This sampling regime focuses upon the contemporary deposition of sands on the beach and the phases of dune formation, preservation and alteration recorded by the relict dune crests in relation to the archaeological record. A campaign of optical dating of the relict dune crests has provided a Late Pleistocene and Holocene record of sandsheet and dune formation linked to delta progradation that permits the larger spatial- and temporal-scale context of the archaeological record to be discussed. Sedimentary petrology techniques allow the provenance and transportation dynamics of both the sand-sized and dust-sized sediments to be assessed. Furthermore this approach also enables an investigation of carbonate and iron oxide diagenetic cements, which are an important product of the long-term in situ weathering of the dune ridges' mineralogical assemblages, but is also a feature of short-term weathering of archaeological contexts. This work has implications for locations of interest to geoarchaeological surveys. There are also important implications for the mineralogy, provenance and preservation of luminescent minerals; and some form mineralogical/provenance analysis is recommended for all optical dating studies as a result. In summary, the geoarchaeological approach undertaken at Castelporziano allows the meso-scale human/environment interactions to be considered within the broader temporal scales of the late Quaternary. It also permits consideration within the macro-spatial scales of the Tiber Delta's development during the last 15-20ka within the context of eustatic sea level rise. REFERENCES LAMBECK, K., ANTONIOLI, F., PURCELL, A. & SILENZI, S. (2004a) Sea-level change along the Italian coast for the past 10,000 yr. Quaternary Science Reviews, 23, 1567-1598. LAMBECK, K., ANZIDEI, M., ANTONIOLI, F., BENINI, A. & ESPOSITO, A. (2004b) Sea level in Roman time in the Central Mediterranean and implications for recent change. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 224, 563-575.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 13 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-09-07

ISS013-E-78506 (7 Sept. 2006) --- Sand dunes near Mongolia's Har Lake are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember on the International Space Station. Har (or Black) Lake is located in the western part of the country within the Valley of Lakes--part of a system of closed basins that stretches across central Asia. According to scientists, these basins are the remnants of larger paleolakes that had begun to shrink in size by approximately five thousand years ago as regional climate became drier. Today, the Valley of Lakes is an important ecological resource for study of steppe grasslands, and as resting points for large numbers of migratory birds. Portions of the basin are designated as national parks or other protected areas, and Har Lake itself is an ecotourism destination (usually by horseback). This oblique view captures the dynamic nature of the landscape of Har Lake. The lake is encircled by sand dune fields which encroach on the lower slopes of the Tobhata Mountains to the west and south. Gaps in the mountains have been exploited by sand dunes moving eastward (indicating westerly winds) -- the most striking example being a series of dunes entering Har Lake along its southwestern shoreline. Here, the dune forms reflect the channeling of winds through the break in the mountain ridgeline, leading to dune crests oriented transverse to northwesterly winds. Another well-developed line of dunes is visible between Har and Baga Lakes. While these dunes appear to cut across a lake surface, the dunes have in fact moved across a narrow stream channel.

A Late Pleistocene linear dune dam record of aeolian-fluvial dynamics at the fringes of the northwestern Negev dunefield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roskin, Joel; Bookman, Revital; Friesem, David; Vardi, Jacob

2017-04-01

The paper presents a late Pleistocene aeolian-fluvial record within a linear dune-like structure that partway served as a dune dam. Situated along the southern fringe of the northwestern Negev desert dunefield (Israel) the structure's morphology, orientation, and some of its stratigraphic units partly resemble adjacent west-east extending vegetated linear dunes. Uneven levels of light-colored, fine-grained fluvial deposits (LFFDs) extend to the north and south from the flanks of the studied structure. Abundant Epipalaeolithic sites line the fringes of the LFFDs. The LFFD microstructures of fine graded bedding and clay blocky peds indicate sorting and shrinking of saturated clays in transitional environments between low energy flows to shallow standing water formed by dunes damming a mid-sized drainage system. The structure's architecture of interchanging units of sand with LFFDs indicates interchanging dominances between aeolian sand incursion and winter floods. Sand mobilization associated with powerful winds during the Heinrich 1 event led to dune damming downstream of the structure and within the structure to in-situ sand deposition, partial fluvial erosion, reworking of the sand, and LFFD deposition. Increased sand deposition led to structure growth and blockage of its drainage system that in turn accumulated LFFD units up stream of the structure. Extrapolation of current local fluvial sediment yields indicate that LFFD accretion up to the structure's brim occurred over a short period of several decades. Thin layers of Geometric Kebaran (c. 17.5-14.5 ka cal BP) to Harifian (12-11 ka BP) artifacts within the structure's surface indicates intermittent, repetitive, and short term camping utilizing adjacent water along a timespan of 4-6 kyr. The finds directly imply that the NW Negev LFFDs formed in dune-dammed water bodies which themselves were formed following events of vegetated linear dune elongation. LFFD accumulation persisted as a result of dune dam maintenance by smaller sand mobilization events. Wetter climates increased flood events boosting LFFD buildup rates but shortened dune dam longevity. The abundance and recurrence of water bodies in middle and large basins deteriorated after Harifian times when reduced wind power during the post-Younger Dryas constrained dune dam maintenance. Eventually, dune dam incision began as a result of overland flow after accommodation space dissipated due to LFFD accretion. Altogether, fluctuating high wind power and precipitation during a glacial-interglacial time window and high availability of fine-grained fluvial sediment yield from eroded middle to late Pleistocene upstream highlands loess mantles, combined to create a trio of aeolian-fluvial forcing factors supporting short-term but amplified dune-dammed fluvial depositional conditions.

National assessment of hurricane-induced coastal erosion hazards: Northeast Atlantic Coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Birchler, Justin J.; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Doran, Kara S.; Thompson, David M.

2014-01-01

Extreme coastal changes caused by hurricanes may increase the vulnerability of communities both during a storm and to future storms. For example, when sand dunes are substantially eroded, inland structures are exposed to storm surge and waves. On barrier islands, absent or low dunes allow water to flow inland across the island, potentially increasing storm surge in the back bay, on the sound-side of the barrier, and on the mainland.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bogle, Rian; Redsteer, Margaret Hiza; Vogel, John M.

2015-01-01

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.

Effects of topography on the dune forming winds on Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, Erik J.; Toon, O. B.; Friedson, A. J.

2013-10-01

Cassini observed hundreds of dune fields on Titan, nearly all of which lie in the tropics and suggest westerly (from west to east) winds dominate at the surface. Most GCMs however have obtained easterly surface winds in the tropics, seemingly contradicting the wind direction suggested by the dunes. This has led to an active debate in the community about the origin of the dune forming winds on Titan and their direction and modality. This discussion is mostly driven by a study of Earth dunes seen as analogous to Titan. One can find examples of dunes on Earth that fit several wind regimes. To date only one GCM, that of Tokano (2008, 2010), has presented detailed analysis of its near surface winds and their dune forming capabilities. Despite the bulk of the wind being easterly, this GCM produces faster westerlies at equinox, thus transporting sand to the east. Our model, the Titan CAM (Friedson et al. 2009), is unable to reproduce the fast westerlies. Our GCM has been updated to include realistic topography released by the Cassini radar team. Preliminary results suggest our tropical wind regime now has net westerly winds in the tropics, albeit weak. References: Tokano, T. 2008. Icarus 194, 243-262. Tokano, T. 2010. Aeolian Research 2, 113-127. Friedson, J. et al. 2009. Planet. Sp. Sci., 57, 1931-1949.

The investigation of active Martian dune fields using very high resolution photogrammetric measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jungrack; Kim, Younghwi; Park, Minseong

2016-10-01

At the present time, arguments continue regarding the migration speeds of Martian dune fields and their correlation with atmospheric circulation. However, precisely measuring the spatial translation of Martian dunes has succeeded only a very few times—for example, in the Nili Patera study (Bridges et al. 2012) using change-detection algorithms and orbital imagery. Therefore, in this study, we developed a generic procedure to precisely measure the migration of dune fields with recently introduced 25-cm resolution orbital imagery specifically using a high-accuracy photogrammetric processor. The processor was designed to trace estimated dune migration, albeit slight, over the Martian surface by 1) the introduction of very high resolution ortho images and stereo analysis based on hierarchical geodetic control for better initial point settings; 2) positioning error removal throughout the sensor model refinement with a non-rigorous bundle block adjustment, which makes possible the co-alignment of all images in a time series; and 3) improved sub-pixel co-registration algorithms using optical flow with a refinement stage conducted on a pyramidal grid processor and a blunder classifier. Moreover, volumetric changes of Martian dunes were additionally traced by means of stereo analysis and photoclinometry. The established algorithms have been tested using high-resolution HIRISE time-series images over several Martian dune fields. Dune migrations were iteratively processed both spatially and volumetrically, and the results were integrated to be compared to the Martian climate model. Migrations over well-known crater dune fields appeared to be almost static for the considerable temporal periods and were weakly correlated with wind directions estimated by the Mars Climate Database (Millour et al. 2015). As a result, a number of measurements over dune fields in the Mars Global Dune Database (Hayward et al. 2014) covering polar areas and mid-latitude will be demonstrated. Acknowledgements:The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under iMars grant agreement Nr. 607379.

Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-30

At the top of this VIS image crescent shaped dunes are visible. As the dunes approach a break in elevation the forms change to connect the crescents together forming long aligned dune forms. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 34157 Latitude: -46.9336 Longitude: 18.9272 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-08-26 18:49 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22262

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-15

This VIS image highlights the dune form/dune density aspects of Olypmia Undae. In the center there is a brighter, diagonal region of few dunes. These dunes are the arc or crescent shape of barchan dunes. As more sand becomes available the barchan dunes begin to merge into transverse dunes. The region of dunes surrounding the bright swath still have the underlying surface visible, and the transverse dunes have a lace-like layout. In the regions with a significant abundance of sand have developed the tightly packed transverse dunes with the wave-like distribution. Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 13238 Latitude: 80.7247 Longitude: 173.91 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-12-08 09:25 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22296

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 17 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-09-15

ISS017-E-016521 (15 Sept. 2008) --- Sandy Cape and Fraser Island, Australia are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 17 crewmember on the International Space Station. Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island, includes Great Sandy National Park and is located along the coastline of Queensland, Australia. The island was designated a World Heritage site in 1992, in part due to its outstanding preservation of geological processes related to sand dune formation. According to scientists, the island's dune fields preserve a record of sand deposition and movement related to sea level rise and fall extending back over 700,000 years. In addition to sand dunes, the island also preserves an interesting range of vegetation -- including vine rainforest, stands of eucalypt trees, and mangroves -- and diverse fauna including crabs, parrots, sugar gliders and flying foxes. This view highlights the northernmost portion of the island, known as Sandy Cape. Active white sand dunes contrast with dark green vegetation that anchors older dune sets. Irregular patches of sand dunes surrounded by vegetation are known as sand blows (or blowouts), formed when the vegetation cover is disturbed -- by wind, fire, or human activities. The exposed underlying sand can then move and form new dunes, sometimes at rates of up to one meter per year. Coastal sand dune fields -- such as the one located along the eastern side of Sandy Cape (center) -- will remain active until anchored by vegetation, or until no more sand is available to form new dunes.

Spatio-temporal patterns of sediment particle movement on 2D and 3D bedforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsubaki, Ryota; Baranya, Sándor; Muste, Marian; Toda, Yuji

2018-06-01

An experimental study was conducted to explore sediment particle motion in an open channel and its relationship to bedform characteristics. High-definition submersed video cameras were utilized to record images of particle motion over a dune's length scale. Image processing was conducted to account for illumination heterogeneity due to bedform geometric irregularity and light reflection at the water's surface. Identification of moving particles using a customized algorithm was subsequently conducted and then the instantaneous velocity distribution of sediment particles was evaluated using particle image velocimetry. Obtained experimental results indicate that the motion of sediment particles atop dunes differs depending on dune geometry (i.e., two-dimensional or three-dimensional, respectively). Sediment motion and its relationship to dune shape and dynamics are also discussed.

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-05

Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 27652 Latitude: 80.983 Longitude: 170.458 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2008-03-09 04:03 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22288

The Slipface Awakens : Evolution of Linear dunes to Megabarchans ? Examples from Liwa (UAE), Badain Jaran and Titan.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, Ralph; Radebaugh, Jani; Barnes, Jason; Turtle, Elizabeth

2016-04-01

The term megabarchans, referring to large crescentic dunes, might be thought to suggest a link to common barchans. However, the spatial arrangement of megabarchans, such as those at Liwa in the United Arab Emirates where the recent Star Wars movie was filmed, is quite distinct from that found in barchan corridors, and the mechanism by which winds in a unidirectional regime might cause dunes to grow to such large sizes is not at all obvious. Instead, we suggest that the growth and regular arrangement of megabarchans results from their prior accumulation as large linear dunes in a bidirectional wind regime, and the subsequent reduction in frequency or intensity of one of the wind directions. The more unidirectional wind then results in preferential slip face development on one side, and slow migration (slow, since the dunes are large - we report measurements of 50-80m high dunes at Liwa of ~0.1m/yr). The continuum of linear to hooked barchan forms in the Rub Al'Khali south of Liwa supports this paradigm. The Badain Jaran desert similarly has rather large dunes with a regular arrangement, but may have evolved further, with generally more well-developed crescentic slip faces. The relevance of this evolution to Titan, where some hooked barchan forms have been identified, will be discussed. Another feature of Liwa and the Badain Jaran, that may also have a counterpart on Titan, is the existence of interdune sabkhas due to a near-surface water table. In the Badain Jaran these are quite often water-filled, and similarly in the Lençóis Maranhenses barchanoid dunes in Brazil, seasonal flooding of the interdunes occurs. The possible role of water on sand mobility and the resultant dune morphology will be discussed.

Dark Streaks Over-riding Inactive Dunes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Not all sand dunes on Mars are active in the modern martian environment. This example from the Lycus Sulci (Olympus Mons'aureole') region shows a case where small windblown dunes at the base of a slope have been over-ridden by more recent dark streaks (arrows). The dark streaks are most likely caused by what geologists call mass wasting or mass movement (landslides and avalanches are mass movements). Dark slope streaks such as these are common in dustier regions of Mars, and they appear to result from movement of extremely dry dust or sand in an almost fluidlike manner down a slope. This movement disrupts the bright dust coating on the surface and thus appears darker than the surrounding terrain.

In this case, the dark slope streaks have moved up and over the dunes at the bottom of the slope, indicating that the process that moves sediment down the slope is more active (that is, it has occurred more recently and hence is more likely to occur) in the modern environment than is the movement of dunes and ripples at this location on Mars. The dunes, in fact, are probably mantled by dust. This October 1997 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture is illuminated from the left and located near 31.6oN, 134.0oW.

Airflow-terrain interactions through a mountain gap, with an example of eolian activity beneath an atmospheric hydraulic jump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaylord, David R.; Dawson, Paul J.

1987-09-01

The integration of atmospheric soundings from a fully instrumented aircraft with detailed sedimentary and geomorphic analyses of eolian features in the Ferris dune field of south-central Wyoming lends insight into the manner in which topography interacts with airflow to modify eolian activity. Topographically modified airflow results in zones of airflow deceleration, acceleration, and enhanced atmospheric turbulence, all of which influence the surface morphology and sedimentology. Extreme lateral confluence of prevailing airflow produces accelerated, unidirectional winds. These winds correlate with unusually continuous and elongate parabolic dunes that extend into a mountain gap (Windy Gap). Persistently heightened winds produced at the entrance to Windy Gap have resulted in a concentration of active sand dunes that lack slipfaces. Common development of a strongly amplified atmospheric wave analogous to a hydraulic jump in the gap contributes to the formation of a variety of eolian features that mantle the surface of Windy Gap and the Ferris dune field tail. Heightened, unidirectional winds in this zone promote grain-size segregation, the formation of elongated and aligned sand drifts, climbing and falling dunes, elongate scour streaks, and parabolic dunes that have low-angle (<20°) cross-stratification. Deflation of bedrock and loose sediment has been enhanced in the zone of maximum turbulence beneath the hydraulic jump.

A 45-year time series of Saharan dune mobility from remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vermeesch, P.

2012-04-01

Decadal trends in the aeolian dust record of the Sahara affect the global climate system and the nutrient budget of the Atlantic Ocean. One proposed cause of these trends are changes in the frequency and intensity of dust storms, which have hitherto been hard to quantify. Because sand flux scales with the cube of wind speed, dune migration rates can be used as a proxy for storminess. Relative changes in the storminess of the Sahara can thus be monitored by tracking the migration rates of individual sand dunes over time. The Bodélé Depression of northern Chad was selected as a target area for this method, because it is the most important point-source of aeolian dust on the planet and features the largest and fastest dunes on Earth. A collection of co-registered Landsat, SPOT, and ASTER scenes, combined with declassified American spy satellite images was used to construct a 45 year record of dune migration in the Bodélé Depression. One unexpected outcome of the study was the observation of binary dune interactions in the imagery sequence, which reveals that when two barchan dunes collide, a transfer of mass occurs so that one dune appears to travel through the other unscathed, like a solitary wave. This confirms a controversial numerical model prediction and settles a decade-old debate in aeolian geomorphology. The COSI-Corr change detection method was used to measure the dune migration rates from 1984 until 1987, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. An algorithm was developed to automatically warp the resulting displacement fields back to a common point in time. Thus, individual image pixels of a dune field were tracked over time, allowing the extraction of a time series from the co-registered satellite images without further human intervention. The automated analysis was extended further back into the past by comparison of the 1984 image with declassified American spy satellite (Corona) images from 1965 and 1970. Due to the presence of specks of dust as well as image distortions caused by shrinking of the photographic film, it was not possible to automatically measure the dune displacements of these scenes with COSI-Corr. Instead, the image was georeferenced and coregistered to the 1984 Landsat imagery by third order polynomial fits to 531 tie points, and the displacements of ten large barchan dunes were measured by hand. Thanks to the 19-year time lapse between the two images used for these 'analog' measurements, their precision is better than 5%, which is comparable with that of the automated COSI-Corr analysis. The resulting dune celerities are identical to the automated measurements, which themselves show little or no temporal variability over the subsequent 26 years. The lack of any trend in the time series of dune celerity paints a picture of remarkably stable dune mobility over the past 45 years. None of the distributions fall outside the overall average of 25m/yr. The constant dune migration rates resulting from our study indicate that there has been no change in the storminess of the Sahara over the past 45 years. The observed dust trends are therefore caused by changes in vegetation cover, which in turn reflect changes in precipitation and land usage. This work highlights the importance of the hyper-arid Bodélé Depression, which provides a steady but finite supply of aeolian dust to the atmosphere without which nutrient fluxes and terrestrial albedo would be more variable than they are today.

Dune-Yardang Interactions in Becquerel Crater, Mars.

PubMed

Urso, Anna; Chojnacki, Matthew; Vaz, David A

2018-01-01

Isolated landscapes largely shaped by aeolian processes can occur on Earth, while the majority of Mars' recent history has been dominated by wind-driven activity. Resultantly, Martian landscapes often exhibit large-scale aeolian features, including yardang landforms carved from sedimentary-layered deposits. High-resolution orbital monitoring has revealed that persistent bedform activity is occurring with dune and ripple migration implying ongoing abrasion of the surface. However, little is known about the interaction between dunes and the topography surrounding them. Here we explore dune-yardang interactions in Becquerel crater in an effort to better understand local landscape evolution. Dunes there occur on the north and south sides of a 700 m tall sedimentary deposit, which displays numerous superposed yardangs. Dune and yardang orientations are congruent, suggesting that they both were formed under a predominantly northerly wind regime. Migration rates and sediment fluxes decrease as dunes approach the deposit and begin to increase again downwind of the deposit where the effect of topographic sheltering decreases. Estimated sand abrasion rates (16-40 μm yr -1 ) would yield a formation time of 1.8-4.5 Myr for the 70 m deep yardangs. This evidence for local aeolian abrasion also helps explain the young exposure ages of deposit surfaces, as estimated by the crater size-frequency distribution. Comparisons to terrestrial dune activity and yardang development begin to place constraints on yardang formation times for both Earth and Mars. These results provide insight into the complexities of sediment transport on uneven terrain and are compelling examples of contemporary aeolian-driven landscape evolution on Mars.

Dune-Yardang Interactions in Becquerel Crater, Mars

PubMed Central

Urso, Anna; Chojnacki, Matthew; Vaz, David A.

2018-01-01

Isolated landscapes largely shaped by aeolian processes can occur on Earth, while the majority of Mars’ recent history has been dominated by wind-driven activity. Resultantly, Martian landscapes often exhibit large-scale aeolian features, including yardang landforms carved from sedimentary-layered deposits. High-resolution orbital monitoring has revealed that persistent bedform activity is occurring with dune and ripple migration implying ongoing abrasion of the surface. However, little is known about the interaction between dunes and the topography surrounding them. Here we explore dune-yardang interactions in Becquerel crater in an effort to better understand local landscape evolution. Dunes there occur on the north and south sides of a 700 m tall sedimentary deposit, which displays numerous superposed yardangs. Dune and yardang orientations are congruent, suggesting that they both were formed under a predominantly northerly wind regime. Migration rates and sediment fluxes decrease as dunes approach the deposit and begin to increase again downwind of the deposit where the effect of topographic sheltering decreases. Estimated sand abrasion rates (16–40 μm yr−1) would yield a formation time of 1.8–4.5 Myr for the 70 m deep yardangs. This evidence for local aeolian abrasion also helps explain the young exposure ages of deposit surfaces, as estimated by the crater size-frequency distribution. Comparisons to terrestrial dune activity and yardang development begin to place constraints on yardang formation times for both Earth and Mars. These results provide insight into the complexities of sediment transport on uneven terrain and are compelling examples of contemporary aeolian-driven landscape evolution on Mars. PMID:29564199

Dune-Yardang Interactions in Becquerel Crater, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urso, Anna; Chojnacki, Matthew; Vaz, David A.

2018-02-01

Isolated landscapes largely shaped by aeolian processes can occur on Earth, while the majority of Mars' recent history has been dominated by wind-driven activity. Resultantly, Martian landscapes often exhibit large-scale aeolian features, including yardang landforms carved from sedimentary-layered deposits. High-resolution orbital monitoring has revealed that persistent bedform activity is occurring with dune and ripple migration implying ongoing abrasion of the surface. However, little is known about the interaction between dunes and the topography surrounding them. Here we explore dune-yardang interactions in Becquerel crater in an effort to better understand local landscape evolution. Dunes there occur on the north and south sides of a 700 m tall sedimentary deposit, which displays numerous superposed yardangs. Dune and yardang orientations are congruent, suggesting that they both were formed under a predominantly northerly wind regime. Migration rates and sediment fluxes decrease as dunes approach the deposit and begin to increase again downwind of the deposit where the effect of topographic sheltering decreases. Estimated sand abrasion rates (16-40 μm yr-1) would yield a formation time of 1.8-4.5 Myr for the 70 m deep yardangs. This evidence for local aeolian abrasion also helps explain the young exposure ages of deposit surfaces, as estimated by the crater size-frequency distribution. Comparisons to terrestrial dune activity and yardang development begin to place constraints on yardang formation times for both Earth and Mars. These results provide insight into the complexities of sediment transport on uneven terrain and are compelling examples of contemporary aeolian-driven landscape evolution on Mars.

Hurricane Irma's Effects on Dune and Beach Morphology at Matanzas Inlet, Atlantic Coast of North Florida: Impacts and Inhibited Recovery?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, P. N.; Conlin, M. P.; Johnson, H. A.; Paniagua-Arroyave, J. F.; Woo, H. B.; Kelly, B. P.

2017-12-01

During energetic coastal storms, surge from low atmospheric pressure, high wave set-up, and increased wave activity contribute to significant morphologic change within the dune and upper beach environments of barrier island systems. Hurricane Irma made landfall on the southwestern portion of the Florida peninsula, as a category 4 storm on Sept 10th, 2017 and tracked northward along the axis of the Florida peninsula for two days before dissipating over the North American continent. Observations along the North Florida Atlantic coast recorded significant wave heights of nearly 7 m and water levels that exceeded predictions by 2 meters on the early morning of Sept. 11th. At Fort Matanzas National Monument, the dune and upper beach adjacent to Matanzas Inlet experienced landward retreat during the storm, diminishing the acreage of dune and scrub habitat for federally-listed endangered and threatened animal species, including the Anastasia beach mouse, gopher tortoises, and several protected shore birds. Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS surveys, conducted prior to the passage of the storm (Sept. 8) and immediately after the storm (Sept. 13) document dune scarp retreat >10 m in places and an average retreat of 7.8 m (+/- 5.2 m) of the 2-m beach contour, attributable to the event, within the study region. Although it is typical to see sedimentary recovery at the base of dunes within weeks following an erosive event of this magnitude, our follow up RTK surveys, two weeks (Sept. 26) and five weeks (Oct. 19) after the storm, document continued dune retreat and upper beach lowering. Subsequent local buoy observations during the offshore passage of Hurricanes Jose, Maria (Sept. 17 and 23, respectively) and several early-season Nor'easters recorded wave heights well above normal (2-3 meters) from the northeast. The lack of recovery may reveal a threshold vulnerability of the system, in which the timing of multiple moderate-to-high wave events, in the aftermath of a land falling-hurricane, produces a long-term morphological response, inhibiting the dune sedimentary system from reestablishing its previous configuration.

Decadal-scale variation in dune erosion and accretion rates: An investigation of the significance of changing storm tide frequency and magnitude on the Sefton coast, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pye, K.; Blott, S. J.

2008-12-01

Monitoring of frontal dune erosion and accretion on the Sefton coast in northwest England over the past 50 years has revealed significant spatial and temporal variations. Previous work has shown that the spatial variations primarily reflect longshore differences in beach and nearshore morphology, energy regime and sediment budget, but the causes of temporal variations have not previously been studied in detail. This paper presents the results of work carried out to test the hypothesis that a major cause of temporal variation is changes in the frequency and magnitude of storms, surges and resulting high tides. Dune toe erosion/accretion records dating from 1958 have been compared with tide gauge records at Liverpool and Heysham. Relatively high dune erosion rates at Formby Point 1958-1968 were associated with a relatively large number of storm tides. Slower erosion at Formby, and relatively rapid accretion in areas to the north and south, occurred during the 1970's and 1980's when there were relatively few major storm tides. After 1990 rates of dune erosion at Formby increased again, and dunes to the north and south experienced slower accretion. During this period high storm tides have been more frequent, and the annual number of hours with water levels above the critical level for dune erosion has increased significantly. An increase in the rate of mean sea-level rise at both Liverpool and Heysham is evident since 1990, but we conclude that this factor is of less importance than the occurrence of extreme high tides and wave action associated with storms. The incidence of extreme high tides shows an identifiable relationship with the lunar nodal tidal cycle, but the evidence indicates that meteorological forcing has also had a significant effect. Storms and surges in the eastern Irish Sea are associated with Atlantic depressions whose direction and rate of movement have a strong influence on wind speeds, wave energy and the height of surge tides. However, preliminary analysis has indicated only a modest relationship between dune erosion/accretion rates and the North Atlantic Oscillation index.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Bagnold Dunes Campaign, Phase I: Overview and introduction to the special issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bridges, Nathan T.; Ehlmann, Bethany L.

2018-01-01

The Bagnold dunes in Gale Crater, Mars, are the first active aeolian dune field explored in situ on another planet. The Curiosity rover visited the Bagnold dune field to understand modern winds, aeolian processes, rates, and structures; to determine dune material composition, provenance, and the extent and type of compositional sorting; and to collect knowledge that informs the interpretation of past aeolian processes that are preserved in the Martian sedimentary rock record. The Curiosity rover conducted a coordinated campaign of activities lasting 4 months, interspersed with other rover activities, and employing all of the rover's science instruments and several engineering capabilities. Described in 13 manuscripts and summarized here, the major findings of the Bagnold Dunes Campaign, Phase I, include the following: the characterization of and explanation for a distinctive, meter-scale size of sinuous aeolian bedform formed in the high kinetic viscosity regime of Mars' thin atmosphere; articulation and evaluation of a grain splash model that successfully explains the occurrence of saltation even at wind speeds below the fluid threshold; determination of the dune sands' basaltic mineralogy and crystal chemistry in comparison with other soils and sedimentary rocks; and characterization of chemically distinctive volatile reservoirs in sand-sized versus dust-sized fractions of Mars soil, including two volatile-bearing types of amorphous phases.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 22 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-12-01

ISS022-E-005258 (1 Dec. 2009) --- This detailed hand-held digital camera?s image recorded from the International Space Station highlights sand dunes in the Fachi-Bilma erg, or sand sea, which is part of the central eastern Tenere Desert. The Tenere occupies much of southeastern Niger and is considered to be part of the larger Sahara Desert that stretches across northern Africa. Much of the Sahara is comprised of ergs ? with an area of approximately 150,000 square kilometers, the Fachi-Bilma is one of the larger sand seas. Two major types of dunes are visible in the image. Large, roughly north-south oriented transverse dunes fill the image frame. This type of dune tends to form at roughly right angles to the dominant northeasterly winds. The dune crests are marked in this image by darker, steeper sand accumulations that cast shadows. The lighter-toned zones between are lower interdune ?flats?. The large dunes appear to be highly symmetrical with regard to their crests. This suggests that the crest sediments are coarser, preventing the formation of a steeper slip face on the downwind side of the dune by wind-driven motion of similarly-sized sand grains. According to NASA scientists, this particular form of transverse dune is known as a zibar, and is thought to form by winnowing of smaller sand grains by the wind, leaving the coarser grains to form dune crests. A second set of thin linear dunes oriented at roughly right angles to the zibar dunes appears to be formed on the larger landforms and is therefore a younger landscape feature. These dunes appear to be forming from finer grains in the same wind field as the larger zibars. The image was taken with digital still camera fitted with a 400 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center.

Non-climatic signal in ice core records: Lessons from Antarctic mega-dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekaykin, Alexey; Eberlein, Lutz; Lipenkov, Vladimir; Popov, Sergey; Schroder, Ludwig

2015-04-01

We present the results of glaciological investigations in the mega-dune area located 30 km to the east from Vostok Station (central East Antarctica) implemented during the 58th and 59th Russian Antarctic Expedition (January 2013 and January 2014). Snow accumulation rate and isotope content (δD and δ18O) were measured along the 2-km profile across the mega-dune ridge accompanied by precise GPS altitude measurements and GPR survey. It is shown that the spatial variability of snow accumulation and isotope content covaries with the surface slope. The accumulation rate regularly changes by 1 order of magnitude within the distance < 1 km, with the reduced accumulation at the leeward slope of the dune and increased accumulation in the hollow between the dunes. At the same time, the accumulation rate averaged over the length of a dune wave (25 mm w.e.) corresponds well with the value obtained at Vostok Station, which suggests no additional wind-driven snow sublimation in the mega-dunes comparing to the surrounding plateau. The snow isotope content is in negative correlation with the snow accumulation, which could be explained by post-depositional snow modification and/or by enhanced redistribution by wind of winter precipitation comparing to summer precipitation. Using the GPR data, we estimated the dune drift velocity (5.5 ± 1.3 m yr-1). The full cycle of the dune drift is thus about 340 years. Since the spatial anomalies of snow accumulation and isotope content are supposed to drift with the dune, an ice core drilled in the mega-dune area would exhibit the non-climatic 340-yr cycle of these two parameters. We made an attempt to simulate a vertical profile of isotope content with such a non-climatic variability in a virtual ice core, using the data on the dune size and velocity. The obtained results are discussed in terms of real ice core data interpretation.

The formation of low-angle eolian stratification through the migration of protodunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, R. C.; Phillips, J. D.; Weymer, B. A.; Barrineaux, P.; Bowling, R.; Nittrouer, J. A.

2017-12-01

Protodunes are low-relief, slipfaceless migrating bed forms that represent the emergent form of eolian sand dunes. Protodunes develop as cm-scale topography out of a flat bed of sand and evolve spatially and temporally into dunes with angle-of-repose slipfaces. Protodunes at White Sands Dune Field in New Mexico form at the upwind, trailing margin of the field, on dune stoss slopes, and in interdune areas. Here we analyze protodunes at the upwind margin of White Sands by coupling 200 mHz ground penetrating radar (GPR) with time-series high-resolution topography to characterize the origin and evolution of protodune stratification and the stratigraphic transition into fully developed dunes. We surveyed a 780m transect in the resultant transport direction of the dune field from SW to NE from sand patches through protodunes and into the first dune. We used airborne lidar surveys and structure-from-motion photogrammetry from 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2016. We find that protodune stratification forms at angles between 0-10 degrees by protodune migration. Dip angles increase as protodune amplitude increases along the transect. Accumulation of low-angle stratification increases across the first 650m and ranges from none to subcritical. Nearly aggradational accumulation of low-angle stratification occurs over the last 100m and is a precursor to angle-of-repose slipface formation. The origins of the aggradation and slipface development appear to be linked to protodune merging, dune interactions, and possibly to the development of a dune field-scale boundary layer. Protodunes and the formation of low-angle stratification at the upwind margin of White Sands are a good analog to the initiation of dune field development from sand sheets and the formation of low-angle stratification found at the base of eolian successions in the stratigraphic record.

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-16

This VIS image was collected at the height of summer. It is during this season that winds are able to move sand sized particles, slowly modifying the dunes. Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 13475 Latitude: 80.7459 Longitude: 177.171 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-12-27 21:44 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22297

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-04

This image shows the western part of the dune field on the floor of Russell Crater. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 33970 Latitude: -54.3831 Longitude: 12.3712 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-08-11 09:20 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21802

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-09

This image shows the central part of the dune field on the floor of Russell Crater. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 34856 Latitude: -54.5757 Longitude: 12.8629 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-10-23 08:04 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21806

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-07

This VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected early in north polar spring. The crests of the dunes are light colored, indicative of a frost covering. As the season changes into summertime, the dune crests will lose the frost and reveal the darker sand beneath. The linear nature of transverse dunes can be seen at the bottom of the image. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time. Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 10380 Latitude: 79.7273 Longitude: 176.363 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-04-17 02:00 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22290

Comparisons of Unconsolidated Sediments Analyzed by APXS (MSL-Curiosity) within Gale Crater, Mars: Soils, Sands of the Barchan and Linear Dunes of the Active Bagnold Dune Field, and Ripple-field Sands.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, L. M.; O'Connell-Cooper, C.; Spray, J. G.; Gellert, R.; Boyd, N. I.; Desouza, E.

2017-12-01

The MSL-APXS has analyzed a variety of unconsolidated sediments within the Gale impact crater, including soils, sands from barchan [High, Namib dunes], and linear dunes [Nathan Bridges, Mount Desert dunes], within the active Bagnold dune field, and sands from two smaller ripple fields ("mega-ripples"). The Gale "soils" (unsorted, unconsolidated sediments, ranging from fine-grained particles (including dust) to coarser "pebbly" material [>2 mm]), are, to a large degree, similar to Martian basaltic soils quantified by APXS, at Gusev crater (MER-A_Spirit) and Meridiani Planum (MER-B_Opportunity). Some local contributions are indicated by, for example, the enriched K levels (relative to a martian average basaltic soil [ABS]) within coarser Gale soil samples, and a Cr, Mn, Fe enrichment within finer-grained samples. Sands (grain size 62 µm to 2 mm) of the Bagnold dunes, generally, exhibit elevated Mg and Ni, indicating enrichment from olivine and pyroxene, but depleted S, Cl and Zn, indicating high activity levels and low dust. Compositional differences, related both to position within a dune (i.e., crest versus off-crest sand), and type of dune (linear versus barchan), are identified. Off-crest sands have Na, Al, Si, K, P contents similar to (or slightly depleted, relative to) the ABS, enrichment in Mg, and low dust content, whilst crest sands contain very high Mg and Ni (relative to the ABS), low felsic elemental concentrations and very low dust content. Cr is significantly enriched (and, to a lesser degree, Mn, Fe, Ti) in the off-crest sands of the linear dunes. In contrast, barchan dunes off-crest sands have Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ti abundances similar to those in the Gale soils. Additionally, Ni concentrations in barchan dunes off-crest sands are enriched relative to the linear dunes. Analyses from a small, isolated "mega-ripple" reveal a composition similar to that of the Gale soils, including a high dust content. The second mega-ripple, within a larger ripple field, is broadly similar in composition to the active dune sands, with low dust, and elevated Mg and Ni. The compositional differences between sand bodies indicate the influence of ongoing eolian sorting processes. Further, the Cr enrichment (found in most Gale sediments, most notably the linear dunes off-crest sands) reinforces evidence of local contributions.

Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-01

This VIS image of the floor of Kaiser Crater contains several sand dune shapes and sizes. The "whiter" material is the hard crater floor surface. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 39910 Latitude: -46.9063 Longitude: 19.8112 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-12-13 11:17 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22264

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-08

This image shows part of the dune field just south of the large sand ridge - which is visible on the very top of the image. There is a huge range of dune sizes on the floor of Russell Crater. In this image the small sizes are at the bottom of the image and transition to larger dunes at the top. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 34544 Latitude: -54.6035 Longitude: 12.6071 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-09-27 15:35 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21805

Reorientation Timescales and Pattern Dynamics for Titan's Dunes: Does the Tail Wag the Dog or the Dragon?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, A. G.; Ewing, R. C.; Cassini Radar Science Team, T.

2011-12-01

Fields of bedform patterns persist across many orders of magnitude, from cm-scale sub-aqueous current ripples to km-scale aeolian dunes, and form with surprisingly little difference in expression despite a range of formative environments. Because of the remarkable similarity between and among patterns, extracting information about climate and environment from these patterns is a challenge. For example, crest orientation is not diagnostic of a particular flow regime; similar patterns form under many different flow configurations. On Titan, these challenges have played out with many attempts to reconcile dune-field patterns with modeled and expected wind regimes. We propose that thinking about the change in dune orientation, rather than the orientation itself, can provide new insights on the long-term stability of the dune-field patterns and the formative wind regime. In this work, we apply the re-orientation model presented by Werner and Kocurek [Geology, 1997] to the equatorial dune fields of Titan. We measure variations in pattern parameters (crest spacing, crest length and defect density, which is the number of defect pairs per total crest length) both within and between Titan's dune fields to describe pattern maturity and identify areas where changes in dune orientation are likely to occur (or may already be occurring). Measured defect densities are similar to Earth's largest linear dune fields, such as the Namib Sand Sea and the Simpson Desert. We use measured defect densities in the Werner and Kocurek model to estimate crestline reorientation rates. We find reorientation timescales varying from ten to a hundred thousand times the average migration timescale (time to migrate a bedform one meter, ~1 Titan year according to Tokano (Aeolian Research, 2010)). Well organized patterns have the longest reorientation time scales (~10^5 migration timescales), while the topographically or spatially isolated patches of dunes show the shortest reorientation times (~10^3 migration timescales). In addition, comparisons between spacing and defect density of Titan's dunes and some of the largest fields observed on Earth and Mars reveal that dune patterns on all three planets are geometrically similar, suggesting that growth and organization share common pattern dynamics. Our results suggest that Titan's dunes may react to gross bedform transport averaged over orbital timescales, relaxing the requirement that a single modern wind regime is required to produce the observed pattern.

Cross-bedding set thickness and stratigraphic architecture of aeolian systems: An example from the Upper Permian Pirambóia Formation (Paraná Basin), southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dias, Kayo Delorenzo Nardi; Scherer, Claiton M. S.

2008-05-01

The Pirambóia Formation comprises an unconformity-bounded aeolian succession essentially composed of three facies associations: aeolian sand sheet, aeolian dune and interdune facies associations. The lower portion of the Pirambóia Formation is characterised by aeolian sand sheet deposits, which are overlain by aeolian dune and interdune strata, hence pointing to an overall increase in sand availability within the paleoerg. The dune and interdune successions can be further subdivided into two distinct stratigraphic intervals in terms of their mean set thickness. Intervals 1 and 2 display mean set thicknesses of 2.9 and 6.19 m, respectively. This increase in the mean set thickness reflects an increase of the angle of climb and/or dune size. In addition to improve the stratigraphic subdivision, the recognition and correlation of intervals with distinct mean set thicknesses provides a tool for reconstructing aeolian erg architecture from drill cores.

Holocene sea-level variations and geomorphological response: An example from northern Brittany (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regnauld, H.; Jennings, S.; Delaney, C.; Lemasson, L.

In northern Brittany an important geomorphological response to Holocene sea-level rise has been the development of coastal dunes with associated lagoons and marshes. At Anse du Verger, a marsh has formed behind a dune system which has been developing in situ for the last 4000 years. The lithostratigraphy of the marsh comprises extensive peat formation, with sands, silts and occasional sand lenses, the latter probably associated with storm surges. The sequence dates from 10,320±120 BP. After 3000 BP, flood episodes on the marsh are more common, while the upper marsh deposits can be correlated with the recent period of dune building. Prehistoric artifacts (remains of cooking implements) have been found on a cliff to the east of the marsh and are buried by washover deposits, which indicates a sudden abandonment of a settlement possibly due to a storm surge soon after 2460±80 BP. Surge levels are proposed as a controlling factor on dune crest elevation.

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

This VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected early in north polar spring. The crests of the dunes are light colored, indicative of a frost covering. As the season changes into summertime, the dune crests will lose the frost and reveal the darker sand beneath. The margin of the north polar cap is visible at the top of the image. Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 10293 Latitude: 83.0224 Longitude: 174.743 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-04-09 22:04 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22289

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-14

This VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected during north polar summer. The dunes are now completely frost free and are dark in color due to being made of basaltic sand. The surface between the dunes, where visible, is a bright tone. In some regions of dense dunes, the bright material may be a deposit on the dunes rather than the underlying surface. The presence of gypsum has been suggested for Olympia Undae, gypsum is a lighter tone than basalt in this filter of the THEMIS VIS camera. This VIS image hightlights the density of dunes, the bottom third of the image has fewer dunes, spaced farther apart than the top two thirds of the image. The bottom of the image "looks" like lace, while the top with the dense dunes with aligned dune crests "looks" like waves in an ocean. The term used for dune fields on Mar is undae (unda singular). This term translates from Latin as water waves and is used to mean undulatory in planetary nomenclature. All non-Earth dune fields in the solar system are called unda/undae. Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 13138 Latitude: 80.8321 Longitude: 178.781 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-11-30 03:49 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22295

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-09

This VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected during north polar spring. The crests of the dunes and other surfaces are light colored, indicative of a frost covering. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time. As the season changes into summertime, the dune crests will lose the frost and reveal the darker sand beneath. Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 27402 Latitude: 81.2035 Longitude: 183.317 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2008-02-17 13:59 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22292

Defrosting Polar Dunes -- "The Snow Leopard"

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-05-16

The patterns created by dark spots on defrosting south polar dunes are often strange and beautiful. This picture, which the Mars Orbiter Camera team has dubbed, "the snow leopard," shows a dune field located at 61.5°S, 18.9°W, as it appeared on July 1, 1999. The spots are areas where dark sand has been exposed from beneath bright frost as the south polar winter cap begins to retreat. Many of the spots have a diffuse, bright ring around them this is thought to be fresh frost that was re-precipitated after being removed from the dark spot. The spots seen on defrosting polar dunes are a new phenomenon that was not observed by previous spacecraft missions to Mars. Thus, there is much about these features that remains unknown. For example, no one yet knows why the dunes become defrosted by forming small spots that grow and grow over time. No one knows for sure if the bright rings around the dark spots are actually composed of re-precipitated frost. And no one knows for sure why some dune show spots that appear to be "lined-up" (as they do in the picture shown here). This Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera image is illuminated from the upper left. North is toward the upper right. The scale bar indicates a distance of 200 meters (656 feet). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02301

Holocene geoarchaeology of the Sixteen Mile Beach barrier dunes in the Western Cape, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Compton, John S.; Franceschini, Giuliana

2005-01-01

Holocene evolution and human occupation of the Sixteen Mile Beach barrier dunes on the southwest coast of South Africa between Yzerfontein and Saldanha Bay are inferred from the radiocarbon ages of calcareous dune sand, limpet shell ( Patella spp.) manuports and gull-dropped white mussel shells ( Donax serra). A series of coast-parallel dunes have prograded seaward in response to an overall marine regression since the mid-Holocene with dated shell from relict foredunes indicating periods of shoreline progradation that correspond to drops in sea level at around 5900, 4500 and 2400 calibrated years before the present (cal yr B.P.). However, the active foredune, extensively covered by a layer of gull-dropped shell, has migrated 500 m inland by the recycling of eroded dune sand in response to an approximate 1 m sea level rise over the last 700 yr. Manuported limpet shells from relict blowouts on landward vegetated dunes indicate human occupation of coastal dune sites at 6200 and 6000 cal yr B.P. and help to fill the mid-Holocene gap in the regional archaeological record. Coastal midden shells associated with small hearth sites exposed in blowouts on the active foredune are contemporaneous (1600-500 cal yr B.P.) with large midden sites on the western margin of Langebaan Lagoon and suggest an increase in marine resource utilisation associated with the arrival of pastoralism in the Western Cape.

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-03

This image shows the western section of the large sand ridge on the floor of Russell Crater. This is also the northern extent of the dune field. The crest of the large ridge runs from lower right to upper left. Smaller dune ridges intersect the large ridge perpendicular to the crest. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 26659 Latitude: -54.0179 Longitude: 12.8638 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2007-12-18 08:26 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21801

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-12

This VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected during north polar summer. The dunes are now completely frost free and are dark in color due to being made of basaltic sand. The surface between the dunes, where visible, is a bright tone. In some regions of dense dunes, the bright material may be a deposit on the dunes rather than the underlying surface. The presence of gypsum has been suggested for Olympia Undae, gypsum is a lighter tone than basalt in this filter of the THEMIS VIS camera. Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 12614 Latitude: 80.8745 Longitude: 174.688 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-10-18 00:23 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22293

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-13

This VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected during north polar summer. The dunes are now completely frost free and are dark in color due to being made of basaltic sand. The surface between the dunes, where visible, is a bright tone. In some regions of dense dunes, the bright material may be a deposit on the dunes rather than the underlying surface. The presence of gypsum has been suggested for Olympia Undae, gypsum is a lighter tone than basalt in this filter of the THEMIS VIS camera. Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 21125 Latitude: 81.5387 Longitude: 181.591 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2006-09-18 18:07 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22294

Distribution of odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and nearby lands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smolka, George E.; Stewart, Paul M.; Swinford, Thomas O.

1999-01-01

From 1993 to 1997, 60 species of Anisoptera (dragonflies) and Zygoptera (damselflies) were found in Lake and Porter Counties, Indiana, including Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, in contrast to 34 species that were recorded historically from this region. We added 17 new species to Lake County's odonate records and 39 new species to the 5 previously recorded in Porter County. Several regionally rare species were collected: Aeshna clepsydra, Enallagma cyathigerum, and Leucorrhina frigida. Nine species listed in the historical records were missing from our collections: Hetaerina americana, Calopteryx aequabilis, Nehalennia irene, Arigomphus furcifer, Argia fumipennis violacea, Gomphus spicatus, Epitheca princeps, Libellula exusta, and Sympetrum semicinctum. These nine species have either declined in the area or they may be found in other habitats after further study. Because few odonate surveys were conducted in northwest Indiana in the past, a poor baseline exists for comparisons of temporal trends in odonate diversity.

Dune advance into a coastal forest, equatorial Brazil: A subsurface perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buynevich, Ilya V.; Filho, Pedro Walfir M. Souza; Asp, Nils E.

2010-06-01

A large active parabolic dune along the coast of Pará State, northern Brazil, was analyzed using aerial photography and imaged with high-resolution ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to map the subsurface facies architecture and point-source anomalies. Most high-amplitude (8-10 dB) subsurface anomalies are correlated with partially buried mangrove trees along the leading edge (slipface) of the advancing dune. Profiles along a 200-m long basal stoss side of the dune reveal 66 targets, most of which lie below the water table and are thus inaccessible by other methods. Signal amplitudes of point-source anomalies are substantially higher than those associated with the reflections from continuous subsurface features (water table, sedimentary layers). When complemented with exposures and excavations, GPR provides the best means of rapid continuous imaging of the geological record of complex interactions between vegetation and aeolian deposition.

Investigating Mars: Arabia Terra Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-21

This image is located southeast of the region of the large sand dune deposit. Here there is still limited amounts of available sand and the dunes formed are smaller individual features. The rocky floor of the crater is visible between the dunes. In some places the floor is relatively free of hills and mesas, while other locations are dense with features. The hills and mesas in the crater can range up to several hundreds of meters tall. Located in eastern Arabia is an unnamed crater, 120 kilometers (75 miles) across. The floor of this crater contains a large exposure of rocky material, a field of dark sand dunes, and numerous patches of what is probably fine-grain sand. The shape of the dunes indicate that prevailing winds have come from different directions over the years. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 37799 Latitude: 26.2544 Longitude: 63.1648 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-06-22 17:06 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22300

Hindcasting Storm-Induced Erosional Hazards for the Outer Banks, NC.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetzell, L. M.; Howd, P. A.; Sallenger, A. H.

2002-12-01

The spatial variability of dune response along a section of the NC Outer Banks has been examined for the 1999 Hurricane Dennis. Dennis generated some of the largest wave heights recorded in the past 20 years along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, reaching 6.3 meters (measured at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility at Duck, North Carolina). Pre and post-storm topography was measured as part of a joint USGS-NASA program using lidar technology. These data were used to calculate changes in the elevation and location of the dune crest and dune base (Dhi and Dlo). Roughly 66% of the region from Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke Inlet experienced some dune erosion. The spatial variability in dune response is compared to hindcast erosion hazard predictions. Observations of maximum wave conditions are used as input to SWAN, a 3rd generation and shoaling wave model, output from which is used to drive empirical relationships for wave runup. Estimates of hazard potential are derived from Sallenger's recently proposed storm impact scale. The hindcast hazard potentials are then compared to direct observations.

Sand dune tracking from satellite laser altimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabboor, Mohammed

Substantial problems arise from sand movement in arid and semi-arid countries. Sand poses a threat to infrastructure, agricultural and urban areas. These issues are caused by the encroachment of sand on roads and railway tracks, farmland, towns and villages, and airports, to name a few. Sand movement highly depends on geomorphology including vegetation cover, shape and height of the terrain, and grain size of the sand. However, wind direction and speed are the most important factors that affect efficient sand movement. The direction of the movement depends on the main direction of the wind, but it has been shown that a minimum wind speed is required, e.g. wind gusts, to initiate sand transport. This fact prevents a simple calculation of sand transport from conventional wind data as wind records rarely contain sub-minute intervals masking out any wind gusts. An alternative of predicting sand transport is the direct observation of sand advance by in situ measurements or via satellite. Until recently, satellite imagery was the only means to compare dune shape and position for predicting dune migration over several years. In 2003, the NASA laser altimetry mission ICESat became operational and monitors elevations over all surface types including sand dunes with an accuracy of about 10-20 cm. In this study, ICESat observations from repeat tracks (tracks overlapping eachother within 50 m) are used to derive sand dune advance and direction. The method employs a correlation of the elevation profiles over several dunes and was sucessfully validated with synthetic data. The accuracy of this method is 5 meters of dune advance. One of the most active areas exhibiting sand and dune movement is the area of the Arabian Peninsula. Approximately one-third of the Arabian Peninsula is covered by sand dunes. Different wind regimes (Shamal, Kaus) cause sand dune movement in the selected study area in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula between 20-25 degrees North and 45-55 degrees East. Two different dune types can be distinguised which exhibit a 6 m and 26 m average dune advance over a 6 months time period. Wind speed/direction data and the observed dune advance agree well and indicate that dune tracking from space is a viable alternative to in situ or model data.

Terrestrial sensitivity to abrupt cooling recorded by aeolian activity in northwest Ohio, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, M.C.; Fisher, T.G.; Goble, R.J.

2011-01-01

Optically stimulated luminescence dated sand dunes and Pleistocene beach ridges in northwest Ohio are used to reconstruct landscape modification more than 5000. yr after deglaciation. Four of the OSL ages (13.3-11.1. ka) cluster around the Younger Dryas cold event, five ages (10.8-8.2. ka) cluster around the Preboreal, one young age (0.9-0.7. ka) records more recent aeolian activity, and one age of 15.1-13.1. ka dates a barrier spit in Lake Warren. In northwest Ohio, both landscape instability recorded by aeolian activity and a vegetation response recorded by pollen are coeval with the Younger Dryas. However, the climate conditions during the Preboreal resulting in aeolian activity are not recorded in the available pollen records. From this, we conclude that aeolian dunes and surfaces susceptible to deflation are sensitive to cooler, drier episodes of climate and can complement pollen data. Younger Dryas and Preboreal aged aeolian activity in northwestern Ohio coincides with aeolian records elsewhere in the Great Lakes region east of the prairie-forest ecotone. ?? 2011 University of Washington.

Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-31

This VIS image of the floor of Kaiser Crater contains a large variety of sand dune shapes and sizes. The "whiter" material is the hard crater floor surface. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 35430 Latitude: -46.8699 Longitude: 19.4731 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-12-09 14:09 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22263

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-15

This VIS image provides another instance where the topography of the upper floor material affects the winds and dune formation. At the edges of the dune field, the dunes become smaller and more separated, revealing the harder surface that the dunes are moving across. Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 57843 Latitude: -43.3482 Longitude: 34.6454 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-12-28 12:37 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22143

The Mediterranean Coastal Dunes in Egypt: An Endangered Landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batanouny, K. H.

1999-08-01

The Mediterranean coast in Egypt extends almost 900 km, the major part of which is bordered by sand dunes of different natures and types. Along the coastline between Alexandria and El-Alamein, a distance of some 100 km, the sand dunes represent a particular landscape with special characteristics and features, and consequently plants with particular attributes. In this area, the belt of sand dunes has developed immediately south of the shore and these dunes may rise up to 10 m in height and extend about 0·5-1·5 km inland from the shore. These dunes are famous as a habitat for the fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivation depending on the irregular rainfall. They also represent a landing station and a cross-road for birds such as quail migrating from Europe in the north. In the past, summer resort areas were confined to limited areas with few people, these same areas support the growth of some important plant species, for example, sand binders, medicinal and range plants. For more than two decades, there has been considerable socio-economic change and an open-door policy in the economy of the country has been adopted. One of the consequences of this change is that a great part of the coastal dune belt west of Alexandria till El-Alamein, has been subjected to destruction, due to the continuous construction of summer resort villages. These were built at a distance of about 100 m of the shoreline, extending 400-600 m inland and a breadth of 400 m or more along the shoreline. The area already covered by the dunes is now almost occupied by new buildings, gardens and other infrastructure. The consequences of these human activities are numerous and include impacts on the soil, water resources, the flora and the fauna, migrating birds, trends of the indigenous people, and the cultural environment. The present paper gives a concise environmental setting of the dune belt before the advent of the new activities, and the socio-economic and political attitudes which threaten the dunes. The ecological consequences of the recent human activities and recommendations are presented.

Geochemical evidence for the provenance of aeolian deposits in the Qaidam Basin, Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Shisong; Wu, Yongqiu; Tan, Lihua

2018-06-01

The main purpose of this study is to analyse the material source of different grain-size components of dune sand in the Qaidam Basin. We determined the trace and rare earth element (REE) compositions and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of the coarse (75-500 μm) and fine (<75 μm) fractions of surface sediment samples. The comparison of the immobile trace element and REE compositions, Sr-Nd isotopic compositions and multidimensional scaling (MDS) results of the dune sands with those of different types of sediments in potential source areas revealed the following information. (1) The fine- and coarse-grained fractions of dune sands in the Qaidam Basin exhibit distinctly different elemental concentrations, elemental patterns and characteristic parameters of REE. Moreover, Sr-Nd isotopic differences also exist between different grain-size fractions of aeolian sand, which means that different grain-size fractions of these dune sands have different source areas. (2) The geochemical characteristics of the coarse particles of dune sand exhibit obvious regional heterogeneity and generally record a local origin derived from local fluvial sediments and alluvial/proluvial sediments. The coarse- and fine-grained dune sand in the southern Qaidam Basin mainly came from Kunlun Mountains, whereas the coarse- and fine-grained dune sand in the northeastern Qaidam Basin mainly came from Qilian Mountains. (3) The fine-grained fractions of sediments throughout the entire Qaidam Basin may have been affected by the input of foreign materials from the Tarim Basin.

Investigating Mars: Siton Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-18

Siton Undae is a large dune field located in the northern plains near Escorial Crater. Siton Undae is west of the crater and is one of three dune fields near the crater. The nearby north polar cap is dissected by Chasma Boreale, which exposes an ice free surface. This image was collected during early spring in the northern hemisphere. The bright appearance of the dunes is due to frost cover. As the season progresses the dunes become darker as the frost disappears.  The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 10413 Latitude: 75.755 Longitude: 299.603 Instrument: VIS Captured:2004-04-19 19:14 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21948

Investigating Mars: Siton Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-19

Siton Undae is a large dune field located in the northern plains near Escorial Crater. Siton Undae is west of the crater and is one of three dune fields near the crater. The nearby north polar cap is dissected by Chasma Boreale, which exposes an ice free surface. This image was collected during the middle of northern hemisphere summer. There is no frost left on the dunes and they appear dark. These dunes are likely formed of basaltic sand. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 12909 Latitude: 76.1809 Longitude: 298.105 Instrument: VIS Captured:2004-11-11 07:20 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21959

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-10

This image shows the central part of the dune field on the floor of Russell Crater, including the large dune ridge. Comparing this image to yesterday's you will see a significant difference in appearance. This image was collected at a higher incidence angle, so the sun is at a different angle to the surface. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 39723 Latitude: -54.4434 Longitude: 13.0526 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-11-28 01:47 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21807

Dynamics of Unusual Debris Flows on Martian Sand Dunes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyamoto, Hideaki; Dohm, James M.; Baker, Victor R.; Beyer, Ross A.; Bourke, Mary

2004-01-01

Gullies that dissect sand dunes in Russell impact crater often display debris flow-like deposits in their distal reaches. The possible range of both the rheological properties and the flow rates are estimated using a numerical simulation code of a Bingham plastic flow to help explain the formation of these features. Our simulated results are best explained by a rapid debris flow. For example, a debris flow with the viscosity of 10(exp 2) Pa s and the yield strength of 10(exp 2) Pa can form the observed deposits with a flow rate of 0.5 cu m/s sustained over several minutes and total discharged water volume on the order of hundreds of cubic meters, which may be produced by melting a surface layer of interstitial ice within the dune deposits to several centimeters depth.

Dynamic dune management, integrating objectives of nature development and coastal safety: Examples from the Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arens, Sebastiaan M.; Mulder, Jan P. M.; Slings, Quirinus L.; Geelen, Luc H. W. T.; Damsma, Petra

2013-10-01

This paper discusses and compares results of management interventions to remobilise dunes and obtain more autonomous changes in foredunes resulting from a change in coastal defence policy. In recent decades, nature conservation managers tried to restore aeolian dynamics and dune mobility landward of foredunes to maintain threatened, rare pioneer species. Results indicate that destabilisation activities yielded an important increase of blowing sand and its effects on ecology but with a limited effect on the desired integral remobilization of dunes. Roots remaining in the sand after removal of vegetation and soil is one of the main problems. Follow up removal of roots for 3 to 5 years seems to be essential, but it is not clear whether the dunes will remain mobile in the long term. In 1990 the Dutch government decided to maintain the position of the coastline by artificial sand nourishment. An intensive management of the foredunes was no longer required. Consequently, natural processes in the foredunes revived, and the sediment budget of the beach-dune system changed. Two main types of responses are visible. In some areas, increased input of sand resulted in the development of embryonic dunes seaward of the former foredunes, leading to increased stabilisation of the former foredunes. In other areas, development of embryonic dunes was insignificant despite the increased sand input, but wind erosion features developed in the foredunes, and the environment was more dynamic. The reasons for the differences are not clear, and the interaction between shoreface, beach and dunes is still poorly understood. Until now, attempts to mobilise the inner dunes were independent of changes made to the foredunes. We argue that an integrated, dynamic approach to coastal management, taking account of all relevant functions (including safety and natural values) and the dune-beach system as a whole, may provide new and durable solutions. An integrated approach would ideally provide fresh sand to the system by sand nourishment; define a wide safety zone, which enables the transition zone of beach to foredunes to develop freely; reserve space for natural processes without restrictions; and stimulate natural redistribution of sand within the system and restore inland transport of sand by removing vegetation behind the foredunes. A long time scale (several decades) is needed for this approach to be successful.

Investigating Mars: Olympia Undae

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-08

This VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected during north polar spring. The crests of the dunes and other surfaces are light colored, indicative of a frost covering. At the top right of the image is a region of smooth surfaces. This is the ejecta from Jojutla Crater. The ejecta is a higher elevation than the rest of the surface, and dunes are "climbing" or "skirting" the ejecta regions. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time, and, in this case, the presence of different surface elevations. As the season changes into summertime, the dune crests will lose the frost and reveal the darker sand beneath. This loss of frost is just starting to be visible at the bottom of the image. Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 27352 Latitude: 80.9139 Longitude: 185.126 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2008-02-13 11:10 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22291

Orographic forcing of dune forming winds on Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, E. J.; Toon, O. B.; Friedson, A. J.

2013-12-01

Cassini has observed hundreds of dune fields on Titan, nearly all of which lie in the tropics and suggest westerly (from west to east) winds dominate at the surface [1,2]. Most GCMs however have obtained easterly surface winds in the tropics, seemingly contradicting the wind direction suggested by the dunes. This has led to an active debate in the community about the origin of the dune forming winds on Titan and their direction and modality. This discussion is mostly driven by a study of Earth dunes seen as analogous to Titan [1,2,3]. One can find examples of dunes on Earth that fit several wind regimes. To date only one GCM, that of Tokano [4,5], has presented detailed analysis of its near surface winds and their dune forming capabilities. Despite the bulk of the wind being easterly, this GCM produces faster westerlies at equinox, thus transporting sand to the east. Our model, the Titan CAM [6], is unable to reproduce the fast westerlies, although it is possible we are not outputting frequently enough to catch them. Our GCM has been updated to include realistic topography released by the Cassini radar team. Preliminary results suggest our tropical wind regime now has net westerly winds in the tropics, albeit weak. References: [1], Lorenz, R. et al. 2006. Science, 312, 724-727. [2], Radebaugh, J. et al. 2008. Icarus, 194, 690-703. [3] Rubin, D. and Hesp, P. 2009. Nature Geoscience 2, 653-658. [4] Tokano, T. 2008. Icarus 194, 243-262. [5] Tokano, T. 2010. Aeolian Research 2, 113-127. [6] Friedson, J. et al. 2009. Planetary Space Science, 57, 1931-1949.

Holocene moisture variations over the arid central Asia revealed by a comprehensive sand-dune record from the central Tian Shan, NW China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Hao; Shen, Ji; Chen, Jianhui; Tsukamoto, Sumiko; Yang, Linhai; Cheng, Hongyi; Frechen, Manfred

2017-10-01

Arid central Asia (ACA) is one of the largest arid (desert) areas in the world, and its climate is dominated by the westerlies. In this study, we examined sand dune evolution from the Bayanbulak Basin in the Tian Shan (Xinjiang, NW China), aiming to infer the Holocene moisture history of the ACA. Combined with stratigraphic observation and environmental proxies analysis (grain size, magnetic susceptibility and total organic content), large numbers of luminescence ages from multiple sites (eight sections, 79 samples) were applied to reconstruct the evolution of the sand dune accumulation in the study basin. The overall results imply very dry conditions characterized by sand dune accumulation at ∼12-6.5 ka, a wet interval between ∼6.5 and 0.8 ka when soil formation occurred, and decreased moisture during the last 0.8 ka. This moisture variation pattern is generally consistent with that inferred from many lacustrine records in the core zone of ACA, suggesting a widespread dry period in the early-to-middle Holocene and relatively wet middle-to-late Holocene. Thus, the moisture history derived from the current sand dune system contrasts with that in Asian monsoon areas, which are characterized by a strong monsoon (high precipitation) in the early and mid-Holocene and a weak monsoon (low precipitation and dry climate) during the late Holocene. Our results strongly suggest that the winter solar insolation and the external boundary conditions such as atmospheric CO2 concentration, ice sheets, and meltwater fluxes, have been major influential factors triggering the Holocene moisture evolution in the core zone of ACA.

A Jurassic Shock-Aftershock Earthquake Sequence Recorded by Small Clastic Pipes and Dikes within Dune Cross-Strata, Zion National Park, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loope, D. B.; Zlotnik, V. A.; Kettler, R. M.; Pederson, D. T.

2012-12-01

Eolian sandstones of south-central and southeast Utah contain large volumes of contorted cross-strata that have long been recognized as products of liquefaction caused by seismic shaking. Unlike most sites where Navajo Sandstone is exposed, in Zion National Park (southwestern Utah), the Navajo contains very, very few contorted strata. We have, however, mapped the distribution of more than 1,000 small-scale, vertical pipes and dikes in uncontorted cross-strata of the Navajo at two small study sites in Zion. Pipes are 2-5 cm in diameter and up to 3 m long; dikes are ~6 cm wide. Clusters of the water-escape structures lie directly above and below numerous, near-horizontal bounding surfaces. Dikes are restricted to the wind-ripple strata that lie above the bounding surfaces. Pipes are common both above and below the bounding surfaces. In map view, most pipes are arranged in lines. Near the bounding surfaces, pipes merge upward with shallow dikes trending parallel to the lines of pipes. Pipes formed in grainflows—homogeneous, well-sorted sand lacking cohesion. Dikes formed above the bounding surface, in more-cohesive, poorly sorted, wind-ripple strata. As liquefaction began, expansion of subsurface sand caused spreading within the unliquified (capping) beds near the land surface. Dikes intruded cracks in the wind-ripple strata, and pipes rose from the better-sorted sand to interdune surfaces, following trends of cracks. Because the wind-ripple strata had low cohesive strength, a depression formed around each rupture, and ejected sand built upward to a flat-topped surface rather than forming the cone of a classic sand volcano. In one 3 m2 portion of the map area, a cluster of about 20 pipes and dikes, many with truncated tops, record eight stratigraphically distinct seismic events. The large dunes that deposited the Navajo cross-strata likely moved ~1m/yr. When, in response to seismic shaking, a few liters of fluidized sand erupted onto the lowermost portion of the dune lee slope through a pipe, the erupted sand dried and was buried by climbing wind-ripple strata as the large dune continued to advance downwind. The mapped cluster recording eight distinct seismic events lies within thin-laminated sediment that was deposited by wind ripples during 1 m (~ 1 year) of southeastward dune migration. We conclude that the small pipes and dikes of our study sites are products of numerous >MM 5 earthquakes, some of which recurred at intervals of less than 2 months. We interpret one small cluster of pipes and dikes with well-defined upward terminations as a distinct shock-aftershock sequence. Because the largest modern earthquakes can produce surface liquefaction only up to about 175 km from their epicenters, the Jurassic epicenters must have been well within that distance. The tendency of modern plate boundaries to produce high-frequency aftershocks suggests that the epicenter for this Jurassic sequence lay to the southwest, within the plate boundary zone (not within continental rocks to the east). As eolian dunes steadily migrate over interdune surfaces underlain by water-saturated dune cross-strata, the thin, distinct laminae produced by the wind ripples that occupy dune toes can faithfully record high-frequency seismic events.

Nested Architecture of Pyroclastic Bedforms Generated by a Single Flow Event: Outcrop Examples from the Izu Volcanic Islands, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemoto, Y.; Yoshida, S.

2009-12-01

We claim that compound bedforms, where small bedforms (e.g., dunes and antidunes) occur within and around the larger bedforms, are common in pyroclastic-flow deposits, using Quaternary-Holocene outcrop examples from the modern Izu volcanic island chain some 100-150 km SSW of Tokyo. The nested occurrence of bedforms have been well documented for siliciclastic deposits, as exemplified by compound dunes where small dunes (c. cm- dm thick) occur between the avalanche surfaces within larger dunes, indicating that these dunes of different sizes were produced simultaneously. However, compound dunes have rarely been reported from pyroclastic deposits. In contrast, we have discovered that compound dunes are common in pyroclastic flow deposits in the late Pleistocene & Holocene outcrops in Niijima and Oshima of the Izu volcanic island chain. Moreover, these outcrops contain abundant compound antidunes, which have been reported from neither siliciclastic or pyroclastic deposits. This is probably because flume studies, where most of published antidune studies are based, focus on small (c. cm-dm high) antidunes. In Niijima Island, we examined pyroclastic-flow deposits shed from Mt. Miyatsuka (14 ka) and Mt. Mukai (886 A.D.). Both groups of deposits contain abundant antidune stratifications, which commonly form nested structures in a two- or three-fold hierarchy, with subordinate crossbeddings originated from dune migrations. Each class of antidunes is characterized by multiple scour surfaces and vertical aggradations around mounds of lag deposits above erosion surfaces, and typically has both upstream and downstream accretion components with different proportions. The late Pleistocene pyroclastic outcrops of the nearby Oshima Island exhibit similar patterns. The geometry of the accretion surfaces vary significantly in the outcrops of both Niijima and Oshima. Whereas the antidunes dominated by upstream accretion are characterized by (1) gently inclined accretion surface and (2) round crest shape, the antidunes dominated by downstream accretion are characterized by (i) steep accretion surface that commonly exceed the angle of repose and (ii) angular to cuspate crest shape. The mechanism in charge of generating the compound antidunes is unclear; however, observations of standing waves in the modern siliciclastic depositional environments (e.g., shallow running water on the beach) suggest that compound antidunes are produced by a gravitational collapse of the crest of large and exceedingly steepened standing waves. When the crest collapes, it commonly breaks into two smaller standing waves that are positioned on the flanks of the large (but now slightly deflated) standing wave, and stay there until the angle of the flanks increases again to form a new large standing wave. The collapse-rebuilding cycle persists as long as the flow condition is sustained.

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-07-31

This image shows a slice of the floor of Russell Crater. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. The spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 6354 Latitude: -54.6188 Longitude: 12.9816 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-05-21 14:24 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21798

Beach and dune building processes: Linking nearshore to backshore and events to decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruggiero, P.; Cohn, N.; Hacker, S.; Moore, L. J.; Duran Vinent, O.; de Vries, S.

2016-12-01

Due to the wide range of complex processes in the active coastal zone, individual studies have tended to focus on specific time scales (e.g., event-scale erosion) and/or specific morphological units, (e.g., the nearshore bar zone). As a result, the wet and dry portions of the beach have typically been studied independently. In nature, however, the nearshore and the backshore are highly interdependent and understanding the linkages between these units is critical to characterizing coastal evolution. For example, during periods of intense storm conditions (e.g., major El Niños on the U.S. West Coast), elevated water levels and large waves commonly lead to the scarping, or even destruction, of wind formed dunes. Given that dunes act as a form of green infrastructure and are a major asset to the coastal zone, it is critical to be able to forecast backshore evolution. Existing models for backshore recovery, however, are typically based on local historical trends rather than a mechanistic understanding including onshore sediment transport, dune growth, and the role of ecomorphodynamic feedbacks. Therefore, most likely as a result of the historical academic separation of wave and wind driven processes, geomorphology and ecology, and short- and long-term processes, our understanding of beach and dune building is still in its infancy. Here we describe SEDEX2, the Sandbar-aEolian-Dune EXchange Experiment, a comprehensive summer 2016 field campaign in which measurements of waves, currents, wind, dune ecology, subaqueous and aeolian sediment transport, and subsequent morphological changes were collected along the Long Beach Peninsula, WA. The data collected during the six-week experiment are contextualized by nearly two decades of focused research on the seasonal-centennial scale evolution of this rapidly prograding system. The findings of this study, actively bridging across disciplines, morphometric units, and temporal scales are informing conceptual and numerical models of beach-dune interaction and helping to improve management of vital backshore resources.

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-07

This image shows the central part of the dune field on the floor of Russell Crater. The large ridge "bends" about 60 degrees from parallel to the right side of the image to angle towards the upper left corner. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 34232 Latitude: -54.4921 Longitude: 12.9013 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-09-01 23:04 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21804

Expression of terrain and surface geology in high-resolution helicopter-borne gravity gradient (AGG) data: examples from Great Sand Dunes National Park, Rio Grande Rift, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drenth, Benjamin J.

2013-01-01

Airborne gravity gradient (AGG) data are rapidly becoming standard components of geophysical mapping programs, due to their advantages in cost, access, and resolution advantages over measurements of the gravity field on the ground. Unlike conventional techniques that measure the gravity field, AGG methods measure derivatives of the gravity field. This means that effects of terrain and near-surface geology are amplified in AGG data, and that proper terrain corrections are critically important for AGG data processing. However, terrain corrections require reasonable estimates of density for the rocks and sediments that make up the terrain. A recommended philosophical approach is to use the terrain and surface geology, with their strong expression in AGG data, to the interpreter’s advantage. An example of such an approach is presented here for an area with very difficult ground access and little ground gravity data. Nettleton-style profiling is used with AGG data to estimate the densities of the sand dunefield and adjacent Precambrian rocks from the area of Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado. Processing of the AGG data using the density estimate for the dunefield allows buried structures, including a hypothesized buried basement bench, to be mapped beneath the sand dunes.

Meroe Patera

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-11-26

This image is located in Meroe Patera (longitude: 292W/68E, latitude: 7.01), which is a small region within Syrtis Major Planitia. Syrtis Major is a low-relief shield volcano whose lava flows make up a plateau more than 1000 km across. These flows are of Hesperian age (Martian activity of intermediate age) and are believed to have originated from a series of volcanic depressions, called calderas. The caldera complex lies on extensions of the ring faults associated with the Isidis impact basin toward the northeast - thus Syrtis Major volcanism may be associated with post-impact adjustments of the Martian crust. The most striking feature in this image is the light streaks across the image that lead to dunes in the lower left region. Wind streaks are albedo markings interpreted to be formed by aeolian action on surface materials. Most are elongate and allow an interpretation of effective wind directions. Many streaks are time variable and thus provide information on seasonal or long-term changes in surface wind directions and strengths. The wind streaks in this image are lighter than their surroundings and are the most common type of wind streak found on Mars. These streaks are formed downwind from crater rims (as in this example), mesas, knobs, and other positive topographic features. The dune field in this image is a mixture of barchan dunes and transverse dunes. Dunes are among the most distinctive aeolian feature on Mars, and are similar in form to barchan and transverse dunes on Earth. This similarity is the best evidence to indicate that martian dunes are composed of sand-sized material, although the source and composition of the sand remain controversial. Both the observations of dunes and wind streaks indicate that this location has a windy environment - and these winds are persistent enough to product dunes, as sand-sized material accumulates in this region. These features also indicate that the winds in this region are originating from the right side of the image, and moving towards the left. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04012

Dune Exploration: Mars Allegories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahnle, K.; Sleep, N. H.; Abe, Y.; Abe-Ouchi, A.

2005-12-01

We know of one factual habitable planet, although other factual planets can be imagined as habitable. Sometimes the allegory is obvious. E.g., H. G. Wells imagined Martians exterminating humans as an allegory to Englishmen exterminating the Tasmanian aborigines, whilst Percival Lowell saw the global network of Martian canals as a world civilization that had progressed beyond war. But most habitable planets are overtly fictional. The planet properly known as Arrakis and colloquially known as Dune (Herbert 1965) provides an exceptionally well-developed example of a fictional habitable planet. In its particulars Dune resembles a warmer Mars with a breathable oxygen atmosphere. Like Mars, Dune is now a parched desert planet but there are signs that water flowed in the prehistoric past. Dune has small water ice caps at the poles and more extensive deep polar aquifers. The tropics are exceedingly dry but the polar regions are cool and moist enough to have morning dew. Dune is sparsely inhabited by a mix of indigenous and terran flora and fauna. The fictional Dune asks us to consider how much water is enough, why does oxygen accumulate in an atmosphere, and what actually sets the inner edge to the habitable zone. The inner edge of the habitable zone is conventionally set by the onset of the runaway greenhouse effect. The runaway greenhouse occurs when there is enough water vapor in the atmosphere to lift the planet's thermal photosphere off the ground. For a wet planet the mapping between saturation, temperature and optical depth is unique; together these set an upper limit on the rate the amount of thermal radiation that the planet can emit and still maintain a humid atmosphere. A dry atmosphere has a lower opacity for a given temperature, other things equal. With its vast dry equatorial deserts, a habitable Dune can radiate at a significantly higher effective temperature than a wet planet, and so it can provide an abode for life significantly closer to its sun. We use GCM modeling to show that liquid water can exist at places on the surface of a Dune-like planet at insolation levels as much as 170% of the present solar flux of the Earth.

Investigating Mars: Russell Crater - False Color

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-11

This image shows the western part of the dune field on the floor of Russell Crater. This is a false color image of Russell crater and it's surroundings. Sand Dunes usually appear "blue" in false color images. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 59591 Latitude: -54.471 Longitude: 13.1288 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-05-21 10:57 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21808

Reorientation Timescales and Pattern Dynamics for Titan's Dunes: Does the Tail Wag the Dog or the Dragon?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, R. C.; Hayes, A. G.; McCormick, C.; Ballard, C.; Troy, S. A.

2012-04-01

Fields of bedform patterns persist across many orders of magnitude, from cm-scale sub-aqueous current ripples to km-scale aeolian dunes, and form with surprisingly little difference in expression despite a range of formative environments. Because of the remarkable similarity among bedform patterns, extracting information about climate and environment from these patterns is a challenge. For example, crestline orientation is not diagnostic of a particular flow regime; similar patterns form under many different flow configurations. On Titan, these challenges have played out with many attempts to reconcile dune crestline orientation with modeled and expected wind regimes. We propose that thinking about the time-scale of the change in dune orientation, rather than the orientation itself, can provide new insights on the long-term stability of the dune-field patterns and the formative wind regime. In this work, we apply the crestline re-orientation model developed by Werner and Kocurek [Geology, 1997] to the equatorial dune fields of Titan. We use Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar images processed through a de-noising algorithm recently developed by Lucas et al. [LPSC, 2012] to measure variations in pattern parameters (crest spacing, crest length and defect density, which is the number of defect pairs per total crest length) both within and between Titan's dune fields to describe pattern maturity and identify areas where changes in dune orientation are likely to occur (or may already be occurring). Measured defect densities are similar to Earth's largest linear dune fields, such as the Namib Sand Sea and the Simpson Desert. We use measured defect densities in the Werner and Kocurek model to estimate crestline reorientation rates. We find reorientation timescales varying from ten to a hundred thousand times the average migration timescale (time to migrate a bedform one meter, ~1 Titan year according to Tokano (Aeolian Research, 2010)). Well-organized patterns have the longest reorientation time scales (~105 migration timescales), while the topographically or spatially isolated patches of dunes show the shortest reorientation times (~103 migration timescales). In addition, comparisons between spacing and defect density reveal that the well-organized patterns plot along an expected trend with Earth and Mars' largest, well-organized fields. Patterns on Earth and Mars that have been degraded and broken by environmental change fall off this trend and similarly, so do the isolated dune patterns on Titan fall suggesting changing environmental conditions such as wind regime and/or sediment availability have influenced the dunes on Titan. Crestline orientations in these areas suggest star and crescentic (barchans) morphologies in addition to linear dunes. Our results suggest that Titan's dunes may react to gross bedform transport averaged over orbital timescales, relaxing the requirement that a single modern wind regime is necessary to produce the observed well-organized dune patterns. We find signals of environmental change within the smallest patterns suggesting that the dunes may be recently reoriented or are reorienting to one component of a longer timescale wind regime with a duty cycle that persists over many seasonal cycles.

Late Holocene dune mobilizations in the northwestern Negev dunefield, Israel: A response to combined anthropogenic activity and short-term intensified windiness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roskin, Joel; Katra, Itzhak; Blumberg, Dan G.

2013-04-01

The study of the effects of past climates on ancient cultures is usually based on geologic records pertaining to rainfall and temperature fluctuations and shifts. This study proposes a paradigm of anthropogenic activity and windiness fluctuations to explain aeolian sedimentation and dune mobilization in the northwestern (NW) Negev Desert dunefield (Israel). The proposed paradigm contributes a different approach to estimating the effect of climate changes on the unprecedented agricultural and urban settlement expansion during the late Roman to Early Islamic period in the northern and central Negev Desert. This study builds upon the late Holocene cluster of luminescence ages of Roskin et al. (Age, origin and climatic controls on vegetated linear dunes in the northwestern Negev Desert (Israel), Quaternary Science Reviews 30 (2011), 1649-1674) coupled with analysis of archaeological finds and historical texts. We suggest that whereas the NW Negev dunefield was generally stable during the Holocene, intermittent dune mobilization during the late Holocene, at ~1.8 ka and mostly 1.4-1.1 ka (~600-900 CE), are linked to periods of human occupation. The idea that the last glacial dune encroachments alone that formed the NW Negev dunefield is connected to cold-event windy climates that may have intensified East Mediterranean cyclonic winter storms, cannot explain the late Holocene dune mobilizations. We conceptually model a connection between late Holocene dune mobilization, widespread anthropogenic occupation and activity, and windiness. We maintain that historic grazing and uprooting shrubs for fuel in the past by nomads and sedentary populations led to decimation of dune stabilizers, biogenic soil crusts and vegetation, causing dune erodibility and low-grade activity. Short-term events of amplified wind power in conjunction with periods of augmented anthropogenic activity that triggered major events of dune mobilization (elongation) and accretion have been preserved in the dune chronostratigraphy. Because they were short lived, the dune mobilization events, corresponding windiness, and probable dustiness which were examined affected the northern Negev landscape differentially. However, they cannot be proved to have affected the environment sufficiently to influence the decline of the late Byzantine and Early Islam agricultural establishment. This study demonstrates the sensitivity of dunes in arid and semi-arid regions to a combination of local and short-term fluctuations in windiness at times of widespread grazing (anthropogenic activity). The results remind us that in similar future scenarios, sand mobilization may be similarly retriggered to varying degrees.

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-18

The majority of the dune field in Rabe Crater consists of a sand sheet with dune forms on the surface. The sand sheet is where a thick layer of sand has been concentrated. As continued winds blow across the sand surface it creates dune forms. The depth of the sand sheet prevents excavation to the crater floor and the dune forms all appear connected. Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 58024 Latitude: -43.6954 Longitude: 34.8236 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-01-12 09:48 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22144

Making and breaking the sediment record - characterising effects of tsunamis, storms and average conditions on dune erosion and recovery: a forward modelling exploration.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roelvink, Dano; Costas, Susana

2015-04-01

Geological records contain a wealth of information about accretionary episodes in the life of a coastal profile, such as age and type of the deposits and circumstances during which the accretion took place; of erosional events mainly the final limit of the erosion and circumstances under which the erosion took place can be estimated. To obtain a more complete picture of the events shaping the sedimentary record and transport processes involved, process-based modelling can be a useful tool (e.g. Apotsos et al., 2011). However, application of such modelling to different types of events remains a challenge. In our presentation we intend to show examples of the effects of different events on the stratigraphic record and to discuss the challenges related to the modelling of each of these types of events. The test site chosen is the Costa da Caparica, south of Lisbon, Portugal. The stratigraphic record and progradation rates of the coastal were obtained combining geophysical (Ground Penetrating Radar) and dating (Optically Stimulating Luminescence) techniques, which document very recent ages for the preserved coastal barrier. Within the record, we focus on a period around the big tsunami of 1755, during which the shoreline experienced a long-term prograding trend with evidence of severe erosion events. Rather than trying to exactly reproduce the stratigraphy observed here, we will carry out exploratory simulations to create 'building blocks' of stratigraphy related to the different types of events, which we can loosely compare with observations reported in Rebelo et al. (2013). The model applied for all simulations is XBeach (Roelvink et al., 2009), which is used in three different modes (no short waves, time-varying wave action balance, stationary wave action balance, respectively) to accommodate the impact of tsunamis, storms, and average conditions; for the latter we include the dune and associated processes in a simplified aeolian transport and response model. In all cases we resolve wave-averaged flows, bed load and suspended load transport and morphology change including avalanching. Results will be presented in terms of both profile change and resulting contribution to stratigraphy, allowing to evaluate the effects of these different building blocks on the stratigraphic record. References: Apotsos, A., G. Gelfenbaum, and B. Jaffe, 2011. Process-based modeling of tsunami inundation and sediment transport, J. Geophys. Res., 116, F01006, doi:10.1029/2010JF001797. Rebêlo, L., Costas, S., Brito, P., Ferraz, M., Prudêncio, M. I. and Burbidge, C., 2013. Imprints of the 1755 tsunami in the Tróia Peninsula shoreline, Portugal In: Conley, D.C., Masselink, G., Russell, P.E. and O'Hare, T.J. (eds.), Proceedings 12th International Coastal Symposium (Plymouth, England), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 65, pp. 814-819, ISSN 0749-0208. Dano Roelvink, Ad Reniers, Ap van Dongeren, Jaap van Thiel de Vries, Robert McCall, Jamie Lescinski. Modelling storm impacts on beaches, dunes and barrier islands. Coastal Engineering, Volume 56, Issues 11-12, November-December 2009, Pages 1133-1152

Quantifying hurricane-induced coastal changes using topographic lidar

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sallenger,, Asbury H.; Krabill, William; Swift, Robert; Brock, John

2001-01-01

USGS and NASA are investigating the impacts of hurricanes on the United States East and Gulf of Mexico coasts with the ultimate objective of improving predictive capabilities. The cornerstone of our effort is to use topographic lidar to acquire pre- and post-storm topography to quantify changes to beaches and dunes. With its rapidity of acquisition and very high density, lidar is revolutionizing the. quantification of storm-induced coastal change. Lidar surveys have been acquired for the East and Gulf coasts to serve as pre-storm baselines. Within a few days of a hurricane landfall anywhere within the study area, the impacted area will be resurveyed to detect changes. For example, during 1999, Hurricane Dennis impacted the northern North Carolina coast. Along a 70-km length of coast between Cape Hatteras and Oregon Inlet, there was large variability in the types of impacts including overwash, dune erosion, dune stability, and even accretion at the base of dunes. These types of impacts were arranged in coherent patterns that repeated along the coast over scales of tens of kilometers. Preliminary results suggest the variability is related to the influence of offshore shoals that induce longshore gradients in wave energy by wave refraction.

Short and long term evolution of deep giant submarine dunes in continental shelf environment: the example of the 'Banc du Four' (Western Brittany, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franzetti, M.; Le Roy, P.; Garlan, T.; Delacourt, C.; Thibaud, R.; Cancouet, R.; Graindorge, D.; Prunier, C.; Sukhovich, A.; Deschamps, A.

2013-12-01

The deep sandwave dynamics is still in debate. Understanding the migration processes and the resulting evolution of their 3D internal architecture are scientifically challenging. To address these questions we realized two swath bathymetry surveys complemented with seismic reflection across the large sandwaves field named 'Banc du Four'. It is located offshore the Western Brittany and is composed of more 500 dunes. Some of the dunes' wavelengths and heights exceed 1000m and 30m respectively placing them among the largest dunes ever described. Equilibrium laws obtained from our morphological analysis are not completely in agreement with those described in previous studies of similar structures in shallow waters. Relatively high migration velocities on deep continental shelves (from 3 to 20m.yr-1) attest of their still present dynamical equilibrium. Internal-external morphological and kinematical analyses show the existence of two different dynamic regimes. Interpretation of the seismic reflection data allowed reconstructing long-term evolution of the sandbank and the establishment of progressive connections between stepped submarine channels and tidal dynamics during the last sea-level rise.

Monitoring Sand Sheets and Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-12

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured this crater featuring sand dunes and sand sheets on its floor. What are sand sheets? Snow fall on Earth is a good example of sand sheets: when it snows, the ground gets blanketed with up to a few meters of snow. The snow mantles the ground and "mimics" the underlying topography. Sand sheets likewise mantle the ground as a relatively thin deposit. This kind of environment has been monitored by HiRISE since 2007 to look for movement in the ripples covering the dunes and sheets. This is how scientists who study wind-blown sand can track the amount of sand moving through the area and possibly where the sand came from. Using the present environment is crucial to understanding the past: sand dunes, sheets, and ripples sometimes become preserved as sandstone and contain clues as to how they were deposited The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 75 centimeters (29.5 inches) across are resolved.] North is up. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21757

Mobile dune fixation by a fast-growing clonal plant: a full life-cycle analysis.

PubMed

Li, Shou-Li; Yu, Fei-Hai; Werger, Marinus J A; Dong, Ming; During, Heinjo J; Zuidema, Pieter A

2015-03-11

Desertification is a global environmental problem, and arid dunes with sparse vegetation are especially vulnerable to desertification. One way to combat desertification is to increase vegetation cover by planting plant species that can realize fast population expansion, even in harsh environments. To evaluate the success of planted species and provide guidance for selecting proper species to stabilize active dunes, demographic studies in natural habitats are essential. We studied the life history traits and population dynamics of a dominant clonal shrub Hedysarum laeve in Inner-Mongolia, northern China. Vital rates of 19057 ramets were recorded during three annual censuses (2007-2009) and used to parameterize Integral Projection Models to analyse population dynamics. The life history of H. laeve was characterized by high ramet turnover and population recruitment entirely depended on clonal propagation. Stochastic population growth rate was 1.32, suggesting that the populations were experiencing rapid expansion. Elasticity analysis revealed that clonal propagation was the key contributor to population growth. The capacity of high clonal propagation and rapid population expansion in mobile dunes makes H. laeve a suitable species to combat desertification. Species with similar life-history traits to H. laeve are likely to offer good opportunities for stabilizing active dunes in arid inland ecosystems.

The Southern Hemisphere between 30 and 11 cal. kyr B.P.: a comparison between continental records from Africa, South America and Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sylvestre, F.; Williams, M. A.; Gasse, F.; Chalie, F.; Vincens, A.; David, W.

2006-12-01

The timing and amplitude of climate changes during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Termination I have led to considerable debate around the mechanisms driving the reorganisation of the global climate system and its regional expression. The LGM over the southern tropics and subtropics is still poorly understood and the interpretation of different proxies sometimes appears controversial. Here, we summarise the best, well-dated continental records spanning the interval 30-11 cal. kyr, from Africa south of the equator, Australia and South America. Due to the scarcity of the usable records, we had to decipher several proxies (pollen-inferred vegetation, diatom-inferred lake level, isotopes, sea-surface temperatures SST- in the surrounding oceans) and to consider all existing types of archives (wetlands, lakes, speleothems, (peri)glacial deposits, dunes and aeolian dusts), to characterize as completely as possible, the major features of the climate variability over the three continents. Regional similarities and divergences are pointed out, especially East-West asymmetry linked with oceanic currents and topography. The processes driving the observed temperature and hydrological changes are discussed focusing on the following questions: -How did monsoonal climates in the southern tropics respond to orbital forcing versus other glacial boundary conditions, e.g., sea-surface conditions, during the LGM? Example: several tropical lakes from southern Africa were low during the LGM probably in response to low SST. -How did the convergence zones (e.g. the Intertropical Convergence Zone ITCZ) have migrated through time and why? Example: in South America, LGM dryness in Amazonia has been associated with a southward migration of the ITCZ. -How did the extratropical, winter rainfall domain expand/retreat in response to meridian shifts of the Subtropical Westerly Jet and of the oceanic Subtropical Front, and to latitudinal thermal gradient in the Southern Ocean? Example: in tropical Andes and southwestern Africa, several pollen and hydrological records suggest winter rainfall influence further north than today at the LGM. -When did continental glaciers reach their greatest extent? We discuss the factors driving glacier advances with examples from Peru and Bolivia and from the Snowy Mountains in Australia. -How, when and where rapid climate changes can be related with climate shifts at northern and southern high latitudes? Example: some records show that the first deglaciation steps have been in phase with those in Antarctica, but the end of the Younger Dryas is well recorded in many places, e.g. from N to S in Africa.

Investigating Mars: Nili and Meroe Paterae

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-27

This false color image covers the region from Nili Patera at the top of the frame to the dunes near Meroe Patera (which is off the bottom of the image). High resolution imaging by other spacecraft has revealed that the dunes in this region are moving. Winds are blowing the dunes across a rough surface of regional volcanic lava flows. The paterae are calderas on the volcanic complex called Syrtis Major Planum. Dunes are found in both Nili and Meroe Paterae and in the region between the two calderas. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 61810 Latitude: 8.37503 Longitude: 67.4659 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-11-20 04:48 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22015

Investigating Mars: Moreux Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-22

This image of Moreux Crater shows the western floor of the crater and the multitude of sand dunes that are found on the floor of the crater. A large sand sheet with surface dunes forms is located at the top of the image, and smaller individual dunes stretch from the bottom of the sand sheet to the bottom of the image. In this false color image sand dunes are "blue". Moreux Crater is located in northern Arabia Terra and has a diameter of 138 kilometers. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 10384 Latitude: 41.841 Longitude: 44.087 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-04-17 10:07 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22035

Investigating Mars: Nili and Meroe Paterae

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-18

This is a false color image of part of the Nili Patera dune field. High resolution imaging by other spacecraft has revealed that the dunes in this region are moving. Winds are blowing the dunes across a rough surface of regional volcanic lava flows. The paterae are calderas on the volcanic complex called Syrtis Major Planum. Dunes are found in both Nili and Meroe Paterae and in the region between the two calderas. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 19306 Latitude: 8.80756 Longitude: 67.4616 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2006-04-22 00:12 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22008

Investigating Mars: Nili and Meroe Paterae

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-19

This is a false color image of part of the Nili Patera dune field. High resolution imaging by other spacecraft has revealed that the dunes in this region are moving. Winds are blowing the dunes across a rough surface of regional volcanic lava flows. The paterae are calderas on the volcanic complex called Syrtis Major Planum. Dunes are found in both Nili and Meroe Paterae and in the region between the two calderas. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 48021 Latitude: 8.95091 Longitude: 67.3366 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-10-11 05:22 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22009

The conservation status and anthropogenic impacts assessments of Mediterranean coastal dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinna, Maria Silvia; Cogoni, Donatella; Fenu, Giuseppe; Bacchetta, Gianluigi

2015-12-01

Mediterranean coastal dunes have been highly modified by human impacts and understanding their conservation status is crucial to preserve these extremely vulnerable habitats. In the present study three different diversity indices elaborated by Grunewald and Schubert (Hdune, a modified version of the Shannon diversity index, Edune, a modified Evenness index, and N, the Naturalness index) were applied in order to assess the conservation status and anthropogenic impacts on Is Arenas dune system (CW Sardinia), one of the widest and most important in the Western Mediterranean Basin. Within the system, two sites with different anthropic disturbance conditions were selected; 25 permanent plots were seasonally monitored and the cover of each vascular plant present was visually estimated. The Hdune values were similar between sites and differences were not significant; Edune showed higher value in the North than in the South site with relevant statistical differences. Moreover a seasonal variation in the indices values was recorded, which could be linked to presence of annual plants rather than the touristic pressure. Instead, the small variability of N index suggests that the application of this index may be an important tool to assess human impact on coastal dunes, but better discriminates between sites with different disturbance degrees. Our results highlight the usefulness of Hdune and Edune indices to assess the conservation status of a Mediterranean coastal dune system, while these indices are less influenced by the human trampling at finer scale (sites within the beach). Spring and summer are the best seasons when the main plant diversity of Mediterranean coastal dune can be captured. The diversity indices applied, although need to be developed through further researches, could be a quickly tool allowing to assess the integrity of the coastal dunes in order to plan management actions of these complex and threatened ecosystems.

Booming Sand Dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vriend, Nathalie

"Booming" sand dunes are able to produce low-frequency sound that resembles a pure note from a music instrument. The sound has a dominant audible frequency (70-105 Hz) and several higher harmonics and may be heard from far distances away. A natural or induced avalanche from a slip face of the booming dune triggers the emission that may last for several minutes. There are various references in travel literature to the phenomenon, but to date no scientific explanation covered all field observations. This thesis introduces a new physical model that describes the phenomenon of booming dunes. The waveguide model explains the selection of the booming frequency and the amplification of the sound in terms of constructive interference in a confined geometry. The frequency of the booming is a direct function of the dimensions and velocities in the waveguide. The higher harmonics are related to the higher modes of propagation in the waveguide. The experimental validation includes quantitative field research at the booming dunes of the Mojave Desert and Death Valley National Park. Microphone and geophone recordings of the acoustic and seismic emission show a variation of booming frequency in space and time. The analysis of the sensor data quantifies wave propagation characteristics such as speed, dispersion, and nonlinear effects and allows the distinction between the source mechanism of the booming and the booming itself. The migration of sand dunes results from a complicated interplay between dune building, wind regime, and precipitation. The morphological and morphodynamical characteristics of two field locations are analyzed with various geophysical techniques. Ground-penetrating radar images the subsurface structure of the dunes and reveal a natural, internal layering that is directly related to the history of dune migration. The seismic velocity increases abruptly with depth and gradually increases with downhill position due to compaction. Sand sampling shows local cementation of sand grains within the discrete layers that explains the increase in velocity and decrease in porosity. The subsurface layering may influence the speed of dune migration and therefore have important consequences on desertification. The positive qualitative and quantitative correlation between the subsurface layering in the dune and the manifestation of the booming sound implies a close relation between environmental factors and the booming emission. In this thesis, the frequency of booming is correlated with the depth of the waveguide and the seismic velocities. The variability on location and season suggests that the waveguide theory successfully unravels the phenomenon of booming sand dunes.

Determination of semi-arid landscape endmembers and seasonal trends using convex geometry spectral unmixing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuhas, Roberta H.; Boardman, Joseph W.; Goetz, Alexander F. H.

1993-01-01

Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data were acquired during three consecutive growing seasons (26 September 1989, 22 March 1990, and 7 August 1990) over an area of the High Plains east of Greeley, Colorado (40 deg 20 min N and 104 deg 16 min W). A repeat visit to assess vegetation at its peak growth was flown on 6 June 1993. This region contains extensive eolian deposits in the form of stabilized dune complexes (small scale parabolic dunes superimposed on large scale longitudinal and parabolic dunes). Due to the dunes' large scale (2-10 km) and low relief (1-5 m), the scaling and morphological relationships that contribute to the evolution of this landscape are nearly impossible to understand without the use of remote sensing. Additionally, this area and regions similarly situated could be the first to experience the effects caused by global climate change. During the past 10,000 years there were at least four periods of extensive sand activity due to climate change, followed by periods of landscape stability, as shown in the stratigraphic record of this area.

Abrupt sand-dune accumulation at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau challenges the wet MIS3a inferred from numerous lake-highstands

PubMed Central

Long, Hao; Fuchs, Markus; Yang, Linhai; Cheng, Hongyi

2016-01-01

Over the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions, numerous 14C-based lake records revealed a ubiquitous wet climatic period during 40–25 ka (late MIS 3), which is in contradiction with the global pattern of generally cold and dry climates. This paper focuses on OSL dating results of a large set of sand dunes and alluvial sediments (50 OSL ages) from the Qinwangchuan (QWC) Basin at the northeast edge of the Tibetan Plateau, with the aim to test the validity of the anomalous wet condition for the late MIS 3 interval, evidenced by numerous lake highstands. The abrupt sand dune accumulation as indication of increased aridity in the study area was OSL dated to ~40–13 ka. This dry climatic inference of the sand dune system from QWC apparently shows no wet MIS 3a event. Thus, the anomalous wet conditions revealed by high lake levels for the late MIS 3 phase may not be a universal phenomena across entire western China. PMID:27172907

A Global Digital Database and Atlas of Quaternary Dune Fields and Sand Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lancaster, N.; Halfen, A. F.

2012-12-01

Sand seas and dune fields are globally significant sedimentary deposits, which archive the effects of climate and sea level change on a variety of temporal and spatial scales. Dune systems provide a valuable source of information on past climate conditions, including evidence for periods of aridity and unique data on past wind regimes. Researchers have compiled vast quantities of geomorphic and chronological data from these dune systems for nearly half a century, however, these data remain disconnected, making comparisons of dune systems challenging at global and regional scales. The primary goal of this project is to develop a global digital database of chronologic information for periods of desert sand dune accumulation and stabilization, as well as, pertinent stratigraphic and geomorphic information. This database can then be used by scientists to 1) document the history of aeolian processes in arid regions with emphasis on dune systems in low and mid latitude deserts, 2) correlate periods of sand accumulation and stability with other terrestrial and marine paleoclimatic proxies and records, and 3) develop an improved understanding of the response of dune systems to climate change. The database currently resides in Microsoft Access format, which allows searching and filtering of data. The database includes 4 linked tables containing information on the site, chronological control (radiocarbon or luminescence), and the pertinent literature citations. Thus far the database contains information for 838 sites world wide, comprising 2598 luminescence and radiocarbon ages, though these numbers increase regularly as new data is added. The database is only available on request at this time, however, an online, GIS database is being developed and will be available in the near future. Data outputs from the online database will include PDF reports and Google Earth formatted data sets for quick viewing of data. Additionally, data will be available in a gridded format for wider use in data-model comparisons. Sites in database August 2012

Investigating Mars: Arabia Terra Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-23

This is a false color image of the dune field in the Arabia Terra crater. In this combination of bands, sand appears as a blue to dark blue color. In this image, the smaller areas of sand are easily visible and indicate the large amount of available material for creating dunes. Located in eastern Arabia is an unnamed crater, 120 kilometers (75 miles) across. The floor of this crater contains a large exposure of rocky material, a field of dark sand dunes, and numerous patches of what is probably fine-grain sand. The shape of the dunes indicate that prevailing winds have come from different directions over the years. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 45125 Latitude: 26.6761 Longitude: 62.9345 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-02-15 20:32 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22302

Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-02

This is a false color image of Kaiser Crater. In this combination of filters "blue" typically means basaltic sand. This VIS image crosses 3/4 of the crater and demonstrates how extensive the dunes are on the floor of Kaiser Crater. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 66602 Latitude: -47.0551 Longitude: 19.446 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-12-18 21:42 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22265

Dune-dammed lakes of the Nebraska Sand Hills: Geologic setting and paleoclimatic implications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loope, D.B.; Swinehart, J.B.

1992-01-01

Within the western half of this grass-stabilized dunefield, about 1,000 interdune lakes are grouped into two clusters here named the Blue and Birdwood lake basins. In the lake basins, those parts of the valley not filled by dune sand are occupied by modern lakes and Holocene lake sediments. The Blue Creek dam is mounded transverse to flow; spill-over of the lake basin takes place over bedrock on the east side of the dam when lake level is 2 m higher than present. The permeability of dune sand prevents massive overflow, and thereby contributes to the integrity and longevity of themore » dam. Preserved lake sediments in the basin indicate that Blue Creek was obstructed prior to 13,000 yr BP, probably during glacial maximum (18,000 yr BP). Extensive peats dated at 1,500-1,000 yr BP lie directly on fluvial sand and gravel along the Calamus River, a stream that presently discharges a nearly constant 350 cfs. These sediments indicate blockage of streams also took place when linear dunes were active in the eastern Sand Hills in Late Holocene time. With the onset of an arid episode, dunes forming an interfluves curtail the severity of runoff events. As the regional water table drops, drainages go dry and dunes move uncontested into blocking positions. Although drainages of the eastern Sand Hills appear to have repeatedly broken through sand-blocked channels, the Blue and Birdwood lake basins are still blocked by Late Pleistocene dune dams. The repeated episodes of stream blockage and interbedded lake sediments and dune sands behind the extant dams record several strong fluctuations in Holocene climate. Recently proposed climatic models indicate that the northward flow of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico is enhanced when the Gulf's surface temperature is low and the Bermuda high is intensified and in a western position. When the Bermuda high moves eastward, the core of the North American continent becomes desiccated.« less

National assessment of hurricane-induced coastal erosion hazards: Southeast Atlantic Coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stockdon, Hilary F.; Doran, Kara S.; Thompson, David M.; Sopkin, Kristin L.; Plant, Nathaniel G.

2013-01-01

Beaches serve as a natural barrier between the ocean and inland communities, ecosystems, and natural resources. However, these dynamic environments move and change in response to winds, waves, and currents. During extreme storms, changes to beaches can be large, and the results are sometimes catastrophic. Lives may be lost, communities destroyed, and millions of dollars spent on rebuilding. During storms, large waves may erode beaches, and high storm surge shifts the erosive force of the waves higher on the beach. In some cases, the combined effects of waves and surge may cause overwash or flooding. Building and infrastructure on or near a dune can be undermined during wave attack and subsequent erosion. During Hurricane Ivan in 2004, a five-story condominium in Orange Beach, Alabama, collapsed after the sand dune supporting the foundation eroded. The September 1999 landfall of Hurricane Dennis caused erosion and undermining that destroyed roads, foundations, and septic systems. Waves overtopping a dune can transport sand inland, covering roads and blocking evacuation routes or emergency relief. If storm surge inundates barrier island dunes, currents flowing across the island can create a breach, or new inlet, completely severing evacuation routes. Waves and surge during the 2003 landfall of Hurricane Isabel left a 200-meter (m) wide breach that cut the only road to and from the village of Hatteras, N.C. Extreme coastal changes caused by hurricanes may increase the vulnerability of communities both during a storm and to future storms. For example, when sand dunes on a barrier island are eroded substantially, inland structures are exposed to storm surge and waves. Absent or low dunes also allow water to flow inland across the island, potentially increasing storm surge in the back bay, on the soundside of the barrier, and on the mainland. During Hurricane Isabel the protective sand dunes near the breach were completely eroded, increasing vulnerability to future storms.

National assessment of hurricane-induced coastal erosion hazards: Mid-Atlantic Coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doran, Kara S.; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Sopkin, Kristin L.; Thompson, David M.; Plant, Nathaniel G.

2013-01-01

Beaches serve as a natural buffer between the ocean and inland communities, ecosystems, and natural resources. However, these dynamic environments move and change in response to winds, waves, and currents. During extreme storms, changes to beaches can be large, and the results are sometimes catastrophic. Lives may be lost, communities destroyed, and millions of dollars spent on rebuilding. During storms, large waves may erode beaches, and high storm surge shifts the erosive force of the waves higher on the beach. In some cases, the combined effects of waves and surge may cause overwash (when waves and surge overtop the dune, transporting sand inland) or flooding. Building and infrastructure on or near a dune can be undermined during wave attack and subsequent erosion. During Hurricane Ivan in 2004, a five-story condominium in Orange Beach, Alabama, collapsed after the sand dune supporting the foundation eroded. Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall as an extra-tropical cyclone on October 29, 2012, caused erosion and undermining that destroyed roads, boardwalks, and foundations in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Waves overtopping a dune can transport sand inland, covering roads and blocking evacuation routes or emergency relief. If storm surge inundates barrier island dunes, currents flowing across the island can create a breach, or a new inlet, completely severing evacuation routes. Waves and surge during Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall on October 29, 2012, left a breach that cut the road and bridge to Mantoloking, N.J. Extreme coastal changes caused by hurricanes may increase the vulnerability of communities both during a storm and to future storms. For example, when sand dunes on a barrier island are eroded substantially, inland structures are exposed to storm surge and waves. Absent or low dunes also allow water to flow inland across the island, potentially increasing storm surge in the back bay, on the soundside of the barrier, and on the mainland.

Lidar observations of wind- and wave-driven morphological evolution of coastal foredunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spore, N.; Brodie, K. L.; Kershner, C. M.

2016-02-01

Coastal foredunes are continually evolving geomorphic features that are slowly built up by wind-blown sand and rapidly eroded during storms by large waves and swash. Landward aeolian transport removes sediment from the active beach and surf-zone, trapping it in the dune, where as coastal erosion both removes sediment from the dune and can decrease the overall fetch and sediment supply available to the dune. Understanding how wave and wind-driven process interact with each other and the dune-beach system itself is a critical component of improving predictions of coastal evolution. To investigate these processes, two 50 m alongshore by 25 m cross-shore patches of dune along an open coast beach fronting the Atlantic Ocean in Duck, NC were scanned with a high resolution terrestrial lidar scanner ( 5000 points per m^2) every three weeks over the last year to observe detailed morphological evolution of the dune and upper beach. Sequential scans were co-registered to each other using fixed objects in the field of view, significantly increasing precision and accuracy of the observations. The north study site featured a 7.5 m tall scarped foredune system, where as the southern study site featured a 6 m tall, hummocky, prograding foredune. Initial analyses show large accretion events on the southern prograding site. For example, during one three week period in February, portions of the site accreted over 40 cm. In contrast, during the same three week period at the northern site (less than 1 km away), response was alongshore variable with erosion and accretion of roughly 10 cm on the foredune face. Further analysis will focus on separating wind vs. wave driven evolution of these sites. Funded by the USACE Coastal Inlets Research Program.

Defrosting Polar Dunes--'The Snow Leopard'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The patterns created by dark spots on defrosting south polar dunes are often strange and beautiful. This picture, which the Mars Orbiter Camera team has dubbed, 'the snow leopard,' shows a dune field located at 61.5oS, 18.9oW, as it appeared on July 1, 1999. The spots are areas where dark sand has been exposed from beneath bright frost as the south polar winter cap begins to retreat. Many of the spots have a diffuse, bright ring around them this is thought to be fresh frost that was re-precipitated after being removed from the dark spot. The spots seen on defrosting polar dunes are a new phenomenon that was not observed by previous spacecraft missions to Mars. Thus, there is much about these features that remains unknown. For example, no one yet knows why the dunes become defrosted by forming small spots that grow and grow over time. No one knows for sure if the bright rings around the dark spots are actually composed of re-precipitated frost. And no one knows for sure why some dune show spots that appear to be 'lined-up' (as they do in the picture shown here).

This Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera image is illuminated from the upper left. North is toward the upper right. The scale bar indicates a distance of 200 meters (656 feet).

Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.

Sandwave Morphologies and Dynamics in a Continental Shelf Environment : Example of the Banc du Four (western Brittany, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franzetti, M.; Garlan, T.; Le Roy, P.; Delacourt, C.; Cancouët, R.; Graindorge, D.; Deschamps, A.

2011-12-01

Marine sand dunes and sandbanks are mainly observed in continental tidal shelves (North Sea, South China Sea, North Atlantic America) and may be highly dynamic (for example up to 75 m/y in the Marsdiep inlet). So they may pose a potential risk to offshore installations and shipping. Multitemporal mapping of sandwaves, necessary to mitigate this hazard, is complicated by their dynamic character, which is still poorly understood especially in the offshore domain. In consequence, these structures are often defined as moribund at depths greater than 30 meters. The aim of this investigation is to study evolution of deeper (110 meters) complex set of sand bedforms : "Banc du Four" located in the Iroise Sea. The study area is exposed to strong tidal currents and storm waves at the junction of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Western English Channel, conditions favorable to sediment dynamics. The bathymetric data, which form the basis of this study, are two Digital Terrain Modeling's (DTM's) derived from MultiBeam Echosounder (MBES) surveys : "Pourquoi-Pas?" oceanographic research vessel (R/V) in February 2009 (5 meters resolution DTM) and R/V "Albert Lucas" in August 2010 (2 meters resolution DTM). Sandwave parameters (water depth, shape, wavelength, height, symmetry index, ...) have been derived from the 2009 bathymetric data. The Banc du Four is characterized by a large sandbank (45 meters height and 2 km width) flanked by dune fields. The morphological characteristics of the dunes vary greatly (range 30 to 110 meters depth, 40 meters maximal height, 600 meters maximal width, symmetrical to asymmetrical, ...). However, this complexity can be explained by the involved sandwave dynamic (range 0 to 30 meters per year migration velocity). Spatial correlation method, applied on the two DTM's, are used to measure the migration rate. The high migration rates for deeper giant dunes bring to light the dynamic sandwave existence at depths exceeding 30-40 meters, contrary to previously accepted models. Dune asymmetry is proportional to migration rates and the lee side is always oriented towards the direction of movement. These relationships confirm the observations reported in the literature for shallower structures.

The role of streamline curvature in sand dune dynamics: evidence from field and wind tunnel measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggs, Giles F. S.; Livingstone, Ian; Warren, Andrew

1996-09-01

Field measurements on an unvegetated, 10 m high barchan dune in Oman are compared with measurements over a 1:200 scale fixed model in a wind tunnel. Both the field and wind tunnel data demonstrate similar patterns of wind and shear velocity over the dune, confirming significant flow deceleration upwind of and at the toe of the dune, acceleration of flow up the windward slope, and deceleration between the crest and brink. This pattern, including the widely reported upwind reduction in shear velocity, reflects observations of previous studies. Such a reduction in shear velocity upwind of the dune should result in a reduction in sand transport and subsequent sand deposition. This is not observed in the field. Wind tunnel modelling using a near-surface pulse-wire probe suggests that the field method of shear velocity derivation is inadequate. The wind tunnel results exhibit no reduction in shear velocity upwind of or at the toe of the dune. Evidence provided by Reynolds stress profiles and turbulence intensities measured in the wind tunnel suggest that this maintenance of upwind shear stress may be a result of concave (unstable) streamline curvature. These additional surface stresses are not recorded by the techniques used in the field measurements. Using the occurrence of streamline curvature as a starting point, a new 2-D model of dune dynamics is deduced. This model relies on the establishment of an equilibrium between windward slope morphology, surface stresses induced by streamline curvature, and streamwise acceleration. Adopting the criteria that concave streamline curvature and streamwise acceleration both increase surface shear stress, whereas convex streamline curvature and deceleration have the opposite effect, the relationships between form and process are investigated in each of three morphologically distinct zones: the upwind interdune and concave toe region of the dune, the convex portion of the windward slope, and the crest-brink region. The applicability of the model is supported by measurements of the rate of sand transport and the change of the dune surface in the field.

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-14

This VIS image of Rabe Crater is dominated by the extensive dunes that cover the crater floor. To the top of the image part of the pit is visible, as well as a small peninsula that has been eroded into the upper level floor materials. On the upper elevation on the side left of the peninsula the dunes cascade onto the lower pit elevation. There is also a slight arc to the dunes on the pit floor due to how the peninsula changed the wind pattern. Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 52206 Latitude: -43.6573 Longitude: 34.9551 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-09-20 13:07 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22142

Studies of the Terrestrial Molecular Oxygen and Carbon Cycles in Sand Dune Gases and in Biosphere 2.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Severinghaus, Jeffrey Peck

Molecular oxygen in the atmosphere is coupled tightly to the terrestrial carbon cycle by the processes of photosynthesis, respiration, and burning. This dissertation examines different aspects of this coupling in four chapters. Chapter 1 explores the feasibility of using air from sand dunes to reconstruct atmospheric O_2 composition centuries ago. Such a record would reveal changes in the mass of the terrestrial biosphere, after correction for known fossil fuel combustion, and constrain the fate of anthropogenic CO_2. Test drilling in sand dunes shows that sand dunes do contain old air, as shown by the concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons and ^{85}Kr. Diffusion is shown to dominate mixing rather than advection. However, biological respiration in dunes corrupts the signal, and isotopic analysis of O_2 and N _2 shows that fractionation of the gases precludes use of sand dunes as archives. Chapter 2 further explores this fractionation, revealing a previously unknown "water vapor flux fractionation" process. A flux of water vapor out of the moist dune into the dry desert air sweeps out the other gases, forcing them to diffuse back into the dune. The heavy isotopes of N_2 and O_2 diffuse more slowly, creating a steady state depletion of heavy isotopes in the dune interior. Molecular diffusion theory and a laboratory simulation of the effect agree well with the observations. Additional fractionation of the dune air occurs via thermal diffusion and gravitational settling, and it is predicted that soil gases in general will enjoy all three effects. Chapter 3 examines the cause of a mysterious drop in O _2 concentrations in the closed ecosystem of Biosphere 2, located near Tucson, Arizona. The organic -rich soil manufactured for the experiment is shown to be the culprit, with CO_2 produced by bacterial respiration of the organic matter reacting with the extensive concrete surfaces inside. Chapter 4 examines the O_2:C stoichiometry of terrestrial soil respiration and photosynthesis, in the context of using atmospheric O_2 measurements to constrain the size of the "missing sink" of CO_2. Direct measurements of soil respiration and biomatter elemental abundance suggest a value of 1.1 +/- 0.05 oxygen molecules per CO_2 molecule.

All Along the Fractures

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-09-30

This image from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft provides information about erosion and movement of surface material, about wind and weather patterns, even about the soil grains and grain sizes. However, looking past the dunes, these images also reveal the nature of the substrate beneath. Within the spaces between the dunes, a resistant and highly fractured surface is revealed. The fractured ground is resistant to erosion by the wind, and suggests the material is bedrock that is now shattered by a history of bending stresses or temperature changes, such as cooling, for example. Alternately, the surface may be a sedimentary layer that was once wet and shrunk and fractured as it dried, like gigantic mud cracks. In either case, the relative small and indistinct fractures have trapped the dark dune sand marching overhead. Now the fractures have become quite distinct, allowing us to examine the orientation and spacing of the fractures to learn more about the processes that formed them. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19958

Uav Application in Coastal Environment, Example of the Oleron Island for Dunes and Dikes Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillot, B.; Pouget, F.

2015-08-01

The recent evolutions in civil UAV ease of use led the University of La Rochelle to conduct an UAV program around its own potential costal application. An application program involving La Rochelle University and the District of Oleron Island began in January 2015 and lasted through July of 2015. The aims were to choose 9 study areas and survey them during the winter season. The studies concerned surveying the dikes and coastal sand dunes of Oleron Island. During each flight, an action sport camera fixed on the UAV's brushless gimbal took a series of 150 pictures. After processing the photographs and using a 3D reconstruction plugin via Photoscan, we were able to export high-resolution ortho-imagery, DSM and 3D models. After applying GIS treatment to these images, volumetric evolutions between flights were revealed through a DDVM (Difference of Digital volumetric Model), in order to study sand movements on coastal sand dunes.

Esquisse d'une grammaire de l'imaginaire (Sketch of a Grammar of the Fanciful).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruck, Heribert

1986-01-01

Proposes an approach to teaching grammar that calls on the student's imagination and frees the learning process from classroom routine. The technique uses examples of specific constructions in French poetry to illustrate principles of grammar and discourse. (MSE)

Groundwater studies in arid areas in Egypt using LANDSAT satellite images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elshazly, E. M.; Abdelhady, M. A.; Elshazly, M. M.

1977-01-01

Various features are interpreted which have strong bearing on groundwater in the arid environment. These include the nature of geological and lithologic units, structural lineaments, present and old drainage systems, distribution and form of water pools, geomorphologic units, weathering surfaces and other weathering phenomena, desert soils, sand dunes and dune sand accumulations, growths of natural vegetation and agriculture, and salt crusts and other expressions of salinization. There are many impressive examples which illustrate the significance of satellite image interpretation on the regional conditions of groundwater which could be traced and interconnected over several tens or even several hundreds of kilometers. This is especially true in the northern Western Desert of Egypt where ground water issuing from deep strata comes to the surface along ENE-WSW and ESE-WNW fault lines and fracture systems. Another striking example is illustrated by the occurrence of fresh to brackish groundwater on the Mediterranean Sea Coastal Zone of the Western Desert where the groundwater is found in the form of lenses floating on the saline sea water.

Multiprocess evolution of landforms in the Kharga Region, Egypt: Applications to Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breed, C. S.; Mccauley, J. F.; Grolier, M. J.

1984-01-01

In order to understand better the polygenetic evolution of landforms on the martian surface, field studies were conducted in and around the Kharga Depression, Egypt. The Kharga region, on the eastern edge of Egypt's Western Desert, was subject to erosion under mostly hyperarid climatic conditions, punctuated by brief pluvial episodes of lesser aridity, since early Pleistocene time. The region contains numerous landforms analogous to features on the martian surface: yardangs carved in layered surficial deposits and in bedrock, invasive dune trains, wind-modified channels and interfluves, and depressions bounded by steep scarps. Like many of the topographic depresions on Mars, the Kharga Depression was invaded by crescentic dunes. In Egypt, stratigraphic relations between dunes, yardangs, mass-wasting debris, and wind-eroded flash-flood deposits record shifts in the relative effectiveness of wind, water, and mass-wasting processes as a function of climate change.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooke, B. P.; Olley, J. M.; Pietsch, T.; Playford, P. E.; Haines, P. W.; Murray-Wallace, C. V.; Woodroffe, C. D.

2014-06-01

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.

Discrimination among semi-arid landscape endmembers using the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuhas, Roberta H.; Goetz, Alexander F. H.; Boardman, Joe W.

1992-01-01

Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data were acquired during three consecutive seasons of the year (26 Sep. 1989, 22 Mar. 1990, and 7 Aug. 1990) over an area of the High Plains east of Greeley, Colorado. This region contains extensive eolian deposits in the form of stabilized dune complexes (small scale parabolic dunes superimposed on large scale longitudinal and parabolic dunes). Due to the dunes' large scale (2-10 km) and low relief (1-5 m), the scaling relationships that contribute to the evolution of this landscape are nearly impossible to understand without the use of remote sensing. Additionally, climate models indicate that the High Plains could be one of the first areas to experience changes in climate caused by either global warming or cooling. During the past 10,000 years there were at least three periods of extensive sand activity, followed by periods of landscape stability, as shown in the stratigraphic record of this area. Therefore, if the past is an indication of the future, the monitoring of this landscape and its sensitive ecosystem is important for early detection of regional and global climate change.

A field study of the geomorphic effects of sublimating CO2 blocks on dune slopes at Coral Pink Dunes, Utah.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourke, Mary; Nield, Jo; Diniega, Serina; Hansen, Candy; McElwaine, Jim

2016-04-01

The seasonal sublimation of CO2 ice is an active driver of present-day surface change on Mars. Diniega et al (2013) proposed that a discrete type of Martian gully, found on southern hemisphere dunes, were formed by the movement of CO2 seasonal ice blocks. These 'Linear Gullies' consist primarily of long (100 m - 2.5 km) grooves with near-uniform width (few-10 m wide), and typical depth of <2 m. They are near-linear throughout most of their length but sometimes contains zones of low-to-high sinuosity. They are commonly bounded by levées. The groove is generally prefaced by a small alcove that originates at the dune brink. We present the results of a set of field experiments that were undertaken at the Coral Pink sand dunes, Utah. These are sister experiments to those undertaken in Arizona (Bourke et al, 2016). The experiments were undertaken on an active barchan dune with a 16 m long lee slope (30.3°). Ambient air temperature was 30°C and relative humidity was 25%; sand surface temperatures were 26.5°C. A CO2 ice block (60x205x210 mm) was placed at the dune brink and with a gentle nudge it moved downslope. The dynamics of the block movement were recorded using a pair of high resolution video cameras. Geomorphological observations were noted and topographic change was quantified using a Leica P20 terrestrial laser scanner with a resolution of 0.8 mm at 10 m, and change detection limits less than 3 mm. The block run was repeated a total of 10 times and launched from the same location at the dune brink. The experiment ran for 45 minutes. The block size was reduced to (45 x 190 x 195 mm) by the end of the run series. The resultant geomorphology shows that the separate block runs occupied different tracks leading to a triangular plan form shape with a maximum width of 3.5 m. This is different from the findings in Arizona where a narrower track span was recorded (1.7m) (Bourke et al, 2016). Similar block dynamics were observed at both sites (as blocks moved straight, swiveled and bounced downslope). Distinctive pits with arcuate rims on their downslope edge were formed where blocks bounced on the surface. These pits are at an almost equidistant spacing. Despite a longer slope (16 m as opposed to 8m at Grand Falls), no depositional apron was formed. Levee development was less consistent compared to the Arizona site, but a pronounced unpaired-levee formed towards the base of the lee slope. These data show that sublimating blocks of CO2 ice leave signatures of transport paths and are capable of eroding and transporting sediment. Diniega,S. et al (2013) A new dry hypothesis for the formation of Martian linear gullies. Icarus. Vol. 225, 1, p. 526-537. Bourke, M.C. et al (2016) The geomorphic effect of sublimating CO2 blocks on dune lee slopes at Grand Falls, Arizona. LPSC

Investigating Mars: Arabia Terra Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-20

The bottom of this image shows the hills and mesas within the crater. The dunes at the top of the image are engulfing and covering the hills. In some locations the hills are still a substantial obstacle to the wind. In these cases the wind is blowing sand up against the windward side, but the hill is causing chaotic wind flow around the hill and rather than depositing sand, the wind is actually removing sand on the leeward side of the hill. With continued winds and sand movement the deposition of material will eventually build up along the leeward side of the hill and then engulf the hill on all sides. Located in eastern Arabia is an unnamed crater, 120 kilometers (75 miles) across. The floor of this crater contains a large exposure of rocky material, a field of dark sand dunes, and numerous patches of what is probably fine-grain sand. The shape of the dunes indicate that prevailing winds have come from different directions over the years. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 11781 Latitude: 26.3693 Longitude: 62.693 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-08-10 10:40 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22299

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-05

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in eastern Coprates Chasma. The plateau above the chasma is visible in this image. The cliff face is very steep, with the elevation dropping over 3 miles from the plateau to the canyon floor. Craters are relatively rare on the chasma floor, the one in this image is fairly large. The crater rim has affected winds in this region, causing the interior dunes within the crater as well as the dunes outside the crater rim. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 37804 Latitude: -14.4843 Longitude: 302.193 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-06-23 01:14 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21999

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-30

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. Today's image of the southern section of the canyon shows a large region of sand dunes. The presence of dunes indicates wind action as the most recent geologic process modifying the canyon. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 18513 Latitude: -12.752 Longitude: 288.597 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2006-02-15 15:24 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22131

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-04

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. Today's image contains a large region of dunes between the canyon cliff face and the large ridge of material at the mid-elevation of the canyon. Fine materials have been concentrated into the dunes. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 26525 Latitude: -11.3125 Longitude: 285.57 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2007-12-07 07:23 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22134

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-11

Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. In this VIS image the rim of the pit is visible near the top of the image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 17074 Latitude: -43.6954 Longitude: 34.66 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-10-20 04:05 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22139

Onset and Dynamics of a Subaqueous Dune Field in a Tideless Erosional Deltaic Shoreface: an Analog for the Initial Development of Sand Ridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrero, Q.; Guillén, J.; Durán, R.; Urgeles, R.

2016-12-01

A subaqueous dune field located over a retreating deltaic lobe in the Ebro delta (NW Mediterranean) is morphodynamically characterized by analyzing three sets of co-located, multibeam bathymetric data acquired in 2004, 2013 and 2015, measurements of near-bottom currents and suspended sediment concentrations, high-resolution seismic profiles and aerial photographs. The dunes, made of fine sand, extend from 5 to 15 m water depth, have straight crestlines and maximum heights and wavelengths of 2.5 and 350 m, respectively (Fig. 1). Results suggest that the onset of dune field development is closely related to the contemporary evolution of the Ebro delta. A change in the main river channel in the 1940s led to the progressive abandonment of the former river mouth, severe coastal retreatment ( 37 m·y-1) and increased sediment availability. The characteristic NW winds of the region induce near-bottom currents flowing towards the SE which are able to rework and transport these sediments. The dune field developed over the shoreface of the abandoned river mouth and is currently active with mean SE migration rates of 10 m·y-1, most likely when high-energetic currents occur. The morphology of the dune field and crestline obliquity to shoreline orientation agree well with that observed in sand ridges of continental shelves worldwide. Mid-outer shelf sand ridges have been interpreted as sedimentary bodies formed in coastal waters and detached from the coast during sea level rise. The studied dune field could therefore be an example of the initial stages of sand ridges development when large amounts of sand are suddenly available. The field developed when the river mouth switched, favored by a pre-existing seafloor irregularity. Despite the time-scale for the genesis and evolution of shoreface sand ridges has been set in time-scales of hundreds/thousands of years, this study shows that shoreface sand ridges can develop during shorter time-scales (tens of years). Furthermore, it is discussed that, in absence of a rapid sea level rise, these sand ridges probably will vanish as a consequence of sediment scarcity and wave reworking.

Drought drove forest decline and dune building in eastern upper Michigan, USA, as the upper Great Lakes became closed basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loope, Walter L.; Loope, Henry M.; Goble, Ronald J.; Fisher, Timothy G.; Lytle, David E.; Legg, Robert J.; Wysocki, Douglas A.; Hanson, Paul R.; Young, Aaron R.

2012-01-01

Current models of landscape response to Holocene climate change in midcontinent North America largely reconcile Earth orbital and atmospheric climate forcing with pollen-based forest histories on the east and eolian chronologies in Great Plains grasslands on the west. However, thousands of sand dunes spread across 12,000 km2 in eastern upper Michigan (EUM), more than 500 km east of the present forest-prairie ecotone, present a challenge to such models. We use 65 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages on quartz sand deposited in silt caps (n = 8) and dunes (n = 57) to document eolian activity in EUM. Dune building was widespread ca. 10–8 ka, indicating a sharp, sustained decline in forest cover during that period. This decline was roughly coincident with hydrologic closure of the upper Great Lakes, but temporally inconsistent with most pollen-based models that imply canopy closure throughout the Holocene. Early Holocene forest openings are rarely recognized in pollen sums from EUM because faint signatures of non-arboreal pollen are largely obscured by abundant and highly mobile pine pollen. Early Holocene spikes in nonarboreal pollen are recorded in cores from small ponds, but suggest only a modest extent of forest openings. OSL dating of dune emplacement provides a direct, spatially explicit archive of greatly diminished forest cover during a very dry climate in eastern midcontinent North America ca. 10–8 ka.

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-28

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in eastern Coprates Chasma. The image shows a relatively smooth floor, with a group of sand dune forms located against the wall of the chasma (bottom of image). The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 27061 Latitude: -13.9602 Longitude: 301.82 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2008-01-20 10:39 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21993

Aeolian Slipface Processes on Earth and Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornwall, Carin; Jackson, Derek; Bourke, Mary; Cooper, Andrew

2016-04-01

The surface of Mars is dominated by aeolian features and many locations show ripple and dune migration over the past decade with some sediment fluxes comparable to terrestrial dunes. One of the leading goals in investigating aeolian processes on Mars is to explore the boundary conditions of sediment transport, accumulation, and dune mor-phology in relation to wind regime as well as to quantify migration rates and sediment flux. We combine terrestrial field observations, 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and remote sensing data to investigate com-plex, small scale wind patterns and grainflow processes on terrestrial and martian dunes. We aim to constrain grain flow magnitudes and frequencies that occur on slipface slopes of dunes in order to improve estimates of martian dune field migration and sediment flux related to wind velocity and flow patterns. A series of ground-based, high resolution laser scans have been collected in the Maspalomas dune field in Gran Canaria, Spain to investigate grainflow frequency, morphology and slipface advancement. Analysis of these laser scans and simultaneous video recordings have revealed a variety of slipface activity. We identify 6 different grain-flow morphologies including, hourglass shape (classic alcove formation with deposit fan below), superficial flow (thin lenses), narrow trough (vertical lines cm in width), sheet, column (vertical alcove walls), and complex (combi-nation of morphologies triggered simultaneously in the same location). Hourglass grainflow morphologies were the most common and occurred regularly. The superficial and narrow trough morphologies were the second most com-mon and frequently occurred in between large grain flows. Sheet grainflows were rare and unpredictable. These flows involved large portions of the slipface (metres across) and mobilized a substantial amount of sediment in one event. We have compared these grainflow morphologies from Maspalomas to those in martian dune fields and have identified some similarities. Hourglass, column, complex, and potentially sheet grainflows were identified on mar-tian slipfaces and tended to be larger than the grainflows in Maspalomas. We also observed that the style of slipface modification on Mars was highly dependent on latitude with the north polar regions having the highest frequency of hourglass-shaped grainflows. Mid-latitudinal dune fields contained few alcoves but typically displayed dark slope streaks on the lee slopes. Dune fields in the south polar region showed little evidence of recent slipface modification and were often covered in dust devil tracks. We plan to further this study by generating 3D dune surfaces from both the Maspalomas laser scan data and high resolution satellite images to examine wind flow patterns and quantify change on the slipface. We will use CFD modelling to investigate the interaction with wind velocity, flow patterns and sediment transport. This technique will also provide a way to investigate potential triggers for processes on slipface slopes of dunes including, grainflows, formation of alcoves and advancement of the slipface.

The impact of sterile neutrinos on CP measurements at long baselines

DOE PAGES

Gandhi, Raj; Kayser, Boris; Masud, Mehedi; ...

2015-09-01

With the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) as an example, we show that the presence of even one sterile neutrino of mass ~1 eV can significantly impact the measurements of CP violation in long baseline experiments. Using a probability level analysis and neutrino-antineutrino asymmetry calculations, we discuss the large magnitude of these effects, and show how they translate into significant event rate deviations at DUNE. These results demonstrate that measurements which, when interpreted in the context of the standard three family paradigm, indicate CP conservation at long baselines, may, in fact hide large CP violation if there is a sterilemore » state. Similarly, any data indicating the violation of CP cannot be properly interpreted within the standard paradigm unless the presence of sterile states of mass O(1 eV) can be conclusively ruled out. Our work underscores the need for a parallel and linked short baseline oscillation program and a highly capable near detector for DUNE, but in order that its highly anticipated results on CP violation in the lepton sector may be correctly interpreted.« less

The impact of sterile neutrinos on CP measurements at long baselines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gandhi, Raj; Kayser, Boris; Masud, Mehedi

With the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) as an example, we show that the presence of even one sterile neutrino of mass ~1 eV can significantly impact the measurements of CP violation in long baseline experiments. Using a probability level analysis and neutrino-antineutrino asymmetry calculations, we discuss the large magnitude of these effects, and show how they translate into significant event rate deviations at DUNE. These results demonstrate that measurements which, when interpreted in the context of the standard three family paradigm, indicate CP conservation at long baselines, may, in fact hide large CP violation if there is a sterilemore » state. Similarly, any data indicating the violation of CP cannot be properly interpreted within the standard paradigm unless the presence of sterile states of mass O(1 eV) can be conclusively ruled out. Our work underscores the need for a parallel and linked short baseline oscillation program and a highly capable near detector for DUNE, but in order that its highly anticipated results on CP violation in the lepton sector may be correctly interpreted.« less

Paleoenvironmental change in central Chile as inferred from OSL dating of ancient coastal sand dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrade, Belisario; Garcia, Juan L.; Lüthgens, Christopher; Fiebig, Markus

2013-04-01

To present day, the climatic and geographic expression of glacials and interglacials in the semiarid coast of central Chile remains unclear. The lack of well dated paleoclimatic records has up to now precluded firm conclusions whether maximum glacials evident in the Andes mountain range probably coincide with wetter (e.g., pluvials) or drier conditions at the coast. The natural region locally known as "Norte Chico" represents a transitional semiarid area between the extreme Atacama Desert to the North and the wetter, Mediterranean-like type of climate, to the South. In this semiarid region of Chile several generations of eolian sand dunes, some of them separated by paleosoils, have been preserved. In addition to the occurrence of paleosoils, thick debris flow deposits in some places overly ancient dune bodies, likely indicating significant environmental changes during the formation of these archives. However, the exact timing of these processes within the mid to late Pleistocene and Holocene is still unclear. A key aspect is that some of the ancient dunes are recently hanging above rocky coastlines, where no supply of sand exists today, likely implying their formation during a lower than present, probably glacio-eustatically induced sea level. The location of the research area in a key mid-latitude region of the eastern Pacific in combination with the preserved landform record offers a chance to reconstruct climatic shifts during the Quaternary by studying the variability of morphogenetic conditions throughout time, in order to promote knowledge about possible forcing factors driving climatic variability. Within this pilot study, samples for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating were taken from three different stratigraphic sections that denote a complex environmental variability as indicated by paleosoils and debris flow units intercalated in ancient sand dunes. First dating results inferred from OSL measurements using a post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) protocol for the dating of feldspar will be presented at the conference. Within this project we aim to establish a geochronological framework for the described sedimentary archives in order to unravel their local and regional paleoenvironmental context.

Exploring the contributions of vegetation and dune size to early dune development using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Puijenbroek, Marinka E. B.; Nolet, Corjan; de Groot, Alma V.; Suomalainen, Juha M.; Riksen, Michel J. P. M.; Berendse, Frank; Limpens, Juul

2017-12-01

Dune development along highly dynamic land-sea boundaries is the result of interaction between vegetation and dune size with sedimentation and erosion processes. Disentangling the contribution of vegetation characteristics from that of dune size would improve predictions of nebkha dune development under a changing climate, but has proven difficult due to the scarcity of spatially continuous monitoring data. This study explored the contributions of vegetation and dune size to dune development for locations differing in shelter from the sea. We monitored a natural nebkha dune field of 8 ha, along the coast of the island Texel, the Netherlands, for 1 year using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with camera. After constructing a digital surface model and orthomosaic we derived for each dune (1) vegetation characteristics (species composition, vegetation density, and maximum vegetation height), (2) dune size (dune volume, area, and maximum height), (3) degree of shelter (proximity to other nebkha dunes and the sheltering by the foredune). Changes in dune volume over summer and winter were related to vegetation, dune size and degree of shelter. We found that a positive change in dune volume (dune growth) was linearly related to initial dune volume over summer but not over winter. Big dunes accumulated more sand than small dunes due to their larger surface area. Exposed dunes increased more in volume (0.81 % per dune per week) than sheltered dunes (0.2 % per dune per week) over summer, while the opposite occurred over winter. Vegetation characteristics did not significantly affect dune growth in summer, but did significantly affect dune growth in winter. Over winter, dunes dominated by Ammophila arenaria, a grass species with high vegetation density throughout the year, increased more in volume than dunes dominated by Elytrigia juncea, a grass species with lower vegetation density (0.43 vs. 0.42 (m3 m-3) week-1). The effect of species was irrespective of dune size or distance to the sea. Our results show that dune growth in summer is mainly determined by dune size, whereas in winter dune growth was determined by vegetation type. In our study area the growth of exposed dunes was likely restricted by storm erosion, whereas growth of sheltered dunes was restricted by sand supply. Our results can be used to improve models predicting coastal dune development.

How to integrate geology, biology, and modern wireless technologies to assess biotic-abiotic interactions on coastal dune systems: a new multidisciplinary approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarti, Giovanni; Bertoni, Duccio; Bini, Monica; Ciccarelli, Daniela; Ribolini, Adriano; Ruocco, Matteo; Pozzebon, Alessandro; Alquini, Fernanda; Giaccari, Riccardo; Tordella, Stefano

2014-05-01

Coastal dune systems are arguably one of the most dynamic environments because their evolution is controlled by many factors, both natural and human-related. Hence, they are often exposed to processes leading to erosion, which in turn determine serious naturalistic and economic losses. Most recent studies carried out on different dune fields worldwide emphasized the notion that a better definition of this environment needs an approach that systematically involves several disciplines, striving to merge every data collected from any individual analyses. Therefore, a new multidisciplinary method to study coastal dune systems has been conceived in order to integrate geology, biology, and modern wireless technologies. The aim of the work is threefold: i) to check the reliability of this new approach; ii) to provide a dataset as complete as ever about the factors affecting the evolution of coastal dunes; and iii) to evaluate the influence of any biotic and abiotic factors on plant communities. The experimentation site is located along the Pisa coast within the Migliarino - S. Rossore - Massaciuccoli Regional Park, a protected area where human influence is low (Tuscany, Italy). A rectangle of 100 x 200 m containing 50 grids of 20 x 20 m was established along the coastal dune systems from the coastline to the pinewood at the landward end of the backdune area. Sampling from each grid determined grain-size analysis carried out on surface sediment samples such as geologic aspects; topographic surveys performed by means of DGPS-RTK instruments; geophysical surveys conducted with a GPR equipment, which will be matched with core drilling activities; digital image analysis of high definition pictures taken by means of a remote controlled aircraft drone flying over the study area; biological data obtained by percent cover of each vascular plant species recorded in the sampling unit. Along with geologic and biologic methodologies, this research implemented the use of informatics technologies as well. A network of wireless sensors was created in order to measure several parameters including dune height, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity. This technique enables high-frequency measurements, instantly sent to a laptop that stores all the information received. The proposed approach is not overly expensive and should allow new ways to thoroughly define coastal dune systems. In addition, the results provided by this study might be useful to enhance and improve coastal protection schemes involving dune artificial reconstruction, which is frequently used as a soft approach to defend endangered sectors of the coast.

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-22

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located on the eastern side of Coprates Chasma, near Capri Chasma. The image shows multiple landslide features, which form lobed shaped deposits at the bottom of the canyon cliff face. Sand dunes are visible both on the landslide deposit and other parts of the canyon floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 16628 Latitude: -15.4094 Longitude: 304.726 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-09-13 10:38 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21990

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-26

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located on the eastern side of Coprates Chasma, near Capri Chasma. The image shows multiple landslide features, which form lobed shaped deposits at the bottom of the canyon cliff face. Sand dunes are visible both on the landslide deposit and other parts of the canyon floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 16653 Latitude: -14.2759 Longitude: 303.707 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-09-15 12:01 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21991

Testing model parameters for wave-induced dune erosion using observations from Hurricane Sandy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overbeck, J. R.; Long, J. W.; Stockdon, H. F.

2017-01-01

Models of dune erosion depend on a set of assumptions that dictate the predicted evolution of dunes throughout the duration of a storm. Lidar observations made before and after Hurricane Sandy at over 800 profiles with diverse dune elevations, widths, and volumes are used to quantify specific dune erosion model parameters including the dune face slope, which controls dune avalanching, and the trajectory of the dune toe, which controls dune migration. Wave-impact models of dune erosion assume a vertical dune face and erosion of the dune toe along the foreshore beach slope. Observations presented here show that these assumptions are not always valid and require additional testing if these models are to be used to predict coastal vulnerability for decision-making purposes. Observed dune face slopes steepened by 43% yet did not become vertical faces, and only 50% of the dunes evolved along a trajectory similar to the foreshore beach slope. Observations also indicate that dune crests were lowered during dune erosion. Moreover, analysis showed a correspondence between dune lowering and narrower beaches, smaller dune volumes, and/or longer wave impact.

Testing model parameters for wave‐induced dune erosion using observations from Hurricane Sandy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Overbeck, Jacquelyn R.; Long, Joseph W.; Stockdon, Hilary F.

2017-01-01

Models of dune erosion depend on a set of assumptions that dictate the predicted evolution of dunes throughout the duration of a storm. Lidar observations made before and after Hurricane Sandy at over 800 profiles with diverse dune elevations, widths, and volumes are used to quantify specific dune erosion model parameters including the dune face slope, which controls dune avalanching, and the trajectory of the dune toe, which controls dune migration. Wave‐impact models of dune erosion assume a vertical dune face and erosion of the dune toe along the foreshore beach slope. Observations presented here show that these assumptions are not always valid and require additional testing if these models are to be used to predict coastal vulnerability for decision‐making purposes. Observed dune face slopes steepened by 43% yet did not become vertical faces, and only 50% of the dunes evolved along a trajectory similar to the foreshore beach slope. Observations also indicate that dune crests were lowered during dune erosion. Moreover, analysis showed a correspondence between dune lowering and narrower beaches, smaller dune volumes, and/or longer wave impact.

Who are the important predators of sea turtle nests at Wreck Rock beach?

PubMed Central

Booth, David T.

2017-01-01

Excessive sea turtle nest predation is a problem for conservation management of sea turtle populations. This study assessed predation on nests of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) at Wreck Rock beach adjacent to Deepwater National Park in Southeast Queensland, Australia after a control program for feral foxes was instigated. The presence of predators on the nesting dune was evaluated by tracking plots (2 × 1 m) every 100 m along the dune front. There were 21 (2014–2015) and 41 (2015–2016) plots established along the dune, and these were monitored for predator tracks daily over three consecutive months in both nesting seasons. Predator activities at nests were also recorded by the presence of tracks on top of nests until hatchlings emerged. In addition, camera traps were set to record the predator activity around selected nests. The tracks of the fox (Vulpes vulpes) and goanna (Varanus spp) were found on tracking plots. Tracking plots, nest tracks and camera traps indicated goanna abundance varied strongly between years. Goannas were widely distributed along the beach and had a Passive Activity Index (PAI) (0.31 in 2014–2015 and 0.16 in 2015–2016) approximately seven times higher than that of foxes (PAI 0.04 in 2014–2015 and 0.02 in 2015–2016). Five hundred and twenty goanna nest visitation events were recorded by tracks but no fox tracks were found at turtle nests. Camera trap data indicated that yellow-spotted goannas (Varanus panoptes) appeared at loggerhead turtle nests more frequently than lace monitors (V. varius) did, and further that lace monitors only predated nests previously opened by yellow-spotted goannas. No foxes were recorded at nests with camera traps. This study suggests that large male yellow-spotted goannas are the major predator of sea turtle nests at the Wreck Rock beach nesting aggregation and that goanna activity varies between years. PMID:28674666

Stencil computations for PDE-based applications with examples from DUNE and hypre

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Engwer, C.; Falgout, R. D.; Yang, U. M.

Here, stencils are commonly used to implement efficient on–the–fly computations of linear operators arising from partial differential equations. At the same time the term “stencil” is not fully defined and can be interpreted differently depending on the application domain and the background of the software developers. Common features in stencil codes are the preservation of the structure given by the discretization of the partial differential equation and the benefit of minimal data storage. We discuss stencil concepts of different complexity, show how they are used in modern software packages like hypre and DUNE, and discuss recent efforts to extend themore » software to enable stencil computations of more complex problems and methods such as inf–sup–stable Stokes discretizations and mixed finite element discretizations.« less

Stencil computations for PDE-based applications with examples from DUNE and hypre

DOE PAGES

Engwer, C.; Falgout, R. D.; Yang, U. M.

2017-02-24

Here, stencils are commonly used to implement efficient on–the–fly computations of linear operators arising from partial differential equations. At the same time the term “stencil” is not fully defined and can be interpreted differently depending on the application domain and the background of the software developers. Common features in stencil codes are the preservation of the structure given by the discretization of the partial differential equation and the benefit of minimal data storage. We discuss stencil concepts of different complexity, show how they are used in modern software packages like hypre and DUNE, and discuss recent efforts to extend themore » software to enable stencil computations of more complex problems and methods such as inf–sup–stable Stokes discretizations and mixed finite element discretizations.« less

Reconnaissance geology of the Jabal Shaqran Quadrangle, sheet 17/44 B, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sable, Edward G.

1982-01-01

The Jabal Shaqran quadrangle lies in the southeastern Asir province, mostly within the westernmost part of the Rub al Khali desert, and is largely covered by Quaternary deposits. Proterozoic crystalline rocks are exposed as inselbergs or rock pediment surfaces along the western border of the quadrangle. The crystalline basement is metavolcanic rock intruded by plutonic to hypabyssal rocks consisting of diorite and gabbro, biotite tonalite gneiss, biotite-hornblende monzogranite, biotite-sodic amphibole granite, and syenogranite to quartz syenite, listed in the inferred order of emplacement. Rhyolite-dacite fels, associated with andesitic to basaltic metavolcanic flow rocks and minor amphibolite, is interpreted to have resulted from metasomatic alteration of the flow rocks during emplacement of granitic plutons. The Wajid Sandstone, of Cambrian to Ordovician age, is largely a coarse-grained quartz arenite with pebbly phases; common crossbedds indicate north-northwest to north-northeast directions of sand transport. Beds are cemented by iron oxide, carbonate, and minor quartz. The Wajid Sandstone is exposed only in the northwestern and northern parts of the quadrangle. Quaternary deposits record a climate that became increasingly more arid. They include Holocene and Pleistocene(?) alluvial and fluvial deposits of sand, gravel, and silt, minor carbonate crusts, and eolian sand and silt. Gravel terraces and gravel plains less than 10 m above the present major wadi channels are widespread and commonly are overlain by marly silt along the wadis. Between major wadis, which discharge into the Rub al Khali basin, gravel-topped surfaces are partly covered by a complex of low, sinuous, discontinuous, generally northwest trending transverse sand dunes. Normal to this trend, higher and more extensive linear dunes and dune complexes, including seif (irq) dunes as high as 50 m, have encroached southwestward. The transverse and linear dunes may represent two stages of advance separated by a pluvial cycle. Studies of aerial photographs indicate that the dunes have not changed appreciably in shape or size between 1951 and 1959, although some seif dunes have advanced their leading edges 15 to 25 m. No potentially economic mineral resources other than sand and gravel were found.

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-21

This is a false color image of Rabe Crater. In this combination of filters "blue" typically means basaltic sand. This VIS image crosses the entire crater and demonstrates how extensive the dunes are on the floor of Rabe Crater. Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 67013 Latitude: -43.2572 Longitude: 34.5875 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-01-21 18:25 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22147

The Early Gulf of Mexico as a Subaerial Basin Below Sea Level (SABSEL) Basin. Evidence from Stratigraphy and Facies of Luanne salt, Norphlet sandstone and Smackover Brown Dense Formations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassidy, M. M.

2016-12-01

Many workers recognize that large salt deposits form in post-rift sag basins which were subaerial and susceptible to rapid flooding from adjacent oceansl. I have termed these basins "subaerial basins below sea level" or "SABSEL" basins. A key marker of SABSEL basins are terrestrial sediments immediately overlain by deepwater sediments with no transition. Desert deposits -including Aeolian dunes- are preserved in the adiabatically heated depression. Dunes are not eroded by transgressing seas but are drowned by rising water as in a bath tub. They maintain their shape. Deepwater marine black shales or limestones drape the dunes. The Southern North sea is an example. Above the original marine shale over the dunes are evaporites. Winds descending into the basin were heated by adiabatic compression providing the very hot air need to allow survival of potassium salts. A similar situation was probably active during the Messinian salinity crisis in the Mediterranean basin, and the opening of the South Atlantic. In the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) a desert is on the Louann salt. Here the sea invaded the lows first to deposit the salt overlying tilted fault blocks of the opening basin, as in the Afar Triangle of Africa. In the GOM entry to the west fed in sea water, then closed. The Norphlet desert formed. Streams carried sands to the basin to be spread by winds where they willed, not limited to sand entry areas. Upon deposition their original weight depressed the salt. Seismic shows depressions in the salt but the dunes are high at the top Norphlet, forming distinctive small "eyes" at the top salt. The 600 foot dunes are draped by deep water dolomitic finely laminated organic rich black/ brown shale, the Brown Dense Facies of the Smackover formation. The lack of reworking of the dunes found by detailed seismic is distinctive of deposition in a SABSEL basin. The overlap of terrestrial sediments by deep water deposition is good evidence of sudden flooding. In summary this vertical succession of facies in the Jurassic can be explained as a SABSEL Basin. Evidence of Norphlet presence exists east of the Mississippi delta and the in Campeche embayment of Mexico. Search for its distinctive seismic signature throughout the Gulf of Mexico should continue, and may yield more large gas deposits.

Conceptual models of the evolution of transgressive dune field systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

A. Hesp, Patrick

2013-10-01

This paper examines the evolutionary paths of some transgressive dune fields that have formed on different coasts of the world, and presents some initial conceptual models of system dynamics for transgressive dune sheets and dune fields. Various evolutionary pathways are conceptualized based on a visual examination of dune fields from around the world. On coasts with high sediment supply, dune sheets and dune fields tend to accumulate as large scale barrier systems with little colonization of vegetation in arid-hyper to arid climate regimes, and as multiple, active discrete phases of dune field and deflation plain couplets in temperate to tropical environments. Active dune fields tend to be singular entities on coasts with low to moderate sediment supply. Landscape complexity and vegetation richness and diversity increases as dune fields evolve from simple active sheets and dunes to single and multiple deflation plains and basins, precipitation ridges, nebkha fields and a host of other dune types associated with vegetation (e.g. trailing ridges, slacks, remnant knobs, gegenwalle ridges and dune track ridges, ‘tree islands' and ‘bush pockets'). Three principal scenarios of transgressive dune sheet and dune field development are discussed, including dune sheets or dune fields evolving directly from the backshore, development following foredune and/or dune field erosion, and development from the breakdown or merging of parabolic dunes. Various stages of evolution are outlined for each scenario. Knowledge of evolutionary patterns and stages in coastal dune fields is very limited and caution is urged in attempts to reverse, change and/or modify dune fields to ‘restore' some perceived loss of ecosystem or dune functioning.

Conceptual models of the evolution of transgressive dune field systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesp, Patrick A.

2013-10-01

This paper examines the evolutionary paths of some transgressive dune fields that have formed on different coasts of the world, and presents some initial conceptual models of system dynamics for transgressive dune sheets and dune fields. Various evolutionary pathways are conceptualized based on a visual examination of dune fields from around the world. On coasts with high sediment supply, dune sheets and dune fields tend to accumulate as large scale barrier systems with little colonization of vegetation in arid-hyper to arid climate regimes, and as multiple, active discrete phases of dune field and deflation plain couplets in temperate to tropical environments. Active dune fields tend to be singular entities on coasts with low to moderate sediment supply. Landscape complexity and vegetation richness and diversity increases as dune fields evolve from simple active sheets and dunes to single and multiple deflation plains and basins, precipitation ridges, nebkha fields and a host of other dune types associated with vegetation (e.g. trailing ridges, slacks, remnant knobs, gegenwalle ridges and dune track ridges, 'tree islands' and 'bush pockets'). Three principal scenarios of transgressive dune sheet and dune field development are discussed, including dune sheets or dune fields evolving directly from the backshore, development following foredune and/or dune field erosion, and development from the breakdown or merging of parabolic dunes. Various stages of evolution are outlined for each scenario. Knowledge of evolutionary patterns and stages in coastal dune fields is very limited and caution is urged in attempts to reverse, change and/or modify dune fields to 'restore' some perceived loss of ecosystem or dune functioning.

Subaqueous ice-contact fans: Depositional systems characterised by highly aggradational supercritical flow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Joerg; Winsemann, Jutta

2015-04-01

Subaqueous ice-contact fans are deposited by high-energy plane-wall jets from subglacial conduits into standing water bodies. Highly aggradational conditions during flow expansion and deceleration allow for the preservation of bedforms related to supercritical flows, which are commonly considered rare in the depositional record. We present field examples from gravelly and sandy subaqueous ice-contact fan successions, which indicate that deposition by supercritical flows might be considered as a characteristic feature of these depositional systems. The studied successions were deposited in deep ice-dammed lakes, which formed along the margins of the Middle Pleistocene Scandinavian ice sheets across Northern Germany. The gravel-rich subaqueous fan deposits are dominated by large scour-fills (up to 25 m wide and 3 m) deep and deposits of turbulent hyperconcentrated flows, which are partly attributed to supercritical flow conditions (Winsemann et al., 2009). Scours (up to 4.5 m wide and 0.9 m deep) infilled by gravelly backsets are observed above laterally extensive erosional surfaces and are interpreted as deposits of cyclic steps. Laterally discontinuous beds of low-angle cross-stratified gravel are interpreted as antidune deposits. Downflow and up-section the gravel-rich deposits pass into sand-rich successions, which include deposits of chutes-and-pools, breaking antidunes, stationary antidunes and humpback dunes (Lang and Winsemann, 2013). Deposits of chutes-and-pools and breaking antidunes are characterised by scour-fills (up to 4 m wide and 1.2 m deep) comprising backsets or gently dipping sigmoidal foresets. Stationary antidune deposits consist of laterally extensive sinusoidal waveforms with long wavelengths (1-12 m) and low amplitudes (0.1-0.5 m), which formed under quasi-steady flows at the lower limit of the supercritical flow stage and high rates of sedimentation. Humpback dunes are characterised by divergent sigmoidal foresets and are interpreted as bedforms related to transcritical flow conditions. Deposits of aggrading stationary antidunes and humpback dunes represent a characteristic facies association of the distal zone of flow transition. Downflow the succession passes into deposits of large 3D dunes and climbing ripples. The large-scale lateral and vertical successions of bedforms are interpreted as representing the temporal and spatial evolution of the supercritical meltwater jets, which was affected by hydraulic jumps. Small-scale facies changes and the formation of individual bedforms are interpreted as controlled by fluctuating discharge, pulsating unstable flows and bed topography. References: Lang, J., Winsemann, J. (2013) Lateral and vertical facies relationships of bedforms deposited by aggrading supercritical flows: from cyclic steps to humpback dunes. Sedimentary Geology 296, 36-54. Winsemann, J., Hornung, J.J., Meinsen, J., Asprion, U., Polom, U., Brandes, C., Bussmann, M., Weber, C., (2009) Anatomy of a subaqueous ice-contact fan and delta complex, Middle Pleistocene, North-west Germany, Sedimentology 56, 1041-1076.

Investigating Mars: Candor Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-09

This image shows part of western Candor and the erosion of a large mesa. Layered materials are visible throughout the image. The dark material with the linear appearance in the middle of the image are sand dunes. Sand dunes are created by wind action. At the present time, wind is the active process shaping the surface. Candor Chasma is one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. It is approximately 810 km long (503 miles) and has is divided into two regions - eastern and western Candor. Candor is located south of Ophir Chasma and north of Melas Chasma. The border with Melas Chasma contains many large landslide deposits. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas. Many forms of erosion have shaped Chandor Chasma. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant gravity driven mass wasting (landslides). The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 6245 Latitude: -5.77639 Longitude: 284.339 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-05-12 14:49 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22161

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-20

This is a false color image of Rabe Crater. In this combination of filters "blue" typically means basaltic sand. Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 52231 Latitude: -43.6665 Longitude: 34.2627 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-09-22 14:29 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22146

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-22

This is a false color image of Rabe Crater. In this combination of filters "blue" typically means basaltic sand. Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 67144 Latitude: -43.5512 Longitude: 34.5951 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-02-01 12:57 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22148

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-19

This is a false color image of Rabe Crater. In this combination of filters "blue" typically means basaltic sand. Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 51157 Latitude: -43.6787 Longitude: 34.3985 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-06-26 05:33 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22145

Investigating Mars: Rabe Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-12

In this VIS image of the floor of Rabe Crater the step down into the pit is visible in the sinuous ridges on the left side of the image. The appearance of the exposed side of the cliffs does not look like a volcanic, difficult to erode material, but rather an easy to erode material such as layered sediments. Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 34456 Latitude: -43.7164 Longitude: 34.4056 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-09-20 09:38 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22140

Holocene coastal dune fields used as indicators of net littoral transport: West Coast, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, C.D.; Stock, E.; Hart, R.; Percy, D.; Hostetler, S.W.; Knott, J.R.

2010-01-01

Between Point Grenville, Washington, and Point Conception, California (1500 km distance) 21 dune fields record longshore transport in 20 littoral cells during the late Holocene. The direction of predominant littoral transport is established by relative positions of dune fields (north, central, or south) in 17 representative littoral cells. Dune field position is north of cell midpoints in northernmost Oregon and Washington, but is south of cell midpoints in southern Oregon and California. Downdrift sand trapping occurs at significant changes in shoreline angle and/or at bounding headlands that project at least 2.5 km seaward from the general coastal trend. Sand bypassing occurs around small headlands of less than 0.5 km in projection distance. A northward shift of the winter low-pressure center in the northeast Pacific Ocean is modeled from 11 ka to 0 ka. Nearshore current forcing in southern Oregon and northern California switched from northward in earliest Holocene time to southward in late Holocene time. The late Holocene (5-0 ka) is generally characterized by net northward littoral drift in northernmost Oregon and Washington and by net southward littoral drift in southernmost Oregon and California. A regional divergence of net transport direction in central Oregon, i.e. no net drift, is consistent with modeled wind and wave forcing at the present time (0 ka). ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V.

A case study on dune response to infragravity waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wenshan; Wang, Hui; Li, Huan; Wu, Shuangquan; Li, Cheng

2017-08-01

A series of numerical simulations were conducted using the process-based model XBeach to investigate dune response under normal and getting rid of infragravity wave conditions with different slopes. Erosion volume upside the dune toe and dune top recession are set as indicators for dune vulnerability as well as defence capacity for its front-beach. Results show that both dune erosion volume and dune top recession decrease with gentler dune slopes. Of all the simulation cases, dune with a face slope of 1/1 lost most sand and supplied most sand for lower-bed. The presence of infragravity waves is validated to be crucial to dune vulnerability. The dune erosion volume is shown to decrease by 44.5%∼61.5% and the dune top recession decreased by 0%∼45.5% correspondingly, in the case that infragravity motion is not taken into account during simulation for different dune slopes.

Diversity and associations between coastal habitats and anurans in southernmost Brazil.

PubMed

Oliveira, Mauro C L M; Dos Santos, Maurício B; Loebmann, Daniel; Hartman, Alexandre; Tozetti, Alexandro M

2013-01-01

This study aimed to verify the relationship between habitat and the composition of anuran species in dune and restinga habitats in southernmost Brazil. The habitats were sampled between April 2009 and March 2010 using pitfalls with drift fence. We have captured 13,508 individuals of 12 anuran species. Species richness was lower in the dunes and dominance was higher in the resting. Apparently the less complex plant cover, water availability, and wide daily thermal variation in dunes act as an environmental filter for frogs. This hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that the most abundant species (Physalaemus biligonigerus and Odonthoprynus maisuma) bury themselves in the sand, minimizing these environmental stresses. Despite being in the Pampa biome, the studied community was more similar to those of coastal restinga environment of southeast Brazil than with other of the Pampa biome. The number of recorded species is similar to those observed in other open habitats in Brazil, showing the importance of adjacent ones to the shoreline for the maintenance of the diversity of anurans in southernmost Brazil.

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-04

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in eastern Coprates Chasma. The branching features near the bottom of the image are spurs of rock in the cliff face. The rock is more resistant to erosion that fine materials like sand and dust. Those materials are visible below the spurs, and then onto the canyon floor. Unlike the large landslide deposits, these small fans of material build up over time as the material above erodes. There are sand dunes along the edge of the fans in this image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 36294 Latitude: -14.7055 Longitude: 303.066 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-02-18 17:20 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21998

Investigating Mars: Candor Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-08

Candor Chasma is one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. It is approximately 810 km long (503 miles) and has is divided into two regions - eastern and western Candor. Candor is located south of Ophir Chasma and north of Melas Chasma. The border with Melas Chasma contains many large landslide deposits. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas. Many forms of erosion have shaped Chandor Chasma. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant gravity driven mass wasting (landslides). This image shows part of western Candor and the erosion of a large mesa. Layered materials are visible throughout the image and small dunes exist in several places. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 4360 Latitude: -6.08522 Longitude: 284.85 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-12-08 10:51 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22160

Investigating Mars: Moreux Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-23

This image of Moreux Crater shows the eastern side of the central peak, as well as the nearby sand dunes. In this false color image sand dunes are "blue". Smaller patches of blue are located on the central peak materials and indicate where surface winds have moved fine materials on/off the peak deposits. The pitted and curvilinear morphology of the central peak deposits have been interpreted to have formed by glacial activity. Moreux Crater is located in northern Arabia Terra and has a diameter of 138 kilometers. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 12518 Latitude: 41.8223 Longitude: 44.7638 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-10-10 02:55 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22126

Investigating Mars: Moreux Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-24

This image of Moreux Crater shows the highest elevations of the central peak, as well as the nearby sand dunes. In this false color image sand dunes are "blue". Smaller patches of blue are located on the central peak materials and indicate where surface winds have moved fine materials on/off the peak deposits. The pitted and curvilinear morphology of the central peak deposits have been interpreted to have formed by glacial activity. Moreux Crater is located in northern Arabia Terra and has a diameter of 138 kilometers. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 46786 Latitude: 41.7667 Longitude: 44.3482 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-07-01 13:41 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22127

Identification of Radar Facies and Linked Process-Based Palaeo-environmental Interpretations, Cooloola Sand Mass, Queensland, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gontz, A. M.; McCallum, A. B.; Moss, P. T.; Shulmeister, J.

2015-12-01

During 2015 and 2014, nearly 60 km of high-resolution ground penetrating radar data were acquired on the Cooloola Sand Mass (CSM) in southeastern coastal Queensland. The CSM is part of the world's largest downdrift sand system. It contains three of the world's largest sand islands, several National Parks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and covers 500 km of the eastern Australian coastline in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. The large (>200 m) composite dunes of the CSM exhibit multiple activation phases, coastally eroding bluffs and dune development is not obvious from surficial exposures. This provides an ideal environment for ground penetrating radar. The dune sequences have been provisionally dated to the mid Quaternary through present and represent the potential for a large palaeo-environmental proxy dataset. GPR imagery was collected using a MALA GeoSciences Ground Explorer (GX) system with 160 and 450 MHz antennae from the numerous physiographic and ecological provinces as well as mapped surficial soil units at the CSM. These data were used to determine the subsurface architecture, identify radar facies and develop environmental interpretations. In the clean, aeolian quartz-rich sands, radar wave penetration exceeded 30 m (radar velocity = 0.07 m/ns) with the 160 MHz antenna. From the interpreted environmental units including palaeosol, dune slip face, dune stoss face, sand blow, beach, estuarine and fluvial, we are developing maps to relate the units and focus a detailed sampling regime that includes OSL, sediment geochemistry and sedimentology, The interpreted units, stratigraphic correlation and spatial distribution of the facies is the first step in a broader project to unravel the Quaternary environmental and climate records that are archived within the sediments of the CSM.

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-05

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. Today's image is just a bit further to the west of yesterday's. Here there are no dunes, but extensive outcrops of layered material. It is possible that these layered deposits were formed by sediments settling in a lake. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 4335 Latitude: -10.3718 Longitude: 285.195 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-12-06 09:30 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22135

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-07

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. This VIS image is located along the northern cliff face of the chasma. The linear features are large landslide surfaces. A region of sand dunes is located along the change in elevation from the cliff face at the top of the image and the floor of the canyon at the bottom of the image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 31790 Latitude: -10.3951 Longitude: 290.141 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-02-12 20:47 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22137

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-03

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in central Coprates Chasma. In this image, there is a landslide deposit at the bottom of the image. The brighter material to the left of the landslide appears to be a rough surface likely etched by wind action. The chasma contains numerous regions of sand dunes, indicating that the wind plays a part in the erosion and deposition of fine materials in the canyon. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 35820 Latitude: -12.793 Longitude: 297.407 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-01-10 16:39 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21996

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-27

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km from the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. This VIS image shows layered materials and sand dunes. The image is located on the mid elevations on the south side of the canyon. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 10838 Latitude: -12.7865 Longitude: 288.837 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-05-24 17:32 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22128

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-02

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in eastern Coprates Chasma, just east of the previous image. In this image, the lobate margins of several landslide deposits are easy to identify. This indicates the chaotic surface in yesterday's image are materials emplaced by landslides. The brighter features at the bottom of the image are layered materials. There are also dunes in the region with the layered deposits. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 33037 Latitude: -13.8409 Longitude: 301.104 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-05-26 13:16 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21995

Beach morphodynamics and types of foredune erosion generated by storms along the Emilia-Romagna coastline, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armaroli, Clara; Grottoli, Edoardo; Harley, Mitchell D.; Ciavola, Paolo

2013-10-01

The objectives of this study are to examine the response of a dune and beach system on the Adriatic coastline in northern Italy to the arrival of storms, compare it with seasonal (months) and medium-term (3-year) morphodynamic change, and evaluate results predicted by the numerical model XBeach. The studied coastline stretches 4 km from the Bevano River mouth to the north of the site to the township of Lido di Classe to the south, where the beach is protected by coastal structures. Fieldwork consisted of topographic profile surveys using RTK-DGPS technology (7 times over an approx. 3-year period). 103 samples of surface sediment were collected along 20 of the cross-shore profiles at 6 distinct cross-shore positions, selected on the basis of morphological beach characteristics. Data analyses of dune and beach slopes enabled the study area to be divided into 6 separate morphological zones using the spatial (longshore and cross-shore) variation of morphologies located on the backshore and intertidal beach observed in a preliminary survey of the area. Other criteria were a spatial consistency in beach slopes and/or presence/absence of intertidal morphologies identified in the aerial photographs and Lidar data. The swash zone slope did not show any significant variability for the entire area. A weak seasonal trend in the variability of the mean foredune slope was observed, with steeper slopes typically during winter and flatter slopes during summer. Analysis of grain size revealed that the beach sediment is well-sorted fine sand tending to medium, with a decreasing trend in size from the Bevano River mouth southwards towards Lido di Classe. According to the Masselink and Short (1993) classification, the natural part of the study site has an Intermediate Barred Beach (IBB) and following the Short (1999) classification, results in a modally LBT (longshore bar-trough) or LTT (low tide terrace) with a small section being TBR (transverse bar and rip). Storms are considered the main factor controlling changes in the beach and dune slope. The most significant storm was recorded in March 2010 with a peak significant wave height of 3.91 m. Contrary to the seasonal dune trend, several foredune slopes were observed to flatten following this event, which can be attributed to the action of dune slumping from the already weakened dune state. Modelling of foredune erosion, using a process-based model (XBeach), reproduced the erosion of the upper beach and dune toe reasonably well, but is currently limited by the acceptable slope value for dune stability, which does not account for biotic factors (e.g. plant roots). The comparison between the storm impact categories of Sallenger (2000) and the DSF (Dune Stability Factor) of Armaroli et al. (2012) shows a very good correspondence between the effects of the winter 2008-2009 storms and the vulnerability of the dune system predicted using both classifications.

The plight of the beaches of Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, L.; Foteinis, S.; Kalligeris, N.; Palaiologou, A.; Synolakis, C. E.

2008-12-01

The coastlines of the Greece are rapidly retreating at a rate that has increased substantially in the past decade. We describe here specific examples of rapid erosion and we speculate as to the causes. In some instances, erosion is advancing at a rate of 1m/year. As in other parts of the Mediterranean, the causes are anthropogenic and include sand mining from the beaches and rivers, poor design of coastal structures that create reflection patterns that focus waves on vulnerable areas, removal of sand dunes to build roads, and coastal construction too close to shoreline. The underlying problem is the complete lack of any semblance of coastal zone management in Greece and antiquated legislation. We conclude that unless urgent salvage measures to protect the beaches and end sand mining and dune removal, several beaches will disappear within the next decade.

Exploring inner structure of Titan's dunes from Cassini Radar observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, P.; Heggy, E.; Farr, T. G.

2013-12-01

Linear dunes discovered in the equatorial regions of Titan by the Cassini-Huygens mission are morphologically very similar to many terrestrial linear dune fields. These features have been compared with terrestrial longitudinal dune fields like the ones in Namib desert in western Africa. This comparison is based on the overall parallel orientation of Titan's dunes to the predominant wind direction on Titan, their superposition on other geomorphological features and the way they wrap around topographic obstacles. Studying the internal layering of dunes has strong implications in understanding the hypothesis for their origin and evolution. In Titan's case, although the morphology of the dunes has been studied from Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images, it has not been possible to investigate their internal structure in detail as of yet. Since no radar sounding data is available for studying Titan's subsurface yet, we have developed another technique to examine the inner layering of the dunes. In this study, we utilize multiple complementary radar datasets, including radar imaging data for Titan's and Earth's dunes and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)/radar sounding data for terrestrial dunes. Based on dielectric mixing models, we suggest that the Cassini Ku-band microwaves should be able to penetrate up to ~ 3 m through Titan's dunes, indicating that the returned radar backscatter signal would include contributions from both surface and shallow subsurface echoes. This implies that the shallow subsurface properties can be retrieved from the observed radar backscatter (σ0). In our analysis, the variation of the radar backscatter as a function of dune height is used to provide an insight into the layering in Titan's dunes. We compare the variation of radar backscatter with elevation over individual dunes on Titan and analogous terrestrial dunes in three sites (Great Sand Sea, Siwa dunes and Qattaniya dunes) in the Egyptian Sahara. We observe a strong, positive correlation between the backscatter and elevation along dune profile for the larger, older dunes in the Great Sand Sea in south-western Egypt and Siwa dune field in north-western Egypt, as opposed to the weak negative correlation exhibited by the smaller, younger Qattaniya dunes in north-eastern Egypt. This result is reinforced by our GPR survey on a large dune in the Siwa dune field and a smaller dune in the Qattaniya dune field. Our GPR data suggest the internal structure of larger dunes to consist of greater number of layers/cross-strata than smaller ones in the first 8 meters of the subsurface, which corresponds to the radar penetration depth at (0.8-1.2) GHz. Dunes on Titan exhibit backscatter-height dependency similar to the smaller Qattaniya dunes. In particular, the Shangri-La and Belet dunes on Titan exhibit a significantly stronger, negative correlation for the backscatter-height dependency compared to the Fensal and Aztlan dunes, suggesting a difference in the internal layering, relative ages and formation history of these dunes on Titan.

Water Past and Present

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

This image of sulfate and water ice deposits in the Olympia Undae region of Mars was taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) at 2213 UTC on October 2, 2006 (6:13 p.m. EDT) near 81.6 degrees north latitude, 188.9 degrees east longitude. CRISM's image was taken in 544 colors covering 0.36-3.92 micrometers, and shows features as small as 20 meters (66 feet) across.

Olympia Undae is a large dune field that stretches some 1,100 kilometers (684 miles) across the northern polar region of Mars, just south of the ice cap. The region holds a vast expanse of complex, shifting dunes and is best described as a sand sea or erg similar to the Sahara.

The two images above provide interesting clues into Mars' history by revealing the planet's wet past and frozen present. The left image is an infrared, false-color image that reveals dark-colored dunes overlying a lighter substrate. Spectral data from CRISM and its sister instrument OMEGA suggest similar compositions of these dunes and the dark basal, or lowermost, unit of the north polar layered deposits. HIRISE images revealed cross-bedding (crossed layers that are oriented at a different angle to the main layer) in this dark unit. On Earth, cross-bedded sediments can form in both windy and watery environments. The dark polar basal unit on Mars is interpreted as a sand sheet underlying and pre-dating the ice, and now being eroded to dunes by the Martian winds.

The mineralogy of the Olympia Undae region holds a record of past water. CRISM spectral data (right image) shows that the darker dunes are rich in polyhydrated sulfate (sulfates with more than one water molecule incorporated into each molecule of the mineral). The mineral gypsum is a polyhydrated sulfate, and the most likely constituent in these dunes. The gypsum probably formed by evaporation of ancient, saline water or by aqueous alteration of the silicate portion of the dune material. Areas shaded in red are cover by dust.

Blue areas in both images indicate water ice, outliers of the polar cap that persist well into or even through the Martian summer. CRISM has observed these water ice outliers in shadows on north-facing slopes that are located at relatively low latitudes. In the images above, water ice is found on the northern slopes of both the inner and outer portions of a crater rim. CRISM also found that these icy outliers are concentrated in bright areas that reflect more of the sun's warming rays and thus stay cold, and that they are less common in darker regions that absorb the sun's ray and become warmer.

The combination of hydrated sulfates and water ice provides an interesting view into Mars' geologic history. In one image we see a record of past water trapped in sulfates and present water persisting as surface ice. As CRISM continues to gather data about the mineralogy and atmosphere of Mars, a clearer picture of the planet's wet past and frozen present emerges.

CRISM is one of six science instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Led by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., the CRISM team includes expertise from universities, government agencies and small businesses in the United States and abroad. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Science Laboratory for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the orbiter.

Assessment of beach and dune erosion and accretion using LiDAR: Impact of the stormy 2013-14 winter and longer term trends on the Sefton Coast, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pye, Kenneth; Blott, Simon J.

2016-08-01

An important question for coastal management concerns the importance of individual storms and clusters of storms on longer term beach sediment budgets, beach and dune erosion, and coastal flood risk. Between October 2013 and March 2014 a series of deep Atlantic low pressure systems crossed the Northeast Atlantic, and strong winds, high waves and high water levels affected many coastal areas in the UK and other parts of western Europe. Net dune recession of up to 12.1 m occurred around Formby Point. On 5 December 2013 the highest water level ever recorded at Liverpool (6.22 m ODN) coincided with waves of Hs of 4.55 m and Tp of 9.3 s in Liverpool Bay. Wave trimming of the dune toe occurred along the entire length of the Sefton coast, but significant dune erosion occurred only where the upper beach (between the mean high water spring tide level and the dune toe) was < 25 m wide. Sediment budget calculations based on LiDAR surveys in October 2013 and May 2014 indicated a net loss of 127 × 103 m3 of sediment from the beach (above 0 m ODN) and a loss of 268 × 103 m3 from the frontal dune system, mostly at Formby Point. However, some parts of the beach to the south of Formby Point gained sediment, indicating net north to south transport over the winter. When considered in a longer term context, the 2013-14 winter represents only a small perturbation on the longer-term coast trend of erosion at Formby Point and progradation to the north and south. Analysis of LiDAR data over a longer time period 1999-2014 indicated upper beach and dune sediment loss of 780 × 103 m3 from the north-central part of Formby Point, with net gains of 806 × 103 m3 and 2116 × 103 m3 in areas to the north and south, respectively. This indicates a net onshore transport of 2142 × 103 m3 from Liverpool Bay towards the coast between Birkdale and Altcar, with a further net total of 210 × 103 m3 transported towards the shore between Altcar and Crosby. In view of the demonstrated value of airborne LiDAR surveys for the quantification of storm impacts and longer term coastal changes, it is recommended that such surveys should be undertaken before and after each winter storm period, covering the area between mean low water spring tide level and a line 200 m landward of the dune toe, of as a part of the regional coastal monitoring programme.

Implications of dune pattern analysis for Titan's surface history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savage, Christopher J.; Radebaugh, Jani; Christiansen, Eric H.; Lorenz, Ralph D.

2014-02-01

Analysis of large-scale morphological parameters can reveal the reaction of dunes to changes in atmospheric and sedimentary conditions. Over 7000 dune width and 7000 dune spacing measurements were obtained for linear dunes in regions across Saturn's moon Titan from images T21, T23, T28, T44 and T48 collected by the Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) aboard the Cassini spacecraft in order to reconstruct the aeolian surface history of Titan. Dunes in the five study areas are all linear in form, with a mean width of 1.3 km and mean crest spacing of 2.7 km, similar to dunes in the African Saharan and Namib deserts on Earth. At the resolution of Cassini SAR, the dunes have the morphology of large linear dunes, and they lack evidence for features of compound or complex dunes. The large size, spacing and uniform morphology are all indicators that Titan's dunes are mature features, in that they have grown toward a steady state for a long period of time. Dune width decreases to the north, perhaps from increased sediment stabilization caused by a net transport of moisture from south to north, or from increased maturity in dunes to the south. Cumulative probability plots of dune parameters measured at different locations across Titan indicate there is a single population of intermediate-to-large-sized dunes on Titan. This suggests that, unlike analogous dunes in the Namib and Agneitir Sand Seas, dune-forming conditions that generated the current set of dunes were stable and active long enough to erase any evidence of past conditions.

An automated approach for extracting Barrier Island morphology from digital elevation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wernette, Phillipe; Houser, Chris; Bishop, Michael P.

2016-06-01

The response and recovery of a barrier island to extreme storms depends on the elevation of the dune base and crest, both of which can vary considerably alongshore and through time. Quantifying the response to and recovery from storms requires that we can first identify and differentiate the dune(s) from the beach and back-barrier, which in turn depends on accurate identification and delineation of the dune toe, crest and heel. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a multi-scale automated approach for extracting beach, dune (dune toe, dune crest and dune heel), and barrier island morphology. The automated approach introduced here extracts the shoreline and back-barrier shoreline based on elevation thresholds, and extracts the dune toe, dune crest and dune heel based on the average relative relief (RR) across multiple spatial scales of analysis. The multi-scale automated RR approach to extracting dune toe, dune crest, and dune heel based upon relative relief is more objective than traditional approaches because every pixel is analyzed across multiple computational scales and the identification of features is based on the calculated RR values. The RR approach out-performed contemporary approaches and represents a fast objective means to define important beach and dune features for predicting barrier island response to storms. The RR method also does not require that the dune toe, crest, or heel are spatially continuous, which is important because dune morphology is likely naturally variable alongshore.

Measuring the spatial variation in surface moisture on a coastal beach with an infra-red terrestrial laser scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smit, Yvonne; Donker, Jasper; Ruessink, Gerben

2016-04-01

Coastal sand dunes provide essential protection against marine flooding. Consequently, dune erosion during severe storms has been studied intensively, resulting in well-developed erosion models for use in scientific and applied projects. Nowadays there is growing awareness that similarly advanced knowledge on dune recovery and growth is needed to predict future dune development. For this reason, aeolian sand transport from the beach into the dunes has to be investigated thoroughly. Surface moisture is a major factor limiting aeolian transport on sandy beaches. By increasing the velocity threshold for sediment entrainment, pick-up rates reduce and the fetch length increases. Conventional measurement techniques cannot adequately characterize the spatial and temporal distribution of surface moisture content required to study the effects on aeolian transport. Here we present a new method for detecting surface moisture at high temporal and spatial resolution using the RIEGL VZ-400 terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). Because this TLS operates at a wavelength near a water absorption band (1550 nm), TLS reflectance is an accurate parameter to measure surface soil moisture over its full range. Three days of intensive laser scanning were performed on a Dutch beach to illustrate the applicability of the TLS. Gravimetric soil moisture samples were used to calibrate the relation between reflectance and surface moisture. Results reveal a robust negative relation for the full range of possible surface moisture contents (0% - 25%). This relation holds to about 80 m from the TLS. Within this distance the TLS typically produces O(106-107) data points, which we averaged into soil moisture maps with a 0.25x0.25 m resolution. This grid size largely removes small moisture disturbances induced by, for example, footprints or tire tracks, while retaining larger scale trends. As the next step in our research, we will analyze the obtained maps to determine which processes affect the spatial and temporal surface-moisture variability.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 13 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-08-08

ISS013-E-65526 (8 Aug. 2006) --- Issaouane Dune Sea, Eastern Algeria is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember on the International Space Station. This view from one of the smaller dune seas in the central Sahara shows the complex but regular patterns produced by winds in deserts where abundant sand is available. Geologists now know that dune seas (also called ergs) comprise at least three orders of dune size. In this image the largest and oldest appear here as chains oriented about 60 degrees apart, that is, one oriented almost north-south, the other southwest-northeast. The "streets" between the dune chains (also called mega-dunes) are swept clean of sand in places, revealing the original surface, with light colored muds and salt derived from very occasional rains. The chains have probably taken hundreds of thousands of years to accumulate, starting when the Sahara began to become significantly dry roughly 2.5 million years ago. Rivers became smaller, failed to reach the sea and deposited their sand load in the desert. Wind did the rest, blowing the sand into aerodynamic dune forms. According to scientists, chain trends coincide with two of the four major trends identified in the Great Eastern Sand Sea immediately to the north. Each trend likely implies a different formative wind direction--attesting to the climate shifts that have occurred since sand began to accumulate in the central Sahara. Smaller dunes are superimposed on the mega-dunes. Sinuous crest lines are the mesoscale (intermediate in size) forms, forming octopus-like crests, especially evident as the arms of star dunes. Whereas the mega-dunes are apparently stationary, studies based on aerial photographs in other parts of the world show that these dune crests move in the course of decades. The smallest dunes appear in patches on the eastern sides of the mega-dunes as a tracery of closely spaced crests. Small dunes move fast and reform quickly as stronger winds shift with the seasons. Sand grains are blown continuously from upwind dunes, across the dune-free flats. Small dunes form when the grains slow down and accumulate at the next large dune. The small dunes ride up and over the backs of the mega- and meso-dunes. Interestingly the crest orientation of the small dunes is different from that of the mesoscale dunes throughout the image. This is a common effect of wind direction shifting locally depending on dune height: the increased friction caused by larger dunes causes formative winds to blow to the left of the (weaker) winds that form the small dunes. The friction effect of larger dunes is to the right in the southern hemisphere, well illustrated on the coast of the Namib Desert.

Contrasting styles of large-scale displacement of unconsolidated sand: examples from the early Jurassic Navajo Sandstone on the Colorado Plateau, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryant, Gerald

2015-04-01

Large-scale soft-sediment deformation features in the Navajo Sandstone have been a topic of interest for nearly 40 years, ever since they were first explored as a criterion for discriminating between marine and continental processes in the depositional environment. For much of this time, evidence for large-scale sediment displacements was commonly attributed to processes of mass wasting. That is, gravity-driven movements of surficial sand. These slope failures were attributed to the inherent susceptibility of dune sand responding to environmental triggers such as earthquakes, floods, impacts, and the differential loading associated with dune topography. During the last decade, a new wave of research is focusing on the event significance of deformation features in more detail, revealing a broad diversity of large-scale deformation morphologies. This research has led to a better appreciation of subsurface dynamics in the early Jurassic deformation events recorded in the Navajo Sandstone, including the important role of intrastratal sediment flow. This report documents two illustrative examples of large-scale sediment displacements represented in extensive outcrops of the Navajo Sandstone along the Utah/Arizona border. Architectural relationships in these outcrops provide definitive constraints that enable the recognition of a large-scale sediment outflow, at one location, and an equally large-scale subsurface flow at the other. At both sites, evidence for associated processes of liquefaction appear at depths of at least 40 m below the original depositional surface, which is nearly an order of magnitude greater than has commonly been reported from modern settings. The surficial, mass flow feature displays attributes that are consistent with much smaller-scale sediment eruptions (sand volcanoes) that are often documented from modern earthquake zones, including the development of hydraulic pressure from localized, subsurface liquefaction and the subsequent escape of fluidized sand toward the unconfined conditions of the surface. The origin of the forces that produced the lateral, subsurface movement of a large body of sand at the other site is not readily apparent. The various constraints on modeling the generation of the lateral force required to produce the observed displacement are considered here, along with photodocumentation of key outcrop relationships.

Long-term elemental dry deposition fluxes measured around Lake Michigan with an automated dry deposition sampler

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shahin, U. Yi, S.M.; Paode, R.D.; Holsen, T.M.

2000-05-15

Long-term measurements of mass and elemental dry deposition (MG, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, and Pb) were made with an automated dry deposition sampler (Eagle II) containing knife-edge surrogate surfaces during the Lake Michigan Mass Balance/Mass Budget Study. Measurements were made over a roughly 700-day period in Chicago, IL; in South Haven and Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI; and over Lake Michigan on the 68th Street drinking water intake cribs from December 1993 to October 1995. Average mass fluxes in Chicago, South Haven, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and the 68th Street crib weremore » 65, 10, 3.6, and 12 mg m{sup {minus}2} day{sup {minus}1}, respectively. Primarily crustal elemental fluxes were significantly smaller than the mass fluxes but higher than primarily anthropogenic elemental fluxes. For example, the average elemental flux of Al in Chicago, South Haven, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and the 68th Street crib were 1.0, 0.34, 0.074, and 0.34 mg m{sup {minus}2}day{sup {minus}1}, respectively. The average Pb fluxes in Chicago, South Haven, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and the 68th Street crib were 0.038, 0.023, 0.035, and 0.032 mg m{sup {minus}2}day{sup {minus}1}, respectively. The measured fluxes at the various sites were used to calculate the dry deposition loadings to the lake. These estimated fluxes were highest for Mg and lowest for Cd.« less

Phase diagrams of dune shape and orientation depending on sand availability

PubMed Central

Gao, Xin; Narteau, Clément; Rozier, Olivier; du Pont, Sylvain Courrech

2015-01-01

New evidence indicates that sand availability does not only control dune type but also the underlying dune growth mechanism and the subsequent dune orientation. Here we numerically investigate the development of bedforms in bidirectional wind regimes for two different conditions of sand availability: an erodible sand bed or a localized sand source on a non-erodible ground. These two conditions of sand availability are associated with two independent dune growth mechanisms and, for both of them, we present the complete phase diagrams of dune shape and orientation. On an erodible sand bed, linear dunes are observed over the entire parameter space. Then, the divergence angle and the transport ratio between the two winds control dune orientation and dynamics. For a localized sand source, different dune morphologies are observed depending on the wind regime. There are systematic transitions in dune shape from barchans to linear dunes extending away from the localized sand source, and vice-versa. These transitions are captured fairly by a new dimensionless parameter, which compares the ability of winds to build the dune topography in the two modes of dune orientation. PMID:26419614

Parabolic dune reactivation and migration at Napeague, NY, USA: Insights from aerial and GPR imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girardi, James D.; Davis, Dan M.

2010-02-01

Observations from mapping since the 19th century and aerial imagery since 1930 have been used to study changes in the aeolian geomorphology of coastal parabolic dunes over the last ~ 170 years in the Walking Dune Field, Napeague, NY. The five large parabolic dunes of the Walking Dune Field have all migrated across, or are presently interacting with, a variably forested area that has affected their migration, stabilization and morphology. This study has concentrated on a dune with a particularly complex history of stabilization, reactivation and migration. We have correlated that dune's surface evolution, as revealed by aerial imagery, with its internal structures imaged using 200 MHz and 500 MHz Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys. Both 2D (transect) and high-resolution 3D GPR imagery image downwind dipping bedding planes which can be grouped by apparent dip angle into several discrete packages of beds that reflect distinct decadal-scale episodes of dune reactivation and growth. From aerial and high resolution GPR imagery, we document a unique mode of reactivation and migration linked to upwind dune formation and parabolic dune interactions with forest trees. This study documents how dune-dune and dune-vegetation interactions have influenced a unique mode of blowout deposition that has alternated on a decadal scale between opposite sides of a parabolic dune during reactivation and migration. The pattern of recent parabolic dune reactivation and migration in the Walking Dune Field appears to be somewhat more complex, and perhaps more sensitive to subtle environmental pressures, than an idealized growth model with uniform deposition and purely on-axis migration. This pattern, believed to be prevalent among other parabolic dunes in the Walking Dune Field, may occur also in many other places where similar observational constraints are unavailable.

Mars global digital dune database and initial science results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayward, R.K.; Mullins, K.F.; Fenton, L.K.; Hare, T.M.; Titus, T.N.; Bourke, M.C.; Colaprete, A.; Christensen, P.R.

2007-01-01

A new Mars Global Digital Dune Database (MGD3) constructed using Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) infrared (IR) images provides a comprehensive and quantitative view of the geographic distribution of moderate- to large-size dune fields (area >1 kM2) that will help researchers to understand global climatic and sedimentary processes that have shaped the surface of Mars. MGD3 extends from 65??N to 65??S latitude and includes ???550 dune fields, covering ???70,000 km2, with an estimated total volume of ???3,600 km3. This area, when combined with polar dune estimates, suggests moderate- to large-size dune field coverage on Mars may total ???800,000 km2, ???6 times less than the total areal estimate of ???5,000,000 km2 for terrestrial dunes. Where availability and quality of THEMIS visible (VIS) or Mars Orbiter Camera. narrow-angle (MOC NA) images allow, we classify dunes and include dune slipface measurements, which are derived from gross dune morphology and represent the prevailing wind direction at the last time of significant dune modification. For dunes located within craters, the azimuth from crater centroid to dune field centroid (referred to as dune centroid azimuth) is calculated and can provide an accurate method for tracking dune migration within smooth-floored craters. These indicators of wind direction are compared to output from a general circulation model (GCM). Dune centroid azimuth values generally correlate to regional wind patterns. Slipface orientations are less well correlated, suggesting that local topographic effects may play a larger role in dune orientation than regional winds. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

MSL/Mastcam Multispectral Observations of Lower Mt. Sharp Units: Spectral Evidence of Distinct Alteration Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wellington, D. F.; Bell, J. F., III; Johnson, J. R.; Fraeman, A. A.; Kinch, K. M.; Godber, A.; Rice, M. S.

2016-12-01

The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover reached the lower units of Mt. Sharp in Gale Crater approximately two years ago. Along the traverse, Mastcam multispectral observations have documented the visible/near-IR spectral variability of drill tailings, bedrock, float rocks, fines, and other materials, recording a set of diverse reflectance properties in twelve unique filters over wavelengths 400-1100 nm. The most recent multi-filter images include new spectral diversity not encountered in near-field imaging acquired earlier in the mission. Since departing Marias Pass ( sol 1072), the rover has sampled material from the Stimson sandstone unit four times at two widely separated locations. These drill pairs were designed to investigate alteration regions visible as bright haloes bordering fractures in the bedrock. Drill fines and piles of dumped sample material from these sites (at Bridger Basin and on the Naukluft Plateau) were targeted for multispectral observations, which quantify the differences in overall reflectance and spectral shape between the unaltered Stimson material and the light-toned haloes. In the latter, high reflectances and relatively flat spectral shapes are consistent with interpretations of silica enrichment from other instruments. Mastcam spectra of the portions of the underlying Murray Formation (mudstone) that were encountered on first approach to the Bagnold dunes, and again upon exiting the Naukluft Plateau, are consistent with the presence of crystalline hematite. Variations in the relative strength of hematite absorption features in different locations may suggest possible differences in relative and/or absolute abundances of hematite of varying degrees of crystallinity. Dune materials have low reflectances with a broad, shallow absorption near 1-µm consistent with an olivine-bearing basaltic composition. We present these and other examples of spectral variability encountered by the rover during its ascent up the lower slopes of Mt. Sharp.

Factors influencing the natural regeneration of the pioneering shrub Calligonum mongolicum in sand dune stabilization plantations in arid deserts of northwest China.

PubMed

Fan, Baoli; McHugh, Allen David; Guo, Shujiang; Ma, Quanlin; Zhang, Jianhui; Zhang, Xiaojuan; Zhang, Weixing; Du, Juan; Yu, Qiushi; Zhao, Changming

2018-03-01

Calligonum mongolicum is a successful pioneer shrub to combat desertification, which is widely used for vegetation restoration in the desert regions of northwest China. In order to reveal the limitations to natural regeneration of C. mongolicum by asexual and sexual reproduction, following the process of sand dune stabilization, we assessed clonal shoots, seedling emergence, soil seed bank density, and soil physical characteristics in mobile and stabilized sand dunes. Controlled field and pot experiments were also conducted to assess germination and seedling emergence in different dune soil types and seed burial depths. The population density of mature C. mongolicum was significantly different after sand dune stabilization. Juvenile density of C. mongolicm was much lower in stabilized sand dunes than mobile sand dune. There was no significant difference in soil seed bank density at three soil depths between mobile and stabilized sand dunes, while the emergence of seedlings in stabilized dunes was much lower than emergence in mobile dunes. There was no clonal propagation found in stabilized dunes, and very few C. mongolicum seedlings were established on stabilized sand dunes. Soil clay and silt content, air-filled porosity, and soil surface compaction were significantly changed from mobile sand dune to stabilized dunes. Seedling emergence of C. mongolicm was highly dependent on soil physical condition. These results indicated that changes in soil physical condition limited clonal propagation and seedling emergence of C. mongolicum in stabilized sand dunes. Seed bank density was not a limiting factor; however, poor seedling establishment limited C. mongolicum's further natural regeneration in stabilized sand dunes. Therefore, clonal propagation may be the most important mode for population expansion in mobile sand dunes. As a pioneer species C. mongolicum is well adapted to propagate in mobile sand dune conditions, it appears unlikely to survive naturally in stabilized sand dune plantations.

Parabolic dune development modes according to shape at the southern fringes of the Hobq Desert, Inner Mongolia, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Chao; Hasi, Eerdun; Zhang, Ping; Tao, Binbin; Liu, Dan; Zhou, Yanguang

2017-10-01

Since the 1970s, parabolic dunes at the southern fringe of the Hobq Desert, Inner Mongolia, China have exhibited many different shapes (V-shaped, U-shaped, and palmate) each with a unique mode of development. In the study area, parabolic dunes are mainly distributed in Regions A, B, and C with an intermittent river running from the south to the north. We used high-resolution remote-sensing images from 1970 to 2014 and RTK-GPS measurements to study the development modes of different dune shapes; the modes are characterized by the relationship between the intermittent river and dunes, formation of the incipient dune patterns, the predominant source supply of dunes, and the primary formation of different shapes (V-shaped, U-shaped, and palmate). Most parabolic dunes in Region A are V-shaped and closer to the bank of the river. The original barchans in this region exhibit "disconnected arms" behavior. With the sand blown out of the riverbed through gullies, the nebkhas on the disconnected arms acquire the external sand source through the "fertile island effect", thereby developing into triangular sand patches and further developing into V-shaped parabolic dunes. Most parabolic dunes in Regions B and C are palmate. The residual dunes cut by the re-channelization of river from transverse dune fields on the west bank are the main sand source of Region B. The parabolic dunes in Region C are the original barchans having then been transformed. The stoss slopes of V-shaped parabolic dunes along the riverbank are gradual and the dunes are flat in shape. The dune crest of V-shaped parabolic dune is the deposition area, which forms the "arc-shaped sand ridge". Their two arms are non-parallel; the lateral airflow of the arms jointly transport sand to the middle part of dunes, resulting in a narrower triangle that gradually becomes V-shaped. Palmate parabolic dunes have a steeper stoss slope and height. The dune crest of the palmate parabolic dune is the erosion area, which forms a long and narrow trough between nebkhas by the "funnelling effect". This process forces sand towards lee slopes, which transform from concave (original barchans) into convex, ultimately resulting in the formation of palmate parabolic dunes.

Coastal sand dune ecosystem services in metropolitan suburbs: effects on the sake brewery environment induced by changing social conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, Korehisa; Matsushima, Hajime

2017-12-01

Chiba Prefecture, Japan, lies very near Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. It borders the sea on three sides and is banded by coastal dunes. Several sake breweries are located near these dunes. Although there are records of sake brewing along the coast of Tokyo Bay since 1925, sake breweries have completely disappeared in several areas. We believe that sake brewing in these areas benefited from the ecosystem services afforded them by their proximity to the coastal ecosystem. We investigated potential environmental factors (e.g., landscape, soil, and groundwater), as well as conditions that could have driven sake brewers away from the coastal area. Many of the sake breweries that no longer exist were located on coastal dunes (i.e., sand, sandbanks, and natural levees) and obtained their water from a freshwater layer located 3-10 m below the surface. We speculate that these sake breweries benefited from using natural ingredients found in the coastal zone. We also investigated the following factors that may have negatively impacted the breweries, driving them out of business: (1) bankruptcies and reconstruction difficulties that followed the destructive 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, (2) industrial wartime adjustments during World War II (1939-1945), (3) development of coastal industries during the period from 1960 to 1975, and (4) increasing choices for other alcoholic drinks (e.g., beer, wine, and whiskey) from the 1960s to the present.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Response of surface processes to climatic change in the dunefields and Loess Plateau of North China during the late Quaternary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, H.; Mason, J.A.; Stevens, T.; Zhou, Y.; Yi, S.; Miao, X.

2011-01-01

This paper draws on recent optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to evaluate the long-held assumption that dust accumulation rates in the Loess Plateau and the extent of active aeolian sand in the dunefields to the north have varied together over time, because both are controlled by the strength of the Asian monsoons and also possibly because the dunefields are proximal loess sources. The results show there is little evidence that high rates of loess accumulation coincided with well-dated episodes of extensive dune activity in the Mu Us, Otindag, and Horqin dunefields, at 11-8ka and 1-0ka. Explanations for the apparent lack of coupling include local variation in the trapping of dust and post-depositional preservation of the loess and dune sediments, in response to varying local environmental conditions. In addition, a substantial portion of the loess may be transported directly from source areas where dust emission has somewhat different climatic and geomorphic controls than aeolian sand activity within the dunefields. The results of this study cast doubt on the use of loess accumulation rate as a palaeoclimatic proxy at millennial timescale. The dunefield and loess stratigraphic records are interpreted as primarily recording changes in effective moisture at a local scale, but the timing of late Quaternary dune activity, along with a variety of other evidence, indicates that moisture changes in many of the drylands of northern China may not be in phase with precipitation in core regions of the Asian monsoons. ?? 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

First quantification of relationship between dune orientation and sediment availability, Olympia Undae, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez-Cascales, Laura; Lucas, Antoine; Rodriguez, Sébastien; Gao, Xin; Spiga, Aymeric; Narteau, Clément

2018-05-01

Dunes provide unique information about wind regimes on planetary bodies where there is no direct meteorological data. At the eastern margin of Olympia Undae on Mars, dune orientation is measured from satellite imagery and sediment cover is estimated using the high contrast between the dune material and substrate. The analysis of these data provide the first quantification of relationship between sediment availability and dune orientation. Abrupt and smooth dune reorientations are associated with inward and outward dynamics of dunes approaching and ejecting from major sedimentary bodies, respectively. These reorientation patterns along sediment transport pathways are interpreted using a new generation dune model based on the coexistence of two dune growth mechanisms. This model also permits solving of the inverse problem of predicting the wind regime from dune orientation. For bidirectional wind regimes, solutions of this inverse problem show substantial differences in the distributions of sediment flux orientation, which can be attributed to atmospheric flow variations induced by changes in albedo at the boundaries of major dune fields. Then, we conclude that relationships between sediment cover and dune orientation can be used to constrain wind regime and dune field development on Mars and other planetary surfaces.

Origin and lateral migration of linear dunes in the Qaidam Basin of NW China revealed by dune sediments, internal structures, and optically stimulated luminescence ages, with implications for linear dunes on Titan: discussion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rubin, David M.; Rubin, Alan M.

2013-01-01

Zhou et al. (2012) proposed that longitudinal dunes in the Qaidam Basin, China, formed like yardangs: by erosion into sediment that was not deposited by those dunes. Because erosion occurs on the upwind flanks of most migrating dunes (Rubin and Hunter, 1982, 1985), the key to demonstrating a yardang-like origin is to show that the dunes did not deposit the strata that they contain. Zhou et al. made this argument by proposing that: (1) The dunes have not deposited cross-strata in the past 810 yr. (2) Cross-bedding within the dunes was not deposited by the dunes on the present-day land surface, but rather by older dunes that had a different morphology. (3) The present dunes are a later generation, “most likely of erosional origin similar to yardangs with orientations controlled by strikes of joints,” (p. 1147). (4) Rates of deflation in the dune field have been extremely high for the past 810–2440 yr. This commentary reviews these conclusions, reviews contradictory observations, and considers alternative interpretations.

Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

An early-season snowfall accents the Rocky Mountains through western and central Colorado. This true-color image made from data collected by MODIS on October 26, 2001, highlights the contrast between various irrigated areas and the otherwise dry environment at the foothills of the Rockies. One such example is the city of Denver and its outlying suburbs, which can be seen best in the high-resolution image. In areas that would normally harbor drought-tolerant grasses, shrubs and trees, humans are living, watering their lawns, and farming; those watered, green areas differ substantially from the surrounding hues of brown. Numerous National Parks and Monuments dot the Southwestern U.S. The Great Sand Dunes National Monument is one such park. Running along the western base the Sangre de Cristo Range(just below the image's center), a subsection of the Rockies, the monument possesses some of the highest inland sand dunes in the U.S., with crests reaching over 700 feet.

Very large dune formation along the Ebro outer continental shelf (Western Mediterranean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo Iacono, Claudio; Guillén, Jorge; Puig, Pere; Ribó, Marta; Ballesteros, Maria; Palanques, Albert; Farrán, Marcelli; Acosta, Juan

2010-05-01

Large and very large subaqueous dunes have been observed in a number of outer shelf regions around the world, tipically developing on fossil sand bodies and ridges. Dunes observed on outer shelves usually display large dimensions with maximum wavelength reaching up to 500 m and heights up to 20 m. Forcing mechanisms able to induce their formation have been described as strong bottom currents related to tidal variations and water masses flowing under geostrophic conditions, generally controlled and enhanced by local geomorphologic configurations. In this study, such bed features have been recognized, mapped and measured around the Columbretes Islands (Ebro continental shelf - Western Mediterranean) with the aim to reconstruct which are the potential forcing processes that could generate them in relation to the local settings of the area. Swath-bathymetry around the Columbretes Islands was collected using 30 kHz and 180 kHz Multi Beam echo-sounders for a 50-400 m water depth range. Bathymetric data revealed the presence of three main relict sand bodies along the outer shelf, for a 80-116 m depth range, above which asymmetrical, slightly asymmetrical and symmetrical large and very large 2D and 3D subaqueous dunes were observed. Dunes range from 150 to 760 m in wavelength and from tens of cm to 6 m in height. These bedforms are composed of sandy sediments, presumably coming from the degraded relict sand bodies on which they developed, mixed to the fine fractions coming from the recent draping holocenic sediments. The orientation of the dunes is SSW and progressively turns to W directions moving towards the southernmost sector of the area, following the trend of the shelf-edge. Observed dunes display a strong asymmetric profile for those occurring along the shelf-edge (Symmetry Index (SI): 2.6) and lose progressively their asymmetry towards the inner portion of the shelf (SI: 0.5), being 0.6 the minimum SI value to classify the dunes as asymmetric. The subaqueous dunes observed along the studied region are amongst the largest ever recognized on an outer shelf setting. Morphologic characters and the orientation towards SW and W directions suggest the Liguro-Provenzal-Catalan geostrophic current as the primary forcing factor in their formation. Contemporary hydrodynamic measurement at the Ebro continental shelf-edge show that near-bottom wave action is negligible in this area, whereas maximum shear stresses induced by currents are able to resuspend fine sand particles and prevent the relict transgressive deposits from being covered by mud. However, recorded nearbottom currents generate shear stresses below the critical value for transport the relict coarse sands found in the study area and form large bedforms. The comparison of successive bathymetric images and the relation wavelength/height suggest that the described very large dunes are inactive features over long periods, as observed in similar environments along several continental margins. Thus, the morphological configuration of the Columbretes outer shelf must have played a crucial role in enhancing the southward flowing bottom currents during energetic hydrodynamic events, giving them the potential to generate such bedforms.

The behavioural ecology of two sympatric talitrid species, Talitrus saltator (Montagu) and Orchestia gammarellus (Pallas) on a Tyrrhenian sandy beach dune system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colombini, Isabella; Fallaci, Mario; Gagnarli, Elena; Rossano, Claudia; Scapini, Felicita; Chelazzi, Lorenzo

2013-01-01

The behavioural ecology of a sub-population of Talitrus saltator living on the sandy shore of the Maremma Regional Park (Italy) was compared with that of Orchestia gammarellus inhabiting the retrodunal dune slack area. Monthly monitoring over a year determined the mean distribution patterns, their changes and whether these overlapped. Standard pitfall traps were placed along transects across the beach-dune-dune slack area. Experiments analysed the diel activity rhythms during spring and the activity patterns of the different age classes and the two sexes were compared within and between species. Local environmental conditions were registered with a microclimatic station. During May and September, plant hummocks were monitored to see whether surface movements of O. gammarellus could be restricted to certain periods of the year and to estimate densities within the vegetation. The plant biomass and moisture conditions within the hummocks were also recorded and substratum samples were collected at the base of the shrubs for laboratory analysis. To test for visual cues, orientation experiments with and without landscape view were carried out on the beach during morning and afternoon hours and contemporaneously for each species. Experiments to test the diel variation of scototaxis to a black shape were also performed over a 24 h period of time under controlled conditions. There was a spatial partitioning of the two species, with T. saltator moving along a sea-land axis according to diel and seasonal changes and with some individuals reaching the back of the dune in particular environmental conditions. No spatial overlap with the zonation patterns of O. gammarellus was observed, which was restricted to the dune slack area. Nocturnal surface activity was observed for both species with juveniles peaking at dawn and with O. gammarellus being strictly more nocturnal than T. saltator. Orientation experiments showed a higher ability of T. saltator to orient towards the shoreline using solar and local cues, whereas O. gammarellus seemed to have a stronger scototaxis. Differences in the behavioural responses are discussed in terms of the species ecological adaptations to their particular habitats.

Morphodynamics of dome dunes under unimodal wind regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xin; Narteau, Clement; Rozier, Olivier

2017-04-01

Dome dunes are isolated sand piles with a rounded shape and no slip face. They are not only incipient or disappearing dunes, they can also reach a giant size and form dome-dune fields. Nevertheless, unlike other types of dunes, they have not been the subject of intense research, certainly because they result from complex multidirectional wind regimes. Here we analyze the morphodynamics of dome dunes under unimodal wind regimes. From numerical modeling using a normal distribution of sand flux orientation, we show that the transition from barchan to dome dunes occur when the standard deviation is larger than 40°. As confirmed by sand flux roses of dome-dune fields in arid deserts on Earth, it corresponds to RDP/DP-value of 0.8 (RDP/DP is the ratio between the resultant drift potential and the drift potential). Both in the field and in the numerical model, the transition from barchan to dome-dunes can also be captured from the coefficient of variation of the planar dune shape. Not surprisingly, smaller dome dunes are faster than larger ones. However, the dependence of dune migration rate on the RDP-value changes according to the presence or absence of slip faces because of the speed-up effect. Transient finger dunes may develop in dome-dune fields, but they rapidly break-up into smaller bodies. This shows that, contrary to bidirectional wind regimes, a large dispersion of sand flux orientation is not efficient in building longitudinal dunes.

Modeling emergent large-scale structures of barchan dune fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worman, S. L.; Murray, A.; Littlewood, R. C.; Andreotti, B.; Claudin, P.

2013-12-01

In nature, barchan dunes typically exist as members of larger fields that display striking, enigmatic structures that cannot be readily explained by examining the dynamics at the scale of single dunes, or by appealing to patterns in external forcing. To explore the possibility that observed structures emerge spontaneously as a collective result of many dunes interacting with each other, we built a numerical model that treats barchans as discrete entities that interact with one another according to simplified rules derived from theoretical and numerical work, and from field observations: Dunes exchange sand through the fluxes that leak from the downwind side of each dune and are captured on their upstream sides; when dunes become sufficiently large, small dunes are born on their downwind sides ('calving'); and when dunes collide directly enough, they merge. Results show that these relatively simple interactions provide potential explanations for a range of field-scale phenomena including isolated patches of dunes and heterogeneous arrangements of similarly sized dunes in denser fields. The results also suggest that (1) dune field characteristics depend on the sand flux fed into the upwind boundary, although (2) moving downwind, the system approaches a common attracting state in which the memory of the upwind conditions vanishes. This work supports the hypothesis that calving exerts a first order control on field-scale phenomena; it prevents individual dunes from growing without bound, as single-dune analyses suggest, and allows the formation of roughly realistic, persistent dune field patterns.

Valles Marineris dune fields as compared with other martian populations: Diversity of dune compositions, morphologies, and thermophysical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chojnacki, Matthew; Burr, Devon M.; Moersch, Jeffrey E.

2014-02-01

Planetary dune field properties and their bulk bedform morphologies relate to regional wind patterns, sediment supply, climate, and topography. On Mars, major occurrences of spatially contiguous low-albedo sand dunes are primarily found in three major topographic settings: impact craters, high-latitude basins, and linear troughs or valleys, the largest being the Valles Marineris (VM) rift system. As one of the primary present day martian sediment sinks, VM holds nearly a third of the non-polar dune area on Mars. Moreover, VM differs from other regions due to its unusual geologic, topographic, and atmospheric setting. Herein, we test the overarching hypothesis that VM dune fields are compositionally, morphologically, and thermophysically distinct from other low- and mid-latitude (50°N-50°S latitude) dune fields. Topographic measurements of dune fields and their underlying terrains indicate slopes, roughnesses, and reliefs to be notably greater for those in VM. Variable VM dune morphologies are shown with topographically-related duneforms (climbing, falling, and echo dunes) located among spur-and-gully wall, landslide, and chaotic terrains, contrasting most martian dunes found in more topographically benign locations (e.g., craters, basins). VM dune fields superposed on Late Amazonian landslides are constrained to have formed and/or migrated over >10s of kilometers in the last 50 My to 1 Gy. Diversity of detected dune sand compositions, including unaltered ultramafic minerals and glasses (e.g., high and low-calcium pyroxene, olivine, Fe-bearing glass), and alteration products (hydrated sulfates, weathered Fe-bearing glass), is more pronounced in VM. Observations show heterogeneous sand compositions exist at the regional-, basinal-, dune field-, and dune-scales. Although not substantially greater than elsewhere, unambiguous evidence for recent dune activity in VM is indicated from pairs of high-resolution images that include: dune deflation, dune migration, slip face modification (e.g., alcoves), and ripple modification or migration, at varying scales (10s-100s m2). We conclude that VM dune fields are qualitatively and quantitatively distinct from other low- and mid-latitude dune fields, most readily attributable to the rift's unusual setting. Moreover, results imply dune field properties and aeolian processes on Mars can be largely influenced by regional environment, which may have their own distinctive set of boundary conditions, rather than a globally homogenous collection of aeolian sediment and bedforms.

Why do seif dunes meander?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kryger, Mateusz; Bubenzer, Olaf; Parteli, Eric

2017-04-01

Seif dunes - which develop in the absence of vegetation and elongate in the resultant sand transport direction - are the prevailing dune type in many deserts of Earth and Mars and display a meandering shape that has challenged geomorphologists for decades. Understanding the factors controlling seif dune morphology may have impact for a broad range of scientific areas, in particular in the investigation of planetary wind regimes, as dune shape is primarily affected by wind directionality. Sand roses of areas hosting seif dunes display, in general, two main wind directions that form a divergence angle larger than 90˚ . Indeed, theory of dune formation predicts that longitudinal alignment of aeolian bedforms occurs under obtuse bimodal winds, a prediction that has been confirmed by field observations and numerical simulations of aeolian dunes, as well as by experiments on subaqueous bedforms. However, numerical simulations and water tank experiments performed under conditions of bimodal flows could never reproduce one of the most salient characteristics of the seif dune shape, which is its meandering. Instead, longitudinal dunes produced in such simulations and experiments display an unrealistic straight shape, which elongates into the resultant transport trend without developing the sinuous morphology of the seif dunes. Here we show, by means of morphodynamic modeling of aeolian sediment transport and dune formation under directionally varying flows, that the meandering shape of seif dunes can be explained by the action of subordinated sand-moving winds, which occur in addition to both main wind components of the bimodal wind. Because such subordinated winds - inherent to most measured sand roses of seif dune fields - are associated with transport rates much smaller than the sand flux values of the main bimodal wind components - they have been long thought to be negligible for dune shape. However, our simulations show that meandering may be caused by a single secondary wind component in the sand rose with transport rate of about 1/5 of the flux due to the bimodal wind components. To verify our model we calculate dune formation using the sand rose of the seif dune field in Bir Lahfan, Sinai, and find good quantitative agreement between the shape of seif dunes in this field and the dune morphology obtained in the simulations. Our simulations suggest that meandering seif dunes constitute a dune type produced by multimodal wind systems and cannot form under (strictly) bimodal wind regimes.

Backscatter modelling and inversion from Cassini/SAR data: Implications for Titan's sand seas properties and climatic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucas, A.; Rodriguez, S.; Lemonnier, F.; Paillou, P.; Le Gall, A. A.; Narteau, C.

2015-12-01

Sand seas on Titan may reflect the present and past climatic conditions. Understanding the morphodynamics and physicochemical properties of Titan's dunes is therefore essential for a better comprehension of the climatic and geological history of the largest Saturn's moon. We derived quantitatively surface properties (texture, composition) from the modelling of microwave backscattered signal and Monte Carlo inversion of despeckled Cassini/SAR data over the equatorial sand seas. We show that dunes and inter-dunes have significantly different physical properties. Absorption is more efficient in the dunes compared to the inter-dunes. The inter-dunes are smoother with an higher dielectric constant than the dunes. Considering the composition, the inter-dunes are in between the dunes and the bright inselbergs, suggesting the presence of a shallow layer of sediment in between the dunes. Additionally potential secondary bedforms may have been detected. Implications for dune morphodynamics, sediment inventory and climatic conditions occurring on Titan will be discussed.

Magnetic characterisation of folded aeolian sandstones: Interpretation of magnetic fabrics in diamagnetic rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callot, J.-P.; Robion, P.; Sassi, W.; Guiton, M. L. E.; Faure, J.-L.; Daniel, J.-M.; Mengus, J.-M.; Schmitz, J.

2010-12-01

This study provides an original example of exploitation of Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) for rocks with weak magnetic susceptibility. Within the upper Weber Sandstone at Split Mountain, Utah, 430 cores from 31 sites were collected for magnetic characterization. The magnetic susceptibility ranges from -10 to 10 μSI, indicating a mostly diamagnetic matrix, with degree of anisotropy up to 1.6. Specific treatment of magnetic susceptibility allows using diamagnetic data. The fabrics are fairly clustered and triaxial. Sedimentary magnetic fabrics show a foliation plane parallel to the lamina of the sand dunes, without defined lineation. Apart from sedimentary fabrics (< 30%), most of the sites display intermediate to tectonic fabrics related to variable degree of strain (> 70%). Magnetic fabric patterns averaged for sites distributed on the anticline are well defined in sub-groups related to the major structural domains of the anticline. The fracture network at Split Mountain is composed of a dominant N120 set and a secondary N035 set. A scenario of strain record is proposed based on the correlation of (1) fracture sets orientation, (2) diagenetic cementation, (3) paleostresses and (4) distribution of magnetic susceptibility anisotropy. Following the Sevier orogeny and N120 fracture set emplacement, the N035 fracture network and AMS signal were recorded during the Laramide Layer Parallel Shortening phase, with local deviation along pre-existing structures, and recorded a partitioning of the strain during early folding, with a maximum horizontal stress axis perpendicular to the fold bounding faults within the fold.

Impacts of Vegetation and Development on the Morphology of Coastal Sand Dunes Using Modern Geospatial Techniques: Jockey's Ridge Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, K.; Mitasova, H.; Overton, M.

2011-12-01

LiDAR surveys acquired in the years 2007 and 2008, combined with previous LiDAR, topographic mapping and aerial imagery collected along the Outer Banks of North Carolina were used for comprehensive geospatial analysis of the largest sand dune on the eastern coast of the United States, Jockey's Ridge. The objective of the analysis was to evaluate whether the dune's evolution has continued as hypothesized in previous studies and whether an increase of development and vegetation has contributed to the dune's stabilization and overall loss of dune height. Geospatial analysis of the dune system evolution (1974 - 2008) was performed using time series of digital elevation models at one meter resolution. Image processing was conducted in order to analyze land cover change (1932 - 2009) using unsupervised classification to extract vegetation, development and sand in and around Jockey's Ridge State Park. The dune system evolution was then characterized using feature-based and raster-based metrics, including vertical and horizontal change of dune peaks, horizontal migration of dune crests, slip face geometry transformation and volume change analysis using the core and dynamic layer concept. Based on the evolutionary data studied, the volume of sand at Jockey's Ridge is consistent throughout time, composed of a stable core and a dynamically migrating layer that is not gaining or losing sand. Although the peak elevation of the Main Dune has decreased from 43m in 1953 to 22m in 2008, the analysis has shown that the sand is redistributed within the dune field. Today, the dune field peaks are increasing in elevation, and all of the dunes within the system are stabilizing at similar heights of 20-22m along with transformation of the dunes from unvegetated, crescentic to vegetated, parabolic dunes. The overall land cover trend indicates that since the 1930s vegetation and development have gradually increased over time, influencing the morphology of the dune field by stabilizing the area of sand that once fed the dunes, limiting aeolian sand transport and migration of the dune system. Not only are vegetation and development increasing around the Jockey's Ridge State Park, but vegetation is increasing inside the park boundaries with the majority of growth along the windward side of the dune system, blocking sand from feeding the dunes. Vegetation growth is also found to increase in front of the dune field, recently causing the migration of the dune to slow down.

Megadroughts and late Holocene dune activation at the eastern margin of the Great Plains, north-central Kansas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, P. R.; Arbogast, A. F.; Johnson, W. C.; Joeckel, R. M.; Young, A. R.

2010-01-01

Optical and radiocarbon dating indicates that alluvium underlying dunes near Abilene was deposited at or before ˜45 ka, and that the overlying dunes were active at ˜1.1-0.5 ka. Geochemical data indicate that the Abilene dune sand is immature and was derived from the underlying Pleistocene alluvium, and not from Holocene age Smoky Hill River deposits. These findings suggest that dune activation was a response to increased aridity and local reduction in vegetation cover as opposed to changes in sediment availability from nearby rivers. The time interval of dune activation at Abilene overlaps Medieval Warm Period megadroughts, similar to the larger and more westerly dune fields on the Great Plains, including the Nebraska Sand Hills and the Great Bend Sand Prairie. The activation of smaller dune fields such as the Abilene dunes near the more humid eastern margin of the Great Plains shows the geographic extent and severity of paleodrought events. Unlike the Duncan dunes, another plains-marginal dune field, however, the Abilene dunes show no evidence for multiple drought events during the Holocene. This difference in dune activity, if it is not a result of sampling or preservation bias, indicates variations in the extent and severity of older drought events at the eastern margin of the Great Plains.

Martian Morse Code

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-06-29

These dark dunes are influenced by local topography. The shape and orientation of dunes can usually tell us about wind direction, but in this image, the dune-forms are very complex, so it's difficult to know the wind direction. However, a circular depression (probably an old and infilled impact crater) has limited the amount of sand available for dune formation and influenced local winds. As a result, the dunes here form distinct dots and dashes. The "dashes" are linear dunes formed by bi-directional winds, which are not traveling parallel to the dune. Instead, the combined effect of winds from two directions at right angles to the dunes, funnels material into a linear shape. The smaller "dots" (called "barchanoid dunes") occur where there is some interruption to the process forming those linear dunes. This process is not well understood at present and is one motivation for HiRISE to image this area. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20735

A bibliography of dunes: Earth, Mars, and Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lancaster, N.

1988-01-01

Dunes are important depositional landforms and sedimentary environments on Earth and Mars, and may be important on Venus. The similarity of dune forms on Earth and Mars, together with the dynamic similarity of aeolian processes on the terrestrial planets indicates that it is appropriate to interpret dune forms and processes on Mars and Venus by using analog studies. However, the literature on dune studies is large and scattered. The aim of this bibliography is to assist investigators by providing a literature resource on techniques which have proved successful in elucidating dune characteristics and processes on Earth, Mars, and Venus. This bibliography documents the many investigations of dunes undertaken in the last century. It concentrates on studies of inland dunes in both hot and cold desert regions on Earth and includes investigations of coastal dunes only if they discuss matters of general significance for dune sediments, processes, or morphology.

Meroe Patera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site]

This image is located in Meroe Patera (longitude: 292W/68E, latitude: 7.01), which is a small region within Syrtis Major Planitia. Syrtis Major is a low-relief shield volcano whose lava flows make up a plateau more than 1000 km across. These flows are of Hesperian age (Martian activity of intermediate age) and are believed to have originated from a series of volcanic depressions, called calderas. The caldera complex lies on extensions of the ring faults associated with the Isidis impact basin toward the northeast - thus Syrtis Major volcanism may be associated with post-impact adjustments of the Martian crust.

The most striking feature in this image is the light streaks across the image that lead to dunes in the lower left region. Wind streaks are albedo markings interpreted to be formed by aeolian action on surface materials. Most are elongate and allow an interpretation of effective wind directions. Many streaks are time variable and thus provide information on seasonal or long-term changes in surface wind directions and strengths. The wind streaks in this image are lighter than their surroundings and are the most common type of wind streak found on Mars. These streaks are formed downwind from crater rims (as in this example), mesas, knobs, and other positive topographic features.

The dune field in this image is a mixture of barchan dunes and transverse dunes. Dunes are among the most distinctive aeolian feature on Mars, and are similar in form to barchan and transverse dunes on Earth. This similarity is the best evidence to indicate that martian dunes are composed of sand-sized material, although the source and composition of the sand remain controversial. Both the observations of dunes and wind streaks indicate that this location has a windy environment - and these winds are persistent enough to product dunes, as sand-sized material accumulates in this region. These features also indicate that the winds in this region are originating from the right side of the image, and moving towards the left.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Possibility of star (pyramid) dune development in the area of bimodal wind regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biejat, K.

2012-04-01

Star (pyramid) dunes are the largest aeolian landforms. They can occur in three types - simple, complex and compound. Development of this type of dunes is usually connected with multidirectional or complex wind regimes. The aim of this study was to verify a hypothesis that the star dunes can also develop by a bimodal wind regime and by local modifications of nearsurface wind flow directions. Field study was performed on Erg Chebbi, in southern Morocco. Several star and transverse dunes were selected for the study of their shape. The star dunes were analysed concerning their type and position in the dune field. This erg contains all of three types of star dunes together with transverse dunes. The regional wind data show that there are two dominant wind directions - NE (Chergui) and SW (Saheli). To determine the difference in shape of star dunes, we performed topographic surveying by GPS RTK. The results allowed to create 3D models of star dunes. The models were used to determine metric characteristics of star dunes, including area of dune basis, volume, and slope angles. On the basis of 3D models, primary, secondary and, on the compound dunes, tertiary arms were determined. Primary arms on each type of star dunes, as well as crestlines of transverse dunes, have dominant orientation NW-SE, perpendicular to two dominant wind directions. This clearly confirms that star dunes of Erg Chebbi develop by a bimodal wind regime In contrast to primary arms, subsidiary (secondary and tertiary) arms are not connected to general wind regime. The secondary arms of star dunes occur to be differentially developer. There are more subsidiary arms on SW sides in comparison to the E sides of the dunes where inclination of slopes is constant. It can be therefore inferred that sand has been supplied predominantly from SW direction. This is supported by distribution of the dunes on the erg. Most compound star dunes compose a chain along the E margin of the erg. Comparison of compound star dunes located in E and W parts of the erg allow inferring that there must have been differences in supply of the aeolian sand. Eastern slopes of compound star dunes developed in the W part of the erg are inclined 10-15°. This shows that significant delivery of the sand must have occurred also from NE. Eastern slopes of compound star dunes located in the E part of the erg are inclined 20-30°. It can be therefore inferred that they have functioned mainly as lee slopes and the sand was delivery from SW. This proves that location of the dunes within the erg plays a significant role in shaping wind directions responsible for delivery of the sand. Orientation of subsidiary arms does not show any relationship with general wind regime, which leads to conclusion that the subsidiary arms develop due to local diversified regime of nearsurface wind flow. This is governed by barriers such as the star dunes themselves and not by other topographic obstacles.

Connecting Brabant's cover sand landscapes through landscape history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heskes, Erik; van den Ancker, Hanneke; Jungerius, Pieter Dirk; Harthoorn, Jaap; Maes, Bert; Leenders, Karel; de Jongh, Piet; Kluiving, Sjoerd; van den Oetelaar, Ger

2015-04-01

Noord-Brabant has the largest variety of cover sand landscapes in The Netherlands, and probably in Western Europe. During the Last Ice Age the area was not covered by land ice and a polar desert developed in which sand dunes buried the existing river landscapes. Some of these polar dune landscapes experienced a geomorphological and soil development that remained virtually untouched up to the present day, such as the low parabolic dunes of the Strabrechtse Heide or the later and higher dunes of the Oisterwijkse Vennen. As Noord-Brabant lies on the fringe of a tectonic basin, the thickness of cover sand deposits in the Centrale Slenk, part of a rift through Europe, amounts up to 20 metres. Cover sand deposits along the fault lines cause the special phenomenon of 'wijst' to develop, in which the higher grounds are wetter than the boarding lower grounds. Since 4000 BC humans settled in these cover sand landscapes and made use of its small-scale variety. An example are the prehistoric finds on the flanks and the historic towns on top of the 'donken' in northwest Noord-Brabant, where the cover sand landscapes are buried by river and marine deposits and only the peaks of the dunes protrude as donken. Or the church of Handel that is built beside a 'wijst' source and a site of pilgrimage since living memory. Or the 'essen' and plaggen agriculture that developed along the stream valleys of Noord-Brabant from 1300 AD onwards, giving rise to geomorphological features as 'randwallen' and plaggen soils of more than a metre thickness. Each region of Brabant each has its own approach in attracting tourists and has not yet used this common landscape history to connect, manage and promote their territories. We propose a landscape-historical approach to develop a national or European Geopark Brabants' cover sand landscapes, in which each region focuses on a specific part of the landscape history of Brabant, that stretches from the Late Weichselian polar desert when the dune landscapes were formed, through prehistoric, Roman and medieval times up to the post-modern nature building projects aimed at restoring biodiversity. A brochure was developed to raise awareness and promote interest for a landscape historical concept, in which each region profits from being part of a quality history.

'Endurance Crater's' Dazzling Dunes (false-color)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

As NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity creeps farther into 'Endurance Crater,' the dune field on the crater floor appears even more dramatic. This false-color image taken by the rover's panoramic camera shows that the dune crests have accumulated more dust than the flanks of the dunes and the flat surfaces between them. Also evident is a 'blue' tint on the flat surfaces as compared to the dune flanks. This results from the presence of the hematite-containing spherules ('blueberries') that accumulate on the flat surfaces.

Sinuous tendrils of sand less than 1 meter (3.3 feet) high extend from the main dune field toward the rover. Scientists hope to send the rover down to one of these tendrils in an effort to learn more about the characteristics of the dunes. Dunes are a common feature across the surface of Mars, and knowledge gleaned from investigating the Endurance dunes close-up may apply to similar dunes elsewhere.

Before the rover heads down to the dunes, rover drivers must first establish whether the slippery slope that leads to them is firm enough to ensure a successful drive back out of the crater. Otherwise, such hazards might make the dune field a true sand trap.

Coastal Lake Record of Holocene Paleo-Storms from Northwest Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donoghue, J. F.; Coor, J. L.; Wang, Y.; Das, O.; Kish, S.; Elsner, J.; Hu, X. B.; Niedoroda, A. W.; Ye, M.

2009-12-01

The northwest Florida coast of the Gulf of Mexico has an unusually active storm history. Climate records for a study area in the mid-region of the Florida panhandle coast show that 29 hurricanes have made landfall within a 100-km radius during historic time. These events included 9 major storms (category 3 or higher). A longer-term geologic record of major storm impacts is essential for better understanding storm climatology and refining morphodynamic models. The Florida panhandle region contains a series of unique coastal lakes which are long-lived and whose bottom sediments hold a long-term record of coastal storm occurrence. The lakes are normally isolated from the open Gulf, protected behind a near-continuous dune barrier. Lake water is normally fresh to brackish. Lake bottom sediments consist of organic-rich muds. During major storms the dunes are breached and the lakes are temporarily open to marine water and the possibility of sandy overwash. Both a sedimentologic and geochemical signature is imparted to the lake sediments by storm events. Bottom sediment cores have been collected from the lakes. The cores have been subsampled and subjected to sedimentologic, stable isotopic and geochronologic analyses. The result is a sediment history of the lakes, and a record of storm occurrence during the past few millennia. The outcome is a better understanding of the long-term risk of major storms. The findings are being incorporated into a larger model designed to make reliable predictions of the effects of near-future climate change on natural coastal systems and on coastal infrastructure, and to enable cost-effective mitigation and adaptation strategies.

What is a Dune: Developing AN Automated Approach to Extracting Dunes from Digital Elevation Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, H.; DeCuir, C.; Wernette, P. A.; Taube, C.; Eyler, R.; Thopson, S.

2016-12-01

Coastal dunes can absorb storm surge and mitigate inland erosion caused by elevated water levels during a storm. In order to understand how a dune responds to and recovers from a storm, it is important that we can first identify and differentiate the beach and dune from the rest of the landscape. Current literature does not provide a consistent definition of what the dune features (e.g. dune toe, dune crest) are or how they can be extracted. The purpose of this research is to develop enhanced approaches to extracting dunes from a digital elevation model (DEM). Manual delineation, convergence index, least-cost path, relative relief, and vegetation abundance were compared and contrasted on a small area of Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS), Preliminary results indicate that the method used to extract the dune greatly affects our interpretation of how the dune changes. The manual delineation method was time intensive and subjective, while the convergence index approach was useful to easily identify the dune crest through maximum and minimum values. The least-cost path method proved to be time intensive due to data clipping; however, this approach resulted in continuous geomorphic landscape features (e.g. dune toe, dune crest). While the relative relief approach shows the most features in multi resolution, it is difficult to assess the accuracy of the extracted features because extracted features appear as points that can vary widely in their location from one meter to the next. The vegetation approach was greatly impacted by the seasonal and annual fluctuations of growth but is advantageous in historical change studies because it can be used to extract consistent dune formation from historical aerial imagery. Improving our ability to more accurately assess dune response and recovery to a storm will enable coastal managers to more accurately predict how dunes may respond to future climate change scenarios.

Dune formation on the Cooper Creek floodplain, Strzelecki Desert, Australia - first results of morphodynamic simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kryger, Mateusz; Bubenzer, Olaf; Parteli, Eric

2017-04-01

Linear Dunes, which align longitudinally to the resultant wind vector, are the prevailing type of the south-north trending and partially vegetated dunes in the Strzelecki Desert, Australia. However, particularly on the Cooper Creek floodplain near Innamincka, striking complex dune features consisting of transversely oriented east-west trending dunes occur. These transverse dunes extend over several kilometers and are superimposed by linear dunes that elongate northwards and are separated by sandy swales. The aeolian features in the Strzelecki Desert are the result of interrelated late quaternary aeolian and fluvial activity and serve, thus, as archives providing information about variations in palaeoclimate and potential changes in fluvial sediment supply and wind strength and directionality. However, since the dunes are currently mostly stabilized by vegetation, it is uncertain whether their formation can be explained by the contemporary wind systems. To understand the dynamic processes underlying the genesis of the dune field in the Strzelecki Desert, the role of vegetation and the wind regimes leading to the observed dune patterns must be elucidated. Here we investigate the formative processes of the dune features occurring on the Cooper Creek floodplain by means of morphodynamic modeling of aeolian sand transport and dune formation in presence of vegetation growth. Our simulations show that a source-bordering dune can be formed out of the sediments of seasonally exposed sandbars of the palaeo-Cooper system by a unidirectional wind, which explains the emergence of the transverse dunes in the field. Moreover, a shift in the wind regime to obtuse bidirectional wind flows combined with a rapid decrease in the vegetation cover leads to the formation of linear dunes on the surface and in the lee of the transverse dunes. These linear dunes elongate over several kilometers downwind as a result of the seasonal wind changes. The dune shapes obtained in our simulations agree well with the real dune morphologies when a low vegetation growth rate is applied in the model. Although geochronological investigations, reported in the literature, on the Cooper Creek floodplain did not show the linear dunes declining in age downwind (which suggests the adjacent swales or the transverse dune to be the sediment source), our simulations show that strikingly similar linear dune morphologies can be obtained by sediment influx due to saltation alone. In this case, the bars of the palaeo-Cooper system might as well have served as the sediment source for the formation of the linear dunes. Therefore, our results suggest that a long-distance transport extension model could also explain the linear dune formation, while previous geochronological investigations supported the wind-rift vertical extension and wind-rift vertical accretion models. The morphodynamic simulations may thus not only help to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment of the northern Strzelecki Desert, but also provide insights for the interpretation of the sediment archives located on the Cooper Creek alluvial fan.

Strukturalny zapis procesów akumulacyjno-deflacyjnych w wydmie wałowej we wschodniej części Kotliny Sandomierskiej (Ukraina)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zieliński, Paweł; Semeniuk, Izabela

2008-01-01

During the studies of aeolian forms in the central part of the Lubaczów-Jaworów Plateau, in the borderland between Poland and Ukraine (Fig. 1), a special attention was given to lithologic features of deposits building a ridge dune, which is situated to the NE of Wola Arłamowa village. These deposits are characterized by distinct cyclic variability. This fact determined us to undertake investigations in order to reconstruct aerodynamic conditions under which such deposit variability had appeared. These investigations included: a) geomorphological mapping of the ridge dune and its immediate vicinity, b) identification of texture and structure of deposits building the form, c) measurements of scale and frequency of lithofacies, d) measurements of structural directional elements, and e) identification of primary deposition environments according to the classification by Hunter (1977) and Borówka (2001), described according to the suggestions published by Zieliński and Issmer (2008). Based on the lithologic features of dune building material (Figs 2, 3), we distinguished two deflation-accumulation cycles. The first one is recorded within the south-eastern slope of the dune, and it is characterized by the occurrence of sand sets with high-angle inclined stratification, which are separated by reactivation surfaces (Figs 2D, 3B). Sand was deposited on the leeward slope by wind from a predominant direction. The formation of reactivation surfaces is regarded as a result of the leeward slope exposure to winter strong wind from a direction completely different from the predominant one (McKee 1966; Borówka 1980; Hunter and Rubin 1983; Zieliński et al. in press). Therefore, we can assume that this change of wind direction occurred in annual rhythm. The second cycle was most completely recorded in the crest zone of the dune. It consists, from bottom to top, of the following lithofacies: RC→MR→PB→DT (Figs 2D, 3A). This cycle evidences wind from a slightly variable direction but with increasing velocity that resulted in increased deposition, and after exceeding the threshold value — increased deflation (Fig. 4). The nature of deposition can be compared with the described in literature wedge stratification (McKee 1966; McKee et al. 1971; Izmaiłow 2001). During this cycle the aerodynamic conditions changed in considerably shortened periods — from several days to several weeks. The authors suppose that this variability was associated with deepening, travelling to the east, and filling up of dynamic lows.

Barchan and Linear Dunes on Earth and Mars - Comparative Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsoar, H.; Edgett, K. S.; Schatz, V.; Parteli, E. J.; Herrmann, H. J.

2007-05-01

High resolution images from MGS and MRO reveal, in detail, ripples and dunes on Mars that were not discerned in old Viking images. The two basic dune types known on Earth, barchan (and transverse) and seif (linear), are also common on Mars, although seif dunes are quite rare on that planet. Some Martian barchan and seif dunes have a different morphology, particularly as evident in the Martian north polar region. Some of the barchans have an elongated, elliptical shape, while some of the linear dunes lack the sinuosity commonly associated with terrestrial seif dunes. These barchan and linear dunes occur together, side-by-side, and in some cases are merged to create a single bed-form. Induration of the dunes, or crust formation, can explain the occurrence of these dunes of unusual morphology in the Martian north polar region. Crusts may form as water vapor diffuses into and out of the fine-grained materials on the planet's surface. Salts would be deposited as intergranular cement. Because these bedforms occur in the polar region, the cementing agent could be ice instead of salts; indeed, the dunes spend more than half each Martian year beneath a covering of seasonal frost, mostly frozen carbon dioxide. Elliptical shaped barchans were created artificially in Saudi Arabia by spraying advancing barchan dunes with crude oil to stabilize them until the dunes reached a streamlined body shape. Simulation work indicates that the same process can occur on the indurated Martian barchans, but by cementation of grains rather than introduction of oil. Short lee dunes that have a linear shape with a sharp-edged crest are known to form from sand accumulation at the lee side of obstacles. Once a dune is stabilized by induration or crust, it functions as an obstacle to the wind. Linear lee dunes stabilized by ice (water or carbon dioxide) or mineral crust may elongate and form a long linear dune that aligns parallel to the wind. Melting of the ice will set up a straight linear dune, with loose sand, parallel to the dominant wind. Field observations on terrestrial deserts show that such a dune can only be formed when it is covered by vegetation. If vegetation is removed the bare linear dune disintegrates into small barchans. Simulation also shows that linear dune is unstable and deforms until it takes the shape of a string of barchans, which are the stable shape under unidirectional winds.

Multiple origins of linear dunes on Earth and Titan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rubin, David M.; Hesp, Patrick A.

2009-01-01

Dunes with relatively long and parallel crests are classified as linear dunes. On Earth, they form in at least two environmental settings: where winds of bimodal direction blow across loose sand, and also where single-direction winds blow over sediment that is locally stabilized, be it through vegetation, sediment cohesion or topographic shelter from the winds. Linear dunes have also been identified on Titan, where they are thought to form in loose sand. Here we present evidence that in the Qaidam Basin, China, linear dunes are found downwind of transverse dunes owing to higher cohesiveness in the downwind sediments, which contain larger amounts of salt and mud. We also present a compilation of other settings where sediment stabilization has been reported to produce linear dunes. We suggest that in this dune-forming process, loose sediment accumulates on the dunes and is stabilized; the stable dune then functions as a topographic shelter, which induces the deposition of sediments downwind. We conclude that a model in which Titan's dunes formed similarly in cohesive sediments cannot be ruled out by the existing data.

Modeling and measuring the relationships between sediment transport processes, alluvial bedforms and channel-scale morphodynamics in sandy braided rivers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholas, A. P.; Ashworth, P. J.; Best, J.; Lane, S. N.; Parsons, D. R.; Sambrook Smith, G.; Simpson, C.; Strick, R. J. P.; Unsworth, C. A.

2017-12-01

Recent years have seen significant advances in the development and application of morphodynamic models to simulate river evolution. Despite this progress, significant challenges remain to be overcome before such models can provide realistic simulations of river response to environmental change, or be used to determine the controls on alluvial channel patterns and deposits with confidence. This impasse reflects a wide range of factors, not least the fact that many of the processes that control river behaviour operate at spatial scales that cannot be resolved by such models. For example, sand-bed rivers are characterised by multiple scales of topography (e.g., dunes, bars, channels), the finest of which must often by parameterized, rather than represented explicitly in morphodynamic models. We examine these issues using a combination of numerical modeling and field observations. High-resolution aerial imagery and Digital Elevation Models obtained for the sandy braided South Saskatchewan River in Canada are used to quantify dune, bar and channel morphology and their response to changing flow discharge. Numerical simulations are carried out using an existing morphodynamic model based on the 2D shallow water equations, coupled with new parameterisations of the evolution and influence of alluvial bedforms. We quantify the spatial patterns of sediment flux using repeat images of dune migration and bar evolution. These data are used to evaluate model predictions of sediment transport and morphological change, and to assess the degree to which model performance is controlled by the parametrization of roughness and sediment transport phenomena linked to subgrid-scale bedforms (dunes). The capacity of such models to replicate the characteristic multi-scale morphology of bars in sand-bed rivers, and the contrasting morphodynamic signatures of braiding during low and high flow conditions, is also assessed.

Coastal dune facies, Permian Cutler Formation (White Rim Sandstone), Capitol Reef National Park area, southern Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamola, Diane L.; Chan, Marjorie A.

1988-04-01

The Permian Cutler Formation (White Rim Sandstone) in the Capitol Reef National Park area in southern Utah is an excellent example of a coastal dune complex subjected to periodic flooding by marine waters. Wind-ripple, grainfall and grainflow laminae compose the cross-sets deposited by eolian dunes. However, wave-reworked structures such as oscillation ripples, the occurrence of the characteristically marine trace fossils Thalassinoides and Chondrites, and interfingering marine carbonate beds of the Kaibab Formation collectively indicate marine interaction with the eolian environment. Four facies are distinguished: cross-stratified sandstone, burrowed to bioturbated sandstone, brecciated and deformed sandstone, and ripple-laminated sandstone and thin carbonate beds. One unusual aspect of the cross-stratified sandstone facies is the abundance of coarse-grained sand. Coarse-grained sand is atypical in many ancient eolian slipface deposits, but occurs here in large slipface foresets as both grainflow and wind-ripple deposits. No water-laid structures are found in these slipface deposits. Coarse-grained sand was probably transported to the Cutler shoreline by fluvial systems draining the Uncompahgre Uplift to the east, and then concentrated as coarse-grained ripples in interdune areas. Some of these coarse-grained ripples migrated up the stoss side of the dunes and accumulations of coarse-grained sand avalanched down the crest to form grainflow deposits. An extensive amount of soft-sediment deformation is indicated by the presence of convolute bedding and brecciation. These features occur near the zone of interfingering with marine carbonate beds of the Kaibab Formation. The water-saturated and moist conditions required for extensive deformation may have been controlled by the proximity of these sandstones to the shoreline, and fluctuations in the associated groundwater table.

Details of Layers in Victoria Crater's Cape St. Vincent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity rover spent about 300 sols (Martian days) during 2006 and 2007 traversing the rim of Victoria Crater. Besides looking for a good place to enter the crater, the rover obtained images of rock outcrops exposed at several cliffs along the way.

The cliff in this image from Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam) is informally named Cape St. Vincent. It is a promontory approximately 12 meters (39 feet) tall on the northern rim of Victoria crater, near the farthest point along the rover's traverse around the rim. Layers seen in Cape St. Vincent have proven to be among the best examples of meter scale cross-bedding observed on Mars to date. Cross-bedding is a geologic term for rock layers which are inclined relative to the horizontal and which are indicative of ancient sand dune deposits. In order to get a better look at these outcrops, Pancam 'super-resolution' imaging techniques were utilized. Super-resolution is a type of imaging mode which acquires many pictures of the same target to reconstruct a digital image at a higher resolution than is native to the camera. These super-resolution images have allowed scientists to discern that the rocks at Victoria Crater once represented a large dune field, not unlike the Sahara desert on Earth, and that this dune field migrated with an ancient wind flowing from the north to the south across the region. Other rover chemical and mineral measurements have shown that many of the ancient sand dunes studied in Meridiani Planum were modified by surface and subsurface liquid water long ago.

This is a Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity Panoramic Camera image acquired on sol 1167 (May 7, 2007), and was constructed from a mathematical combination of 16 different blue filter (480 nm) images.

Defrosting Polar Dunes--Dark Spots and Wind Streaks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The first time that the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)team saw dark spots on defrosting dune surfaces was in August and September of 1998. At that time, it was the north polar seasonal frost cap that was subliming away (more recent images from 1999 have shown the south polar frosts). This picture (above) shows a small portion of the giant dune field that surrounds the north polar region, as it appeared on August 23, 1998. At the time, it was early northern spring and the dunes were still covered with winter frost.

Dark spots had appeared on the north polar dunes, and many of them exhibited a radial or semi-radial pattern of dark streaks and streamers. At first, there was speculation that the streaks indicated that the defrosting process might somehow involve explosions! The dark spots seemed to resemble small craters with dark, radial ejecta. It seemed possible that frozen carbon dioxide trapped beneath water ice might somehow heat up, turn to gas, expand, and then 'explode' in either a small blast or at least a 'puff' of air similar to that which comes from the blowhole of a surfacing whale or seal.

The image shown here changed the earlier impression. The dark spots and streaks do not result from explosions. The spots--though not well understood--represent the earliest stages of defrosting on the sand dunes. The streaks, instead of being caused by small explosions, are instead the result of wind. In this picture, the fine, dark streaks show essentially identical orientations from spot to spot (e.g., compare the spots seen in boxes (a) and (b)). Each ray of dark material must result from wind blowing from a particular direction--for example, all of the spots in this picture exhibit a ray that points toward the upper left corner of the image, and each of these rays indicates the same wind regime. Each spot also has a ray pointing toward the lower right and top/upper-right. These, too, must indicate periods when the wind was strong enough to move materials, consistently, in only one direction.

The sand that makes up the north polar dunes is dark. Each spot and streak is composed of the dune sand. The bright surfaces are all covered with frost. This picture is located near 76.9oN, 271.2oW, in the north polar sand sea. Illumination is from the lower left. The 200 meter scale also indicates a distance of 656 feet.

Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.

Timing of frost deposition on Martian dunes: A clue to properties of dune particles?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, P.

1987-01-01

Scans were made across the Martian dunes found in images taken at several different times to determine the time history of the dune albedo. Atmospheric contributions were estimated using optical depth data and the brightness of shadows in some images. The data show that the dunes brighten very substantially between L(s) = 10 and 40 deg, depending on the latitude. Bright coverings on dunes form outliers 1 to 5 deg north of the cap edge. Formation of the general cap then sometimes reverses the contrast of the dune field with the surrounding area. Causes for the early deposition of frost on dunes relative to surroundings are discussed.

Mars global digital dune database: MC-30

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayward, R.K.; Fenton, L.K.; Titus, T.N.; Colaprete, A.; Christensen, P.R.

2012-01-01

The Mars Global Digital Dune Database (MGD3) provides data and describes the methodology used in creating the global database of moderate- to large-size dune fields on Mars. The database is being released in a series of U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports. The first report (Hayward and others, 2007) included dune fields from lat 65° N. to 65° S. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1158/). The second report (Hayward and others, 2010) included dune fields from lat 60° N. to 90° N. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1170/). This report encompasses ~75,000 km2 of mapped dune fields from lat 60° to 90° S. The dune fields included in this global database were initially located using Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) Infrared (IR) images. In the previous two reports, some dune fields may have been unintentionally excluded for two reasons: (1) incomplete THEMIS IR (daytime) coverage may have caused us to exclude some moderate- to large-size dune fields or (2) resolution of THEMIS IR coverage (100 m/pixel) certainly caused us to exclude smaller dune fields. In this report, mapping is more complete. The Arizona State University THEMIS daytime IR mosaic provided complete IR coverage, and it is unlikely that we missed any large dune fields in the South Pole (SP) region. In addition, the increased availability of higher resolution images resulted in the inclusion of more small (~1 km2) sand dune fields and sand patches. To maintain consistency with the previous releases, we have identified the sand features that would not have been included in earlier releases. While the moderate to large dune fields in MGD3 are likely to constitute the largest compilation of sediment on the planet, we acknowledge that our database excludes numerous small dune fields and some moderate to large dune fields as well. Please note that the absence of mapped dune fields does not mean that dune fields do not exist and is not intended to imply a lack of saltating sand in other areas. Where availability and quality of THEMIS visible (VIS), Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) narrow angle, Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera, or Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera and High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment images allowed, we classified dunes and included some dune slipface measurements, which were derived from gross dune morphology and represent the approximate prevailing wind direction at the last time of significant dune modification. It was beyond the scope of this report to look at the detail needed to discern subtle dune modification. It was also beyond the scope of this report to measure all slipfaces. We attempted to include enough slipface measurements to represent the general circulation (as implied by gross dune morphology) and to give a sense of the complex nature of aeolian activity on Mars. The absence of slipface measurements in a given direction should not be taken as evidence that winds in that direction did not occur. When a dune field was located within a crater, the azimuth from crater centroid to dune field centroid was calculated, as another possible indicator of wind direction. Output from a general circulation model is also included. In addition to polygons locating dune fields, the database includes ~700 of the THEMIS VIS and MOC images that were used to build the database.

Investigating Mars: Candor Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-17

The bottom half of this image of central Candor Chasma shows a surface topography called chaos. Chaos is a region of small to medium sized mesas surrounded by valleys that are usually the same elevation. In this image sand and sand dunes are accumulating in the valleys and increasing in depth. Candor Chasma is one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. It is approximately 810 km long (503 miles) and has is divided into two regions - eastern and western Candor. Candor is located south of Ophir Chasma and north of Melas Chasma. The border with Melas Chasma contains many large landslide deposits. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas. Many forms of erosion have shaped Chandor Chasma. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant gravity driven mass wasting (landslides). The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 18251 Latitude: -6.45589 Longitude: 287.35 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2006-01-25 01:39 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22168

Investigating Mars: Candor Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-18

This image of central Candor Chasma shows a surface topography called chaos. Chaos is a region of small to medium sized mesas surrounded by valleys that are usually the same elevation. In this image sand and sand dunes have accumulated in the valleys near the top of the image, but are not as prevalent towards the bottom of the image. Candor Chasma is one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. It is approximately 810 km long (503 miles) and has is divided into two regions - eastern and western Candor. Candor is located south of Ophir Chasma and north of Melas Chasma. The border with Melas Chasma contains many large landslide deposits. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas. Many forms of erosion have shaped Chandor Chasma. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant gravity driven mass wasting (landslides). The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 26213 Latitude: -7.25478 Longitude: 287.032 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2007-11-11 14:48 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22169

The potential of Tillandsia dune ecosystems for revealing past and present variations in advective fog along the coastal Atacama Desert, northern Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latorre Hidalgo, C.; García, J. L.; Gonzalez, A. L.; Marquet, P. A.

2015-12-01

The coastal Atacama Desert is home to a complex geo-ecosystem supported by fog with multiple atmospheric and oceanic drivers. Fog collectors in place for the last 17 years reveal that monthly fog intensity and amount are significantly linked to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO 1+2) with cold (warm) anomalies correlated to increased (decreased) fog (R2 = 0.41). Rainfall, however, can occur during extreme positive ENSO anomalies. Tillandsia landbeckii is an epiarenitic plant common to the coastal Atacama where fog is intercepted by the coastal escarpment between 950-1250 m.a.s.l. These plants possess multiple adaptations to survive exclusively on fog, including the construction of "dune" ecosystems known as "tillandsiales". Buried T. landbeckii layers in such dunes contain a record of past variations of fog over time (dunes can top 3 m in height) and alternating plant and sand layers are readily visible in dune stratigraphy. Stable N isotopes on modern plants and fog indicate that these plants reflect δ15N values of total N dissolved in fog. We measured δ15N values from buried T. landbeckii layers from five different tillandsiales found across c. 50 km the coastal escarpment. The isotope values in these buried plants indicate a prominent c. 8.0 ‰ shift towards more negative δ15N values on average over the last 3,200 years. Based on differences in δ15N between modern and more extensive "paleo" tillandsiales at one of our lowest elevation study sites, we interpret this shift as an increase in available moisture due to increased fog input during the late Holocene. Increased variability in ENSO as well as increased upwelling and southerly winds along the coastal Atacama would explain in part this increase. Clearly, the Atacama tillandsiales have considerable potential for monitoring past and present change of these large-scale ocean-atmosphere systems.

[Water birds from Agua Dulce lake and El Ermitaño estuary, Jalisco, Mexico].

PubMed

Hernández Vázquez, Salvador

2005-01-01

Waterbird abundance, and seasonal and spatial distribution, were studied in two natural water pools at Jalisco, Mexico, from December 1997 through November 1998. Maximum monthly abundance in Agua Dulce lake and El Ermitaño estuary was 86 471 birds (29 686 in Agua Dulce and 56 785 in Ermitaño), with a total cummulative abundance of 179 808 individuals (66 976 in Agua Dulce and 112 832 in Ermitaño). A total of 87 waterbirds species were recorded, 78 in Agua Dulce and 73 in Ermitaño. The higher species richness and abundance was observed during winter, when migratory species arrived. Most species prefered shallow waters, except seabirds which prefered protected areas such as dunes in Agua Dulce. Other groups, like clucks and related species. prefered low salinity areas, for example in the south-east area of Ermitaño. The higher abundance of the shorehirds was found when the water level on the estuary was low. Herons were seen often at areas with high salinity and influenced by tides (e.g. mouth of Ermitaño).

Why do lab-scale experiments ever resemble geological scale patterning?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferdowsi, Behrooz; Jones, Brandon C.; Stein, Jeremy L.; Shinbrot, Troy

2017-11-01

The Earth and other planets are abundant with curious and poorly understood surface patterns. Examples include sand dunes, periodic and aperiodic ridges and valleys, and networks of river and submarine channels. We make the minimalist proposition that the dominant mechanism governing these varied patterns is mass conservation: notwithstanding detailed particulars, the universal rule is mass conservation and there are only a finite number of surface patterns that can result from this process. To test this minimalist proposition, we perform experiments in a vertically vibrated bed of fine grains, and we show that every one of a wide variety of patterns seen in the laboratory is also seen in recorded geomorphologies. We explore a range of experimental driving frequencies and amplitudes, and we complement these experimental results with a non-local cellular automata model that reproduces the surface patterns seen using a minimalist approach that allows a free surface to deform subject to mass conservation and simple known forces such as gravity. These results suggest a common cause for the effectiveness of lab-scale models for geological scale patterning that otherwise ought to have no reasonable correspondence.

Once in a Blue Dune

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-06-11

Sand dunes often accumulate in the floors of craters. In this region of Lyot Crater NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows a field of classic barchan dunes. Just to the south of the group of barchan dunes is one large dune with a more complex structure. This particular dune, appearing like turquoise blue in enhanced color, is made of finer material and/or has a different composition than the surrounding. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22512

RIGED-RA project - Restoration and management of Coastal Dunes in the Northern Adriatic Coast, Ravenna Area - Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giambastiani, Beatrice M. S.; Greggio, Nicolas; Sistilli, Flavia; Fabbri, Stefano; Scarelli, Frederico; Candiago, Sebastian; Anfossi, Giulia; Lipparini, Carlo A.; Cantelli, Luigi; Antonellini, Marco; Gabbianelli, Giovanni

2016-10-01

Coastal dunes play an important role in protecting the coastline. Unfortunately, in the last decades dunes have been removed or damaged by human activities. In the Emilia- Romagna region significant residual dune systems are found only along Ravenna and Ferrara coasts. In this context, the RIGED-RA project “Restoration and management of coastal dunes along the Ravenna coast” (2013-2016) has been launched with the aims to identify dynamics, erosion and vulnerability of Northern Adriatic coast and associated residual dunes, and to define intervention strategies for dune protection and restoration. The methodology is based on a multidisciplinary approach that integrates the expertise of several researchers and investigates all aspects (biotic and abiotic), which drive the dune-beach system. All datasets were integrated to identify test sites for applying dune restoration. The intervention finished in April 2016; evolution and restoration efficiency will be assessed.

Grain-size variations on a longitudinal dune and a barchan dune

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, Andrew

1986-01-01

The grain-size characteristics of the sand upon two dunes—a 40 m high longitudinal dune in the central Namib Desert and a 6.0 m high barchan in the Jafurah sand sea of Saudi Arabia—vary with position on the dunes. On the longitudinal dune, median grain size decreases, sorting improves and the grain-size distributions are less skewed and more normalized toward the crest. Though sand at the windward toe is distinct, elsewhere on the dune the changes in grain-size characteristics are gradual. An abrupt change in grain size and sorting near the crest—as described by Bagnold (1941, pp. 226-229)—is not well represented on this dune. Coarse grains remain as a lag on concave slope units and small particles are winnowed from the sand on the steepest windward slopes near the crest. Avalanching down slipfaces at the crest acts only as a supplementary grading mechanism. On the barchan dune median grain size also decreases near the crest, but sorting becomes poorer, though the grain-size distributions are more symmetric and more normalized. The dune profile is a Gaussian curve with a broad convex zone at the apex upon which topset beds had accreted prior to sampling. Grain size increases and sorting improves down the dune's slipface. However, this grading mechanism does not influence sand on the whole dune because variations in wind regime bring about different modes of dune accretion. On both dunes, height and morphology appear to influence significantly the grain-size characteristics.

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-29

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in central Coprates Chasma. The floor of the chasma is covered by a complex deposit of material. This chaotic surface differs from most of the floor of the canyon and indicate a local process, perhaps a very large landslide or failure of the cliff face. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 27086 Latitude: -13.564 Longitude: 300.618 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2008-01-22 12:04 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21994

The role of vegetation in shaping dune morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duran Vinent, O.; Moore, L. J.; Young, D.

2012-12-01

Aeolian dunes naturally emerge under strong winds and sufficient sand supply. They represent the most dynamical feature of the arid and/or coastal landscape and their evolution has the potential to either increase desertification or reduce coastal vulnerability to storms. Although large-scale dune morphology mainly depends on the wind regime and sand availability, vegetation plays an important role in semiarid and/or coastal areas. It is well known that under certain conditions vegetation is able to stabilize dunes, driving a morphological transformation from un-vegetated mobile crescent dunes to static vegetated "parabolic" dunes, de facto paralyzing desertification and initiating land recovery. Furthermore, vegetation is also the primary ingredient in the formation of coastal foredunes, which determine vulnerability to storms, as low dunes are prone to storm-induced erosion and overwash. In both cases, the coupling of biological and geomorphic (physical) processes, in particular vegetation growth and sand transport, governs the evolution of morphology. These processes were implemented in a computational model as part of a previous effort. It was shown that, for a migrating dune, this coupling leads to a negative feedback for dune motion, where an ever denser vegetation implies ever lesser sand transport. The model also predicted the existence of a "mobility index", defined by the vegetation growth rate to sand erosion rate ratio, that fully characterizes the morphological outcome: for indices above a certain threshold biological processes are dominant and dune motion slows after being covered by plants; for lower indices, the physical processes are the dominant ones and the dune remains mobile while vegetation is buried or rooted out. Here, we extend this model to better understand the formation of coastal dunes. We include new physical elements such as the shoreline and water table, as well as different grass species and potential competition among them. Consistent with field observations, we find that basic dune morphology is primarily determined by grass species, with linear or hummocky dunes being built by some species, while others may prevent dune formation. We also find that the evolution of coastal dune morphology is controlled by at least two bio-geomorphic couplings: (1) between vegetation growth and sand transport, which leads to a positive feedback for dune growth, as certain beach grasses maximize growth under sand accretion, which means that an ever denser vegetation implies an ever higher accretion rate; and (2) between vegetation growth and shoreline position through the sand influx. While the first coupling is responsible for dune formation, the second one determines when dunes stop growing and thus controls final dune size. This is particularly relevant for accreting/eroding coastlines where we find that dune size, and thus coastal protection, is maximized for relatively small accretion rates while larger accretion rates lead to formation of a new, smaller dune ridge at the beach.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández-Cordero, Antonio I.; Hernández-Calvento, Luis; Espino, Emma Pérez-Chacón

2015-06-01

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 3 m/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 4 m/year. The C. laevigatus community develops at dune mobility rates lower than 3 m/year, decreasing its surface area at higher rates. The L. arborescens community endures dune migration rates of at least 1.8 m/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.

Controls on desert dune activity - a geospatial approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lancaster, N.; Hesse, P. P.

2017-12-01

Desert and other inland dunes occur on a wide spectrum of activity (defined loosely as the proportion of the surface area subject to sand movement) from unvegetated to sparsely vegetated "active" dunes through discontinuously vegetated inactive dunes to completely vegetated and degraded dunes. Many of the latter are relicts of past climatic conditions. Although field studies and modeling of the interactions between winds, vegetation cover, and dune activity can provide valuable insights, the response of dune systems to climate change and variability past, present, and future has until now been hampered by the lack of pertinent observational data on geomorphic and climatic boundary conditions and dune activity status for most dune areas. We have developed GIS-based approach that permits analysis of boundary conditions and controls on dune activity at a range of spatial scales from dunefield to global. In this approach, the digital mapping of dune field and sand sea extent has been combined with systematic observations of dune activity at 0.2° intervals from high resolution satellite image data, resulting in four classes of activity. 1 km resolution global gridded datasets for the aridity index (AI); precipitation, satellite-derived percent vegetation cover; and estimates of sand transport potential (DP) were re-sampled for each 0.2° grid cell, and dune activity was compared to vegetation cover, sand transport potential, precipitation, and the aridity index. Results so far indicate that there are broad-scale relationships between dunefield mean activity, climate, and vegetation cover. However, the scatter in the data suggest that other local factors may be at work. Intra-dune field patterns are complex in many cases. Overall, much more work needs to be done to gain a full understanding of controls at different spatial and temporal scales, which can be faciliated by this spatial database.

Natural versus Urban dunes along the Emilia-Romagna coast, Northern Adriatic (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbau, Corinne; Simeoni, Umberto

2014-05-01

Beach-dune interaction models can be precious tools for land managers and policymakers. However, if the models are inaccurate, land use policies may be designed based on false pretences or assumptions leading to poor land management, long-term erosion and sustainability issues, and increased difficulties in maintaining the dynamic coastal systems. From the literature, it appears that even the most reliable beach-dunes interactions models are not applicable to all coastal systems (Short and Hesp, 1982; Psuty, 1988; Sherman and Bauer, 1993). The study aims to identify the morphological evolution of the Emilia-Romagna coastal dunes according to its natural and "human" characteristics and to classify groups of dunes with similar evolutionary patterns. The coastal area consists essentially of 130 km of low sandy coast, interrupted by vast lagoon areas, harbor jetties and numerous hard coastal defense structures that were built during the first half of the 20th century to protect the Emilia-Romagna coast against erosion. Today about 57% of the littoral is protected by hard defenses, which have modified the morphodynamic characteristics of the beach without inverting the negative coastal evolution's trend. From recent aerial photographs (2011), 62 coastal dunes have been identified and mapped. Furthermore, the dune analysis shows a variability of the "physical characteristics" of coastal-dune systems along the Emilia-Romagna coast. The dune height varies from 1 to 7 meters, the width of the beach and of the active dunes range respectively from 10 to 150 m and from 10 to 65 m. Three main factors may explain the variability of the "physical characteristics": 1- Firstly the frontal dunes may be of different states according to the classification of Hesp (2002) since they correspond to incipient foredunes, well-developed foredunes, blowouts, residual foredunes as well as reactivated relict foredunes, 2- This could also be related to a different orientation of the coastline and foredune's line to the dominant onshore winds and, 3- Human impacts may also explain this variability since most of the dune-beach systems of Emilia-Romagna are characterized by important anthropogenic features that do not adequately describe beach-foredune interactions. A factor analysis of the coastal dunes has allowed formulating hypotheses about their evolutionary trends according to the importance and interference of factors, both natural and anthropic, acting on the beach-dune system. Four groups of dunes have been identified corresponding to natural dunes, semi-anthropic dunes with major natural features, semi-anthropic dunes with major anthropic feature and "urban" dunes. Furthermore, while human activities impede the formation and development of new incipient dunes, other human activities favor the conservation and development of the human-altered foredunes. Hesp, P., 2002: Foredunes and blowouts: initiation, geomorphology and dynamics, Geomorphology, 245-268. Psuty, N. P. 1988. Sediment budget and dune/beach interaction. Journal of Coastal Research Special Issue 3: 1-4. Sherman, D. J., and B. O. Bauer. 1993. Dynamics of beach-dune systems. Progress in Physical Geography 17 (4): 413-447 Short, A. D., and P. A. Hesp. 1982. Wave, beach and dune interactions in South Eastern Australia. Marine Geology 48: 259-284.

Mars Global Digital Dune Database: MC2-MC29

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayward, Rosalyn K.; Mullins, Kevin F.; Fenton, L.K.; Hare, T.M.; Titus, T.N.; Bourke, M.C.; Colaprete, Anthony; Christensen, P.R.

2007-01-01

Introduction The Mars Global Digital Dune Database presents data and describes the methodology used in creating the database. The database provides a comprehensive and quantitative view of the geographic distribution of moderate- to large-size dune fields from 65? N to 65? S latitude and encompasses ~ 550 dune fields. The database will be expanded to cover the entire planet in later versions. Although we have attempted to include all dune fields between 65? N and 65? S, some have likely been excluded for two reasons: 1) incomplete THEMIS IR (daytime) coverage may have caused us to exclude some moderate- to large-size dune fields or 2) resolution of THEMIS IR coverage (100m/pixel) certainly caused us to exclude smaller dune fields. The smallest dune fields in the database are ~ 1 km2 in area. While the moderate to large dune fields are likely to constitute the largest compilation of sediment on the planet, smaller stores of sediment of dunes are likely to be found elsewhere via higher resolution data. Thus, it should be noted that our database excludes all small dune fields and some moderate to large dune fields as well. Therefore the absence of mapped dune fields does not mean that such dune fields do not exist and is not intended to imply a lack of saltating sand in other areas. Where availability and quality of THEMIS visible (VIS) or Mars Orbiter Camera narrow angle (MOC NA) images allowed, we classifed dunes and included dune slipface measurements, which were derived from gross dune morphology and represent the prevailing wind direction at the last time of significant dune modification. For dunes located within craters, the azimuth from crater centroid to dune field centroid was calculated. Output from a general circulation model (GCM) is also included. In addition to polygons locating dune fields, the database includes over 1800 selected Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) infrared (IR), THEMIS visible (VIS) and Mars Orbiter Camera Narrow Angle (MOC NA) images that were used to build the database. The database is presented in a variety of formats. It is presented as a series of ArcReader projects which can be opened using the free ArcReader software. The latest version of ArcReader can be downloaded at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcreader/download.html. The database is also presented in ArcMap projects. The ArcMap projects allow fuller use of the data, but require ESRI ArcMap? software. Multiple projects were required to accommodate the large number of images needed. A fuller description of the projects can be found in the Dunes_ReadMe file and the ReadMe_GIS file in the Documentation folder. For users who prefer to create their own projects, the data is available in ESRI shapefile and geodatabase formats, as well as the open Geographic Markup Language (GML) format. A printable map of the dunes and craters in the database is available as a Portable Document Format (PDF) document. The map is also included as a JPEG file. ReadMe files are available in PDF and ASCII (.txt) files. Tables are available in both Excel (.xls) and ASCII formats.

Which Came First?

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-09-16

The workings of the Martian winds are visible in this image of sand dunes trapped inside an unnamed crater in southern Terra Cimmeria captured by NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. Many of the craters in the Southern highlands of Mars contain sand dunes, and HiRISE is still in the process of mapping these dunes and determining how active they are today. So far, the dunes in these craters appear to be a mixed bunch, with some dunes actively advancing while others seem to be frozen in place. This image will be compared to a previous picture, to see how these dunes have changed since 2008. The sand dunes are the large, branched ridges and dark patches that are conspicuous against the bright background, particularly in the northwest corner of our picture. There are also signs of two other wind-related processes: smaller, brighter ridges line the floor of the crater in regularly spaced rows. These are also windblown deposits, mysterious "transverse aeolian ridges" or TARs that are more common in the Martian tropics. Faint, irregular dark lines cross the dunes and the TARs, marking the tracks of dust devils that vacuum the surface during southern summer. So, which came first? We can untangle the history of these processes by looking at the picture more closely. Over most of the image, it is obvious that the dark sand dunes bury the bright TARs, meaning that the sand dunes are younger than the TARs. But this relationship is not so clear for the southernmost dune we see in this picture. Here, the TARs look like they extend into the dune and merge with ripples on the dune's surface, suggesting that the TARs might be younger than the dunes. The question can be resolved by carefully examining an enhanced color cutout. The TARs are brighter and redder than the sand dunes and this color persists on the crests of the TARs as the sand encroaches, burying the valleys first and then the slopes and finally the TAR crests. This tells us that the unusual appearance of the dune margin is caused by burial and exposure of the older TARs by the younger sand. Finally, you can trace the tracks of dust devils crossing over the dunes, telling us that they are younger than the dunes. So, first came the TARs, next the dunes, and last the dust devils -- probably within the last few months! http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/?IDNumber=pia19941

The Changing Dunes of Wirtz Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-19

The large dark feature is a classic Martian sand dune. Most sand on Earth is made from the mineral quartz, which is white and bright. On Mars, most sand is composed of dark basalt, a volcanic rock. For this reason, dunes on Mars are darker than those on Earth. The dunes in this observation, within Wirtz Crater, are known as "barchans." The steepest slope is on the eastern (right) side, partially in shadow, and represents the direction the dune is migrating as the sand is blown and transported by the wind. Small ripples are visible on much of the dune surface. The dark streaks on the dune are tracks left by passing vortices known to us as dust devils. These raise dust off the dune, revealing a darker substrate. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA12289

A Comparative Analysis of Barchan Dunes in the Intra-Crater Dune Fields and the North Polar Sand Sea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bourke, M. C.; Balme, M.; Zimbelman, J.

2004-01-01

Martian sand dunes have the potential to contribute data on geological history through a study of their form. Recognition of the characteristics of both recent and ancient dunes is the first step towards understanding the present as well as past aeolian systems, and by proxy, climatic conditions on Mars. Dunes studied in detail in Viking 1 and 2 Orbiter images have been classified as barchan, barchanoid, transverse, and complex. Regionally, they are concentrated in four locations: The North and South Polar regions, in intra crater dune fields and in troughs and valleys. Here we present the results of a morphometric analysis of barchan dunes in two of these locations: the North Polar Sand Sea (NPSS) and intra-crater dunes.

Origins of late- Pleistocene coastal dune sheets, Magdalena and Guerrero Negro, from continental shelf low-stand supply (70-20 ka), under conditions of southeast littoral- and eolian-sand transport, in Baja California Sur, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Curt D.; Murillo-Jiménez, Janette M.; Stock, Errol; Price, David M.; Hostetler, Steve W.; Percy, David

2017-10-01

Shallow morpho-stratigraphic sections (n = 11) in each of two large coastal dune sheets including the Magdalena (7000 km2) and Guerrero Negro (8000 km2) dune sheets, from the Pacific Ocean side of Baja California Sur, Mexico, have been analyzed for dune deposit age. The shallow morpho-stratigraphic sections (∼2-10 m depth) include 11 new TL and 14C ages, and paleosol chronosequences, that differentiate cemented late Pleistocene dune deposits (20.7 ± 2.1 to 99.8 ± 9.4 ka) from uncemented Holocene dune deposits (0.7 ± 0.05 to at least 3.2 ± 0.3 ka). Large linear dune ridges (5-10 m in height) in the dune sheet interiors trend southeast and are generally of late Pleistocene age (∼70-20 ka). The late Pleistocene dune deposits reflect eolian transport of marine sand across the emerged continental shelf (30-50 km southeast distance) from low-stand paleo-shorelines (-100 ± 25 m elevation), which were locally oriented nearly orthogonal to modeled deep-water wave directions (∼300° TN). During the Holocene marine transgression, onshore and alongshore wave transport delivered remobilized shelf-sand deposits to the nearshore areas of the large dune sheets, building extensive barrier islands and sand spits. Submerged back-barrier lagoons generally precluded marine sand supply to dune sheet interiors in middle to late Holocene time, though exceptions occur along some ocean and lagoon shorelines. Reactivation of the late Pleistocene dune deposits in the dune sheet interiors lead to generally thin (1-3 m thickness), but widespread, covers of Holocene dune deposits (0.41 ± 0.05 to 10.5 ± 1.6 ka). Mechanical drilling will be required to penetrate indurated subsoil caliche layers to reach basal Pleistocene dune deposits.

Mars Global Digital Dune Database; MC-1

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayward, R.K.; Fenton, L.K.; Tanaka, K.L.; Titus, T.N.; Colaprete, A.; Christensen, P.R.

2010-01-01

The Mars Global Digital Dune Database presents data and describes the methodology used in creating the global database of moderate- to large-size dune fields on Mars. The database is being released in a series of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Reports. The first release (Hayward and others, 2007) included dune fields from 65 degrees N to 65 degrees S (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1158/). The current release encompasses ~ 845,000 km2 of mapped dune fields from 65 degrees N to 90 degrees N latitude. Dune fields between 65 degrees S and 90 degrees S will be released in a future USGS Open-File Report. Although we have attempted to include all dune fields, some have likely been excluded for two reasons: (1) incomplete THEMIS IR (daytime) coverage may have caused us to exclude some moderate- to large-size dune fields or (2) resolution of THEMIS IR coverage (100m/pixel) certainly caused us to exclude smaller dune fields. The smallest dune fields in the database are ~ 1 km2 in area. While the moderate to large dune fields are likely to constitute the largest compilation of sediment on the planet, smaller stores of sediment of dunes are likely to be found elsewhere via higher resolution data. Thus, it should be noted that our database excludes all small dune fields and some moderate to large dune fields as well. Therefore, the absence of mapped dune fields does not mean that such dune fields do not exist and is not intended to imply a lack of saltating sand in other areas. Where availability and quality of THEMIS visible (VIS), Mars Orbiter Camera narrow angle (MOC NA), or Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Context Camera (CTX) images allowed, we classified dunes and included some dune slipface measurements, which were derived from gross dune morphology and represent the prevailing wind direction at the last time of significant dune modification. It was beyond the scope of this report to look at the detail needed to discern subtle dune modification. It was also beyond the scope of this report to measure all slipfaces. We attempted to include enough slipface measurements to represent the general circulation (as implied by gross dune morphology) and to give a sense of the complex nature of aeolian activity on Mars. The absence of slipface measurements in a given direction should not be taken as evidence that winds in that direction did not occur. When a dune field was located within a crater, the azimuth from crater centroid to dune field centroid was calculated, as another possible indicator of wind direction. Output from a general circulation model (GCM) is also included. In addition to polygons locating dune fields, the database includes THEMIS visible (VIS) and Mars Orbiter Camera Narrow Angle (MOC NA) images that were used to build the database. The database is presented in a variety of formats. It is presented as an ArcReader project which can be opened using the free ArcReader software. The latest version of ArcReader can be downloaded at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcreader/download.html. The database is also presented in an ArcMap project. The ArcMap project allows fuller use of the data, but requires ESRI ArcMap(Registered) software. A fuller description of the projects can be found in the NP_Dunes_ReadMe file (NP_Dunes_ReadMe folder_ and the NP_Dunes_ReadMe_GIS file (NP_Documentation folder). For users who prefer to create their own projects, the data are available in ESRI shapefile and geodatabase formats, as well as the open Geography Markup Language (GML) format. A printable map of the dunes and craters in the database is available as a Portable Document Format (PDF) document. The map is also included as a JPEG file. (NP_Documentation folder) Documentation files are available in PDF and ASCII (.txt) files. Tables are available in both Excel and ASCII (.txt)

Recent Aeolian Dune Change on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bourke, M. C.; Edgett, K. S.; Cantor, B. A.

2007-01-01

Previous comparisons of Martian aeolian dunes in satellite images have not detected any change in dune form or position. Here, we show dome dunes in the north polar region that shrank and then disappeared over a period of 3.04 Mars years (5.7 Earth years), while larger, neighboring dunes showed no erosion or movement. The removal of sand from these dunes indicates that not only is the threshold wind speed for saltation exceeded under present conditions on Mars, but that any sand that is available for transport is likely to be moved. Dunes that show no evidence of change could be crusted, indurated. or subject to infrequent episodes of movement.

Morphological response of coastal dunes to a group of three typhoons on Pingtan Island, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lin; Dong, Yuxiang; Huang, Dequan

2018-06-01

Pingtan Island (Fujian, China) was severely impacted by a group of three typhoons in a sequence of Nepartak, Meranti, and Megi during the summer of 2016. Field investigations were conducted on the island before and after the typhoons using high-precision RTK GPS technology and surveying methods, and we analyzed the morphological responses of three types of coastal dunes (coastal foredunes, climbing dunes, and coastal sand sheets) to the typhoon group. The maximum height decrease among coastal foredunes was 2.89 m after the typhoon group landed; dune volume increased by 0.9%, and the windward side showed a slight height increase, whereas that of the slope crest and leeward slope were slightly lower than the values before the typhoon group landed. The maximum height decrease among climbing dunes was 1.43 m, and dune volume decreased slightly by 0.1%; the height change among climbing dunes differed in magnitude between sites. Among coastal sand sheets, the maximum height increase was 0.75 m, and dune volume increased by 1.5%; the height of frontal coastal sand sheets increased markedly as result of storm surge washover deposits, whereas the heights barely changed at the middle and trailing edges. The above results suggest that the typhoon group imposed significant morphological changes on coastal dunes. However, the features of morphological responses differed between the three types of coastal dunes studied, and also among dunes of the same type based on local characteristics. Furthermore, coastal dunes showed no cumulative effects in their responses to the typhoon group, despite the individual typhoon impacts on coastal dune morphology.

Spectroscopy, morphometry, and photoclinometry of Titan's dunefields from Cassini/VIMS

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnes, J.W.; Brown, R.H.; Soderblom, L.; Sotin, Christophe; Le, Mouelic S.; Rodriguez, S.; Jaumann, R.; Beyer, R.A.; Buratti, B.J.; Pitman, K.; Baines, K.H.; Clark, R.; Nicholson, P.

2008-01-01

Fine-resolution (500 m/pixel) Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) T20 observations of Titan resolve that moon's sand dunes. The spectral variability in some dune regions shows that there are sand-free interdune areas, wherein VIMS spectra reveal the exposed dune substrate. The interdunes from T20 are, variously, materials that correspond to the equatorial bright, 5-??m-bright, and dark blue spectral units. Our observations show that an enigmatic "dark red" spectral unit seen in T5 in fact represents a macroscopic mixture with 5-??m-bright material and dunes as its spectral endmembers. Looking more broadly, similar mixtures of varying amounts of dune and interdune units of varying composition can explain the spectral and albedo variability within the dark brown dune global spectral unit that is associated with dunes. The presence of interdunes indicates that Titan's dunefields are both mature and recently active. The spectrum of the dune endmember reveals the sand to be composed of less water ice than the rest of Titan; various organics are consistent with the dunes' measured reflectivity. We measure a mean dune spacing of 2.1 km, and find that the dunes are oriented on the average in an east-west direction, but angling up to 10?? from parallel to the equator in specific cases. Where no interdunes are present, we determine the height of one set of dunes photoclinometrically to be between 30 and 70 m. These results pave the way for future exploration and interpretation of Titan's sand dunes. ?? 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Earth observation views of the Sahara Desert taken from OV-105 during STS-99

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-03-09

STS099-729-045 (11-22 February 2000) ---This Earth scene from the Space Shuttle Endeavour features linear dunes in the Algerian Saharan sand sea known as the Erg Chech. The dunes, according to NASA scientists, have been built up over thousands of years into masses elongated roughly parallel with the prevailing northeast winds. Dune chains in the northern (upper) half of the view are 5-8 kilometers apart. A slight change in orientation and an increase in the density of dunes appear across the middle of the view. Such changes usually relate to changes in sand supply, and also to topographic scarps over which the dunes pass. Obstacles like scarps and hills locally cause a leftward deflection (in the Northern Hemisphere) in wind direction, an effect that can be seen here in the dune orientation in the middle of the photo. Dunes in the lower part of the view are 2-5 kilometers apart. White patches are small dry lakes at low points in the underlying rock surface. The strong red color in some dunes near the edge of the dune field (left margin) is iron staining derived from sand particles blown into the dunes from the underlying iron-rich soils. A dune-free area appears in the lower left corner.

Non-equilibrium flow and sediment transport distribution over mobile river dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoitink, T.; Naqshband, S.; McElroy, B. J.

2017-12-01

Flow and sediment transport are key processes in the morphodynamics of river dunes. During floods in several rivers (e.g., the Elkhorn, Missouri, Niobrara, and Rio Grande), dunes are observed to grow rapidly as flow strength increases, undergoing an unstable transition regime, after which they are washed out in what is called upper stage plane bed. This morphological evolution of dunes to upper stage plane bed is the strongest bed-form adjustment during non-equilibrium flows and is associated with a significant change in hydraulic roughness and water levels. Detailed experimental investigations, however, have mostly focused on fixed dunes limited to equilibrium flow and bed conditions that are rare in natural channels. Our understanding of the underlying sedimentary processes that result into the washing out of dunes is therefore very limited. In the present study, using the Acoustic Concentration and Velocity Profiler (ACVP), we were able to quantify flow structure and sediment transport distribution over mobile non-equilibrium dunes. Under these non-equilibrium flow conditions average dune heights were decreasing while dune lengths were increasing. Preliminary results suggest that this morphological behaviour is due to a positive phase lag between sediment transport maximum and topographic maximum leading to a larger erosion on the dune stoss side compared to deposition on dune lee side.

78 FR 36568 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Approved Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-18

... for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact... lands included in the planning area encompass about 215,000 acres, of which approximately 12,000 acres are non- Federal lands for which these planning decisions do not apply. The planning area is located...

A lesser frigatebird (Fregata ariel) in California: a first for the state and fourth for North America

Treesearch

Brain L Sullivan; Marshall J. Iliff; Peter L. Ralph; C. J. Ralph; Steven T. Kelling

2007-01-01

This paper summarizes the occurrence and identification of California's first Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel), a subadult female photographed on 15 July 2007 at Lanphere Dunes near Arcata, Humboldt Country. This record is the fourth of this species for North America and the first in the eastern Pacific Ocean of the Western Hemisphere.

Thermophysical Variation within Dune Fields in the Southern Hemisphere of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courville, S. W.; Putzig, N. E.; Hoover, R.; Fenton, L. K.

2016-12-01

The activity and composition of Martian sand dunes, which are relatively young features, provide insight into the current and recent climate state of Mars. This study investigates small-scale variations of thermophysical properties within dune fields across the southern hemisphere of Mars to better understand near-surface composition. Previous morphological studies of southern hemisphere dune fields on Mars indicate a trend of decreasing activity with increasing latitude. We observe a corresponding trend in thermal properties. To investigate the thermal behavior of the dunes, we use apparent thermal inertia (ATI) derived from the Mars Odyssey's Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), which has a resolution of 100 meters per pixel. Overlaying THEMIS ATI values on images and digital terrain models from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) allows us to compare ATI with small-scale dune morphology and slopes. In general, we observe three types of ATI behavior: (1) fields with exposed ground between dunes display lower ATI on the dunes themselves, consistent with dunes of relatively low thermal inertia resting upon a wind-resistant consolidated bed with higher thermal inertia; (2) fields with little or no inter-dune exposures exhibit ATI in dune troughs that is 100 tiu or more lower than along crests, counterintuitively suggesting that dune trough material is finer than that along dune crests; and (3) fields with highly degraded dunes typically display uniform ATI values, indicating that their properties do not vary laterally at the resolution of THEMIS images or vertically within a seasonal skin depth. These ATI behaviors correspond to the activity state of the dune field with type 1 being the most active and occurring toward the equator, while type 3 is the least active and found mostly at high southern latitudes. To consider alternative explanations for the ATI variation observed in Type 2 fields, we created thermal models of slopes, lateral mixtures of two particle sizes, and layering of two particle sizes. However, these models are unable to explain the observed ATI, suggesting that the composition and/or activity of these dunes are more complicated than allowed by two-component models.

Changes of Bulgarian Coastal Dune Landscape under Anthropogenic Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palazov, A.; Young, R.; Stancheva, M.; Stanchev, H.

2012-04-01

At one time large sand dune formations were widely distributed along the Bulgarian coast. However, due to increased urbanization in the coastal zone, the areas of total dune landscape has been constantly reduced. Dunes presently comprise only 10% of the entire 412 km long coastline of Bulgaria: they embrace a total length of 38.57 km and a total area of 8.78 km2 Important tasks in dune protection are identification of landscape changes for a certain period of time and accurate delineation of sand dune areas. The present research traces sand dune changes along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast over a 27 year period (1983-2010). This period includes also the time of expanded tourist boom and overbuilding of the coastal zone, and respectively presents the largest dune changes and reductions. Based on the landscape change analyst in GIS environment the study also aims to explore the importance of different natural and human factors in driving the observed dune alterations and destruction. To detect and assess dune changes during the last 3 decades, we used data for sand dunes derived from several sources at different time periods in order to compare changes in shoreline positions, dune contours and areas: i) Topographic maps in 1:5,000 scale from 1983; ii) Modern Very High Resolution orthophotographs from 2006 and 2010; iii) QuickBird Very High Resolution satellite images from 2009; iv) Statistical information for population and tourist infrastructure is also used to consider the influence of human pressure and hotel developments on the dune dynamics. In addition, for more detailed description and visualization of main dune types, digital photos have been taken at many parts of the Bulgarian coast. The study was performed in GIS environment. Based on the results obtained the dunes along the Bulgarian coast were divided into three main groups with relation to the general factors responsible for their alterations: i) Dunes that have decreased in result of shoreline retreat and erosion of the beach itself. Typically dunes are located behind sand beaches and they are part of the beach-dune systems. Such type of dune reduction could be driven by combination of many factors, both natural ones (such as severe storms, erosion, heavy rains or flooding) and human impacts (large number of installed coast-protection structures along the coast, which interrupt the sediment transport, create new sedimentary deficit and generate erosion). During the recent years most of the Bulgarian beaches have progressively eroded and their areas have significantly been decreased. ii) Dunes that have been reduced/damaged and lost due to expanded tourist and housing infrastructures/developments and due to afforestaion activities. The principal sources of human impacts on sand dunes in Bulgaria are rapid coastal urbanization over the recent years (i.e., hotel and residential constructions, roads, parking structures, and other related infrastructure), unregulated camping and "temporary" constructions on the dunes, a lax regulatory environment that tolerates the re-zoning of protected sand dunes to "agricultural" areas. At most recreational sites there were wide coastal dunes, which however have been destroyed during tourist constructions. Such are dunes at the most famous Bulgarian sea resorts of Golden Sands and Sunny Beach in the areas of Varna and Nessebar. As a consequence, major areas along the Bulgarian coast were completely urbanized by hotels and other infrastructures and large sand dune systems were damaged. iii) Dunes located at still undeveloped coastal sections: yet they are naturally preserved and unthreatened by human pressure boom. These are just a few dune sites: at the northernmost portion of the Bulgarian coast (in the area of Durankulak), at the central part in the region of the largest Bulgarian river, Kamchia River, and along the southernmost coastline (in the area of Veleka River). Although sand dunes in Bulgaria are protected areas and national reserves they have been exposed to large anthropogenic pressure in particular over the last decade. There is an increased demand now of proper management and urgent conservation activities. Such measures first require an accurate understanding of dune properties/behaviour, assessment of anthropogenic factors affecting dune persistence and identification of coastal areas most sensitive to risk of destruction. This research has been undertaken with the support of National Science Fund - Ministry of Education, Youth and Science, (Republic of Bulgaria); Contract No: DNTS 02/11 from 29.09.2010 in the frame of a Joint Research Project between Bulgaria and Romania (2010-2012). The Ministry of Agriculture and Food (Republic of Bulgaria) is deeply acknowledged for providing the modern orthophoto and satellite image data needed and useful also for implementation of the project activities.

DIVERSITY OF ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ALONG A SAND DUNE STABILIZATION GRADIENT: A CASE STUDY AT PRAIA DE JOAQUINA, ILHA DE SANTA CATARINA, SOUTH BRAZIL

EPA Science Inventory

Species diversity of abuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was assessed along a dunes stabilization gradient (embyonic dune, foredune and fixed dune) at Praia da Joaquina (Joaquina Beach), Ilha de Santa Catarina. These dunes served as a case study to assess whether diversity and myc...

75 FR 77801 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Status for Dunes Sagebrush Lizard

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-14

... December 30, 1982, we published our notice of review classifying the sand dune lizard (dunes sagebrush... listing actions for the southern Idaho ground squirrel, sand dune lizard, or Tahoe yellow cress. The court... by the common name of sand dune lizard (e.g., Degenhardt et al. 1996, p. 159); however, the currently...

Photometric redshifts for weak lensing tomography from space: the role of optical and near infrared photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdalla, F. B.; Amara, A.; Capak, P.; Cypriano, E. S.; Lahav, O.; Rhodes, J.

2008-07-01

We study in detail the photometric redshift requirements needed for tomographic weak gravitational lensing in order to measure accurately the dark energy equation of state. In particular, we examine how ground-based photometry (u, g, r, i, z, y) can be complemented by space-based near-infrared (near-IR) photometry (J, H), e.g. onboard the planned DUNE satellite. Using realistic photometric redshift simulations and an artificial neural network photo-z method we evaluate the figure of merit for the dark energy parameters (w0, wa). We consider a DUNE-like broad optical filter supplemented with ground-based multiband optical data from surveys like the Dark Energy Survey, Pan-STARRS and LSST. We show that the dark energy figure of merit would be improved by a factor of 1.3-1.7 if IR filters are added onboard DUNE. Furthermore we show that with IR data catastrophic photo-z outliers can be removed effectively. There is an interplay between the choice of filters, the magnitude limits and the removal of outliers. We draw attention to the dependence of the results on the galaxy formation scenarios encoded into the mock galaxies, e.g. the galaxy reddening. For example, very deep u-band data could be as effective as the IR. We also find that about 105-106 spectroscopic redshifts are needed for calibration of the full survey.

More Polar Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-11

This image from NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows more north polar dunes. If you compare multiple dune images, you will see that the dunes can take different forms and cover different amounts of the plains.

Dark Polar Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-09-01

This MOC image shows dunes in the martian north polar region. The dunes are composed of dark, coarse sand. The white areas around the dunes are the last remaining areas of seasonal carbon dioxide frost cover

Dunes of the Southern Highlands

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-03-23

Sand dunes are scattered across Mars and one of the larger populations exists in the Southern hemisphere, just west of the Hellas impact basin. The Hellespontus region features numerous collections of dark, dune formations that collect both within depressions such as craters, and among "extra-crater" plains areas. This image displays the middle portion of a large dune field composed primarily of crescent-shaped "barchan" dunes. Here, the steep, sunlit side of the dune, called a slip face, indicates the down-wind side of the dune and direction of its migration. Other long, narrow linear dunes known as "seif" dunes are also here and in other locales to the east. NB: "Seif" comes from the Arabic word meaning "sword." The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 25.5 centimeters (10 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 77 centimeters (30.3 inches) across are resolved.] North is up. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21571

Experimental study on the formation of subaqueous barchan dunes in closed conduits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, Carlos A.; Franklin, Erick

2018-06-01

The present paper reports the formation of subaqueous barchan dunes by analyzing the temporal evolution of their main geometrical characteristics (width W, length L and horn lengths Lh). After certain time, the dunes reach an equilibrium state and it is possible to study the relation between W versus L, and the dependence of the dune velocity on L. The barchan dunes were formed from spherical glass and zirconium beads. An initial conical heap of beads was placed on the bottom wall of a rectangular channel and it was entrained by a water turbulent flow. The evolution of the dunes was filmed with a CCD camera placed above the channel and mounted on a traveling system. Our results show that after a characteristic time the dune shape does not change and it travels with a roughly constant velocity. Once the equilibrium state is reach, W and L are measured, showing linear dependence. Furthermore, we show that the dune velocity Vd scales with the inverse of the dune length.

Poster 17: Methane storms as a driver of Titan's dune orientation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charnay, Benjamin; Barth, Erika; Rafkin, Scot; Narteau, Clement; Lebonnois, Sebastien; Rodriguez, Sebastien; Courech Du Pont, Sylvain; Lucas, Antoine

2016-06-01

Titan's equatorial regions are covered by eastward oriented linear dunes [1,2]. This direction is opposite to mean surface winds simulated by Global Climate Models (GCMs) at these latitudes, oriented westward as trade winds on Earth. We propose that Titan's dune orientation is actually determined by equinoctial tropical methane storms producing a coupling with superrotation and dune formation [3]. Using meso-scale simulations of convective methane clouds [4] with a GCM wind profile featuring the superrotation [5,6], we show that Titan's storms should produce fast eastward gust fronts above the surface. Such gusts dominate the aeolian transport. Using GCM wind calculations and analogies with terrestrial dune fields [7], we show that Titan's dune propagation occurs eastward under these conditions. Finally, this scenario combining global circulation winds and methane storms can explain other major features of Titan's dunes as the divergence from the equator or the dune size and spacing. It also implies an equatorial origin of Titan's dune sand and a possible occurence of dust storms.

Comparison of the Active Bagnold Dune Field with Other Aeolian Deposits Observed at Gale using ChemCam Data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cousin, A.; Dehouck, E.; Meslin, P. Y.; Williams, A. J.; Stein, N.; Gasnault, O.; Bridges, N.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Schröder, S.; Payre, V.; Rapin, W.; Pinet, P. C.; Sautter, V.; Lanza, N.; Lasue, J.; Maurice, S.; Wiens, R. C.

2017-12-01

The Curiosity rover at Gale crater, Mars, had the opportunity to investigate an active dune field called Bagnold Dunes for the first time on another planet. The objectives of this campaign were threefold: Understand the present-day aeolian processes on Mars by investigating the grain size of the particles and their dynamics; Understand the past aeolian processes by looking at the morphology and texture of the dunes; and Investigate the source of the dunes material by measuring their chemistry and mineralogy. The ChemCam instrument acquired a large data volume during this campaign: 18 targets on barchan dunes, 15 targets on a linear dune and then 3 targets on a mega-ripple. In this study, we compare the Bagnold Dunes data to those acquired on soil patches (Aeolis Palus soils) along the traverse corresponding to 60 targets. We have observed that the major oxide composition of the dunes is similar to that of Aeolis Palus soils, with the exception of the FeO and MnO contents that are slightly more elevated in the dunes. Moreover, the material from the dunes and more particularly the coarser particles ( 200 microns) are depleted in volatiles (mostly H) compared to the Aeolis Palus soils. The grain size analyses show that the dunes are depleted in fine-grained particles (<100 microns) compared to Aeolis Palus soils. The leading hypothesis to explain this depletion in volatiles and fine-grained particles is that the dunes, being active, have undergone physical sorting and therefore have lost their finest particles that seem to be the carrier of the volatiles (amorphous component and dust). Moreover, the dunes seem to be enriched in mafic minerals compared to the Aeolis Palus soils, as also shown by the CheMin and APXS instruments. However, thanks to the small footprint of ChemCam, we have shown that the coarsest particles were even more enriched in mafic minerals than the finer ones, in agreement with multispectral ChemCam passive and Mastcam observations. Therefore, the olivine abundance measured by CheMin (analysing only particles < 150 microns) could represent a lower limit with respect of the bulk of the dunes. Nevertheless, no significant difference has been observed with ChemCam between the barchan and linear dunes, even though the linear dunes seem to contain more pyroxenes according to the orbital observations.

Sedimentary record of erg migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porter, M. L.

1986-06-01

The sedimentary record of erg (eolian sand sea) migration consists of an idealized threefold division of sand-sea facies sequences. The basal division, here termed the fore-erg, is composed of a hierarchy of eolian sand bodies contained within sediments of the flanking depositional environment. These sand bodies consist of eolian strata deposited by small dune complexes, zibars, and sand sheets. The fore-erg represents the downwind, leading edge of the erg and records the onset of eolian sedimentation. Basin subsidence coupled with erg migration places the medial division, termed the central erg, over the fore-erg strata. The central erg, represented by a thick accumulation of large-scale, cross-stratified sandstone, is the product of large draa complexes. Eolian influence on regional sedimentation patterns is greatest in the central erg, and most of the sand transported and deposited in the erg is contained within this region. Reduction in sand supply and continued erg migration will cover the central-erg deposits with a veneer of back-erg deposits. This upper division of the erg facies sequence resembles closely the fore-erg region. Similar types of eolian strata are present and organized in sand bodies encased in sediments of the upwind flanking depositional environment(s). Back-erg deposits may be thin due to limited eolian influence on sedimentation or incomplete erg migration, or they may be completely absent because of great susceptibility to postdepositional erosion. Tectonic, climatic, and eustatic influences on sand-sea deposition will produce distinctive variations or modifications of the idealized erg facies sequence. The resulting variants in the sedimentary record of erg migration are illustrated with ancient examples from western North America, Europe, southern Africa, and South America.

Observations of Coherent Flow Structures Over Subaqueous High- and Low- Angle Dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwoll, E.; Venditti, J. G.; Bradley, R. W.; Winter, C.

2017-11-01

Large-scale coherent flow structures (CFSs) above dunes are the dominant source of flow resistance and constitute the principal mechanism for sediment transport and mixing in sand bed river and estuarine systems. Based on laboratory observations, CFS formation has been previously linked to flow separation downstream of high-angle dunes with lee slopes of 30°. How CFSs form in natural, deep rivers and estuaries where dunes exhibit lower lee slopes and intermittent flow separation is not well understood. Here we present particle image velocimetry measurements from an experiment where dune lee slope was systematically varied (30°, 20°, and 10°), while other geometric and hydraulic parameters were held constant. We show that CFSs form downstream of all three dune geometries from shear layer vortices in the dune lee. The mode of CFS formation undergoes a low-frequency oscillation with periods of intense vortex shedding interspersed with periods of rare vortex shedding. Streamwise alignment of several vortices during periods of intense shedding results in wedge-shaped CFSs that are advected above the dune stoss side. Streamwise length scales of wedge-shaped CFS correspond to large-scale motions (LSMs). We hypothesize that the advection of LSM over the dune crest triggers the periods of intense shedding in the dune lee. LSMs are weaker and smaller above low-angle dunes; however, the low-frequency oscillation in CFS formation periods persists. The formation of smaller and weaker CFS results in a reduction of flow resistance over low-angle dunes.

Observations of Interannual Dune Morphological Evolution With Comparisons to Shoreline Change Along the Columbia River Littoral Cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doermann, L.; Kaminsky, G. M.; Ruggiero, P.

2006-12-01

Beach topographic data have been collected along the 160 km-long Columbia River Littoral Cell in southwest Washington and northwest Oregon, USA as part of the Southwest Washington Coastal Erosion Study and a NANOOS pilot project. The monitoring program includes the collection of cross-shore beach profiles at 49 sites for each of the 34 seasons since 1997 (with few exceptions), enabling the investigation of the seasonal to interannual morphological variability of this high-energy coast. We focus here on the dunes backing the beaches, aiming to quantitatively describe the wide variety of characteristics they exhibit, as well as to relate dune evolution to shoreline change. To analyze the large volume of high-quality data, we use automated algorithms and systematic processes to identify the location of the dune toe, crest, and face, and calculate a volume (where enough data are available) and beach width for each survey. We define the position of the dune face as the elevation half-way between the average dune toe and average dune crest elevations at each profile location, and beach width as the horizontal distance between the 2-m contour (~MSL) and the dune toe. Much like shoreline proxies lower on the beach profile, (e.g., the 3-m contour), the location of the dune toe shows large seasonal variability with onshore deposition of sand in summer months and offshore sand transport in the winter. However, the location of the dune face and the elevation of the dune crest are much less variable and are useful in describing the evolution of the dune/beach system in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, over interannual time scales. On beaches with the highest shoreline change rates in the study area, the dune face follows the progradational trend of the shoreline with the dune face prograding at approximately 25-50% of the rate of the shoreline. Along many of these beaches that experienced severe erosion during the El Niño of 1997/98, the dune face recovered quickly and has continued to grow steadily seaward since 1999. The consistency of this dune face behavior may prove to be a reliable indicator of longer-scale beach trends due to its ability to remove the effects of even the most severe seasonal changes. These prograding dunes also accreted vertically by 1-2 m for several years as a distinctly new foredune evolved. However, the dune crest height has remained relatively constant for about the last two years and there is some evidence of a new seaward ridge forming as the beach continues to prograde. Coastal stretches that exhibit large variability in shoreline position also feature more erratic dune behavior. On eroding beaches, the dune face follows the trend of the shoreline, although the rate of retreat is not always steady because of winter scarping. In contrast, beaches with stable shorelines (over interannual-decadal scale) are backed by dunes 8-9 m in height that have shown little to no significant dune face position change over the last nine years. Additionally, across the study area, we observe that wider beaches ( > 100 m) are associated with higher rates of shoreline and dune face accretion, while the narrower beaches ( < 100 m) are either stable or eroding.

Dune mobility in the St. Anthony Dune Field, Idaho, USA: Effects of meteorological variables and lag time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoover, R. H.; Gaylord, D. R.; Cooper, C. M.

2018-05-01

The St. Anthony Dune Field (SADF) is a 300 km2 expanse of active to stabilized transverse, barchan, barchanoid, and parabolic sand dunes located in a semi-arid climate in southeastern Idaho. The northeastern portion of the SADF, 16 km2, was investigated to examine meteorological influences on dune mobility. Understanding meteorological predictors of sand-dune migration for the SADF informs landscape evolution and impacts assessment of eolian activity on sensitive agricultural lands in the western United States, with implications for semi-arid environments globally. Archival aerial photos from 1954 to 2011 were used to calculate dune migration rates which were subsequently compared to regional meteorological data, including temperature, precipitation and wind speed. Observational analyses based on aerial photo imagery and meteorological data indicate that dune migration is influenced by weather for up to 5-10 years and therefore decadal weather patterns should be taken into account when using dune migration rates as proxies from climate fluctuation. Statistical examination of meteorological variables in this study indicates that 24% of the variation of sand dune migration rates is attributed to temperature, precipitation and wind speed, which is increased to 45% when incorporating lag time.

A gradient-based approach for automated crest-line detection and analysis of sand dune patterns on planetary surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lancaster, N.; LeBlanc, D.; Bebis, G.; Nicolescu, M.

2015-12-01

Dune-field patterns are believed to behave as self-organizing systems, but what causes the patterns to form is still poorly understood. The most obvious (and in many cases the most significant) aspect of a dune system is the pattern of dune crest lines. Extracting meaningful features such as crest length, orientation, spacing, bifurcations, and merging of crests from image data can reveal important information about the specific dune-field morphological properties, development, and response to changes in boundary conditions, but manual methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming. We are developing the capability to recognize and characterize patterns of sand dunes on planetary surfaces. Our goal is to develop a robust methodology and the necessary algorithms for automated or semi-automated extraction of dune morphometric information from image data. Our main approach uses image processing methods to extract gradient information from satellite images of dune fields. Typically, the gradients have a dominant magnitude and orientation. In many cases, the images have two major dominant gradient orientations, for the sunny and shaded side of the dunes. A histogram of the gradient orientations is used to determine the dominant orientation. A threshold is applied to the image based on gradient orientations which agree with the dominant orientation. The contours of the binary image can then be used to determine the dune crest-lines, based on pixel intensity values. Once the crest-lines have been extracted, the morphological properties can be computed. We have tested our approach on a variety of images of linear and crescentic (transverse) dunes and compared dune detection algorithms with manually-digitized dune crest lines, achieving true positive values of 0.57-0.99; and false positives values of 0.30-0.67, indicating that out approach is generally robust.

Dune growth under multidirectional wind regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gadal, C.; Rozier, O.; Claudin, P.; Courrech Du Pont, S.; Narteau, C.

2017-12-01

Under unidirectional wind regimes, flat sand beds become unstable to produce periodic linear dunes, commonly called transverse dunes because their main ridges are oriented perpendicular to the air flow. In areas of low sediment availability, the same interactions between flow, transport and topography produce barchan dunes, isolated sand-pile migrating over long distances with a characteristic crescentic shape. For the last fifteen years, barchan dunes and the instability at the origin of transverse dunes have been the subject of numerous studies that have identified a set of characteristic length and time scales with respect to the physical properties of both grains and fluid. This is not the case for dunes developing under multidirectional wind regimes. Under these conditions, dune orientation is measured with respect to the direction of the resultant sand flux. Depending on the wind regime, dunes do not always line up perpendicularly to the resultant sand flux, but can also be at an oblique angle or even parallel to it. These oblique and longitudinal dunes are ubiquitous in all deserts on Earth and planetary bodies because of the seasonal variability of wind orientation. They are however poorly constrained by observations and there is still no complete theoretical framework providing a description of their orientation and initial wavelength. Here, we extend the linear stability analysis of a flat sand of bed done in two dimensions for a unidirectional flow to three dimensions and multidirectional flow regimes. We are able to recover transitions from transverse to oblique or longitudinal dune patterns according to changes in wind regimes. We besides give a prediction for the initial dune wavelength. Our results compare well to previous theory of dune orientation and to field, experimental and numerical data.

Mars Global Digital Dune Database (MGD3): Global dune distribution and wind pattern observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayward, Rosalyn K.; Fenton, Lori; Titus, Timothy N.

2014-01-01

The Mars Global Digital Dune Database (MGD3) is complete and now extends from 90°N to 90°S latitude. The recently released south pole (SP) portion (MC-30) of MGD3 adds ∼60,000 km2 of medium to large-size dark dune fields and ∼15,000 km2 of sand deposits and smaller dune fields to the previously released equatorial (EQ, ∼70,000 km2), and north pole (NP, ∼845,000 km2) portions of the database, bringing the global total to ∼975,000 km2. Nearly all NP dunes are part of large sand seas, while the majority of EQ and SP dune fields are individual dune fields located in craters. Despite the differences between Mars and Earth, their dune and dune field morphologies are strikingly similar. Bullseye dune fields, named for their concentric ring pattern, are the exception, possibly owing their distinctive appearance to winds that are unique to the crater environment. Ground-based wind directions are derived from slipface (SF) orientation and dune centroid azimuth (DCA), a measure of the relative location of a dune field inside a crater. SF and DCA often preserve evidence of different wind directions, suggesting the importance of local, topographically influenced winds. In general however, ground-based wind directions are broadly consistent with expected global patterns, such as polar easterlies. Intriguingly, between 40°S and 80°S latitude both SF and DCA preserve their strongest, though different, dominant wind direction, with transport toward the west and east for SF-derived winds and toward the north and west for DCA-derived winds.

From lakes to sand seas: a record of early Mars climate change explored in northern Gale crater, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, S.; Banham, S.; Rubin, D. M.; Watkins, J. A.; Edgett, K. S.; Sumner, D. Y.; Grotzinger, J. P.; Lewis, K. W.; Edgar, L. A.; Stack, K.; Day, M.; Lapôtre, M. G. A.; Bell, J. F., III; Ewing, R. C.; Stein, N.; Rivera-Hernandez, F.; Vasavada, A. R.

2017-12-01

While traversing the northern flank of Aeolis Mons, Gale crater, Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity encountered a decametre-thick sandstone unit unconformably overlying the lacustrine Murray formation. This sandstone contains cross-bed sets on the order of 1 m thick, composed of uniform mm-thick laminations of uniform thickness, and lacks silt- or mud-grade sediments. Cross sets are separated by sub-horizontal bounding surfaces which extend for tens of metres across outcrops. Dip-azimuths of cross-laminations are predominantly toward the north-east, which is oblique to the north-west slope of the unconformity on which the sandstone accumulated. This sandstone was designated the Stimson formation after Mt. Stimson, where it was delineated from the Murray formation. Textural analysis of this sandstone revealed a bi-modal sorting with well-rounded grains, typical of particles transported by aeolian processes. Stacked cross-bedded sets, representing the migration of aeolian dune-scale bedforms, combined with the absence of finer-grained facies characteristic of interdune deposits, suggest that the Stimson accumulated by aerodynamic processes and that the depositional surface was devoid of moisture which could have attracted dust to form interdune deposits. Reconstruction of this "dry" dune-field based on architectural measurements suggest that cross sets were emplaced by the migration of dunes with minimum heights of 10m, that were spaced 160 m apart. The dune field covered an area of 30-45 km2, and was confined to the break-in-slope at the base of Aeolis Mons. Cross-set dips suggest that the palaeowind drove these dunes toward the north east, oblique to the slope of the unconformity on which these sandstones accumulated. Construction of a dry dune field in Gale crater required an environment of extreme aridity with absence of water at the surface and within the shallow sub-surface. This is in stark contrast to the lacustrine environment in which the underlying Murray formation accumulated. The contrast in depositional environments between these units suggest that the prevailing climate in Gale crater changed, at least temporarily, from a humid environment with surface water that had potential for sustaining life, to a barren desert with reduced potential for habitability at the surface.

Calculation of Beach Change Under Interacting Cross-Shore and Longshore Processes

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

the dune toe , berm width, and shoreline position are calculated, while maintaining longshore transport rates representative of the regional long-term...during growth together with the dune shape, the seaward movement of the dune toe ΔyDw for a given increase in dune volume ΔVDw is: ΔyDw = ΔVDw DD ð2Þ...Expressing Eq. (1) in terms of dune toe advance yields: dyDw dt = qw DD ð3Þ It is assumed that sand transport to the dune is related to thewidth of the

Investigating Mars: Ascraeus Mons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-28

This image shows part of the southeastern flank of Ascraeus Mons. The narrow flows of the volcano dominate the top of the image, while younger volcanic plains cover the bottom of the image. The relative age designation is based on the fact that the brighter plains flows lap up against and cover the flank flows of Ascraeus Mons. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 10339 Latitude: 9.01699 Longitude: 257.294 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-04-13 17:23 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21820

Dune field pattern formation and recent transporting winds in the Olympia Undae Dune Field, north polar region of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, Ryan C.; Peyret, Aymeric-Pierre B.; Kocurek, Gary; Bourke, Mary

2010-08-01

High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) imagery of the central Olympia Undae Dune Field in the north polar region of Mars shows a reticulate dune pattern consisting of two sets of nearly orthogonal dune crestlines, with apparent slipfaces on the primary crests, ubiquitous wind ripples, areas of coarse-grained wind ripples, and deflated interdune areas. Geomorphic evidence and dune field pattern analysis of dune crest length, spacing, defect density, and orientation indicates that the pattern is complex, representing two constructional generations of dunes. The oldest and best-organized generation forms the primary crestlines and is transverse to circumpolar easterly winds. Gross bed form-normal analysis of the younger pattern of crestlines indicates that it emerged with both circumpolar easterly winds and NE winds and is reworking the older pattern. Mapping of secondary flow fields over the dunes indicates that the most recent transporting winds were from the NE. The younger pattern appears to represent an influx of sediment to the dune field associated with the development of the Olympia Cavi reentrant, with NE katabatic winds channeling through the reentrant. A model of the pattern reformation based upon the reconstructed primary winds and resulting secondary flow fields shows that the development of the secondary pattern is controlled by the boundary condition of the older dune topography.

Responses of three-dimensional flow to variations in the angle of incident wind and profile form of dunes: Greenwich Dunes, Prince Edward Island, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Ian J.; Hesp, Patrick A.; Davidson-Arnott, Robin G. D.; Bauer, Bernard O.; Namikas, Steven L.; Ollerhead, Jeff

2009-04-01

This study reports the responses of three-dimensional near-surface airflow over a vegetated foredune to variations in the conditions of incident flow during an 8-h experiment. Two parallel measurement transects were established on morphologically different dune profiles: i) a taller, concave-convex West foredune transect with 0.5-m high, densely vegetated (45%), seaward incipient foredune, and ii) a shorter, concave-straight East foredune transect with lower, sparsely vegetated (14%) seaward incipient foredune. Five stations on each transect from the incipient dune to the crest were equipped with ultrasonic anemometers at 0.6 and 1.65 m height and logged at 1 Hz. Incident conditions were recorded from a 4-m tower over a flat beach. Winds increased from 6 m s - 1 to > 20 m s - 1 and were generally obliquely onshore (ENE, 73°). Three sub-events and the population of 10-minute averages of key properties of flow ( U, W, S, CV U) from all sample locations on the East transect ( n = 235) are examined to identify location- and profile-specific responses over 52° of the incident direction of flow (from 11 to 63° onshore). Topographic steering and forcing cause major deviations in the properties and vectors of near-surface flow from the regional wind. Topographic forcing on the concave-straight dune profile increases wind speed and steadiness toward the crest, with speed-up values to 65% in the backshore. Wind speed and steadiness of flow are least responsive to changes in incident angle in the backshore because of stagnation of flow and are most responsive at the lower stoss under pronounced streamline compression. On the steeper concave-convex profile, speed and steadiness decrease toward the crest because of stagnation of flow at the toe and flow expansion at the slope inflection point on the lower stoss. Net downward vertical velocity occurs over both profiles, increases toward the crest, and reflects enhanced turbulent momentum conveyance toward the surface. All of these flow responses are enhanced with faster speeds of incident flow and/or more onshore winds. Significant onshore steering of near-surface vectors of flow (to 37°) occurs and is greatest closer to the surface and during highly oblique winds (~ 15° onshore). Therefore, even subtle effects of streamline compression and amplification of flow under alongshore conditions effectively steer flow and sand transport toward the dune. As topographic forcing and steering cause significant, three-dimensional deviations in near-surface properties of flow, most regional-scale and/or two-dimensional models of dune process-response dynamics are insufficient for characterizing coastal and desert dune sediment budgets and morphodynamics. In particular, deflection of sand transport vectors with greater fetch distances than those derived from regional winds may occur. Coincident flow, transport and morphological response data are required to better quantitatively model these processes.

Aeolian sedimentation in the middle buntsandstein in the eifel north-south depression zone: Summary of the variability of sedimentary processes in a buntsandstein erg as a base for evaluation of the mutual relationships between aeolian sand seas and fluvial river systems in the mid-european buntsandstein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mader, Detlef

The spectrum of aeolian depositional subenvironments in the upper Middle Buntsandstein Karlstal-Schichten sequence in the Eifel North-South-zone at the western margin of the Mid-European Triassic Basin comprises trains of larger and higher narrowly-spaced dunes in sand seas, isolated smaller and lower widely-spaced dunes in floodplains and interdune playas, dry interdune sheet sands, damp interdune adhesive sandflats, wet interdune playa lakes, rainfall runoff watercourses and ephemeral channels cutting through the dune belt, and deflation gravel lag veneers. Distinction of aeolian and fluvial sediments within the succession of closely intertonguing wind- and water-laid deposits is possible by independent analysis of the conventional criteria and the more modern stratification styles. Thick cross-bedded aeolian sand sequences originate as barchanoid-type dunes which accumulate and migrate in the regime of narrow to wide unimodal southeasterly to southwesterly trade winds in low northern palaeolatitude in summer when the intertropical convergence zone is shifted to the north. The predominantly transverse-ridge dunes accrete mainly by grainfall and subcritical climbing of wind ripples, subordinately also by grainflow interfingering with grainfall. Horizontal-laminated aeolian sands form as sand sheets in dry interdune playas by subcritical migration of wind ripple trains, rarely also by plane bed accretion. Thin cross-bedded dune sands or horizontal-laminated aeolian sands capping fluvial cyclothems originate by deflation of emerged alluvial bar sands during low-water stages and subsequent accumulation of the winnowed sand as widely-spaced dunelets or chains of wind ripples in desiccated parts of the adjoining floodplain. The aeolian sand layers at the base of lacustrine cyclothems record migration of isolated little dunes across the dry playa floor at the beginning of a wetting-upwards cyclothem, with the sand deriving from deflation of fluvial incursions or representing residual sand not having been incorporated into larger dunes of the surrounding sand sea. Damp interdune deposits originate by trapping of loose sand that is blown across a moist playa surface as adhesion ripples and warts. The adhesion structures form both in aeolian sheet sand environments with increasing moisture of the substrate and on fluvial channel bars and stream bottoms with declining dampness during subaerial exposure. Wet interdune deposits originate by settling of suspension fines in periodic shallow lakes between the dunes following heavy ephemeral rainfall or forming by rising ground water table, and by aquatic redeposition of aeolian sand due to washout after atmospheric precipitation and alluvial invasion. Deflationary interdune deposits form by winnowing of the sandy matrix from fluvial sheet or bar conglomerates thereby leaving the dispersed gravel as more or less tightly-packed residual veneer on the degradation surface providing bed armour against further aeolian or aquatic erosion. Aeolian deposition is at the top of the Middle Buntsandstein rather rapidly terminated by fluvial inundation of the erg, erosion and partial resedimentation of dune sands and burial of the more or less degraded aeolian bedforms under a carpet of alluvial deposits. At the beginning of the Upper Buntsandstein, a change to semi-arid climate results in stabilization of emerging overbank plains and channels by palaeosol formation and plant growth thus completely inhibiting further accumulation of aeolian sands. The range of modes of origin of dune sands and interdune deposits, the spatial and temporal variability of their accumulation and preservation and the distribution of water-laid intercalations provide a base for independent evaluation of the dynamics of the aeolian system and its controls as well as for comparative assessment of the behaviour of the aeolian environment and the fluvial milieu in a system of intertonguing sand sea and river belt and of the mechanisms triggering and governing the interference pattern.

Seasonal erosion and restoration of Mars' northern polar dunes.

PubMed

Hansen, C J; Bourke, M; Bridges, N T; Byrne, S; Colon, C; Diniega, S; Dundas, C; Herkenhoff, K; McEwen, A; Mellon, M; Portyankina, G; Thomas, N

2011-02-04

Despite radically different environmental conditions, terrestrial and martian dunes bear a strong resemblance, indicating that the basic processes of saltation and grainfall (sand avalanching down the dune slipface) operate on both worlds. Here, we show that martian dunes are subject to an additional modification process not found on Earth: springtime sublimation of Mars' CO(2) seasonal polar caps. Numerous dunes in Mars' north polar region have experienced morphological changes within a Mars year, detected in images acquired by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Dunes show new alcoves, gullies, and dune apron extension. This is followed by remobilization of the fresh deposits by the wind, forming ripples and erasing gullies. The widespread nature of these rapid changes, and the pristine appearance of most dunes in the area, implicates active sand transport in the vast polar erg in Mars' current climate.

Seasonal erosion and restoration of Mars' northern polar dunes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, C.J.; Bourke, M.; Bridges, N.T.; Byrne, S.; Colon, C.; Diniega, S.; Dundas, C.; Herkenhoff, K.; McEwen, A.; Mellon, M.; Portyankina, G.; Thomas, N.

2011-01-01

Despite radically different environmental conditions, terrestrial and martian dunes bear a strong resemblance, indicating that the basic processes of saltation and grainfall (sand avalanching down the dune slipface) operate on both worlds. Here, we show that martian dunes are subject to an additional modification process not found on Earth: springtime sublimation of Mars' CO 2 seasonal polar caps. Numerous dunes in Mars' north polar region have experienced morphological changes within a Mars year, detected in images acquired by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Dunes show new alcoves, gullies, and dune apron extension. This is followed by remobilization of the fresh deposits by the wind, forming ripples and erasing gullies. The widespread nature of these rapid changes, and the pristine appearance of most dunes in the area, implicates active sand transport in the vast polar erg in Mars' current climate.

Change Observed in Martian Sand Dune

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-11-16

This animation flips back and forth between views taken in 2010 and 2014 of a Martian sand dune at the edge of Mount Sharp, documenting dune activity. The images are from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. They cover an area about 740 feet (about 225 meters) wide, showing a site called "Dune 2" in the "Bagnold Dunes" dune field. NASA's Curiosity Mars rover will observe this dune up close on the rover's route up Mount Sharp. North is toward the top. The edge of the dune at the crescent-shaped slip face on the south edge advances slightly during the four-year period between the dates of the images. Figure A is an annotated version with an arrow indicating the location of this change. The lighting angle is different in the two images, resulting in numerous changes in shadows. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20161

Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE): Conceptual Design Report. Volume 3: Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility for DUNE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strait, James; McCluskey, Elaine; Lundin, Tracy

2016-01-21

This volume of the LBNF/DUNE Conceptual Design Report covers the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility for DUNE and describes the LBNF Project, which includes design and construction of the beamline at Fermilab, the conventional facilities at both Fermilab and SURF, and the cryostat and cryogenics infrastructure required for the DUNE far detector.

Ecogeomorphology of Sand Dunes Shaped by Vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsoar, H.

2014-12-01

Two dune types associated with vegetation are known: Parabolic and Vegetated Linear Dunes (VLDs), the latters are the dominant dune type in the world deserts. Parabolic dunes are formed in humid, sub-humid and semi-arid environments (rather than arid) where vegetation is nearby. VLDs are known today in semiarid and arid lands where the average yearly rainfall is ≥100 mm, enough to support sparse cover of vegetation. These two dune types are formed by unidirectional winds although they demonstrate a different form and have a distinct dynamics. Conceptual and mathematical models of dunes mobility and stability, based on three control parameters: wind power (DP), average annual precipitation (p), and the human impact parameter (μ) show that where human impact is negligible the effect of wind power (DP) on vegetative cover is substantial. The average yearly rainfall of 60-80 mm is the threshold of annual average rainfall for vegetation growth on dune sand. The model is shown to follow a hysteresis path, which explains the bistability of active and stabilized dunes under the same climatic conditions with respect to wind power. We have discerned formation of parabolic dunes from barchans and transverse dunes in the coastal plain of Israel where a decrease in human activity during the second half of the 20th century caused establishment of vegetation on the crest of the dunes, a process that changed the dynamics of these barchans and transverse dunes and led to a change in the shape of the windward slope from convex to concave. These dunes gradually became parabolic. It seems that VLDs in Australia or the Kalahari have always been vegetated to some degree, though the shrubs were sparser in colder periods when the aeolian erosion was sizeable. Those ancient conditions are characterized by higher wind power and lower rainfall that can reduce, but not completely destroy, the vegetation cover, leading to the formation of lee (shadow) dunes behind each shrub. Formation of such VLDs can occur today in some coasts where the wind is quite strong and the rain can support some shrubs.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 13 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-09-02

ISS013-E-75141 (2 Sept. 2006) --- Erg Oriental, Algeria is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember onboard the International Space Station. One of the main interests of rainless regions like the Sahara Desert to landscape science is that the work of flowing water--mainly streams and rivers--becomes less important than the work of wind. According to scientists, over millennia, and if enough sand is available, winds can generate dunes of enormous size, arranged in regular patterns. Long, generally north-south trending linear dunes stretch across much of northeast Algeria covering a vast tract (approximately 140,000 kilometers square) of the Sahara Desert known as the Erg Oriental. Erg means dune sea in Arabic, and the term has been adopted into modern geology. Spanning this image diagonally are a series of two kilometer-wide linear dunes, comprised of red sand, from a point on the southwest margin of the erg (center point 28.9N 4.8W). The dune chains are more than 100 meters high. The "streets" between the dunes are grayer areas free of sand. Linear dune chains are usually generated roughly parallel with the dominant winds. It also seems to be true that linear dunes are built by stronger winds. This detailed view shows that smaller dunes, known as star dunes, are built on top of the linear dunes. By contrast, star dunes seem to form in weak wind regimes, with winds from different directions in each season -- resulting in characteristic "arms" snaking away from a central point. Some scientists therefore think the dunes in this image were generated in two earlier climatic phases, different from that of today. (1) During a phase when winds were stronger and dominantly from one direction (the south), major linear sand masses accumulated. (2) Later, when wind strengths declined, the star dunes formed. Modern features--known as wind streaks--on the edge of the present erg (not shown), younger than either the linear or star dunes, show that present-day sand-moving winds blow from the southwest.

The origin of collapse features appearing in a migrating parabolic dune along the southern coast of Lake Michigan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argyilan, Erin P.; Avis, Peter G.; Krekeler, Mark P. S.; Morris, Charles C.

2015-12-01

Dune decomposition chimneys are collapse features formed when migrating dunes encroach on a forest and buried trees subsequently decay, leaving a temporarily stable open hole. The recent appearance of holes on the stoss slope of Mount Baldy at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore provided an opportunity for study of such features. Mount Baldy is a large parabolic dune that is rapidly migrating onshore over a late Holocene landscape with stabilized relict parabolic dunes that supported oak (Quercus spp.) trees visible on the 1939 aerial photo. Individual holes were mapped to locations on the dune surface that would directly overlie the arm of a buried relict parabolic dune. Analyses of buried trees and surrounding sediment indicated that saprotrophic wood decay fungi continue to actively decompose trees after burial and biomineralization of a calcium-carbonate-rich cement occurs at the contact between organic material and sands. Scanning electron microscopy of the cement showed neoformed authigenic minerals and organic structures consistent in morphology with fungal hyphae. We propose that, within the dune, portions of the decayed trees progressively collapse and infill, and open holes are temporarily stabilized by the calcium-carbonate-rich cement. Further, holes can exist undetected at the surface, covered by a thin veneer of sand. Migrating dune systems are observed in many coastal and inland areas. Ongoing work must address the relative contributions of individual environmental factors on the formation of dune decomposition chimneys, including the biomineralization of cement, sand mineralogy, rate of dune movement, tree species, climate, and the composition of fungal communities.

Formation Mechanisms for Dunes Observed on Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinson, Alec; Hays, C. C.; Lopes-Gautier, R. M.; Mitchell, K. L.; Diniega, S.; Farr, T. G.

2013-01-01

The Cassini spacecraft has discovered massive dune fields on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. The dunes were observed with the Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging (SARS) instrument. The radar instrument operates at a frequency of 13.78 GHz, corresponding to a wavelength 2.2 cm. The resolution for the images examined are ~ 1 pixel = 175 m (varies from image to image). These dunes, or at least what’s visible to radar, through the thick nitrogen Titan atmosphere, seem to be almost exclusively longitudinal dunes (with crests forming parallel to prevailing wind directions). Many unanswered questions remain about these dunes. One goal of this project is to attempt to calculate the heights of these dunes, which has not yet been systematically attempted. We will use radar parallax analyses to calculate the height of the dunes. The Cassini radar determines position based on how long the radar wave took to return to the spacecraft, making an assumption that the surface is a perfect sphere. With changes in height, the time return for radar will change, distorting the image. Looking at these distortions (specifically, the shortening or elongation of the side of a dune) and knowing the inclination angle, we can determine height or depth. We will also use this same method with radar images of the Namib dunes, in southwest Africa, as an Earth analog, to test and determine how accurate our method is. This approach should give useful information on the morphology of the dunes on Titan. Knowing more about the morphology of the dunes can teach us more about the dune’s composition and formation mechanisms.

Evaluation of simple geochemical indicators of aeolian sand provenance: Late Quaternary dune fields of North America revisited

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, Daniel

2017-01-01

Dune fields of Quaternary age occupy large areas of the world's arid and semiarid regions. Despite this, there has been surprisingly little work done on understanding dune sediment provenance, in part because many techniques are time-consuming, prone to operator error, experimental, highly specialized, expensive, or require sophisticated instrumentation. Provenance of dune sand using K/Rb and K/Ba values in K-feldspar in aeolian sands of the arid and semiarid regions of North America is tested here. Results indicate that K/Rb and K/Ba can distinguish different river sands that are sediment sources for dunes and dune fields themselves have distinctive K/Rb and K/Ba compositions. Over the Basin and Range and Great Plains regions of North America, the hypothesized sediment sources of dune fields are reviewed and assessed using K/Rb and K/Ba values in dune sands and in hypothesized source sediments. In some cases, the origins of dunes assessed in this manner are consistent with previous studies and in others, dune fields are found to have a more complex origin than previously thought. Use of K/Rb and K/Ba for provenance studies is a robust method that is inexpensive, rapid, and highly reproducible. It exploits one of the most common minerals found in dune sand, K-feldspar. The method avoids the problem of using simple concentrations of key elements that may be subject to interpretative bias due to changes in mineralogical maturity of Quaternary dune fields that occur over time.

Aeolian dune sediment flux heterogeneity in Meridiani Planum, Mars

PubMed Central

Chojnacki, Matthew; Urso, Anna; Fenton, Lori K.; Michaels, Timothy I.

2018-01-01

It is now known unambiguously that wind-driven bedform activity is occurring on the surface of Mars today, including early detections of active sand dunes in Meridiani Planum’s Endeavour crater. Many of these reports are only based on a few sets of observations of relatively isolated bedforms and lack regional context. Here, we investigate aeolian activity across central Meridiani Planum and test the hypothesis that dune sites surrounding Endeavour crater are also active and part of region-wide sediment migration driven by northwesterly winds. All 13 dune fields investigated clearly showed evidence for activity and the majority exhibited dune migration (average rates of 0.6 m/Earth-year). Observations indicate substantial geographic and temporal heterogeneity of dune crest fluxes across the area and per site. Locations with multiple time steps indicate dune sand fluxes can vary by a factor of five, providing evidence for short periods of rapid migration followed by near-stagnation. In contrast, measurements at other sites are nearly identical, indicating that some dunes are in a steady-state as they migrate. The observed sediment transport direction was consistent with a regional northeasterly-to-northwesterly wind regime, revealing more variations than were appreciated from earlier, more localized studies. Craters containing shallow, degraded, flat-floored interiors tended to have dunes with high sediment fluxes/activity, whereas local kilometer-scale topographic obstructions (e.g., central peaks, yardangs) were found to be inversely correlated with dune mobility. Finally, the previous, more limited detections of dune activity in Endeavour crater have been shown to be representative of a broader, region-wide pattern of dune motion. PMID:29576818

Aeolian dune sediment flux heterogeneity in Meridiani Planum, Mars.

PubMed

Chojnacki, Matthew; Urso, Anna; Fenton, Lori K; Michaels, Timothy I

2017-06-01

It is now known unambiguously that wind-driven bedform activity is occurring on the surface of Mars today, including early detections of active sand dunes in Meridiani Planum's Endeavour crater. Many of these reports are only based on a few sets of observations of relatively isolated bedforms and lack regional context. Here, we investigate aeolian activity across central Meridiani Planum and test the hypothesis that dune sites surrounding Endeavour crater are also active and part of region-wide sediment migration driven by northwesterly winds. All 13 dune fields investigated clearly showed evidence for activity and the majority exhibited dune migration (average rates of 0.6 m/Earth-year). Observations indicate substantial geographic and temporal heterogeneity of dune crest fluxes across the area and per site. Locations with multiple time steps indicate dune sand fluxes can vary by a factor of five, providing evidence for short periods of rapid migration followed by near-stagnation. In contrast, measurements at other sites are nearly identical, indicating that some dunes are in a steady-state as they migrate. The observed sediment transport direction was consistent with a regional northeasterly-to-northwesterly wind regime, revealing more variations than were appreciated from earlier, more localized studies. Craters containing shallow, degraded, flat-floored interiors tended to have dunes with high sediment fluxes/activity, whereas local kilometer-scale topographic obstructions (e.g., central peaks, yardangs) were found to be inversely correlated with dune mobility. Finally, the previous, more limited detections of dune activity in Endeavour crater have been shown to be representative of a broader, region-wide pattern of dune motion.

Post-storm beach and dune recovery: Implications for barrier island resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, Chris; Wernette, Phil; Rentschlar, Elizabeth; Jones, Hannah; Hammond, Brianna; Trimble, Sarah

2015-04-01

The ability of beaches and dunes to recover following an extreme storm is a primary control of barrier island response to sea-level rise and changes in the frequency and/or magnitude of storm surges. Whereas erosion of the beach and dune occurs over hours and days, it can be years to decades before the beach and dune are able to recover to their pre-storm state. As a consequence, there are numerous descriptions of near-instantaneous beach and dune erosion due to storms, the immediate onshore transport of sand, and the initial phases of beach and dune recovery following a storm, but a paucity of data on long-term beach and dune recovery. A combination of previously published data from Galveston Island, Texas and new remotely sensed data from Santa Rosa Island, Florida is used in the present study to quantify the rate of dune recovery for dissipative and intermediate beach types, respectively. Recovery of the dune height and volume on Galveston Island was observed within two years following Hurricane Alicia (1983) and was largely complete within six years of the storm, despite extensive washover. In contrast, the dunes on Santa Rosa Island in Northwest Florida began to recover four years after Hurricane Ivan (2004), and only after the profile approached its pre-storm level and the rate of vegetation recovery (regrowth) was at a maximum. Results show that complete recovery of the largest dunes (in height and volume) will take approximately 10 years on Santa Rosa Island, which suggests that these sections of the island are particularly vulnerable to significant change in island morphology if there is also a change in the frequency and magnitude of storm events. In contrast, the areas of the island with the smallest dunes before Hurricane Ivan exhibited a rapid recovery, but no further growth in profile volume and dune height beyond the pre-storm volume and height, despite continued recovery of the largest dunes to their pre-storm height. A change in storm magnitude and/or frequency is a potential threat to barrier island resilience, particularly for those sections of the island where dune recovery has historically taken the longest time. Further study is required to determine how and why dune recovery varies for the dissipative and intermediate beaches of Galveston Island and Santa Rosa Island, respectively.

Aeolian Processes of the Pismo-Oceano Dune Complex, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrineau, C. P.; Tchakerian, V.; Houser, C.

2012-12-01

The Pismo Dunes are located approximately 250 km northwest of Los Angeles and consist of 90 km2 of transverse, parabolic and paleodunes. The Pismo Dunes are one of the largest dune complexes on the west coast and are the largest remaining south of San Francisco Bay, but despite their size, relatively few process morphology studies have focused on their form and history. Specifically, the dune field includes 12 km2 of actively migrating transverse dune ridges advancing onshore in three distinct phases separated by small depressions easily indentified using a LiDAR-generated elevation model. An early field investigation by Tchakerian (1983) revealed a uniform increase in slip face heights and crestline wavelengths inland with no apparent change in grain size. Measurement of recent aerial imagery shows variable migration rates throughout the dunes and wavelengths between 30 and 100 m closest to the beach, in the second ridge between 50 and 140 m, and from 70 to 250 m furthest inland. During El Niño and La Niña periods, westerly winds advance onshore nearly perpendicular to the crestlines, fueling episodic migration of the dune field. It is hypothesized that particularly strong ENSO periods may have led to the development of distinct dune phases with separating depressions and the development of defects along the dune crest. Defects associated with the wakes of incipient vegetation and inter-dune depressions are conspicuous and widespread, though localized and variable through time and space. Aerial imagery taken in September 1994 shows a wider, more even distribution of defects across the dune field than currently visible. The signal is, however, complicated by the closure of the dune field to oversand vehicles in 1982. The closure of much of the complex to vehicular traffic in 1982 may play a role, as Tchakerian's crestline wavelength measurements were far smaller than those obtained for this study while maintaining a likewise increase between phases. At a decadal scale, excessive vehicular traffic may have impeded the transition of emergent, defect-ridden dune forms into mature transverse ridges. Despite the astounding lack to studies focusing on the Pismo Dunes, the complex presents multiple opportunities for inquiry regarding climatic control on dune field evolution, defect law and complex landform pattern development, and long-term anthropogenic alteration of coastal process morphology.

Distribution of subtidal sedimentary bedforms in a macrotidal setting: The Bay of Fundy, Atlantic Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, Brian J.; Shaw, John; Li, Michael Z.; Kostylev, Vladimir E.; Wu, Yongsheng

2014-07-01

The Bay of Fundy, Canada, a large macrotidal embayment with the World's highest recorded tides, was mapped using multibeam sonar systems. High-resolution imagery of seafloor terrain and backscatter strength, combined with geophysical and sampling data, reveal for the first time the morphology, architecture, and spatial relationships of a spectrum of bedforms: (1) flow-transverse bedforms occur as both discrete large two-dimensional dunes and as three-dimensional dunes in sand sheets; (2) flow-parallel bedforms are numerous straight ridges described by others as horse mussel bioherms; (3) sets of banner banks that flank prominent headlands and major shoals. The suite of bedforms developed during the Holocene, as tidal energy increased due to the bay approaching resonance. We consider the evolution of these bedforms, their migration potential and how they may place limitations on future in-stream tidal power development in the Bay of Fundy.

Inconsistencies between Pangean reconstructions and basic climate controls.

PubMed

Rowe, Clinton M; Loope, David B; Oglesby, Robert J; Van der Voo, Rob; Broadwater, Charles E

2007-11-23

The supercontinent Pangea dominated our planet from the Permian into the Jurassic. Paleomagnetic reconstructions have been used to estimate the latitudinal position of Pangea during this 100-million-year period. Atmospheric circulation, recorded by eolian sandstones in the southwestern United States, shows a broad sweep of northeasterly winds over their northernmost extent, curving to become northwesterly in the south: This evidence is consistent with paleomagnetic reconstructions of the region straddling the equator in the Early Permian but is at odds with its northward movement to about 20 degrees N by the Early Jurassic. At least one of the following scenarios must be true: The latitude based on paleomagnetism is incorrect; the interpretation of how winds shaped the dunes is mistaken; the basic climate controls in the Jurassic were different from those of today; or the paleogeographic reconstructions available are insufficient to adequately reproduce the wind fields responsible for dune formation.

Origin of the late quaternary dune fields of northeastern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, D.R.; Stafford, T.W.; Cowherd, S.D.; Mahan, S.A.; Kihl, R.; Maat, P.B.; Bush, C.A.; Nehring, J.

1996-01-01

Stabilized eolian deposits, mostly parabolic dunes and sand sheets, cover much of the landscape of northeastern Colorado and adjacent parts of southwestern Nebraska in four geographically distinct dune fields. Stratigraphic and soil-geomorphic relations and accelerator radiocarbon dating indicate that at least three episodes of eolian sand movement occurred between 27 ka and 11 ka, possibly between 11 ka and 4 ka, and within the past 1.5 ka. Thus, eolian sand deposition took place under both glacial and interglacial climatic conditions. In the youngest episodes of eolian sand movement, Holocene parabolic dunes partially buried Pleistocene sand sheet deposits. Late Holocene sands in the Fort Morgan and Wray dune fields, to the south of the South Platte River, have trace element ratios that are indistinguishable from modern South Platte River sands, but different from Ogallala Formation bedrock, which has previously been cited as the main source of dune sand on the Great Plains. Sands in the Greeley dune field, to the north of the South Platte River, have trace element concentrations that indicate a probable Laramie Formation source. Measurements of parabolic dunes indicate paleowinds from the northwest in all dune fields, in good agreement with resultant drift directions calculated for nearby weather stations. Thus, paleowinds were probably not significantly different from present-day winds, and are consistent with a South Platte River source for the Fort Morgan and Wray dune fields, and a Laramie Formation source for the Greeley dune field. Sand accumulated downwind of the South Platte River to form the Fort Morgan dune field. In addition, sand was also transported farther downwind over the upland formed by the calcrete caprock of the Ogallala Formation, and deposited in die lee of the upland on the southeast side. Because of high wind energy, the upland itself served as a zone of sand transport, but little or no sand accumulation took place on this surface. These studies, which demonstrate the importance of fluvial-source sediments for dune fields in Colorado, may be applicable to other dune fields in North America. Because modern drift potentials in northeastern Colorado are among the highest in the world, the present stability of dunes in the region may be in part a function of the dunes being supply-limited rather than solely transport-limited. Extensive (??? 7700 km2) late Holocene dunes document that eolian sand in northeastern Colorado is very sensitive to small changes in climate or fluvial source conditions.

Post-storm evolution a high-energy remote sandy beach backed by a high and wide coastal dune

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelle, Bruno; Bujan, Stéphane; Ferreira, Sophie

2016-04-01

During the winter 2013/2014, the high-energy meso-macrotidal remote beach of Truc Vert (SW France) was exposed to the most energetic wave conditions over at least the last 65 years with, for instance, the 2-month averaged significant wave height at the coast exceeding 3.6 m. Unprecedented beach and dune erosion was observed with the notable presence of a 700-m long localized megacusp embayment with the erosion scarp height exceeding 6 m in its centre where the dune retreat reached 30 m. Both the beach and the coastal dune eroded by about 90 m3/m within 3 months of severe storm activity, that is, a total beach-dune system sediment loss reaching 180m3/m. Beach and dune evolution after the winter 2013/2014 was inspected from March 2014 to November 2015 using bimonthly topographic surveys covering 1500+ m alongshore. 1.5 years after the winter 2014/2015, the beach-dune system did not fully recover to its pre-winter 2014/2015 level. The dune accreted by only a few m3/m while the beach accreted by an impressive amount of approximately 150m3/m, to reach a total volume that was only exceeded in 2012 within our full 10-year time series. Despite little volumetric changes, the dune showed significant morphological change through slumping and onshore wave- and wind-driven sediment transport. Seasonal natural revegetation was observed with large dune grass growth into the summer berm and within the erosion scarp with slumped clots of dune grass re-establishing their growth during the winter 2014/2015. In late 2015, the onset of morphological foredune development was observed. It is anticipated that, if Truc Vert is not exposed to a cluster of severe storms during the winter 2015/2016, the coastal dune will increase in volume within 2016 at a much higher rate than during 2015. Last but not least, starting in late 2015, the coastal dune of Truc Vert is now intensively monitored through regular 4-km long UAV photogrammetric surveys. Given that, nowadays, some scientists advocate that dunes maintained as dynamic systems retaining diversity and complexity not only provide more ecosystem services but can even be more resistant to marine erosion and more resilient than actively managed dunes, it is the objective to test different dune management strategies at Truc Vert, including no dune maintenance.

Cassini SAR, radiometry, scatterometry and altimetry observations of Titan's dune fields

USGS Publications Warehouse

Le, Gall A.; Janssen, M.A.; Wye, L.C.; Hayes, A.G.; Radebaugh, J.; Savage, C.; Zebker, H.; Lorenz, R.D.; Lunine, J.I.; Kirk, R.L.; Lopes, R.M.C.; Wall, S.; Callahan, P.; Stofan, E.R.; Farr, Tom

2011-01-01

Large expanses of linear dunes cover Titan's equatorial regions. As the Cassini mission continues, more dune fields are becoming unveiled and examined by the microwave radar in all its modes of operation (SAR, radiometry, scatterometry, altimetry) and with an increasing variety of observational geometries. In this paper, we report on Cassini's radar instrument observations of the dune fields mapped through May 2009 and present our key findings in terms of Titan's geology and climate. We estimate that dune fields cover ???12.5% of Titan's surface, which corresponds to an area of ???10millionkm2, roughly the area of the United States. If dune sand-sized particles are mainly composed of solid organics as suggested by VIMS observations (Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) and atmospheric modeling and supported by radiometry data, dune fields are the largest known organic reservoir on Titan. Dune regions are, with the exception of the polar lakes and seas, the least reflective and most emissive features on this moon. Interestingly, we also find a latitudinal dependence in the dune field microwave properties: up to a latitude of ???11??, dune fields tend to become less emissive and brighter as one moves northward. Above ???11?? this trend is reversed. The microwave signatures of the dune regions are thought to be primarily controlled by the interdune proportion (relative to that of the dune), roughness and degree of sand cover. In agreement with radiometry and scatterometry observations, SAR images suggest that the fraction of interdunes increases northward up to a latitude of ???14??. In general, scattering from the subsurface (volume scattering and surface scattering from buried interfaces) makes interdunal regions brighter than the dunes. The observed latitudinal trend may therefore also be partially caused by a gradual thinning of the interdunal sand cover or surrounding sand sheets to the north, thus allowing wave penetration in the underlying substrate. Altimetry measurements over dunes have highlighted a region located in the Fensal dune field (???5?? latitude) where the icy bedrock of Titan is likely exposed within smooth interdune areas. The hemispherical assymetry of dune field properties may point to a general reduction in the availability of sediments and/or an increase in the ground humidity toward the north, which could be related to Titan's asymmetric seasonal polar insolation. Alternatively, it may indicate that either the wind pattern or the topography is less favorable for dune formation in Titan's northern tropics. ?? 2011 Elsevier Inc.

Evolution and palaeoenvironment of the Bauru Basin (Upper Cretaceous, Brazil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, Luiz Alberto; Magalhães Ribeiro, Claudia Maria

2015-08-01

The Bauru Basin was one of the great Cretaceous desert basins of the world, evolved in arid zone called Southern Hot Arid Belt. Its paleobiological record consists mainly of dinosaurs, crocodiles and turtles. The Bauru Basin is an extensive region of the South American continent that includes parts of the southeast and south of Brazil, covering an area of 370,000 km2. It is an interior continental basin that developed as a result of subsidence of the central-southern part of the South-American Platform during the Late Cretaceous (Coniacian-Maastrichtian). This sag basin is filled by a sandy siliciclastic sequence with a preserved maximum thickness of 480 m, deposited in semiarid to desert conditions. Its basement consists of volcanic rocks (mainly basalts) of the Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian) Serra Geral basalt flows, of the Paraná-Etendeka Continental Flood Basalt Province. The sag basin was filled by an essentially siliciclastic psammitic sequence. In lithostratigraphic terms the sequence consists of the Caiuá and Bauru groups. The northern and northeastern edges of the basin provide a record of more proximal original deposits, such as associations of conglomeratic sand facies from alluvial fans, lakes, and intertwined distributary river systems. The progressive basin filling led to the burial of the basaltic substrate by extensive blanket sand sheets, associated with deposits of small dunes and small shallow lakes that retained mud (such as loess). Also in this intermediate context between the edges (more humid) and the interior (dry), wide sand sheet areas crossed by unconfined desert rivers (wadis) occurred. In the central axis of the elliptical basin a regional drainage system formed, flowing from northeast to southwest between the edges of the basin and the hot and dry inner periphery of the Caiuá desert (southwest). Life in the Bauru Basin flourished most in the areas with the greatest water availability, in which dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles, fish, amphibians, molluscs, crustaceans, and charophyte algae lived. The fossil record mainly consists of transported bones and other skeletal fragments. In the northeastern and eastern marginal regions fossils are found in marginal alluvial fan deposits, broad plains of braided streams and ephemeral alkaline water lakes. In the basin interior the fossil record is related to deposits in sand sheets with braided streams, small dunes, and shallow lakes. In the great Caiuá inner desert a few smaller animals could survive (small reptiles and early mammals), sometimes leaving their footprints in dune foreset deposits. The aim of this article is to present and link the basin sedimentary evolution, palaeoecological features and palaeontological record.

Exploring elements that influence stewardship in the eastern Lake Ontario dune and wetland area

Treesearch

Diane Kuehn; James Smahol

2010-01-01

Th e Eastern Lake Ontario Dune and Wetland Area (ELODWA) is a 17-mile stretch of sand dunes, wetlands, and woodlands along the eastern shore of Lake Ontario in New York State. Reductions in negative, visitor-caused impacts on the dunes (e.g., trampling of dune vegetation and sand erosion) are thought to be due in part to the extensive visitor education efforts of...

The Single-Phase ProtoDUNE Technical Design Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abi, B.

2017-06-21

ProtoDUNE-SP is the single-phase DUNE Far Detector prototype that is under construction and will be operated at the CERN Neutrino Platform (NP) starting in 2018. ProtoDUNE-SP, a crucial part of the DUNE effort towards the construction of the first DUNE 10-kt fiducial mass far detector module (17 kt total LAr mass), is a significant experiment in its own right. With a total liquid argon (LAr) mass of 0.77 kt, it represents the largest monolithic single-phase LArTPC detector to be built to date. It's technical design is given in this report.

Numerical study of turbulent flow over stages of interacting barchan dunes: sediment scour and vorticity dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chao; Anderson, William

2017-11-01

Large-eddy simulation (LES) results of unidirectional turbulent flow over interacting barchan dunes are presented. A series of interacting barchan dune topographies have been considered wherein a small dune is positioned at locations upflow of a relatively larger dune, and at a slight spanwise offset. The smaller dune is geometrically similar, but one-eighth the volume of the larger dune, thus replicating instantaneous realizations during actual dune interactions. We report that flow channeling in the interdune space induces a mean flow heterogeneity - termed ``wake veering'' - in which the location of maximum momentum deficit in the dune wake is spanwise-displaced. The probability density functions of streamwise velocity fluctuation in the interdune space showed wide variability, and were used to select low-frequency, high-magnitude thresholds for conditional sampling. Conditionally- and Reynolds-averaged iso-contours of Q-criterion and differential helicity revealed a persistent roller in interdune space, which strengthened asymmetric sediment erosion via scouring. We assess terms in the Reynolds-averaged streamwise vorticity transport, and show that the roller is primarily sustained by stretching. Finally, we present results of joint time-frequency analysis using wavelet decomposition, which shows that the dune geometry imparts a distinct influence on the local flow.

New records of Brazilian cicadas including the description of a new species (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea, Cicadidae).

PubMed

Sanborn, Allen F

2008-01-01

A new species of Proarna Stål is described from southern Brazil. Proarna gianucai sp. nov. is distinguished by its coloration and genitalia. The species inhabits coastal dune environments and is associated with the perennial grass Panicum racemosum (P. Beauv.) Spreng. Adults are active from December to March. The first records of Carineta durantoni Boulard, Carineta gemella Boulard, Carineta pilifera Walker, Fidicina christinae Boulard & Martinelli, Fidicina torresi Boulard & Martinellli, Fidicinoides determinata (Walker), Fidicinoides distanti (Goding), Fidicinoides glauca (Goding), Majeorona truncata Goding, and Zammara columbia Distant for Brazil are provided. The new species and new records bring the total cicada diversity of Brazil to 146 species.

Investigating Mars: Candor Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-16

This VIS image shows part of the border between Chandor and Melas Chasmata. The entire image is landslide deposits. It is very common for landslides to develop linear surface grooves that parallel the direction of flow. Candor Chasma is one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. It is approximately 810 km long (503 miles) and has is divided into two regions - eastern and western Candor. Candor is located south of Ophir Chasma and north of Melas Chasma. The border with Melas Chasma contains many large landslide deposits. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas. Many forms of erosion have shaped Chandor Chasma. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant gravity driven mass wasting (landslides). The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 17003 Latitude: -8.20616 Longitude: 288.108 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-10-14 07:36 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22167

Twenty years of sedimentary change and diagenesis, Qatar Peninsula, Arabian Gulf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shinn, E.A.

Re-examination in February 1986 of areas studied by the author in 1966 and 1967 revealed rapid rates of sedimentation and diagenesis along the east coast of the Qatar Peninsula. At Ras Um Sa on the north-east side of Qatar, a series of chenier-like beaches and curved spits is building southward under the influence of longshore currents. Beach and spit growth increasingly protects the shoreline and allows tidal flats to form in their lee. As these spits accrete, they become armored on their lagoonal side by beachrock formation. In the last 20 years a spit approximately 1/2 km long has grown,more » and beachrock has already armored its recurved lagoonal side. At Umm Said on the southeast side of Qatar, seawardly accreting barchan dunes composed of quartz sand have built a 40-km long, 10-km wide sabkha as thick as 30 m. Aerial and ground photographs show that certain dunes near the seaward edge of the sabkha have migrated into the sea and have contributed to shoreline accretion. The observed rate of dune migration suggests that within approximately 100 years the remaining quartz sands will be depleted and blown into the sea because there is no replenishment of the dune field. Subsequently, the area will revert to one of carbonate deposition. Fine-grained dolomite is presently precipitating in interstitial brines in the landwardmost portions of this unusual sabkha. In the geologic record, such a deposit would be an anomalous, porous and permeable, cross-bedded, linear, 30-m thick, dolomite-cemented sandstone body encased in carbonate sediments. A modern model such as the one at Umm Said can provide useful clues for determining the origin of similar deposits in ancient rocks.« less

Twenty years of sedimentary change and diagenesis, Qatar Peninsula, Arabian Gulf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shinn, E.A.

Re-examination in February 1986 of areas studied by the author in 1966 and 1967 revealed rapid rates of sedimentation and diagenesis along the east coast of the Qatar Peninsula. At Ras UmSa on the northeast side of Qatar, a series of chenier-like beaches and curved spits is building southward under the influence of longshore currents. Beach and spit growth increasingly protects the shoreline and allows tidal flats to form in their lee. As these spits accrete, they become armored on their lagoonal side by beachrock formation. In the last 20 years a spit approximately 1/2 km long has grown, andmore » beachrock has already armored its recurved lagoonal side. At Umm Said on the southeast side of Qatar, seawardly accreting barchan dunes composed of quartz sand have built a 40-km long, 10-km wide sabkha as thick as 30 m. Aerial and ground photographs show that certain dunes near the seaward edge of the sabkha have migrated into the sea and have contributed to shoreline accretion. The observed rate of dune migration suggests that within approximately 100 years the remaining quartz sands are depleted and blown into the sea because there is no replenishment of the dune field. Subsequently, the area reverts to one of carbonate deposition. Fine-grained dolomite is presently precipitating in interstitial brines in the landwardmost portions of this unusual sabkha. In the geologic record, such a deposit would be an anomalous, porous and permeable, cross-bedded, linear, 30-m thick, dolomite-cemented sandstones body encased in carbonate sediments. A modern model such as the one at Umm Said can provide useful clues for determining the origin of similar deposits in ancient rocks.« less

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-06

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. This VIS image is located right at the edge of the canyon with the surrounding plains - the flat area at the bottom of the image. Some small landslide deposits are visible originating at the cliff side. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 26762 Latitude: -13.4233 Longitude: 287.973 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2007-12-26 19:46 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22136

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. This VIS image is located along the northern side of the chasma. The linear features are on the surface of a large landslide. This region of Melas Chasma is covered by several very large landslide deposits. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 36020 Latitude: -9.09641 Longitude: 288.172 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-01-27 03:51 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22138

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-28

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. This VIS image highlights the extent of layered materials within the canyon. The image is located on the mid elevations on the south side of the canyon. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 10813 Latitude: -13.1037 Longitude: 289.967 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-05-22 16:09 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22129

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-06

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in central Coprates Chasma. The brighter materials at the bottom of the image are layered deposits. It is unknown how deep these canyon deposits were when they formed. The layering is only visible due to erosion, making it difficult to estimate the original thickness. While layered deposits can be found on the floor of Coprates Chasma, they are most commonly found along the lower elevations and at the bottom of the cliff faces in the canyon. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 51810 Latitude: -12.6848 Longitude: 295.197 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-08-18 22:56 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22000

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-29

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. This VIS image shows part of a large ridge of material near the south central part the canyon. The roughest looking material is the top of the ridge. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 16741 Latitude: -10.6629 Longitude: 285.637 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-09-22 17:54 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22130

Genetic differentiation in life history traits and thermal stress performance across a heterogeneous dune landscape in Arabidopsis lyrata.

PubMed

Wos, Guillaume; Willi, Yvonne

2018-05-26

Over very short spatial scales, the habitat of a species can differ in multiple abiotic and biotic factors. These factors may impose natural selection on several traits and can cause genetic differentiation within a population. We studied multivariate genetic differentiation in a plant species of a sand dune landscape by linking environmental variation with differences in genotypic trait values and gene expression levels to find traits and candidate genes of microgeographical adaptation. Maternal seed families of Arabidopsis lyrata were collected in Saugatuck Dunes State Park, Michigan, USA, and environmental parameters were recorded at each collection site. Offspring plants were raised in climate chambers and exposed to one of three temperature treatments: regular occurrence of frost, heat, or constant control conditions. Several traits were assessed: plant growth, time to flowering, and frost and heat resistance. The strongest trait-environment association was between a fast switch to sexual reproduction and weaker growth under frost, and growing in the open, away from trees. The second strongest association was between the trait combination of small plant size and early flowering under control conditions combined with large size under frost, and the combination of environmental conditions of growing close to trees, at low vegetation cover, on dune bottoms. Gene expression analysis by RNA-seq revealed candidate genes involved in multivariate trait differentiation. The results support the hypothesis that in natural populations, many environmental factors impose selection, and that they affect multiple traits, with the relative direction of trait change being complex. The results highlight that heterogeneity in the selection environment over small spatial scales is a main driver of the maintenance of adaptive genetic variation within populations.

Investigating Mars: Coprates Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-27

Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in central Coprates Chasma. The image shows multiple landslide features, which form the bright lobed shaped deposits at the bottom of the canyon cliff face (top of image). The linear grooves on the top of the large landslide deposit were formed as the material came to rest on the canyon floor. The other features on the chasma floor are layered materials that have been weathered. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 16803 Latitude: -12.5614 Longitude: 296.887 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-09-27 20:25 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21992

Anthropogenic initiation and acceleration of aeolian dune activity within the northern European Sand Belt and societal feedbacks over the last 2500 yrs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lungershausen, Uta; Larsen, Annegret; Bork, Hans-Rudolf; Duttmann, Rainer

2017-04-01

In North-Western Europe, Pleistocene sand sheets have been re-activated during phases of Holocene deforestation and agricultural land-use. Although there are temporal overlaps between anthropogenic activity and sand sheet re-activation, the root cause and subsequent feedbacks between aeolian activity and societal response remain largely unknown. Here, we seek to establish cause and effect by examining the detailed co-variation in both the timing and magnitude of aeolian and anthropogenic activity through the quantification of Holocene dune sediments in combination with archaeological and pollen records. These records indicate a series of complex phases of aeolian activity followed by landscape stabilization, which we attribute primarily to changing patterns of human impact. We find that a steady increase in dune deposition rates in the Medieval Period corresponds to an increase in settlement activity and deforestation ( 1000-1500 AD). At their peak, Medieval deposition rates were 3.4-times larger than during the late Pleistocene, which was the period experiencing the most favourable natural conditions for aeolian sediment transport in the past 11600 years. Prior to the Medieval Period, relative land-surface stability (depositional hiatus) persisted from the late Pleistocene until the Roman Iron Age Period (0-400 AD), in which deforestation to fuel iron production had a minor impact on aeolian activity, as indicated by the lowest recorded deposition rate (0.12 t/ha/a ± 0.02 t/ha/a). Following the Medieval Period peak in aeolian deposition rates, aeolian activity diminishes rapidly, and coincides with the abandonment of nearby human settlement. This can be interpreted as a direct positive feedback in which Medieval agricultural overexploitation crossed sufficient aeolian activity thresholds to render the landscape practically unworkable for cropping agriculture. Based on our findings and a comprehensive review of Northern European sand belt activity, we interpret a very high sensitivity of aeolian activity to past and present human impact, and argue that unsustainable land-use practices have been the cause for widespread settlement abandonment.

Dunes and microdunes on Venus: Why were so few found in the Magellan data?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weitz, Catherine M.; Plaut, Jeffrey J.; Greeley, Ronald; Saunders, R. Steven

1994-01-01

A search through cycle 1, 2, and 3 Magellan radar data covering 98% of the surface of Venus revealed very few dunes. Only two possible dune fields and several areas that may contain microdunes smaller than the resolution of the images (75 m) were identified. The Aglaonice dune field was identified in the cycle 1 images by the specular returns characteristic of dune faces oriented perpendicular to the radar illumination. Cycle 1 and 2 data of the Fortuna-Meshkenet dune field indicate that there has been no noticeable movement of the dunes over an 8-month period. The dunes, which are oriented both parallel and perpendicular to the radar illumination, appear to be dark features on a brighter substrate. Bright and dark patches that were visible in either cycle 1 or 2 data, but not both, allowed identification of several regions in the southern part of Venus that may contain microdunes. The microdunes are associated with several parabolic crater deposits in the region and are probably similar to those formed in wind tunnel experiments under Venus-like conditions. Bragg scattering and/or subpixel relfections from the near-normal face on asymmetric microdunes may account for these bright and dark patches. Look-angle effects and the lack of sufficient sand-size particles seem to be most likely reasons so few dunes were identified in Magellan data. Insufficient wind speeds, thinness of sand cover, and difficulty in identifying isolated dunes may also be contributors to the scarcity of dunes.

Dunes and Microdunes on Venus: Why Were So Few Found in the Magellan Data?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weitz, Catherine M.; Plaut, Jeffrey J.; Greeley, Ronald; Saunders, R. Steven

1994-01-01

A search through cycle 1, 2, and 3 Magellan radar data covering 98% of the surface of Venus revealed very few dunes. Only two possible dune fields and several areas that may contain microdunes smaller than the resolution of the images (75 m) were identified. The Aglaonice dune field was identified in the cycle I images by the specular returns characteristic of dune faces oriented perpendicular to the radar illumination. Cycle 1 and 2 data of the Fortuna-Meshkenet dune field indicate that there has been no noticeable movement of the dunes over an 8-month period. The dunes, which are oriented both parallel and perpendicular to the radar illumination, appear to be dark features on a brighter substrate. Bright and dark patches that were visible in either cycle 1 or 2 data, but not both, allowed identification of several regions in the southern part of Venus that may contain microdunes. The microdunes are associated with several parabolic crater deposits in the region and are probably similar to those formed in wind tunnel experiments under Venus-like conditions. Bragg scattering and/or subpixel reflections from the near-normal face on asymmetric microdunes may account for these bright and dark patches. Look-angle effects and the lack of sufficient sand-size particles seem to be the most likely reasons so few dunes were identified in Magellan data. Insufficient wind speeds, thinness of sand cover, and difficulty in identifying isolated dunes may also be contributors to the scarcity of dunes.

Terrestrial analogs of the hellespontus dunes, Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breed, C.S.

1977-01-01

Geomorphic features in the Hellespontus region, Mars, were compared with dunes of the crescentic ridge type in numerous terrestrial sand seas quantitatively by dimensional analysis of dune lengths, widths, and wavelengths. Mean values for the Hellespontus dunes are close to mean values derived from measurements of all sampled terrestrial sand seas. Terrestrial analogs of form and areal distribution of the Hellespontus dunes are shown by comparison of scale ratios derived from the measurements. Dunes of similar form occur in South West Africa, in Pakistan, in the southeastern Arabian peninsula, in the Sahara, in eastern USSR and northern China, and in western North America. Terrestrial analogs closest to form and areal distribution of the Hellespontus dunes are in the Kara Kum Desert, Turkmen SSR, and in the Ala Shan (Gobi) Desert, China. ?? 1977.

Dune Morphodynamics on a Semi-Arid, Wave-Dominated Barrier Island: South Padre Island, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Angel, D. C.; Gibeaut, J. C.

2012-12-01

Spatial and temporal dune accretion along the barrier island of South Padre Island (SPI),Texas was examined using a combination of field measurements and lidar elevation data. Volume change rates derived from the data were compared to potential sediment transport rates derived from Hsu's (1974 & 1977) model using local wind-gauge data. A statistical model was then used to investigate controls on foredune accretion. Dune volume change was estimated from cross-shore profile measurements acquired during the summer of 2009, spring of 2010, and fall of 2010. For summer 2009 to spring 2010, dune volume change ranged from -18 to 12.5 m^3/m. The onshore potential drift for the same time period was estimated to be 6.6 m^3/m. In comparison, volume change ranged from -5.5 to 5.3 m^3/m for spring to fall 2010 with most dunes experiencing erosion. The estimated onshore drift was much higher at 22.5 m^3/m. The high drift potential associated with the spring and summer months is attributed to the predominant wind direction and the occurrence of tropical storms. Dune volume change was also observed on a longer time scale using lidar DEMs for the years 2000, 2005, and 2009. From 2000 to 2005, most natural dunes experienced accretion with a mean of 17.67 m^3/m, whereas between 2005 and 2009, the majority of dunes experienced volume loss with a mean change of -4.16 m^3/m. Overall, the mean volume change from 2000 to 2009 was 13.51 m^3/m. Onshore drift for 2000 to 2005 was estimated to be 16.44 m^3/m, which is a good approximation to the observed volume change. In contrast, onshore drift for 2000 to 2009 was estimated to be 80.4 m^3/m, which is substantially higher than the mean volume change observed during the period. The discrepancy between the modeled and observe value is partly due to dune volume loss from storm surge erosion. In addition, there was a significant increase in onshore drift potential from 2006 to 2008. Stepwise backward regression was used to find significant correlations (p-values < 0.01) between observed values in dune volume change and beach and dune morphometric parameters. Examined parameters include beach width, beach height, beach slope, shoreline orientation, the long-term rate of shoreline displacement, and aeolian dune form (washover terrace, dune terrace, dune ridge and active dunes). Model results show that dune type, beach width, and shoreline orientation were significant contributors. A hierarchical partitioning method provided further insight by showing that dune type explains most of the variation (57%), followed by beach width (30%) and lastly, orientation (< 2%). Based on the volumetric change analysis, results observed from 2000 to 2005 provide a good estimate of the average dune accretion for SPI because of the low impact of storms. But, from the wind models, potential transport has yearly fluctuations which can affect accretion rates. Furthermore, accretion will continue to be interrupted by the periodic occurrence of storms. Spatial variability of dune volume change is related to the existing dune form and beach morphology as evidenced by the statistical analysis. It is expected that the relative occurrence of washovers, terraces, ridges, and active dunes will vary in time as storms, drought and anthropogenic stresses change.

Titan dune heights retrieval by using Cassini Radar Altimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mastrogiuseppe, M.; Poggiali, V.; Seu, R.; Martufi, R.; Notarnicola, C.

2014-02-01

The Cassini Radar is a Ku band multimode instrument capable of providing topographic and mapping information. During several of the 93 Titan fly-bys performed by Cassini, the radar collected a large amount of data observing many dune fields in multiple modes such as SAR, Altimeter, Scatterometer and Radiometer. Understanding dune characteristics, such as shape and height, will reveal important clues on Titan's climatic and geological history providing a better understanding of aeolian processes on Earth. Dunes are believed to be sculpted by the action of the wind, weak at the surface but still able to activate the process of sand-sized particle transport. This work aims to estimate dunes height by modeling the shape of the real Cassini Radar Altimeter echoes. Joint processing of SAR/Altimeter data has been adopted to localize the altimeter footprints overlapping dune fields excluding non-dune features. The height of the dunes was estimated by applying Maximum Likelihood Estimation along with a non-coherent electromagnetic (EM) echo model, thus comparing the real averaged waveform with the theoretical curves. Such analysis has been performed over the Fensal dune field observed during the T30 flyby (May 2007). As a result we found that the estimated dunes' peak to trough heights difference was in the order of 60-120 m. Estimation accuracy and robustness of the MLE for different complex scenarios was assessed via radar simulations and Monte-Carlo approach. We simulated dunes-interdunes different composition and roughness for a large set of values verifying that, in the range of possible Titan environment conditions, these two surface parameters have weak effects on our estimates of standard dune heights deviation. Results presented here are the first part of a study that will cover all Titan's sand seas.

The morphodynamics and internal structure of intertidal fine-gravel dunes: Hills Flats, Severn Estuary, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carling, P. A.; Radecki-Pawlik, A.; Williams, J. J.; Rumble, B.; Meshkova, L.; Bell, P.; Breakspear, R.

2006-01-01

In the macrotidal Severn estuary, UK, the dynamics of intertidal fine-gravel dunes were investigated. These dunes are migrating across a bedrock platform. Systematic observations were made of hydraulic climate, geometry, migration rates and internal sedimentary structures of the dunes. During spring tides, the ebb flow is dominant, dunes grow in height and have ebb orientated geometry with bedrock floors in the troughs. During neap tides, a weak flood flow may dominate. Dunes then are flood orientated or symmetrical. Neap dune heights decrease and the eroded sediment is stored in the dune troughs where the bedrock becomes blanketed by muddy gravel. During spring tides, instantaneous bed shear stresses reach 8 N m - 2 , sufficient to disrupt a 9 mm-gravel armour layer. However, a sustained bed shear stress of 4 N m - 2 is required to initiate dune migration at which time the critical depth-mean velocity is 1 m s - 1 . Ebb and flood inequalities in the bed shear stress explain the changes in dune asymmetry and internal structures. During flood tides, the crests of the dunes reverse such that very mobile sedimentary 'caps' overlie a more stable dune 'core'. Because ebb tides dominate, internal structures of the caps often are characterised by ebb orientated steep open-work foresets developed by strong tidal currents and some lower angle crossbeds deposited as weaker currents degrade foresets. The foresets forming the caps may be grouped into cosets (tidal bundles) and are separated from mud-infused cores of crossbeds that lie below, by reactivation and erosion surfaces blanketed by discontinuous mud drapes. The cores often exhibit distinctive muddy toe sets that define the spacing of tidal cosets.

Dune recovery after storm erosion on a high-energy beach: Vougot Beach, Brittany (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suanez, Serge; Cariolet, Jean-Marie; Cancouët, Romain; Ardhuin, Fabrice; Delacourt, Christophe

2012-02-01

On 10th March 2008, the high energy storm Johanna hit the French Atlantic coast, generating severe dune erosion on Vougot Beach (Brittany, France). In this paper, the recovery of the dune of Vougot Beach is analysed through a survey of morphological changes and hydrodynamic conditions. Data collection focused on the period immediately following storm Johanna until July 2010, i.e. over two and a half years. Results showed that the dune retreated by a maximum of almost 6 m where storm surge and wave attack were the most energetic. Dune retreat led to the creation of accommodation space for the storage of sediment by widening and elevating space between the pre- and post-storm dune toe, and reducing impacts of the storm surge. Dune recovery started in the month following the storm event and is still ongoing. It is characterised by the construction of "secondary" embryo dunes, which recovered at an average rate of 4-4.5 cm per month, although average monthly volume changes varied from - 1 to 2 m 3.m - 1 . These embryo dunes accreted due to a large aeolian sand supply from the upper tidal beach to the existing foredune. These dune-construction processes were facilitated by growth of vegetation on low-profile embryo dunes promoting backshore accretion. After more than two years of survey, the sediment budget of the beach/dune system showed that more than 10,000 m 3 has been lost by the upper tidal beach. We suggest that seaward return currents generated during the storm of 10th March 2008 are responsible for offshore sediment transport. Reconstitution of the equilibrium beach profile following the storm event may therefore have generated cross-shore sediment redistribution inducing net erosion in the tidal zone.

Late Quaternary stratigraphy and geochronology of the western Killpecker Dunes, Wyoming, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mayer, J.H.; Mahan, S.A.

2004-01-01

New stratigraphic and geochronologic data from the Killpecker Dunes in southwestern Wyoming facilitate a more precise understanding of the dune field's history. Prior investigations suggested that evidence for late Pleistocene eolian activity in the dune field was lacking. However, luminescence ages from eolian sand of ???15,000 yr, as well as Folsom (12,950-11,950 cal yr B.P.) and Agate Basin (12,600-10,700 cal yr) artifacts overlying eolian sand, indicate the dune field existed at least during the latest Pleistocene, with initial eolian sedimentation probably occurring under a dry periglacial climate. The period between ???13,000 and 8900 cal yr B.P. was characterized by relatively slow eolian sedimentation concomitant with soil formation. Erosion occurred between ???8182 and 6600 cal yr B.P. on the upwind region of the dune field, followed by relative stability and soil formation between ???5900 and 2700 cal yr B.P. The first of at least two latest Holocene episodes of eolian sedimentation occurred between ???2000 and 1500 yr, followed by a brief (???500 yr) episode of soil formation; a second episode of sedimentation, occurring by at least ???700 yr, may coincide with a hypothesized Medieval warm period. Recent stabilization of the western Killpecker Dunes likely occurred during the Little Ice Age (???350-100 yr B.P.). The eolian chronology of the western Killpecker Dunes correlates reasonably well with those of other major dune fields in the Wyoming Basin, suggesting that dune field reactivation resulted primarily due to departures toward aridity during the late Quaternary. Similar to dune fields on the central Great Plains, dune fields in the Wyoming Basin have been active under a periglacial climate during the late Pleistocene, as well as under near-modern conditions during the latest Holocene. ?? 2003 University of Washington. All rights reserved.

The Quantification and Evolution of Resilience in Integrated Coastal Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

for natural protection when protective beaches and sand dunes are destroyed or overtopped. Protects a beach or sand dune that fronts backshore from...dredged material on a beach, dune , barrier island, or sand berm located in the near- shore zone. Stabilize the location of an eroding beach, dune ...waves will erode beaches and dunes . Table 5. Components and processes that are part of an ecosystem restoration subsystem defined by an oyster

Probabilistic estimation of dune retreat on the Gold Coast, Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Palmsten, Margaret L.; Splinter, Kristen D.; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Stockdon, Hilary F.

2014-01-01

Sand dunes are an important natural buffer between storm impacts and development backing the beach on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia. The ability to forecast dune erosion at a prediction horizon of days to a week would allow efficient and timely response to dune erosion in this highly populated area. Towards this goal, we modified an existing probabilistic dune erosion model for use on the Gold Coast. The original model was trained using observations of dune response from Hurricane Ivan on Santa Rosa Island, Florida, USA (Plant and Stockdon 2012. Probabilistic prediction of barrier-island response to hurricanes, Journal of Geophysical Research, 117(F3), F03015). The model relates dune position change to pre-storm dune elevations, dune widths, and beach widths, along with storm surge and run-up using a Bayesian network. The Bayesian approach captures the uncertainty of inputs and predictions through the conditional probabilities between variables. Three versions of the barrier island response Bayesian network were tested for use on the Gold Coast. One network has the same structure as the original and was trained with the Santa Rosa Island data. The second network has a modified design and was trained using only pre- and post-storm data from 1988-2009 for the Gold Coast. The third version of the network has the same design as the second version of the network and was trained with the combined data from the Gold Coast and Santa Rosa Island. The two networks modified for use on the Gold Coast hindcast dune retreat with equal accuracy. Both networks explained 60% of the observed dune retreat variance, which is comparable to the skill observed by Plant and Stockdon (2012) in the initial Bayesian network application at Santa Rosa Island. The new networks improved predictions relative to application of the original network on the Gold Coast. Dune width was the most important morphologic variable in hindcasting dune retreat, while hydrodynamic variables, surge and run-up elevation, were also important

Predicting Martian dune shape and orientation from wind directional variability and sediment availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez-Cascales, Laura; Lucas, Antoine; Rodriguez, Sébastien; Narteau, Clément; Spiga, Aymeric; Allemand, Pascal

2016-04-01

Dunes provide a unique set of information to constrain local climatic regimes on planetary bodies where there is no direct meteorological data. Wind directional variability and sediment availability are known to control the dune growth mechanism (i.e. the bed instability or fingering modes) and the subsequent dune shape and orientation (Courrech du Pont at al., 2014; Gao et al., 2015). Here we provide a quantitative analysis of these dependences on Mars using the output of the Martian General Circulation Models (GCM) and satellite imagery such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Context Camera (CTX) images, at a selection of places where there is a high contrast between the dune material and the non-erodible ground. Dunes, mostly composed of unweathered basaltic and andesitic grains, appear dark, whereas the non-erodible ground has a higher albedo. Such a systematic contrast permits to link dune morphology to the local sediment cover. Dune shape, crest orientation and local sediment cover are extracted from CTX images using an automatic linear segment detection method and the local distribution in albedo. In zones of high sediment supply, dune crest alignments are close to the orientation of the bed instability mode predicted from the local winds from the Martian Climate Database (MCD) where is stored the outputs of the IPSL-GCM for Mars (Millour et al., 2014). Using the same wind data, in zones of low sediment supply, the crest angle is close to the orientation of the fingering mode. In addition, there are continuous transitions in dune shape and orientation as the dunes migrate from zone of high to low sediment availability. These results indicate that the prediction of the IPSL-GCM are in good agreement with the present dune shapes and orientations and shed new light on the dynamics of complex dune fields along sand flow path.

Evidence for community structure and habitat partitioning in coastal dune stiletto flies at the Guadalupe-Nipomo dunes system, California

PubMed Central

Holston, Kevin C.

2005-01-01

This study provides empirical evidence for habitat selection by North American species of stiletto flies (Diptera: Therevidae), based on local distributions of adults and immatures, and the first hypothesis of community assemblages proposed for a stiletto fly community. Sites at three localities within the Guadalupe-Nipomo dune system were sampled for stiletto flies in 1997 and 2001 by sifting sand, malaise trapping, and hand netting. Nine species were collected from four ecological zones and three intermediate ecological zones: Acrosathe novella (Coquillett), Brachylinga baccata (Loew), Nebritus powelli (Webb and Irwin), Ozodiceromyia sp., Pherocera sp., Tabudamima melanophleba (Loew), Thereva comata Loew, Thereva elizabethae Holston and Irwin, and Thereva fucata Loew. Species associations of adults and larvae with habitats and ecological zones were consistent among sites, suggesting that local distributions of coastal dune stiletto fly species are influenced by differences in habitat selection. In habitats dominated by the arroyo willow,Salix lasiolepsis, stiletto fly larvae of three species were collected in local sympatry, demonstrating that S. lasiolepsis stands along stabilized dune ridges can provide an intermediate ecological zone linking active dune and riparian habitat in the Guadalupe-Nipomo dune system. Sites dominated by European beach grass, Ammophilia arenaria, blue gum, Eucalyptus globulus, and Monterey cypress, Cupressus macrocarpa, are considered unsuitable for stiletto flies, which emphasizes the importance of terrestrial habitats with native vegetation for stiletto fly species. The local distributions of stiletto fly species at the Guadalupe-Nipomo dune system allow the community to be divided into three assemblages; active dune, pioneer scrub, and scrub-riparian. These assemblages may be applicable to other coastal dune stiletto fly communities, and may have particular relevance to stiletto fly species collected in European coastal dunes. The results from this study provide a descriptive framework for studies testing habitat selection in coastal dune stiletto fly species and inform conservation of threatened dune insects. PMID:17119624

Looking inside out: tracing internal moisture and salinity changes in dunes on the west coast of Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nash, Ciaran; Bourke, Mary

2017-04-01

Coastal sand dune systems are some of the most physically dynamic landscapes; their susceptibility to geomorphic change is rooted in a host of interconnected processes and feedbacks. Soil moisture and salinity are two fundamental environmental variables capable of exerting a geomorphic influence but have not been thoroughly investigated in coastal dunes. In northwest Europe, coastal dunes are predominantly sediment-limited systems with reduced capacities to avoid severe morphological changes arising from storms. Climatic changes over the next century are predicted to manifest in more frequent and intense storms with the potential to enact severe geomorphic change in coastal settings. A lack of data pertaining to internal dune hydrosaline dynamics suggests we are missing part of the bigger picture. We conducted a pilot study of moisture and salinity dynamics within the upper 50 cm of the vadose zone in a vegetated dune system at Golden Strand, Achill Island on the west coast of Ireland. Golden Strand is a roughly 800 m long embayed sandy beach, backed by vegetated dunes that protect a low-lying machair grassland. A study transect was established across this dune-machair system, perpendicular to the shore. Innovative instrumentation in the form of capacitance probes and internal dune thermochrons were deployed to sample at 10 cm depth intervals at a sampling rate of 10 minutes and coupled with on-site rainfall data. Results indicate that dune moisture tracks rainfall inputs up to 30 cm depth. Antecedent moisture at depth was found to influence infiltration of water through the dune profile. Salinity within the study transect decreased with distance from the beach, suggesting that salt spray is the primary salt delivery mechanism in the dune system. We also noted that moisture and salinity below 30 cm depth failed to respond to rainfall events of varying intensities. Relatively constant moisture and salinity were observed at all depths within the machair. Predictions of climatic change for Ireland suggest more intense short-period precipitation events, this may increase infiltration depth. Baseline data collected will prove informative in predicting the response of Irish coastal dunes via changes in vegetation and dune stability.

Late Pleistocene dune activity in the central Great Plains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mason, J.A.; Swinehart, J.B.; Hanson, P.R.; Loope, D.B.; Goble, R.J.; Miao, X.; Schmeisser, R.L.

2011-01-01

Stabilized dunes of the central Great Plains, especially the megabarchans and large barchanoid ridges of the Nebraska Sand Hills, provide dramatic evidence of late Quaternary environmental change. Episodic Holocene dune activity in this region is now well-documented, but Late Pleistocene dune mobility has remained poorly documented, despite early interpretations of the Sand Hills dunes as Pleistocene relicts. New optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from drill cores and outcrops provide evidence of Late Pleistocene dune activity at sites distributed across the central Great Plains. In addition, Late Pleistocene eolian sands deposited at 20-25 ka are interbedded with loess south of the Sand Hills. Several of the large dunes sampled in the Sand Hills clearly contain a substantial core of Late Pleistocene sand; thus, they had developed by the Late Pleistocene and were fully mobile at that time, although substantial sand deposition and extensive longitudinal dune construction occurred during the Holocene. Many of the Late Pleistocene OSL ages fall between 17 and 14 ka, but it is likely that these ages represent only the later part of a longer period of dune construction and migration. At several sites, significant Late Pleistocene or Holocene large-dune migration also probably occurred after the time represented by the Pleistocene OSL ages. Sedimentary structures in Late Pleistocene eolian sand and the forms of large dunes potentially constructed in the Late Pleistocene both indicate sand transport dominated by northerly to westerly winds, consistent with Late Pleistocene loess transport directions. Numerical modeling of the climate of the Last Glacial Maximum has often yielded mean monthly surface winds southwest of the Laurentide Ice Sheet that are consistent with this geologic evidence, despite strengthened anticyclonic circulation over the ice sheet. Mobility of large dunes during the Late Pleistocene on the central Great Plains may have been the result of cold, short growing seasons with relatively low precipitation and low atmospheric CO2 that increased plant moisture stress, limiting the ability of vegetation to stabilize active dune sand. The apparent coexistence of large mobile dunes with boreal forest taxa suggests a Late Pleistocene environment with few modern analogs. ?? 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Flood-formed dunes in Athabasca Valles, Mars: Morphology, modeling, and implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burr, D.M.; Carling, P.A.; Beyer, R.A.; Lancaster, N.

2004-01-01

Estimates of discharge for martian outflow channels have spanned orders of magnitude due in part to uncertainties in floodwater height. A methodology of estimating discharge based on bedforms would reduce some of this uncertainty. Such a methodology based on the morphology and granulometry of flood-formed ('diluvial') dunes has been developed by Carling (1996b, in: Branson, J., Brown, A.G., Gregory, K.J. (Eds.), Global Continental Changes: The Context of Palaeohydrology. Geological Society Special Publication No. 115, London, UK, 165-179) and applied to Pleistocene flood-formed dunes in Siberia. Transverse periodic dune-like bedforms in Athabasca Valles, Mars, have previously been classified both as flood-formed dunes and as antidunes. Either interpretation is important, as they both imply substantial quantities of water, but each has different hydraulic implications. We undertook photoclinometric measurements of these forms, and compared them with data from flood-formed dunes in Siberia. Our analysis of those data shows their morphology to be more consistent with dunes than antidunes, thus providing the first documentation of flood-formed dunes on Mars. Other reasoning based on context and likely hydraulics also supports the bedforms' classification as dunes. Evidence does not support the dunes being aeolian, although a conclusive determination cannot be made with present data. Given the preponderance of evidence that the features are flood-formed instead of aeolian, we applied Carling's (1996b, in: Branson, J., Brown, A.G., Gregory, K.J. (Eds.), Global Continental Changes: The Context of Palaeohydrology. Geological Society Special Publication No. 115, London, UK, 165-179) dune-flow model to derive the peak discharge of the flood flow that formed them. The resultant estimate is approximately 2??106 m3/s, similar to previous estimates. The size of the Athabascan dunes' in comparison with that of terrestrial dunes suggests that these martian dunes took at least 1-2 days to grow. Their flattened morphology implies that they were formed at high subcritical flow and that the flood flow that formed them receded very quickly. ?? 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How Altitude and Latitude Control Dune Morphometry on Titan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Le Gall, A.; Hayes, A.; Ewing, R.; Janssen, M. A.; Radebaugh, J.; Savage, C.; Encrenaz, P.

2011-01-01

Dune fields are one of the dominant landforms and represent the largest known organic reservoir on Titan. SAR-derived topography show that Titan's dune terrains tend to occupy the lowest altitude areas in equatorial regions occurring at mean elevations between approx.-400 and 0 m. In elevated dune terrains, there is a definite trend towards a smaller dune to interdune ratio, interpreted as due to limited sediment availability. A similar linear correlation is observed with latitude, suggesting that the quantity of windblown sand in the dune fields tends to decrease as one moves farther north. These findings place important constraints on Titan's geology and climate.

Geomorphic Map of Worcester County, Maryland, Interpreted from a LIDAR-Based, Digital Elevation Model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newell, Wayne L.; Clark, Inga

2008-01-01

A recently compiled mosaic of a LIDAR-based digital elevation model (DEM) is presented with geomorphic analysis of new macro-topographic details. The geologic framework of the surficial and near surface late Cenozoic deposits of the central uplands, Pocomoke River valley, and the Atlantic Coast includes Cenozoic to recent sediments from fluvial, estuarine, and littoral depositional environments. Extensive Pleistocene (cold climate) sandy dune fields are deposited over much of the terraced landscape. The macro details from the LIDAR image reveal 2 meter-scale resolution of details of the shapes of individual dunes, and fields of translocated sand sheets. Most terrace surfaces are overprinted with circular to elliptical rimmed basins that represent complex histories of ephemeral ponds that were formed, drained, and overprinted by younger basins. The terrains of composite ephemeral ponds and the dune fields are inter-shingled at their margins indicating contemporaneous erosion, deposition, and re-arrangement and possible internal deformation of the surficial deposits. The aggregate of these landform details and their deposits are interpreted as the products of arid, cold climate processes that were common to the mid-Atlantic region during the Last Glacial Maximum. In the Pocomoke valley and its larger tributaries, erosional remnants of sandy flood plains with anastomosing channels indicate the dynamics of former hydrology and sediment load of the watershed that prevailed at the end of the Pleistocene. As the climate warmed and precipitation increased during the transition from late Pleistocene to Holocene, dune fields were stabilized by vegetation, and the stream discharge increased. The increased discharge and greater local relief of streams graded to lower sea levels stimulated down cutting and created the deeply incised valleys out onto the continental shelf. These incised valleys have been filling with fluvial to intertidal deposits that record the rising sea level and warmer, more humid climate in the mid-Atlantic region throughout the Holocene. Thus, the geomorphic details provided by the new LIDAR DEM actually record the response of the landscape to abrupt climate change. Holocene trends and land-use patterns from Colonial to modern times can also be interpreted from the local macro- scale details of the landscape. Beyond the obvious utility of these data for land-use planning and assessments of resources and hazards, the new map presents new details on the impact of climate changes on a mid-latitude, outer Coastal plain landscape.

Stability of isolated Barchan dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fourrière, Antoine; Charru, François

2010-11-01

When sand grains are entrained by an air flow over a non-erodible ground, or with limited sediment supply from the bed, they form isolated dunes showing a remarkable crescentic shape with horns pointing downstream. These dunes, known as Barchan dunes, are commonly observed in deserts, with height of a few meters and velocity of a few meters per year (Bagnold 1941). These dunes also exist under water, at a much smaller, centimetric size (Franklin & Charru 2010). Their striking stability properties are not well understood yet. Two phenomena are likely to be involved in this stability: (i) relaxation effects of the sand flux which increases from the dune foot up to the crest, related to grain inertia or deposition, and (ii) a small transverse sand flux due to slope effects and the divergence of the streamlines of the fluid flow. We reproduced aqueous Barchan dunes in a channel, and studied their geometrical and dynamic properties (in particular their shape, velocity, minimum size, and rate of erosion). Using coloured glass beads (see the figure), we were then able to measure the particle flux over the whole dune surface. We will discuss the stability of these dunes in the light of our measurements.

Occurrence of amphibians in northern California coastal dune drainages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Halstead, Brian J.; Kleeman, Patrick M.

2017-01-01

Many coastal dune ecosystems have been degraded by non-native dune vegetation, but these systems might still provide valuable habitat for some taxa, including amphibians. Because restoration of degraded dune systems is occurring and likely to continue, we examined the occurrence of amphibians in drainages associated with a coastal dune ecosystem degraded by invasive plants (European Beachgrass, Ammophila arenaria, and Iceplant, Carpobrotus edulis). We found that occupancy of 3 amphibian species (California Red-legged Frog, Rana draytonii; Sierran Treefrog, Hyliola sierra; and Rough-skinned Newt, Taricha granulosa) among 21 coastal-dune drainages was high, with most coastal-dune drainages occupied by all 3 species. Furthermore, reproduction of Sierran Treefrogs and California Red-legged Frogs was estimated to occur in approximately ½ and ⅓ of the drainages, respectively. The probability of occurrence of Rough-skinned Newts and pre-metamorphic life stages of both anurans decreased during the study, perhaps because of ongoing drought in California or precipitation-induced changes in phenology during the final year of the study. Maintaining structural cover and moist features during dune restoration will likely benefit native amphibian populations inhabiting coastal-dune ecosystems.

Limited change in dune mobility in response to a large decrease in wind power in semi-arid northern China since the 1970s

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mason, J.A.; Swinehart, J.B.; Lu, H.; Miao, X.; Cha, P.; Zhou, Y.

2008-01-01

The climatic controls on dune mobility, especially the relative importance of wind strength, remain incompletely understood. This is a key research problem in semi-arid northern China, both for interpreting past dune activity as evidence of paleoclimate and for predicting future environmental change. Potential eolian sand transport, which is approximately proportional to wind power above the threshold for sand entrainment, has decreased across much of northern China since the 1970s. Over the same period, effective moisture (ratio of precipitation to potential evapotranspiration) has not changed significantly. This "natural experiment" provides insight on the relative importance of wind power as a control on dune mobility in three dunefields of northern China (Mu Us, Otindag, and Horqin), although poorly understood and potentially large effects of human land use complicate interpretation. Dune forms in these three regions are consistent with sand transport vectors inferred from weather station data, suggesting that wind directions have remained stable and the stations adequately represent winds that shaped the dunes. The predicted effect of weaker winds since the 1970s would be dune stabilization, with lower sand transport rates allowing vegetation cover to expand. Large portions of all three dunefields remained stabilized by vegetation in the 1970s despite high wind power. Since the 1970s, trends in remotely sensed vegetation greenness and change in mobile dune area inferred from sequential Landsat images do indicate widespread dune stabilization in the eastern Mu Us region. On the other hand, expansion of active dunes took place farther west in the Mu Us dunefield and especially in the central Otindag dunefield, with little overall change in two parts of the Horqin dunes. Better ground truth is needed to validate the remote sensing analyses, but results presented here place limits on the relative importance of wind strength as a control on dune mobility in the study areas. High wind power alone does not completely destabilize these dunes. A large decrease in wind power either has little short-term effect on the dunes, or more likely its effect is sufficiently small that it is obscured by human impacts on dune stability in many parts of the study areas. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mount St. Helens Project. Cowlitz River Levee Systems, 2009 Level of Flood Protection Update Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-04

bed channel, where ripples, dunes , washed out dunes , and antidunes are possible. It is not, however, appropriate to describe a gravel bed channel in...For more frequent events the bedform is generally in lower regime dunes or plane bed. However, the probability of levee failure below 10 percent...from dunes (lower regime) to upper regime (washed out dunes ) the roughness value drops precipitously. A discussion in ASCE (2009) suggests that

Predictability of dune activity in real dune fields under unidirectional wind regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barchyn, Thomas E.; Hugenholtz, Chris H.

2015-02-01

We present an analysis of 10 dune fields to test a model-derived hypothesis of dune field activity. The hypothesis suggests that a quantifiable threshold exists for stabilization in unidirectional wind regimes: active dunes have slipface deposition rates that exceed the vegetation deposition tolerance, and stabilizing dunes have the opposite. We quantified aeolian sand flux, slipface geometry, and vegetation deposition tolerance to directly test the hypothesis at four dune fields (Bigstick, White Sands Stable, White Sands Active, and Cape Cod). We indirectly tested the hypothesis at six additional dune fields with limited vegetation data (Hanford, Año Nuevo, Skagen Odde, Salton Sea, Oceano Stable, and Oceano Active, "inverse calculation sites"). We used digital topographic data and estimates of aeolian sand flux to approximate the slipface deposition rates prior to stabilization. Results revealed a distinct, quantifiable, and consistent pattern despite diverse environmental conditions: the modal peak of prestabilization slipface deposition rates was 80% of the vegetation deposition tolerance at stabilized or stabilizing dune fields. Results from inverse calculation sites indicate deposition rates at stabilized sites were near a hypothesized maximum vegetation deposition tolerance (1 m a-1), and active sites had slipface deposition rates much higher. Overall, these results confirm the hypothesis and provide evidence of a globally applicable, simple, and previously unidentified predictor for the dynamics of vegetation cover in dune fields under unidirectional wind regimes.

Age and morphodynamics of a sandy beach fronted by a macrotidal mud flat along the west coast of Korea: a lateral headland bypass model for beach-dune formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Tae Soo; Hong, Seok Hwi; Chun, Seung Soo; Choi, Jeong-Heon

2017-08-01

The Dasari beach-dune system fronted by an intertidal mud flat is a typical example of numerous small beaches found both in embayments and along the open macrotidal west coast of Korea. The beach is frequently exposed to energetic wave action at high tide in winter. Although this coastal dune-sandy beach-intertidal mud flat system has previously been described, its origin and morphodynamic behavior has to date not been firmly established. To clarify these issues, elevation profiles and surficial sediment samples were collected seasonally along five monitoring transects across the tidal flat. In addition, box-cores as well as vibro- and drill-cores were acquired along the middle transect. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and 14C- AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) dating methods were applied to determine the age of the tidal flat, the beach and the dune deposits. The results show that Dasari beach is topographically composed of two distinct morphological and sedimentological sectors, comprising a high-tide sandy beach that merges seaward into an extensive low-tide tidal flat composed of mud. The transition between the two sectors is marked by a sharp break in slope and change in internal sedimentary structures. At the boundary, the subtle shoreward fining trend in mean grain size on the intertidal flat switches to a pronounced shoreward coarsening trend. Near the transition, mixing between the beach sand and the mud is observed. Another striking feature is a seasonal rotation of the beach system centered on the middle sector, with the northern sector eroding in winter and accreting in summer, and the southern sector accreting in winter and eroding in summer. The spatial grain-size pattern reveals that the beach is fed from the neighboring beach in the north by lateral headland bypassing, rather than onshore transport across the tidal flat, the intermittent lateral supply of sand explaining the seasonal rotation of the beach. Stratigraphically, the beach-dune deposits are underlain by muddy tidal flat deposits, which results in a clear upward coarsening grain-size trend and thus intimates transgressive deposition associated with sea-level rise over the past 7-8 ka. However, a time gap of 4-5 thousand years between the tidal flat and the beach-dune deposits indicates that there is no genetic link between the two depositional systems. As the modern beach-dune system is remote from the former landward limit of the tidal flat, a continuous retreat model must be rejected. Instead, a lateral headland bypassing model, in which sand supplied alongshore progressively encroached the tidal flat, is more plausible. In the light of this interpretation, many of the barrier beach-lagoon models proposed for the macrotidal west coast of Korea need to be reconsidered.

Recent eolian activity and paleoclimate fluctuations in the Ferris Lost Soldier Area, South-Central Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaylord, D. R.

1983-09-01

The Ferris Dune Fields were examined. Sand dunes are especially valuable in paleoclimate reconstructions because they: (1) bury and preserve datable materials and artifacts; (2) respond to even subtle changes in wind velocity and direction as reflected both in external morphology and internal structures; and (3) remain unconsolidated, making them amenable to easy textural and compositional examination. The valley of Clear Creek in the Ferris Dunes reveals a relatively continuous Holocene section of interbedded dune and interdunal pond deposits. Radiocarbon dates from the interdunal pond strata at Clear Creek, theoretical sand dune migration rates, compositional analysis of periglacial sand wedges, and relative dating of actively migrating parabolic dunes reveals a general sequence of geologic-climatic events that affected the Ferris-Lost Soldier area. The most recent major reactivaton of dunes occurred approximately 290 years ago.

Titan's Sand Seas properties from the modelling of microwave-backscattered signal of Cassini/SAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucas, Antoine; Rodriguez, Sébastien; Lommonier, Florentin; Ferrari, Cécile; Paillou, Philippe; Le Gall, Alice; Narteau, Clément

2016-04-01

Titan's sand seas may reflect the current and past surface conditions. Assessing the physicochemical properties and the morphodynamics of the equatorial linear dunes is a milestone in our comprehension of the climatic and geological history of the largest Saturn's moon. Based on enhanced SAR processing leading to despeckled Cassini RADAR data sets, we analyzed quantitatively the surface properties (e.g., slopes, texture, composition...) over the sand seas. First, using a large amount of overlaps and a wide range of incidence angle and azimuths, we show that the radar cross-section over the inter-dunes strongly differs from the one over the dunes. This strongly suggests significant difference in the physical properties between these two geomorphic units. Then, we derived quantitatively the surface properties from the modelling of microwave-backscattered signal using a Monte-Carlo inversion. Our results show that dunes are globally more microwaves absorbent than the inter-dunes. The inter-dunes are smoother with a higher dielectric constant than the dunes. Considering the composition, the inter-dunes are in between the dunes and the bright inselbergs mainly composed of water ice, suggesting the presence of a shallow layer of sediment in between the dunes. This may suggest that Titan dunes are developing over a coarser sediment bed similarly to what is observed in some terrestrial sand seas such as in Ténéré desert (Niger, see also contribution #EGU2016-13383). Additionally, potential secondary bedforms (such as ripples) as well as avalanche faces may have been detected.

Ancient Martian aeolian processes and palaeomorphology reconstructed from the Stimson formation on the lower slope of Aeolis Mons, Gale crater, Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banham, Steve G.; Gupta, Sanjeev; Rubin, David M.; Watkins, Jessica A.; Sumner, Dawn Y.; Edgett, Kenneth S.; Grotzinger, John P.; Lewis, Kevin W.; Edgar, Lauren; Stack, Kathryn M.; Barnes, Robert; Bell, Jame F. III; Day, Mackenzie D.; Ewing, Ryan C.; Lapotre, Mathieu G.A.; Stein, Nathan T.; Rivera-Hernandez, Frances; Vasavada, Ashwin R.

2018-01-01

Reconstruction of the palaeoenvironmental context of Martian sedimentary rocks is central to studies of ancient Martian habitability and regional palaeoclimate history. This paper reports the analysis of a distinct aeolian deposit preserved in Gale crater, Mars, and evaluates its palaeomorphology, the processes responsible for its deposition, and its implications for Gale crater geological history and regional palaeoclimate. Whilst exploring the sedimentary succession cropping out on the northern flank of Aeolis Mons, Gale crater, the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity encountered a decametre‐thick sandstone succession, named the Stimson formation, unconformably overlying lacustrine deposits of the Murray formation. The sandstone contains sand grains characterized by high roundness and sphericity, and cross‐bedding on the order of 1 m in thickness, separated by sub‐horizontal bounding surfaces traceable for tens of metres across outcrops. The cross‐beds are composed of uniform thickness cross‐laminations interpreted as wind‐ripple strata. Cross‐sets are separated by sub‐horizontal bounding surfaces traceable for tens of metres across outcrops that are interpreted as dune migration surfaces. Grain characteristics and presence of wind‐ripple strata indicate deposition of the Stimson formation by aeolian processes. The absence of features characteristic of damp or wet aeolian sediment accumulation indicate deposition in a dry aeolian system. Reconstruction of the palaeogeomorphology suggests that the Stimson dune field was composed largely of simple sinuous crescentic dunes with a height of ca10 m, and wavelengths of ca 150 m, with local development of complex dunes. Analysis of cross‐strata dip‐azimuths indicates that the general dune migration direction and hence net sediment transport was towards the north‐east. The juxtaposition of a dry aeolian system unconformably above the lacustrine Murray formation represents starkly contrasting palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions. Stratigraphic relationships indicate that this transition records a significant break in time, with the Stimson formation being deposited after the Murray formation and stratigraphically higher Mount Sharp group rocks had been buried, lithified and subsequently eroded.

Risks to Navigation at the Matagorda Ship Channel Entrance, Texas, Phase 2: Evaluation of Significant Risk Factors

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-01

jetties are deteriorating. As a result of this deterioration and lowered beach and dunes adjacent to the jetties, there are overwash occurrences during...the toe . An example slope stability analysis is presented in Figure 51. This figure shows a typical cross section or model properties (soil layers...depth caused by the ship passage. Any area of influence will be localized and, in light of a critical gradient analysis, near- toe scouring effects

Linear Dunes and Playas, Simson Desert, South Australia, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-12-01

This image of abstract shapes is comprised numerous subparallel, very long, orange colored linear dunes and patchy grey dry lakes (playas). The dunes are aligned north to south in the great central basin of Astralia (27.0S, 138.0E). The regularity of the dunes is created by the winds blowing from the south. As the dunes advance, jaged edges on the south side of each dry lake are formed while the north side is eroded smooth by the wind and water.

Coastal Evolution Modeling at Multiple Scales in Regional Sediment Management Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

run-up height (including setup), ∆h is the surge level (including tide elevation relative to mean sea level (MSL)); zD is the dune toe elevation...interactive shoreline, dune , and inlet evolution, on the scale of hundreds of years, a regional and long-term perspective. The regional model...side by subscript r. Dune Erosion As waves run up on the beach and reach the foot of the dune , the dune will be subject to erosion. If it is assumed

Dune Erosion Models and Swash Zone Kinematics from Remote Video Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-09

system. Thus, successful prediction of dune erosion requires knowledge of the expected trajectory of the eroding dune toe . If we describe the... dune toe trajectory as following a slope, βT, two end member retreat trajectories exist. The first would be direct landward erosion so that zb never...changes     0 0   T bb ztz  (2.24) The second end member trajectory is that erosion moves the dune toe directly up the foreshore slope

Radar remote sensing of wind-driven land degradation processes in northeastern Patagonia.

PubMed

del Valle, H F; Blanco, P D; Metternicht, G I; Zinck, J A

2010-01-01

Wind-driven land degradation negatively impacts on rangeland production and infrastructure in the Valdes Peninsula, northeastern Patagonia. The Valdes Peninsula has the most noticeable dunefields of the Patagonian drylands. Wind erosion has been assessed at different scales in this region, but often with limited data. In general, terrain features caused by wind activity are better discriminated by active microwaves than by sensors operating in the visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This paper aims to analyze wind-driven land degradation processes that control the radar backscatter observed in different sources of radar imagery. We used subsets derived from SIR-C, ERS-1 and 2, ENVISAT ASAR, RADARSAT-1, and ALOS PALSAR data. The visibility of aeolian features on radar images is mostly a function of wavelength, polarization, and incidence angle. Stabilized sand deposits are clearly observed in radar images, with defined edges but also signals of ongoing wind erosion. One of the most conspicuous features corresponds to old track sand dunes, a mixture of active and inactive barchanoid ridges and parabolic dunes. This is a clear example of deactivation of migrating dunes under the influence of vegetation. The L-band data reveal details of these sand ridges, whereas the C-band data only allow detecting a few of the larger tracks. The results of this study enable us to make recommendations about the utility of some radar sensor configurations for wind-driven land degradation reconnaissance in mid-latitude regions.

Summary of the Second International Planetary Dunes Workshop: Planetary Analogs - Integrating Models, Remote Sensing, and Field Data, Alamosa, Colorado, USA, May 18-21, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenton, L.K.; Bishop, M.A.; Bourke, M.C.; Bristow, C.S.; Hayward, R.K.; Horgan, B.H.; Lancaster, N.; Michaels, T.I.; Tirsch, D.; Titus, T.N.; Valdez, A.

2010-01-01

The Second International Planetary Dunes Workshop took place in Alamosa, Colorado, USA from May 18-21, 2010. The workshop brought together researchers from diverse backgrounds to foster discussion and collaboration regarding terrestrial and extra-terrestrial dunes and dune systems. Two and a half days were spent on five oral sessions and one poster session, a full-day field trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park, with a great deal of time purposefully left open for discussion. On the last day of the workshop, participants assembled a list of thirteen priorities for future research on planetary dune systems. ?? 2010.

The DUNE Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castander, F. J.

The Dark UNiverse Explorer (DUNE) is a wide-field imaging mission concept whose primary goal is the study of dark energy and dark matter with unprecedented precision. To this end, DUNE is optimised for weak gravitational lensing, and also uses complementary cosmological probes, such as baryonic oscillations, the integrated Sachs-Wolf effect, and cluster counts. Besides its observational cosmology goals, the mission capabilities of DUNE allow the study of galaxy evolution, galactic structure and the demographics of Earth-mass planets. DUNE is a medium class mission consisting of a 1.2m telescope designed to carry out an all-sky survey in one visible and three NIR bands. The final data of the DUNE mission will form a unique legacy for the astronomy community. DUNE has been selected jointly with SPACE for an ESA Assessment phase which has led to the Euclid merged mission concept which combines wide-field deep imaging with low resolution multi-object spectroscopy.

Environmental implications of the use of sulfidic back-bay sediments for dune reconstruction — Lessons learned post Hurricane Sandy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Benzel, William M.; Hoefen, Todd M.; Hageman, Philip L.; Morman, Suzette A.; Reilly, Timothy J.; Adams, Monique; Berry, Cyrus J.; Fischer, Jeffrey; Fisher, Irene

2016-01-01

Some barrier-island dunes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy's storm surges in October 2012 have been reconstructed using sediments dredged from back bays. These sand-, clay-, and iron sulfide-rich sediments were used to make berm-like cores for the reconstructed dunes, which were then covered by beach sand. In November 2013, we sampled and analyzed partially weathered materials collected from the cores of reconstructed dunes. There are generally low levels of metal toxicants in the reconstructed dune materials. However oxidation of reactive iron sulfides by percolating rainwater produces acid-sulfate pore waters, which evaporate during dry periods to produce efflorescent gypsum and sodium jarosite salts. The results suggest use of sulfidic sediments in dune reconstruction has both drawbacks (e.g., potential to generate acid runoff from dune cores following rainfall, enhanced corrosion of steel bulwarks) and possible benefits (e.g., efflorescent salts may enhance structural integrity).

Spaceborne radar observations: A guide for Magellan radar-image analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ford, J. P.; Blom, R. G.; Crisp, J. A.; Elachi, Charles; Farr, T. G.; Saunders, R. Stephen; Theilig, E. E.; Wall, S. D.; Yewell, S. B.

1989-01-01

Geologic analyses of spaceborne radar images of Earth are reviewed and summarized with respect to detecting, mapping, and interpreting impact craters, volcanic landforms, eolian and subsurface features, and tectonic landforms. Interpretations are illustrated mostly with Seasat synthetic aperture radar and shuttle-imaging-radar images. Analogies are drawn for the potential interpretation of radar images of Venus, with emphasis on the effects of variation in Magellan look angle with Venusian latitude. In each landform category, differences in feature perception and interpretive capability are related to variations in imaging geometry, spatial resolution, and wavelength of the imaging radar systems. Impact craters and other radially symmetrical features may show apparent bilateral symmetry parallel to the illumination vector at low look angles. The styles of eruption and the emplacement of major and minor volcanic constructs can be interpreted from morphological features observed in images. Radar responses that are governed by small-scale surface roughness may serve to distinguish flow types, but do not provide unambiguous information. Imaging of sand dunes is rigorously constrained by specific angular relations between the illumination vector and the orientation and angle of repose of the dune faces, but is independent of radar wavelength. With a single look angle, conditions that enable shallow subsurface imaging to occur do not provide the information necessary to determine whether the radar has recorded surface or subsurface features. The topographic linearity of many tectonic landforms is enhanced on images at regional and local scales, but the detection of structural detail is a strong function of illumination direction. Nontopographic tectonic lineaments may appear in response to contrasts in small-surface roughness or dielectric constant. The breakpoint for rough surfaces will vary by about 25 percent through the Magellan viewing geometries from low to high Venusian latitudes. Examples of anomalies and system artifacts that can affect image interpretation are described.

Do Sahara dunes make dust? Some dunes do and some dunes don't

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bristow, Charlie

2017-04-01

The Sahara desert is responsible for producing around half of the atmospheric mineral dust on Earth. While most of the Sahara has the potential to produce dust some areas have been identified using remote sensing as especially prolific dust sources such as the Bodélé Depression in Chad which is described as the dustiest place on Earth. Geomorphological analysis indicates that these areas are usually topographic lows, such as the Bodélé, as well as regions on the flanks of topographic highs. This view was challenged by Crouvi et al. (2012) who suggest that active sand dunes are the most frequent dust sources. In this paper we use an experimental dust chamber to generate dust from dune sediments collected from the crest of active sand dunes across the Sahara including samples from the Bodélé depression, as well as dune sands from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The experiments produced a wide range of results indicating that some dune sands, including those from the Bodélé produce much more dust than others.

Observation and numerical modeling of tidal dune dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doré, Arnaud; Bonneton, Philippe; Marieu, Vincent; Garlan, Thierry

2018-05-01

Tidal sand dune dynamics is observed for two tidal cycles in the Arcachon tidal inlet, southwest France. An array of instruments is deployed to measure bathymetric and current variations along dune profiles. Based on the measurements, dune crest horizontal and vertical displacements are quantified and show important dynamics in phase with tidal currents. We observed superimposed ripples on the dune stoss side and front, migrating and changing polarity as tidal currents reverse. A 2D RANS numerical model is used to simulate the morphodynamic evolution of a flat non-cohesive sand bed submitted to a tidal current. The model reproduces the bed evolution until a field of sand bedforms is obtained that are comparable with observed superimposed ripples in terms of geometrical dimensions and dynamics. The model is then applied to simulate the dynamics of a field of large sand dunes of similar size as the dunes observed in situ. In both cases, simulation results compare well with measurements qualitatively and quantitatively. This research allows for a better understanding of tidal sand dune and superimposed ripple morphodynamics and opens new perspectives for the use of numerical models to predict their evolution.

Dune-slope activity due to frost and wind throughout the north polar erg, Mars

PubMed Central

DINIEGA, SERINA; HANSEN, CANDICE J.; ALLEN, AMANDA; GRIGSBY, NATHAN; LI, ZHEYU; PEREZ, TYLER; CHOJNACKI, MATTHEW

2018-01-01

Repeat, high-resolution imaging of dunes within the Martian north polar erg have shown that these dune slopes are very active, with alcoves forming along the dune brink each Mars year. In some areas, a few hundred cubic metres of downslope sand movement have been observed, sometimes moving the dune brink ‘backwards’. Based on morphological and activity-timing similarities of these north polar features to southern dune gullies, identifying the processes forming these features is likely to have relevance for understanding the general evolution/modification of dune gullies. To determine alcove-formation model constraints, we have surveyed seven dune fields, each over 1–4 Mars winters. Consistent with earlier reports, we found that alcove-formation activity occurs during the autumn–winter seasons, before or while the stable seasonal frost layer is deposited. We propose a new model in which alcove formation occurs during the autumn, and springtime sublimation activity then enhances the feature. Summertime winds blow sand into the new alcoves, erasing small alcoves over a few Mars years. Based on the observed rate of alcove erasure, we estimated the effective aeolian sand transport flux. From this, we proposed that alcove formation may account for 2–20% of the total sand movement within these dune fields. PMID:29731538

Dune-slope activity due to frost and wind throughout the north polar erg, Mars.

PubMed

Diniega, Serina; Hansen, Candice J; Allen, Amanda; Grigsby, Nathan; Li, Zheyu; Perez, Tyler; Chojnacki, Matthew

2017-01-01

Repeat, high-resolution imaging of dunes within the Martian north polar erg have shown that these dune slopes are very active, with alcoves forming along the dune brink each Mars year. In some areas, a few hundred cubic metres of downslope sand movement have been observed, sometimes moving the dune brink 'backwards'. Based on morphological and activity-timing similarities of these north polar features to southern dune gullies, identifying the processes forming these features is likely to have relevance for understanding the general evolution/modification of dune gullies. To determine alcove-formation model constraints, we have surveyed seven dune fields, each over 1-4 Mars winters. Consistent with earlier reports, we found that alcove-formation activity occurs during the autumn-winter seasons, before or while the stable seasonal frost layer is deposited. We propose a new model in which alcove formation occurs during the autumn, and springtime sublimation activity then enhances the feature. Summertime winds blow sand into the new alcoves, erasing small alcoves over a few Mars years. Based on the observed rate of alcove erasure, we estimated the effective aeolian sand transport flux. From this, we proposed that alcove formation may account for 2-20% of the total sand movement within these dune fields.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Kathryn A.; Redsteer, Margaret H.

2016-01-01

Dune 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.

Earth observation taken by the Expedition 28 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-09-08

ISS028-E-044444 (8 Sept. 2011) --- This image, photographed by an Expedition 28 crew member on the International Space Station, highlights a sand dune field within the Burqin-Haba River-Jimunai Desert near the borders of China, Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan. The dune field (approximately 32 kilometers long) is located immediately to the west-northwest of the city of Burqin (not shown), and is part of the Junggar Basin, a region of active petroleum production in northwestern China. The Irtysh River, with associated wetlands and riparian vegetation (appearing grey-green in the image) flows from its headwaters in the Altay Mountains to the east towards Siberia to the west (right to left). Tan sandy linear dunes at center on the south side of the Irtysh River dominate the view. The linear dunes are formed from mobile barchan (crescent-shaped) dunes moving from left to right in this view; the barchans eventually merge to form the large linear dunes some of which reach 50-100 meters in height. Sand moving along the southern edge of the dune field appears to be feeding a southeastern lobe with a separate population of linear dunes (lower right). The Burqin-Haba River-Jimunai Desert area also includes darker gravel covered surfaces that form pavements known locally as gobi. These are somewhat indistinguishable from vegetated areas arresting some of the dunes at the resolution of the image, but tend to be located on the flat regions between the dunes.

Dunes on Saturn’s moon Titan as revealed by the Cassini Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radebaugh, Jani

2013-12-01

Dunes on Titan, a dominant landform comprising at least 15% of the surface, represent the end product of many physical processes acting in alien conditions. Winds in a nitrogen-rich atmosphere with Earth-like pressure transport sand that is likely to have been derived from complex organics produced in the atmosphere. These sands then accumulate into large, planet-encircling sand seas concentrated near the equator. Dunes on Titan are predominantly linear and similar in size and form to the large linear dunes of the Namib, Arabian and Saharan sand seas. They likely formed from wide bimodal winds and appear to undergo average sand transport to the east. Their singular form across the satellite indicates Titan’s dunes may be highly mature, and may reside in a condition of stability that permitted their growth and evolution over long time scales. The dunes are among the youngest surface features, as even river channels do not cut through them. However, reorganization time scales of large linear dunes on Titan are likely tens of thousands of years. Thus, Titan’s dune forms may be long-lived and yet be actively undergoing sand transport. This work is a summary of research on dunes on Titan after the Cassini Prime and Equinox Missions (2004-2010) and now during the Solstice Mission (to end in 2017). It discusses results of Cassini data analysis and modeling of conditions on Titan and it draws comparisons with observations and models of linear dune formation and evolution on Earth.

A morphometric comparison of the Namib and southwest Kalahari dunefields using ASTER GDEM data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Kevin; Bullard, Joanna; Livingstone, Ian; Moran, Lisa

2015-12-01

The increased availability of digital elevation models and satellite image data enable testing of morphometric relationships between sand dune variables (dune height, spacing and equivalent sand thickness), which were originally established using limited field survey data. These long-established geomorphological hypotheses can now be tested against very much larger samples than were possible when available data were limited to what could be collected by field surveys alone. This project uses ASTER global digital elevation model (GDEM) data to compare morphometric relationships between sand dune variables in the southwest Kalahari dunefield to those of the Namib sand sea, to test whether the relationships found in an active sand sea (Namib) also hold for the fixed dune system of the nearby southwest Kalahari. The data show significant morphometric differences between the simple linear dunes of the Namib sand sea and the southwest Kalahari; the latter do not show the expected positive relationship between dune height and spacing. The southwest Kalahari dunes show a similar range of dune spacings, but they are less tall, on average, than the Namib sand sea dunes. There is a clear spatial pattern to these morphometric data; the tallest and most closely spaced dunes are towards the southeast of the Kalahari dunefield; and this is where the highest values of equivalent sand thickness result. We consider the possible reasons for the observed differences and highlight the need for more studies comparing sand seas and dunefields from different environmental settings.

Flowing Dunes of Shangri-La Denoised

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-07

This radar image of the Shangri-La Sand Sea on Titan from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows hundreds of sand dunes are visible as dark lines snaking across the surface. These dunes display patterns of undulation and divergence around elevated mountains (which appear bright to the radar), thereby showing the direction of wind and sand transport on the surface. Sands being carried from left to right (west to east) cannot surmount the tallest obstacles; instead, they are directed through chutes and canyons between the tall features, evident in thin, blade-like, isolated dunes between bright some features. Once sands have passed around the obstacles, they resume their downwind course, at first collecting into small, patchy dunes and then organizing into larger, more pervasive linear forms, before being halted once again by obstacles. These patterns reveal the effects not only of wind -- perhaps even modern winds if the dunes are actively moving today -- but also the effects of underlying bedrock and surrounding topography. Dunes across the solar system aid in our understanding of underlying topography, winds and climate, past and present. Similar patterns can be seen in dunes of the Great Sandy Desert in Australia, where dunes undulate broadly across the uneven terrain and are halted at the margins of sand-trapping lakes. The dune orientations correlate generally with the direction of current trade winds, and reveal that winds must have been similar back when the dunes formed, during the Pleistocene glacial and interglacial periods. The image was taken by the Cassini Synthetic Aperture radar (SAR) on July 25, 2016 during the mission's 122nd targeted Titan encounter. The image has been modified by the denoising method described in A. Lucas, JGR:Planets (2014). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20711

Flowing Dunes of Shangri-La

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-07

The Shangri-La Sand Sea on Titan is shown in this image from the Synthetic Aperture radar (SAR) on NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Hundreds of sand dunes are visible as dark lines snaking across the surface. These dunes display patterns of undulation and divergence around elevated mountains (which appear bright to the radar), thereby showing the direction of wind and sand transport on the surface. Sands being carried from left to right (west to east) cannot surmount the tallest obstacles; instead, they are directed through chutes and canyons between the tall features, evident in thin, blade-like, isolated dunes between bright some features. Once sands have passed around the obstacles, they resume their downwind course, at first collecting into small, patchy dunes and then organizing into larger, more pervasive linear forms, before being halted once again by obstacles. These patterns reveal the effects not only of wind -- perhaps even modern winds if the dunes are actively moving today -- but also the effects of underlying bedrock and surrounding topography. Dunes across the solar system aid in our understanding of underlying topography, winds and climate, past and present. Similar patterns can be seen in dunes of the Great Sandy Desert in Australia, where dunes undulate broadly across the uneven terrain and are halted at the margins of sand-trapping lakes. The dune orientations correlate generally with the direction of current trade winds, and reveal that winds must have been similar back when the dunes formed, during the Pleistocene glacial and interglacial periods. An annotated version of this radar image is also available.at the Photojournal. North on Titan is up in the image. Radar illuminates the scene from upper right at a 27-degree incidence angle. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20710

Characteristics of dune-paleosol-sequences in Fuerteventura. - What should be questioned?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faust, Dominik; Willkommen, Tobias; Yanes, Yurena; Richter, David; Zöller, Ludwig

2013-04-01

Characteristics of dune-paleosol-sequences in Fuerteventura. - What should be questioned? Dominik Faust, TU Dresden, Germany Tobias Willkommen, TU Dresden, Germany Yurena Yanes, CSIC Granada/Cincinatti, Spain/USA David Richter, TU Dresden, Germany Ludwig Zöller, Uni Bayreuth, Germany The northern part of Fuerteventura is characterized by large dune fields. We investigated dune-paleosol-sequences in four pits to establish a robust stratigraphy and to propose a standard section. An interaction of processes like dune formation, soil formation and redeposition of soils and sand are most important to understand the principles of landscape development in the study area. To our mind a process cycle seem to be important: First climbing-dunes are formed by sand of shelf origin. Then soil formation could have taken place. Soil and/or sand were then eroded and deposited at toe slope position. This material in turn is the source of new sand supply and dune formation. The described cycle may be repeated several times and this ping-pong-process holds on. The results are sections composed of dune layers, paleosols and colluvial material interbedded. Fundamental questions still remain unanswered: Is climate change responsable for changes in process combination (e.g. from dune formation to soil formation)? Or are these features due to divergence phenomenon, where different effects/results (dune and soils) may be linked to similar causes (here: climate)? Assuming that different features (soils and dunes) were formed under one climate, increasing soil forming intensity could be mainly a function of decreasing sand supply. This in turn could be caused by reduced sand production (s. ZECH et al. accepted). However geochemical data and mollusc assemblages point to changing environments in space and even climate modifications in time.

Extraction of lidar-based dune-crest elevations for use in examining the vulnerability of beaches to inundation during hurricanes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stockdon, H.F.; Doran, K.S.; Sallenger, A.H.

2009-01-01

The morphology of coastal sand dunes plays an important role in determining how a beach will respond to a hurricane. Accurate measurements of dune height and position are essential for assessing the vulnerability of beaches to extreme coastal change during future landfalls. Lidar topographic surveys provide rapid, accurate, high-resolution datasets for identifying the location, position, and morphology of coastal sand dunes over large stretches of coast. An algorithm has been developed for identification of the crest of the most seaward sand dune that defines the landward limit of the beach system. Based on changes in beach slope along cross-shore transects of lidar data, dune elevation and location can automatically be extracted every few meters along the coastline. Dune elevations in conjunction with storm-induced water levels can be used to predict the type of coastal response (e.g., beach erosion, dune erosion, overwash, or inundation) that may be expected during hurricane landfall. The vulnerability of the beach system at Fire Island National Seashore in New York to the most extreme of these changes, inundation, is assessed by comparing lidar-derived dune elevations to modeled wave setup and storm surge height. The vulnerability of the beach system to inundation during landfall of a Category 3 hurricane is shown to be spatially variable because of longshore variations in dune height (mean elevation 5.44 m, standard deviation 1.32 m). Hurricane-induced mean water levels exceed dune elevations along 70 of the coastal park, making these locations more vulnerable to inundation during a Category 3 storm. ?? 2009 Coastal Education and Research Foundation.

Numerical modelling of flow structures over idealized transverse aeolian dunes of varying geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, Daniel R.; Walker, Ian J.; Wiggs, Giles F. S.

2004-04-01

A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model (PHOENICS™ 3.5) previously validated for wind tunnel measurements is used to simulate the streamwise and vertical velocity flow fields over idealized transverse dunes of varying height ( h) and stoss slope basal length ( L). The model accurately reproduced patterns of: flow deceleration at the dune toe; stoss flow acceleration; vertical lift in the crest region; lee-side flow separation, re-attachment and reversal; and flow recovery distance. Results indicate that the flow field over transverse dunes is particularly sensitive to changes in dune height, with an increase in height resulting in flow deceleration at the toe, streamwise acceleration and vertical lift at the crest, and an increase in the extent of, and strength of reversed flows within, the lee-side separation cell. In general, the length of the separation zone varied from 3 to 15 h from the crest and increased over taller, steeper dunes. Similarly, the flow recovery distance ranged from 45 to >75 h and was more sensitive to changes in dune height. For the range of dune shapes investigated in this study, the differing effects of height and stoss slope length raise questions regarding the applicability of dune aspect ratio as a parameter for explaining airflow over transverse dunes. Evidence is also provided to support existing research on: streamline curvature and the maintenance of sand transport in the toe region; vertical lift in the crest region and its effect on grainfall delivery; relations between the turbulent shear layer and downward forcing of flow re-attachment; and extended flow recovery distances beyond the separation cell. Field validation is required to test these findings in natural settings. Future applications of the model will characterize turbulence and shear stress fields, examine the effects of more complex isolated dune forms and investigate flow over multiple dunes.

Mineralogic variability of the Kelso Dunes, Mojave Desert, California derived from Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramsey, Michael S.; Howard, Douglas A.; Christensen, Philip R.; Lancaster, Nicholas

1993-01-01

Mineral identification and mapping of alluvial material using thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing is extremely useful for tracking sediment transport, assessing the degree of weathering and locating sediment sources. As a result of the linear relation between a mineral's percentage in a given area (image pixel) and the depth of its diagnostic spectral features, TIR spectra can be deconvolved in order to ascertain mineralogic percentages. Typical complications such as vegetation, particle size and thermal shadowing are minimized upon examination of dunes. Actively saltating dunes contain little to no vegetation, are very well sorted and lack the thermal shadows that arise from rocky terrain. The primary focus of this work was to use the Kelso Dunes as a test location for an accuracy analysis of temperature/emissivity separation and linear unmixing algorithms. Accurate determination of ground temperature and component discrimination will become key products of future ASTER data. A decorrelation stretch of the TIMS image showed clear color variations within the active dunes. Samples collected from these color units were analyzed for mineralogy, grain size, and separated into endmembers. This analysis not only revealed that the dunes contained significant mineralogic variation, but were more immature (low quartz percentage) than previously reported. Unmixing of the TIMS data using the primary mineral endmembers produced unique variations within the dunes and may indicate near, rather than far, source locales for the dunes. The Kelso Dunes lie in the eastern Mojave Desert, California, approximately 95 km west of the Colorado River. The primary dune field is contained within a topographic basin bounded by the Providence, Granite Mountains, with the active region marked by three northeast trending linear ridges. Although active, the dunes appear to lie at an opposing regional wind boundary which produces little net movement of the crests. Previous studies have estimated the dunes range from 70% to 90% quartz mainly derived from a source 40 km to the west. The dune field is assumed to have formed in a much more arid climate than present, with the age of the deposit estimated at greater than 100,000 years.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 31 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-11

ISS031-E-030783 (11 May 2012) --- Linear dunes in the Great Sand Sea in southwest Egypt are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 31 crew member on the International Space Station. In southwestern Egypt, deep in the Sahara Desert, the action of wind dominates landscapes today much as it has done for the past several thousand years. Winds blowing from the north have fashioned sands into large dunes, aligned parallel with these winds. The so-called linear dunes?shown here in the Great Sand Sea?are easily seen from space and local maps show that they rise 20?30 meters above the surrounding flat plains. The distance between individual linear dunes is interestingly regular, at 1.5?2.5 kilometers, suggesting some equilibrium exists between the formative wind strength and the sand supply. It is possible that linear dunes may relate to earlier times when winds were stronger than they are today, or sand more plentiful. The dark patch of rock outcrop at upper right sticks up above the surface on which the dunes lie by as much as 150 meters. The north winds have been deflected around this high zone, and smaller secondary linear dunes can be seen along the right side of the image, aligned with local winds that become ever more northeasterly with nearness to the outcrops. A dune-free zone on the protected downwind (south-southeast) side of the outcrop gives a sense of the sand movement (generally from the bottom of the image towards the top). At first glance, the large linear dunes appear to be the major landform in the image; however a complex pattern of even smaller dunes can be seen perched on top of the largest dunes (inset). The sand that comprises many dune fields usually, according to scientists, derives from some larger river not very distant upwind, supplied from the dry river bed (exposed to the wind during dry seasons of low river flow, or regional change to a more arid climate). Inland dune fields thus lie downwind of the source river. A large, unnamed river once flowed to the Mediterranean Sea situated west of the dunes shown in this picture, dumping its sand load 300 kilometers northwest of the area shown. It is likely that this river, the evidence of which is now almost completely obliterated, was the source of the sand in the linear dunes, the scientists say.

Tidal dunes versus tidal bars: The sedimentological and architectural characteristics of compound dunes in a tidal seaway, the lower Baronia Sandstone (Lower Eocene), Ager Basin, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olariu, Cornel; Steel, Ronald J.; Dalrymple, Robert W.; Gingras, Murray K.

2012-11-01

The Lower Eocene Baronia Formation in the Ager Basin is interpreted as a series of stacked compound dunes confined within a tectonically generated embayment or tidal seaway. This differs from the previous interpretation of lower Baronia sand bodies as tidal bars in the front of a delta. The key architectural building block of the succession, the deposit of a single compound dune, forms a 1-3 m-thick, upward coarsening succession that begins with highly bioturbated, muddy, very fine to fine grained sandstone that contains an open-marine Cruziana ichnofacies. This is overlain gradationally by ripple-laminated sandstone that is commonly bioturbated and contains mud drapes. The succession is capped by fine- to coarse-grained sandstones that contain both planar and trough cross-strata with unidirectional or bi-directional paleocurrent directions and occasional thin mud drapes on the foresets. The base of a compound dune is gradational where it migrated over muddy sandstone deposited between adjacent dunes, but is sharp and erosional where it migrated over the stoss side of a previous compound dune. The cross strata that formed by simple superimposed dunes dip in the same direction as the inclined master bedding planes within the compound dune, forming a forward-accretion architecture. This configuration is the fundamental reason why these sandbodies are interpreted as compound tidal dunes rather than as tidal bars, which, in contrast, generate lateral-accretion architecture. In the Baronia, fields of compound dunes generated tabular sandbodies 100s to 1000s of meters in extent parallel to the paleocurrent direction and up to 6 m thick that alternate vertically with highly bioturbated muddy sandstones (up to 10 m thick) that represent the low-energy fringes of the dune fields or periods of high sea level when current speeds decreased. Each cross-stratified sandstone sheet (compound-dune complexes) contains overlapping lenticular "shingles" formed by individual compound dunes, separated by 10-30 cm of bioturbated muddy sandstone, which migrated over each other in an offlapping, progradational fashion. Each compound-dune complex (the best reservoir rock) thins as it downlaps, at average rates of 3-4 m/km in a dip direction. These reservoir units can be comprised of discrete compartments, each formed by a single compound dune, that extend for 500-1000 m in the direction of the current, and are at least 350-600 m wide in a flow-transverse direction. Distinguishing between tidal bars and tidal dunes in an ancient tidal succession can be difficult because both can contain similar cross-bedded facies and have overlapping thicknesses; however, the internal architecture and sandbody orientations are different. Tidal bars have their long axis almost parallel both to the tidal current direction and to the strike of the lateral-accretion master surfaces. In inshore areas, they are bounded by channels and fine upward. Large compound tidal dunes, in contrast, have their crest oriented approximately normal to the tidal currents and contain a forward-accretion architecture. Coeval channels are uncommon within large, sub-tidal dune fields. The above distinctions are very important to reservoir description and modeling, because the long axis of the intra-reservoir compartments in the two cases will be 90° apart.

Dune bedforms produced by dilute pyroclastic density currents from the August 2006 eruption of Tungurahua volcano, Ecuador.

PubMed

Douillet, Guilhem Amin; Pacheco, Daniel Alejandro; Kueppers, Ulrich; Letort, Jean; Tsang-Hin-Sun, Ève; Bustillos, Jorge; Hall, Minard; Ramón, Patricio; Dingwell, Donald B

A series of pyroclastic density currents were generated at Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) during a period of heightened activity in August 2006. Dense pyroclastic flows were confined to valleys of the drainage network, while dilute pyroclastic density currents overflowed on interfluves where they deposited isolated bodies comprising dune bedforms of cross-stratified ash exposed on the surface. Here, the description, measurement, and classification of more than 300 dune bedforms are presented. Four types of dune bedforms are identified with respect to their shape, internal structure, and geometry (length, width, thickness, stoss and lee face angles, and stoss face length). (1) "Elongate dune bedforms" have smooth shapes and are longer (in the flow direction) than wide or thick. Internal stratification consists of stoss-constructional, thick lensoidal layers of massive and coarse-grained material, alternating with bedsets of fine laminae that deposit continuously on both stoss and lee sides forming aggrading structures with upstream migration of the crests. (2) "Transverse dune bedforms" show linear crests perpendicular to the flow direction, with equivalent lengths and widths. Internally, these bedforms exhibit finely stratified bedsets of aggrading ash laminae with upstream crest migration. Steep truncations of the bedsets are visible on the stoss side only. (3) "Lunate dune bedforms" display a barchanoidal shape and have stratification patterns similar to those of the transverse ones. Finally, (4) "two-dimensional dune bedforms" are much wider than long, exhibit linear crests and are organized into trains. Elongate dune bedforms are found exclusively in proximal deposition zones. Transverse, lunate, and two-dimensional dune bedforms are found in distal ash bodies. The type of dune bedform developed varies spatially within an ash body, transverse dune bedforms occurring primarily at the onset of deposition zones, transitioning to lunate dune bedforms in intermediate zones, and two-dimensional dune bedforms exclusively on the lateral and distal edges of the deposits. The latter are also found where flows moved upslope. Elongate dune bedforms were deposited from flows with both granular-based and tractional flow boundaries that possessed high capacity and competence. They may have formed in a subcritical context by the blocking of material on the stoss side. We do not interpret them as antidune or "chute-and-pool" structures. The dimensions and cross-stratification patterns of transverse dune bedforms are interpreted as resulting from low competence currents with a significant deposition rate, but we rule out their interpretation as "antidunes". A similar conclusion holds for lunate dune bedforms, whose curved shape results from a sedimentation rate dependent on the thickness of the bedform. Finally, two-dimensional dune bedforms were formed where lateral transport exceeds longitudinal transport; i.e., in areas where currents were able to spread laterally in low velocity zones. We suggest that the aggrading ash bedsets with upstream crest migration were formed under subcritical flow conditions where the tractional bedload transport was less important than the simultaneous fallout from suspension. This produced differential draping with no further reworking. We propose the name "regressive climbing dunes" for structures produced by this process. A rapid decrease in current velocity, possibly triggered by hydraulic jumps affecting the entire parent flows, is inferred to explain their deposition. This process can in principle hold for any kind of particulate density current.

Aeolian sand as a tool for understanding Mars: Thermal infrared remote sensing of volcaniclastic Mars-analog sand dunes in Christmas Lake Valley, Oregon, U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edgett, Kenneth S.

1996-10-01

INTRODUCTION: On Earth, aeolian sand dunes are used as tools of scientific inquiry. Holocene and Pleistocene dunes preserve clues about Quaternary climate variations and human activities ranging from Ice Age hunting practices to Twentieth Century warfare. Modern dunes contain the sedimentary textures and structures necessary for interpreting ancient sandstones, and they provide natural laboratories for investigation of aeolian physics and desertification processes. The dunes of Mars can likewise be used as scientific tools. Dunes provide relatively dust-free surfaces. From a remote sensing perspective, martian dunes have much potential for providing clues about surface mineralogy and the interaction between the surface and atmosphere. Such information can in turn provide insights regarding crust composition, volcanic evolution, present and past climate events, and perhaps weathering rates. The Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) is expected to reach the planet in September 1997. TES will provide 6 to 50 micrometer spectra of the martian surface at ground resolutions of 3 to 9 km. Sandy aeolian environments on Mars might provide key information about bedrock composition. To prepare for the TES investigation, I have been examining a thermal infrared image of a Mars-composition analog dune field in Christmas Lake Valley, Oregon. COMPOSITION AND GEOLOGIC SETTING: The "Shifting Sand Dunes" dune field is located at the eastern end of Christmas Lake Valley, in what was once the Pleistocene Fort Rock Lake [1]. Much of the sand that makes up the Shifting Sand Dunes dune field is reworked Mt. Mazama airfall from its terminal eruption 6,800 years ago, plus material deflated from the lake bed [1, 2]. The main constituents of the dunes are volcanic glass and devitrified glass fragments, plagioclase crystals, basalt lithic fragments, aggregates of silt and clay-size volcanic ash, pyroxenes, opaque oxide minerals (mostly magnetite), and trace occurrences of fossil fragments and other minerals [3]. THERMAL INFRARED IMAGE: The thermal infrared images used in this study was obtained by the NASA Ames Research Center C-130 Earth Resources airborne Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) on 21 September 1991. The image has 6 spectral bands between 8 and 12 micrometers and a ground resolution of 9 m/pixel. The raw image was converted to calibrated radiance, from which normalized emittance was computed for each of the six bands, following the method of Realmutto [4]. Atmospheric effects were corrected using an empirical method described by Edgett and Anderson [5]. The resulting 6-band image provides quantitative determination of the surface emissivity. Dune spectra in the image match spectra obtained in our laboratory using samples collected from the field area [3, 5]. ACTIVE DUNES, INACTIVE DUNES, AND INTERDUNE AREAS FROM EMISSIVITY VARIATION: This study shows that in a modern dune field, the location of active dunes, interdune surfaces, and inactive dunes can be mapped using emissivity in the thermal infrared band that shows the most spectral variation [6]. In this case, TIMS band 3 (9.2 micrometers) had the most variation, although the entire emissivity range was only from 0.89 to 1.0. Active dunes had the lowest emissivities (0.89 to 0.91), inactive dunes were distinguished by higher emissivities (.094 to 1.0), and interdune surfaces had intermediate values (0.90 to 0.95). These emissivity variations result from differences in particle size, as inactive dunes tend to have finer-grained silt and dust on them. LINEAR UNMIXING USING IMAGE ENDMEMBERS: Quantitative estimates of thermal infrared spectral emissivity are ideally suited to unmixing analysis. For grains larger than the wavelength (e.g., dune sand), a linear unmixing approach provides geologically useful results [7]. In the present study, image endmembers were selected for a preliminary unmixing study: (1) "regular sand," which contains nearly 50% plagioclase and nearly 20% volcanic glass; (2) "dark sand, which consists mainly of basalt clasts (> 25%) and glass (> 30%); (3) "mud chips," which are volcanic ash aggregates broken into sand-sized pieces, (4) sagebrush and grass; and (5) thick vegetation, such as an alfalfa farm near the dunes. The most important result of this preliminary unmixing work is an image that shows the distribution of ash aggregates and "dark sand," both of which vary throughout the dune field as a function of proximity to the source. The volcanic ash aggregates, in particular, are locally eroded from a layer that caps the Pleistocene lake beds that underlie the dunes [3]. SUMMARY: This study highlights the use of thermal infrared spectra to map local contributions of sand to a dune field, and to distinguish active versus inactive dune fields. Mapping of local contributions to active dune fields on Mars using TES or other multispectral images has potential to provide indications of local bedrock composition. REFERENCES: [1] Allison, I. S. (1979) Oregon Dept. Geol. Minl. Res. Spec. Pap. 7. [2] Dole, H. M. (1942) M.S. Thesis, Oregon State, Corvallis, Or. [3] Edgett, K. S. (1994) in Ph.D. Diss., pp. 145-201, Arizona State, Tempe, AZ. [4] Realmutto, V. J. (1990) in JPL Publ. 90-55, pp. 31-35. [5] Edgett, K. S., and D. L. Anderson (1995) in JPL Publ. 95-1, v. 2, pp. 9-12. [6] Edgett, K. S. et al. (1995) in JPL Publ. 95-1, v. 2, pp. 13-16. [7] Ramsey, M. S. (1996) Ph.D. Diss, Arizona State, Tempe, AZ.

Coastal dune systems and disturbance factors: monitoring and analysis in central Italy.

PubMed

De Luca, Elena; Novelli, Claudia; Barbato, Fabio; Menegoni, Patrizia; Iannetta, Massimo; Nascetti, Giuseppe

2011-12-01

This study describes the conservation status of dune systems in relation to disturbance factors in the coastal stretch of the Viterbo province, Latium Region, Italy. Particular emphasis was given to the bioindication value of plant communities and their sequence. Each plant community was considered as a "habitat" in accordance with Annex I of the Directive 92/43/EU. Stress factors, such as sand dynamic and erosion, and anthropogenic pressures, such as trampling and bathing settlements, influence the sequence of habitats and weaken the system of relations that makes these coenoses to occur in extreme conditions. The choice to carry out surveys along wide transects, recording different data, allowed to explore the use of habitats as bioindicators. Comparing sites characterized by the same extension in a homogeneous area, it was possible to expand the use of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) as a tool to correlate habitat composition and disturbance factors. The application of CCA showed a high correlation of degradation and habitat loss with coastal erosion, trampling and presence of waste. Furthermore, floristic surveys allowed the application of different biodiversity indices to quantify species richness of sampled areas. The conservation status of the sites investigated was found to be diverse, from the total disappearance of the mobile dune habitats to their complete sequence. The proposed methodology has been useful to fulfill the objective of the work and is applicable to other case studies in the Mediterranean.

Investigating Mars: Hebes Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-14

This image shows the part of the southern cliff face of Hebes Chasma a the bottom of the image. At the top of the image is part of the large mesa located in the center of the chasma. Hebes Chasma is an enclosed basin not connected to Valles Marineris. The cliff faces of the chasma itself and the interior mesa appear quite different, which may provided information on how the chasma and the mesa formed. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 10052 Latitude: -1.5441 Longitude: 283.71 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-03-21 00:22 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21809

Characteristics Of Basaltic Sand: Size, Shape, And Composition As A Function Of Transport Process And Distance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craddock, R. A.; Needell, Z. A.; Rose, T. R.

2012-04-01

Overview: The chemical and physical characteristics of sedimentary material can provide valuable clues about transport processes, distance traveled, and provenance, all of which are aspects of Martian geography that we would like to better understand. For a typical sedimentary deposit on Earth, for example, it has been shown that the ratio of feldspar to quartz can be used to assess the maturity (or transport distance) of a terrestrial deposit, because feldspar is more vulnerable to weathering than quartz. Further, chemical analysis can also be used to determine potential sediment sources, and grain-size sorting can be used to distinguish aeolian sediments (typically well-sorted) from fluvial sediments (poorly sorted in high energy environments). It is also common to use the shapes of individual quartz particles to determine transport process and distance, all of which can help us better understand the history of a sample of sedimentary material and the geological processes that created and emplaced it. These traditional sedimentological concepts are now being applied to our interpretation of Martian surface materials. Sullivan et al. [2008], for example, used grain-size and shape to assess eolian processes and to qualify transport distances of deposits found at the Spirit landing site in Gusev Crater. Stockstill-Cahill et al. [62008 used variations in mineral abundances observed in multispectral data to determine the provenance of dark dunes found in Amazonis Planitia craters. While applying our understanding of terrestrial sedimentary materials to Martian surface materials is intuitively sound and logical, the problem is that most of our current understanding is based on sediments derived from felsic materials (e.g., granite) primarily because that is the composition of most of the landmass on the Earth. However, the Martian surface is composed primarily of mafic material, or basalt, which generates much different sedimentary particles as it weathers. Instead of quartz, feldspar, and heavy minerals commonly found in most terrestrial sedimentary deposits, basaltic sediments are composed of varying amounts of olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase, and vitric and lithic fragments. One of the few locations on Earth containing such material is the Ka'u Desert of Hawaii. This area is unique in that both eolian and fluvial sediment pathways occur in the same area, thus allowing a direct comparison of particles transported by different processes over identical distances (~20 km). We are currently documenting the physical and chemical changes that take place in basaltic sediments as they are transported by wind and water over increasing distances. This will result in an improvement in our understanding of traditional sedimentological concepts when applying them to Martian surface materials. Process: The Ka'u Desert is ~350 km2 and contains the largest basaltic dune fields on Earth. We have identified several different dune types located in various parts of the desert, including climbing and falling dunes, sand sheets, parabolic dunes (that were initially barchans), and crescentic dunes. Fluvial sediments occur as floodout deposits where ephemeral streams go from confined to unconfined flow outside the continuous Keanakako'i Formation [7]. There are also a number of sand bottom streams and playas that occur along a series of channels that extend from the Keanakako'i Formation ~20 km to the sea. We have collected samples from dunes and fluvial deposits at various locations in the Ka'u Desert, at varying distances from sources and subject to different environmental processes. In the lab, we have begun to use optical and scanning electron microscopic images to assess how grain size, shape, and angularity of individual particles change with increasing transport distances. We are also conducting point counts of particles contained within each sample to better understand how olivine, pyroxene, feldspar, and lithic and vitric fragments weather with increasing transport distances. Selected samples are being analyzed for changes in chemistry. The results from this study will help us to understand how basaltic sediments may weather physically and chemically on Mars, and it may provide additional insights into the formation of Martian soils and dust. In addition, we are conducting statistical analyses of our samples using photographs from an optical microscope; analyses that could be easily performed in situ by a rover. By spreading the loose material on a blank background and photographing from above, we are obtaining 2-D projections of grain sizes and shapes. Using simple morphological operations to separate touching grains, we are obtaining grain size distribution weighted by number fraction, area fraction, or estimated volume fraction—giving much better grain size resolution and requiring much less labor than sieving. Further, we are using the resulting 2-D images to perform Fourier grain shape analyses, similar to those proposed by Ehrlich and Weinberg [1970], where the perimeter of each grain is broken down into its fourier components and the weights of each harmonic are averaged over a large number of grains. This averaged spectrum gives a quantitative measure of the roughness and angularity of the grain shape and has been used to determine the sources of mixed populations of quartz particles. The results from our study will provide information needed to determine provenance and transport distances of sedimentary material imaged by MER, MSL and the 2018 lander. Observations: To date, our results have been mostly qualitative. From exposed cross sections and test augers, we know that the stratigraphy within the dunes is complicated, and generally reflects the stratigraphy of the Keanakako'i Formation itself (e.g., more vitric-rich sands are generally in the lower part of the sections). It is not immediately clear if layers within the dunes are the result of local reworking of the tephra, or if the material was transported several to tens of kilometers. There is also the basic question of when and how the dunes actually formed. This requires a better understanding of both the lithology and timing of events, which will come with further analysis. Our preliminary grain size studies have also shown expected results. We found stratification of the sand in a climbing dune, with the material composing the lower part of the dune being bimodal, made up of a fine dust and coarse, dark lithic grains, while the material from the upper part of the dune is better sorted, consisting of relatively fine grained dark sand.

Preliminary study of Kelso Dunes using AVIRIS, TM, and AIRSAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Pung; Blumberg, Dan G.; Greeley, Ronald

1995-01-01

Remote sensing of sand dunes helps in the understanding of aeolian process and provides important information about the regional geologic history, environmental change, and desertification. Remotely sensed data combined with field studies are valuable in studying dune morphology, regional aeolian dynamics, and aeolian depositional history. In particular, active and inactive sands of the Kelso Dunes have been studied using landsat TM and AIRSAR. In this report, we describe the use of AVIRIS data to study the Kelso dunes and to compare the AVIRIS information with that from TM and AIRSAR.

Development of spatially diverse and complex dune-field patterns: Gran Desierto Dune Field, Sonora, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beveridge, C.; Kocurek, G.; Ewing, R.C.; Lancaster, N.; Morthekai, P.; Singhvi, A.K.; Mahan, S.A.

2006-01-01

The pattern of dunes within the Gran Desierto of Sonora, Mexico, is both spatially diverse and complex. Identification of the pattern components from remote-sensing images, combined with statistical analysis of their measured parameters demonstrate that the composite pattern consists of separate populations of simple dune patterns. Age-bracketing by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) indicates that the simple patterns represent relatively short-lived aeolian constructional events since ???25 ka. The simple dune patterns consist of: (i) late Pleistocene relict linear dunes; (ii) degraded crescentic dunes formed at ???12 ka; (iii) early Holocene western crescentic dunes; (iv) eastern crescentic dunes emplaced at ???7 ka; and (v) star dunes formed during the last 3 ka. Recognition of the simple patterns and their ages allows for the geomorphic backstripping of the composite pattern. Palaeowind reconstructions, based upon the rule of gross bedform-normal transport, are largely in agreement with regional proxy data. The sediment state over time for the Gran Desierto is one in which the sediment supply for aeolian constructional events is derived from previously stored sediment (Ancestral Colorado River sediment), and contemporaneous influx from the lower Colorado River valley and coastal influx from the Bahia del Adair inlet. Aeolian constructional events are triggered by climatic shifts to greater aridity, changes in the wind regime, and the development of a sediment supply. The rate of geomorphic change within the Gran Desierto is significantly greater than the rate of subsidence and burial of the accumulation surface upon which it rests. ?? 2006 The Authors. Journal compilation 2006 International Association of Sedimentologists.

Determining mineralogical variations of aeolian deposits using thermal infrared emissivity and linear deconvolution methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hubbard, Bernard E.; Hooper, Donald M.; Solano, Federico; Mars, John C.

2018-01-01

We apply linear deconvolution methods to derive mineral and glass proportions for eight field sample training sites at seven dune fields: (1) Algodones, California; (2) Big Dune, Nevada; (3) Bruneau, Idaho; (4) Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, Alaska; (5) Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado; (6) Sunset Crater, Arizona; and (7) White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. These dune fields were chosen because they represent a wide range of mineral grain mixtures and allow us to gauge a better understanding of both compositional and sorting effects within terrestrial and extraterrestrial dune systems. We also use actual ASTER TIR emissivity imagery to map the spatial distribution of these minerals throughout the seven dune fields and evaluate the effects of degraded spectral resolution on the accuracy of mineral abundances retrieved. Our results show that hyperspectral data convolutions of our laboratory emissivity spectra outperformed multispectral data convolutions of the same data with respect to the mineral, glass and lithic abundances derived. Both the number and wavelength position of spectral bands greatly impacts the accuracy of linear deconvolution retrieval of feldspar proportions (e.g. K-feldspar vs. plagioclase) especially, as well as the detection of certain mafic and carbonate minerals. In particular, ASTER mapping results show that several of the dune sites display patterns such that less dense minerals typically have higher abundances near the center of the active and most evolved dunes in the field, while more dense minerals and glasses appear to be more abundant along the margins of the active dune fields.

Determining mineralogical variations of aeolian deposits using thermal infrared emissivity and linear deconvolution methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, Bernard E.; Hooper, Donald M.; Solano, Federico; Mars, John C.

2018-02-01

We apply linear deconvolution methods to derive mineral and glass proportions for eight field sample training sites at seven dune fields: (1) Algodones, California; (2) Big Dune, Nevada; (3) Bruneau, Idaho; (4) Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, Alaska; (5) Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado; (6) Sunset Crater, Arizona; and (7) White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. These dune fields were chosen because they represent a wide range of mineral grain mixtures and allow us to gauge a better understanding of both compositional and sorting effects within terrestrial and extraterrestrial dune systems. We also use actual ASTER TIR emissivity imagery to map the spatial distribution of these minerals throughout the seven dune fields and evaluate the effects of degraded spectral resolution on the accuracy of mineral abundances retrieved. Our results show that hyperspectral data convolutions of our laboratory emissivity spectra outperformed multispectral data convolutions of the same data with respect to the mineral, glass and lithic abundances derived. Both the number and wavelength position of spectral bands greatly impacts the accuracy of linear deconvolution retrieval of feldspar proportions (e.g. K-feldspar vs. plagioclase) especially, as well as the detection of certain mafic and carbonate minerals. In particular, ASTER mapping results show that several of the dune sites display patterns such that less dense minerals typically have higher abundances near the center of the active and most evolved dunes in the field, while more dense minerals and glasses appear to be more abundant along the margins of the active dune fields.

Reestablishing Naturally Functioning Dunes on Developed Coasts.

PubMed

Nordstrom; Lampe; Vandemark

2000-01-01

/ The potential for reestablishing dune habitat is investigated in municipalities in New Jersey, USA, where natural coastal landforms and biota have been eliminated or reduced in extent. Dunes are classified using width, relationship to natural and cultural features, and changes through time, and they are assessed for their value as naturally functioning landforms in developed municipalities. The relationship between size and longevity that exists under natural conditions is altered by human activity. Small dunes on privately owned lots can survive as long as larger dunes in natural areas that are located farther inland, and foredunes repaired using sand fences and earth-moving equipment can survive where they could not under natural conditions.Common beach management practices reduce the ecological values of coastal dunes. Mechanical beach cleaning eliminates incipient dunes, habitat for nesting birds, seed sources for pioneer dune colonizers and food for fauna, and artificially small, stabilized foredunes reduce the variability in microenvironments necessary for biodiversity. Recent initiatives for reducing coastal hazards, protecting nesting birds, and encouraging nature-based tourism provide incentive for the development of a restoration program for beaches and dunes that is compatible with human use. Suggested changes in management practice include restricting or rerouting pedestrian traffic, altering beach-cleaning procedures, using symbolic fences to allow for aeolian transport while preventing trampling of dunes, and eliminating or severely restricting exotic species. Landforms will be more natural in function and appearance but will be more dynamic, smaller and in a different position from those in natural areas. Research needs are specified for ecological, geomorphological, and attitudinal studies to support and inform restoration planning.

Sand dunes on the central Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware

USGS Publications Warehouse

Denny, Charles Storrow; Owens, James Patrick

1979-01-01

Inconspicuous ancient sand dunes are present in parts of the central Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware. Many dunes are roughly V-shaped, built by northwest winds, especially on the east sides of some of the large rivers. On the uplands, the form and spacing of the dunes are variable. A surficial blanket composed mainly of medium and fine-grained sand-the Parsonsburg Sand-forms both the ancient dunes and the broad plains between the dunes. The sand that forms the dunes is massive and intensely burrowed in the upper part; traces of horizontal or slightly inclined bedding appear near the base. Quartz is the dominant mineral constituent of the sand. Microline is abundant in the very fine to fine sand fraction. The heavy-mineral assemblages (high zircon, tourmaline, rutile) are more mature than in most of the possible source rocks. The most abundant minerals in the clay-sized fraction are dioctahedral vermiculite, kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite, and gibbsite. The first four minerals are common in deposits of late Wisconsin and Holocene age. The gibbsite may be detrital, coming from weathered rocks of Tertiary age. The soil profile in the dune sand is weakly to moderately developed. At or near the base of the Parsonsburg Sand are peaty beds that range in age from about 30,000 to about 13,000 radiocarbon years B.P. Microfloral assemblages in the peaty beds suggest that the dunes on the uplands formed in a spruce parkland during the late Wisconsin glacial maximum. The river dunes may also be of late Wisconsin age, but could be Holocene.

Laboratory Observations of Dune Erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maddux, T. B.; Ruggiero, P.; Palmsten, M.; Holman, R.; Cox, D. T.

2006-12-01

Coastal dunes are an important feature along many coastlines, owing to their input to the sediment supply, use as habitat, and ability to protect onshore resources from wave attack. Correct predictions of the erosion and overtopping rates of these features are needed to develop improved responses to coastal dune damage events, and to determining the likelihood and magnitude of future erosion and overtopping on different beaches. We have conducted a large-scale laboratory study at Oregon State University's O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory (HWRL) with the goal of producing a comprehensive, near prototype-scale, physical model data set of hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and morphological evolution during extreme dune erosion events. The two goals of this work are (1) to develop a better understanding of swash/dune dynamics and (2) to evaluate and guide further development of dune erosion models. We present initial results from the first phase of the experimental program. An initial beach and dune profile was selected based on field LIDAR-based observations of various U.S. east coast and Gulf coast dune systems. The laboratory beach was brought to equilibrium with pre-storm random wave conditions. It was subsequently subjected to attack from steadily increasing water level and offshore wave heights. Observations made include inner surf zone and swash free surface and velocities as well as wave-by-wave estimates of topographical change at high spatial resolution through the use of stereo video imagery. Future work will include studies of fluid overtopping of the dune and sediment overwash and assessment of the resilience of man-made "push-up" dunes to wave attack in comparison with their more-compacted "natural" cousins.

Stability and bistability in a one-dimensional model of coastal foredune height

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, Evan B.; Moore, Laura J.

2016-05-01

On sandy coastlines, foredunes provide protection from coastal storms, potentially sheltering low areas—including human habitat—from elevated water level and wave erosion. In this contribution we develop and explore a one-dimensional model for coastal dune height based on an impulsive differential equation. In the model, coastal foredunes continuously grow in a logistic manner as the result of a biophysical feedback and they are destroyed by recurrent storm events that are discrete in time. Modeled dunes can be in one of two states: a high "resistant-dune" state or a low "overwash-flat" state. The number of stable states (equilibrium dune heights) depends on the value of two parameters, the nondimensional storm frequency (the ratio of storm frequency to the intrinsic growth rate of dunes) and nondimensional storm magnitude (the ratio of total water level during storms to the maximum theoretical dune height). Three regions of phase space exist (1) when nondimensional storm frequency is small, a single high resistant-dune attracting state exists; (2) when both the nondimensional storm frequency and magnitude are large, there is a single overwash-flat attracting state; (3) within a defined region of phase space model dunes exhibit bistable behavior—both the resistant-dune and the low overwash-flat states are stable. Comparisons to observational studies suggest that there is evidence for each state to exist independently, the coexistence of both states (i.e., segments of barrier islands consisting of overwash-flats and segments of islands having large dunes that resist erosion by storms), as well as transitions between states.

Holocene eolian activity in the Minot dune field, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, D.R.; Stafford, Thomas W.; Been, J.; Mahan, S.A.; Burdett, J.; Skipp, G.; Rowland, Z.M.

1997-01-01

Stabilized eolian sand is common over much of the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada, including a subhumid area of ??? 1500 km2 near Minot, North Dakota. Eolian landforms consist of sand sheets and northwest-trending parabolic dunes. Dunes and sand sheets in the Minot field are presently stabilized by a cover of prairie grasses or oak woodland. Stratigraphic studies and accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating of paleosols indicate at least two periods of eolian sand movement in the late Holocene. Pedologic data suggest that all of the dune field has experienced late Holocene dune activity, though not all parts of the dune field may have been active simultaneously. Similar immobile element (Ti, Zr, La, Ce) concentrations support the interpretation that eolian sands are derived from local glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sediments. However, glaciolacustrine and glaciofluvial source sediments have high Ca concentrations from carbonate minerals, whereas dune sands are depleted in Ca. Because noneolian-derived soils in the area are calcareous, these data indicate that the Minot dune field may have had extended periods of activity in the Holocene, such that eolian abrasion removed soft carbonate minerals. The southwest-facing parts of some presently stabilized dunes were active during the 1930s drought, but were revegetated during the wetter years of the 1940s. These observations indicate that severe droughts accompanied by high temperatures are the most likely cause of Holocene eolian activity.

The effects of psammophilous plants on sand dune dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bel, Golan; Ashkenazy, Yosef

2014-07-01

Mathematical models of sand dune dynamics have considered different types of sand dune cover. However, despite the important role of psammophilous plants (plants that flourish in moving-sand environments) in dune dynamics, the incorporation of their effects into mathematical models of sand dunes remains a challenging task. Here we propose a nonlinear physical model for the role of psammophilous plants in the stabilization and destabilization of sand dunes. There are two main mechanisms by which the wind affects these plants: (i) sand drift results in the burial and exposure of plants, a process that is known to result in an enhanced growth rate, and (ii) strong winds remove shoots and rhizomes and seed them in nearby locations, enhancing their growth rate. Our model describes the temporal evolution of the fractions of surface cover of regular vegetation, biogenic soil crust, and psammophilous plants. The latter reach their optimal growth under either (i) specific sand drift or (ii) specific wind power. The model exhibits complex bifurcation diagrams and dynamics, which explain observed phenomena, and it predicts new dune stabilization scenarios. Depending on the climatological conditions, it is possible to obtain one, two, or, predicted here for the first time, three stable dune states. Our model shows that the development of the different cover types depends on the precipitation rate and the wind power and that the psammophilous plants are not always the first to grow and stabilize the dunes.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Camp Discovery Helps Kids Build an Electric

Science.gov Websites

Dune Buggy Camp Discovery Helps Kids Build an Electric Dune Buggy to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Camp Discovery Helps Kids Build an Electric Dune Buggy on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Camp Discovery Helps Kids Build an Electric Dune Buggy on Twitter Bookmark

Illustrative Experiments of the Erosion of Sand and Accompanying Theoretical Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneiderbauer, Simon

2012-01-01

Winds in desert regions form the well-known barchan dunes. Frequently, human settlements are threatened by the migration of these dunes. But why do these dunes move? And how is dune migration in deserts connected to scour development in the vicinity of pylons in river beds or to snow cornices in alpine regions? This paper introduces the topic of…

Microbial Characterization of Qatari Barchan Sand Dunes

PubMed Central

Chatziefthimiou, Aspassia D.; Nguyen, Hanh; Richer, Renee; Louge, Michel; Sultan, Ali A.; Schloss, Patrick; Hay, Anthony G.

2016-01-01

This study represents the first characterization of sand microbiota in migrating barchan sand dunes. Bacterial communities were studied through direct counts and cultivation, as well as 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequence analysis to gain an understanding of microbial abundance, diversity, and potential metabolic capabilities. Direct on-grain cell counts gave an average of 5.3 ± 0.4 x 105 cells g-1 of sand. Cultured isolates (N = 64) selected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing belonged to the phyla Actinobacteria (58%), Firmicutes (27%) and Proteobacteria (15%). Deep-sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons from 18 dunes demonstrated a high relative abundance of Proteobacteria, particularly enteric bacteria, and a dune-specific-pattern of bacterial community composition that correlated with dune size. Shotgun metagenome sequences of two representative dunes were analyzed and found to have similar relative bacterial abundance, though the relative abundances of eukaryotic, viral and enterobacterial sequences were greater in sand from the dune closer to a camel-pen. Functional analysis revealed patterns similar to those observed in desert soils; however, the increased relative abundance of genes encoding sporulation and dormancy are consistent with the dune microbiome being well-adapted to the exceptionally hyper-arid Qatari desert. PMID:27655399

Comparison of the mineral composition of the sediment found in two Mars dunefields: Ogygis Undae and Gale crater - three distinct endmembers identified

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charles, Heather; Titus, Timothy; Hayward, Rosalyn; Edwards, Christopher; Ahrens, Caitlin

2017-01-01

The composition of two dune fields, Ogygis Undae and the NE-SW trending dune field in Gale crater (the "Bagnold Dune Field" and "Western Dune Field"), were analyzed using thermal emission spectra from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). The Gale crater dune field was used as a baseline as other orbital compositional analyses have been conducted, and in situ sampling results will soon be available. Results from unmixing thermal emission spectra showed a spatial variation between feldspar mineral abundances and pyroxene mineral abundances in Ogygis Undae. Other datasets, including nighttime thermal inertia values, also showed variation throughout the dune field. One explanation proposed for this variation is a bimodal distribution of two sand populations. This distribution is seen in some terrestrial dune fields. The two dune fields varied in both mineral types present and in uniformity of composition. These differences point to different source lithologies and different distances travelled from source material. Examining these differences further will allow for a greater understanding of aeolian processes on Mars.

Comparison of the mineral composition of the sediment found in two Mars dunefields: Ogygis Undae and Gale crater – three distinct endmembers identified

USGS Publications Warehouse

Charles, Heather; Titus, Timothy N.; Hayward, Rosalyn; Edwards, Christopher; Ahrens, Caitlin

2016-01-01

The composition of two dune fields, Ogygis Undae and the NE–SW trending dune field in Gale crater (the “Bagnold Dune Field” and “Western Dune Field”), were analyzed using thermal emission spectra from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). The Gale crater dune field was used as a baseline as other orbital compositional analyses have been conducted, and in situ sampling results will soon be available.Results from unmixing thermal emission spectra showed a spatial variation between feldspar mineral abundances and pyroxene mineral abundances in Ogygis Undae. Other datasets, including nighttime thermal inertia values, also showed variation throughout the dune field. One explanation proposed for this variation is a bimodal distribution of two sand populations. This distribution is seen in some terrestrial dune fields.The two dune fields varied in both mineral types present and in uniformity of composition. These differences point to different source lithologies and different distances travelled from source material. Examining these differences further will allow for a greater understanding of aeolian processes on Mars.

Turbulent Reynolds stress and quadrant event activity in wind flow over a coastal foredune

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Connie A.; Walker, Ian J.; Hesp, Patrick A.; Bauer, Bernard O.; Davidson-Arnott, Robin G. D.

2012-05-01

Recent research on quasi-instantaneous turbulent kinematic Reynolds stresses (RS, - u'w') and decomposed quadrant event activity (e.g., ejections and sweeps) over dunes in fluvial settings and in wind tunnels has shown that turbulent stresses at the toe of a dune often exceed time-averaged, streamwise shear stress (ρ u * 2) estimates. It is believed that semi-coherent turbulent structures are conveyed toward the bed along concave streamlines in this region and that impact of these structures cause fluctuations in local surface stresses that assist in grain entrainment. This has been hypothesized to explain how sand is supplied to the windward slope through a region of flow stagnation. Toward the crest, surface stress increases and becomes dominated by streamwise accelerations resulting from streamline compression and convexity that suppress vertical motions. High-frequency (32 Hz) measurements of turbulent wind flow from 3-D ultrasonic anemometers are analyzed for oblique onshore flow over a vegetated coastal foredune in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Reynolds stress and quadrant activity distributions varied with height (0.60 m and 1.66 m) and location over the dune. In general, quadrant 2 ejection (u' < 0, w' > 0) and quadrant 4 sweep activity (u' > 0, w' < 0) dominated momentum transfer and RS generation over quadrant 1 outward interaction (u' > 0, w' > 0) and quadrant 3 inward interaction (u' < 0, w' < 0) activity. On the lower stoss slope, significant ejection and sweep event activity was most frequent (85 to 92%, ejections plus sweeps), whereas, at the upper crest, significant ejection and sweep activity became less frequent while significant outward and inward interactions increased in frequency (25 to 36%). An 'exuberance effect' (i.e., changing shape of quadrant frequency distribution skewed toward ejection and sweep activity) is observed whereby streamline compression and convexity effects inhibit vertical fluctuations in flow and, thus, reduce the frequency of ejections and sweep activity toward the crest. In separated flow in the lee of the crest, quadrant distributions were more symmetrical as a result of more mixed, multi-directional flow. These trends in turbulent event distributions and Reynolds stress have implications for sediment transport dynamics across the dune and may help to explain sand transport potential and dune maintenance. For example, areas with a high frequency of ejection and sweep activity may have higher rates of sediment entrainment and transport, whereas areas with lower ejection and sweep activity and an increase in outward and inward interactions, which contribute negatively to Reynolds stress generation, may experience a greater potential for deposition. Further research on associations between quadrant event activity and coincident sand transport is required to confirm this hypothesis and the resultant significance of the flow exuberance effect in aeolian dune morphodynamics.

Alluvial Fans on Dunes in Kaiser Crater Suggest Niveo-Aeolian and Denivation Processes on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bourke, M. C.

2005-01-01

On Earth, cold region sand dunes often contain inter-bedded sand, snow, and ice. These mixed deposits of wind-driven snow, sand, silt, vegetal debris, or other detritus have been termed Niveo-aeolian deposits. These deposits are often coupled with features that are due to melting or sublimation of snow, called denivation features. Snow and ice may be incorporated into dunes on Mars in three ways. Diffusion of water vapour into pore spaces is the widely accepted mechanism for the accretion of premafrost ice. Additional mechanisms may include the burial by sand of snow that has fallen on the dune surface or the synchronous transportation and deposition of snow, sand and ice. Both of these mechanisms have been reported for polar dunes on Earth. Niveo-aeolian deposits in polar deserts on Earth have unique morphologies and sedimentary structures that are generally not found in warm desert dunes. Recent analysis of MOC-scale data have found evidence for potential niveo-aeolian and denivation deposits in sand dunes on Mars.

A contribution of gravity and seismic data in understanding the geometry of the Zouaraa - Ouchtata dune (NW Tunisia): Hydrogeological implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djebbi, M.; Gabtni, H.

2018-01-01

As it is located in a very particular and complex domain within the Tellian fold and thrust belt zone in northwestern Tunisia, the Nefza area has always been challenging. Geological, hydrogeological and geophysical studies were conducted in the region. A multidisciplinary study was performed by combining geological and geophysical techniques. Gravity data processing revealed the continuity of the outcropping series of Argoub Er Romane and Jebel Hamra underneath the dune deposits building a high zone separating the dune of Zouaraa and Ouchtata into two asymmetric basins. It forms a threshold zone that controls the geometry of the dune reservoir in the area. The distribution of the gravity anomaly along the dune of Zouaraa proved the heterogeneity of this dune reservoir. Gravity data modeling for this area confirmed these results and showed a preferential tendency of subsidence to the northwest and thus the thickening of Zouaraa dune sequence as compared to that of Ouchtata.

Geologic records of Pleistocene, Holocene and Anthropocene beach profiles?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dougherty, Amy; Choi, Jeong-Heon; Dosseto, Anthony

2017-04-01

The Anthropocene Working Group recently concluded that we have entered a new Epoch; starting during the last century when carbon dioxide, temperatures, and sea level all exceeding previous Holocene measurements. Climate change models predict a 1m rise in sea-level by 2100 coupled with increased storm intensity. Determining how vulnerable coasts will respond to global warming in the future, requires past records of sea-level and storm impacts to be deciphered. Paying specific attention to any changes prior to, and since, the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Coastal change over centennial time-scales has long fallen within a knowledge gap that exists between our understanding of shoreline behaviour measured over decades and that inferred from the landscape over millennia. Insight on shoreline behaviour across spatial and temporal scales is gained using computers to integrate models of short-term morphodynamics along beaches with longer-term coastal landscape evolution models. However, limitations exist as process-based engineering models depend on wave climate and beach profile data that is restricted to regional/historical records, while large-scale coastal behaviour models are based on general chronostratographic data from topographic profiles, interpolated cores, and isochrons extrapolated from deep radiocarbon ages. Here we demonstrate a unique methodology combining state-of-the-art geophysics, luminescence, and remote sensing techniques on prograded barriers to extract comprehensive chronostratigraphic records. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data document beach and dune stratigraphy at decimetre resolution. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) directly date the formation of paleo-beachfaces and dunes. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) image the lateral extent of strandplain ridge morphology. The resulting record of paleo-beach profiles spanning from the present-day beach through Holocene and Pleistocene barriers, enables our in-depth understanding of morphodynamics to interpret paleoenvironmental histories. Data from prograded barriers in North America, New Zealand and Australia are used to illustrate the potential of utilizing GPR, OSL, and LiDAR. Exploiting the fundamental link between paleo-beachfaces and past ocean levels, new sea level curves were constructed by mapping their height over time. Examples from far-field sites capture Eemian and mid-Holocene highstands with a subsequent fall indicating a non-linear nature. The geometry of paleo-beachfaces, intrinsically linked to wave-energy, were analyzed in comparison to present-day beach profile data to extract storm records. The results yielded recurrence intervals with differing coastal impacts, which indicated storm intensity increased as frequency decreased. Volumes of the barrier lithesome were quantified to provide insight on sediment supply and accommodation space over time. Findings show sand supply increased drastically starting in the mid-19th century causing a shift in foredune evolution from previous millennia. Do anomalous foredunes define Anthropocene coastal barriers in the geologic record? Global stratigraphic signatures, distinct from Holocene deposits, are needed to formally establish this 'Human' Epoch. Applying this novel methodology to the more than 300 prograded barriers around the world, including 50+ in Europe, can: 1) augment traditional proxy from ice and sediment cores to help delineate the Anthropocene, 2) determine changes in coastlines since the onset of global warming, and 3) provide insight, and input to forecasting models, needed to mitigate and manage future impacts of climate change.

Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE): Conceptual Design Report. Volume 1: The LBNF and DUNE Projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Acciarri, R.

2016-01-22

This document presents the Conceptual Design Report (CDR) put forward by an international neutrino community to pursue the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment at the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF/DUNE), a groundbreaking science experiment for long-baseline neutrino oscillation studies and for neutrino astrophysics and nucleon decay searches. The DUNE far detector will be a very large modular liquid argon time-projection chamber (LArTPC) located deep underground, coupled to the LBNF multi-megawatt wide-band neutrino beam. DUNE will also have a high-resolution and high-precision near detector.

Etiologie Rare de Sinusites Nosocomiales en Milieu de Reanimation - A Propos d'une Observation

PubMed Central

Messadi, A.A.; Oueslati, S.; Thabet, L.; Bousselmi, K.; Menif, E.

2006-01-01

Summary Les sinusites nosocomiales ne sont pas rares en réanimation. Elles surviennent en général dans les suites d'une intubation nasotrachéale voire même orotrachéale. Le tubage gastrique peut être à lui seul à l'origine d'une sinusite nosocomiale. Nous rapportons le cas d'une patiente hospitalisée qui a été victime de brûlures étendues chez qui la sonde nasogastrique a été à l'origine d'une pansinusite dont l'issue a été fatale. PMID:21991055

A World of Snowy Dunes

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-21

It is spring in the Northern hemisphere when NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took this image. Over the winter, snow and ice have inexorably covered the dunes. Unlike on Earth, this snow and ice is carbon dioxide, better known to us as dry ice. When the sun starts shining on it in the spring, the ice on the smooth surface of the dune cracks and escaping gas carries dark sand out from the dune below, often creating beautiful patterns. On the rough surface between the dunes, frost is trapped behind small sheltered ridges. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21882

Upper flow regime sheets, lenses and scour fills: Extending the range of architectural elements for fluvial sediment bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fielding, Christopher R.

2006-08-01

Fluvial strata dominated internally by sedimentary structures of interpreted upper flow regime origin are moderately common in the rock record, yet their abundance is not appreciated and many examples may go unnoticed. A spectrum of sedimentary structures is recognised, all of which occur over a wide range of scale: 1. cross-bedding with humpback, sigmoidal and ultimately low-angle cross-sectional foreset geometries (interpreted as recording the transition from dune to upper plane bed bedform stability field), 2. planar/flat lamination with parting lineation, characteristic of the upper plane bed phase, 3. flat and low-angle lamination with minor convex-upward elements, characteristic of the transition from upper plane bed to antidune stability fields, 4. convex-upward bedforms, down- and up-palaeocurrent-dipping, low-angle cross-bedding and symmetrical drapes, interpreted as the product of antidunes, and 5. backsets terminating updip against an upstream-dipping erosion surface, interpreted as recording chute and pool conditions. In some fluvial successions, the entirety or substantial portions of channel sandstone bodies may be made up of such structures. These Upper Flow Regime Sheets, Lenses and Scour Fills (UFR) are defined herein as an extension of Miall's [Miall, A.D., 1985. Architectural-element analysis: a new method of facies analysis applied to fluvial deposits. Earth Sci. Rev. 22: 261-308.] Laminated Sand Sheets architectural element. Given the conditions that favour preservation of upper flow regime structures (rapid changes in flow strength), it is suggested that the presence of UFR elements in ancient fluvial successions may indicate sediment accumulation under the influence of a strongly seasonal palaeoclimate that involves a pronounced seasonal peak in precipitation and runoff.

Laboratory studies of dune sand for the use of construction industry in Sri Lanka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Silva Jayawardena, Upali; Wijesuriya, Roshan; Abayaweera, Gayan; Viduranga, Tharaka

2015-04-01

With the increase of the annual sand demand for the construction industry the excessive excavation of river sand is becoming a serious environmental problem in Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the possibility for an alternative to stop or at least to minimize river sand mining activities. Dune sand is one of the available alternative materials to be considered instead of river sand in the country. Large quantities of sand dunes occur mainly along the NW and SE coastal belt which belong to very low rainfall Dry Zone coasts. The height of dune deposits, vary from 1m to about 30 meters above sea level. The objective of this paper is to indicate some studies and facts on the dune sand deposits of Sri Lanka. Laboratory studies were carried out for visual observations and physical properties at the initial stage and then a number of tests were carried out according to ASTM standards to obtain the compressive strength of concrete cylinders and mortar cubes mixing dune sand and river sand in different percentages keeping a constant water cement ratio. Next the water cement ratio was changed for constant dune sand and river sand proportion. Microscopic analysis shows that the dune sand consist of 95 % of quartz and 5 % of garnet, feldspar, illmenite and other heavy minerals with clay, fine dust, fine shell fragments and organic matters. Grains are sub-rounded to angular and tabular shapes. The grain sizes vary from fine to medium size of sand with silt. The degree of sorting and particle size observed with dune sands are more suited with the requirement of fine aggregates in the construction industry. The test result indicates that dune sand could be effectively used in construction work without sieving and it is ideal for wall plastering due to its'-uniformity. It could also be effectively used in concrete and in mortars mixing with river sand. The best mixing ratio is 75% dune sand and 25% river sand as the fine aggregate of concrete. For mortar the mixing percentage is 50%. The best water cement ratio for mix proportion is 0.45. It was observed that the available amount of dune sand can be extracted to meet the demand for sand in construction industry. However, the extraction of dune sand from the areas close to the sea will cause several social, environmental and legal problems. Therefore sand mining from dunes must be commenced after making a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment.

STS-57 OV-105's payload bay (PLB) with Earth observation of Namib Desert

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

STS-57 Earth observation taken aboard Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, is of the coast of the Namib Desert. This northeast-looking view shows the distinctive yellow, parallel dunes of the Namib Sand Sea in the foreground under OV-105's tail. The largest harbor on the Atlantic coast is Walvis Bay. A small piece of south African territory surrounded by the newly independent country, Walvis Bay is Namibia's major port. On the dune-free flats directly inland from Walvis Bay, large reserves of near-surface uranium have been discovered. The world's largest open-pit uranium mine, the Rossing Mine, has attracted workers from all parts of Namibia. Of special interest for this mission is the unusual occurrence of blowing dust offshore (orange patch over the sea). In what was a mission dominated by episodes of blowing dust, this is another example showing how windy the Earth is at present. This large view from a higher-than-usual altitude includes the large oval patch of the Etosha dry lake n

Erosion in the Beaches of Crete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Synolakis, C. E.; Foteinis, S.; Voukouvalas, V.; Kalligeris, N.

2009-04-01

In the past decade, erosion rates for the coastlines of Greece are rapidly increasing. Many beaches on the northern coast of the island have substantially retreated, while others have disappeared or will disappear within the present or the following decade if no action is taken. For the better understanding and visualization of the current situation, specific examples of rapid erosion are described and afterwards we speculate as to the causes. We infer that, as in other parts of the Mediterranean, the causes are anthropogenic and include removal of sand dunes to build roads, sand mining from beaches and rivers, permanent building construction within the active coastal zone, on or too close to shoreline, and poor design of coastal structures. The reason behind the rapid erosion of Greece coastlines is the complete lack of any semblance of coastal zone management and antiquated legislation. We conclude that unless urgent measures for the protection and even salvation of the beaches are taken and if the sand mining and dune removal does not stop, then several beaches will disappear within the present and the following decade.

Bird's-Eye View of Opportunity at 'Erebus' (Vertical)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

This view combines frames taken by the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on the rover's 652nd through 663rd Martian days, or sols (Nov. 23 to Dec. 5, 2005), at the edge of 'Erebus Crater.' The mosaic is presented as a vertical projection. This type of projection provides a true-to-scale overhead view of the rover deck and nearby surrounding terrain. The view here shows outcrop rocks, sand dunes, and other features out to a distance of about 25 meters (82 feet) from the rover. Opportunity examined targets on the outcrop called 'Rimrock' in front of the rover, testing the mobility and operation of Opportunity's robotic arm. The view shows examples of the dunes and ripples that Opportunity has been crossing as the rover drives on the Meridiani plains.

This view is a false-color composite of images taken through the camera's 750-nanometer, 530-nanometer and 430-nanometer filters. This kind of false-color scheme emphasizes differences in composition among the different kinds of materials that the rover is exploring.

Deep learning for the detection of barchan dunes in satellite images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azzaoui, A. M.; Adnani, M.; Elbelrhiti, H.; Chaouki, B. E. K.; Masmoudi, L.

2017-12-01

Barchan dunes are known to be the fastest moving sand dunes in deserts as they form under unidirectional winds and limited sand supply over a firm coherent basement (Elbelrhiti and Hargitai,2015). They were studied in the context of natural hazard monitoring as they could be a threat to human activities and infrastructures. Also, they were studied as a natural phenomenon occurring in other planetary landforms such as Mars or Venus (Bourke et al., 2010). Our region of interest was located in a desert region in the south of Morocco, in a barchan dunes corridor next to the town of Tarfaya. This region which is part of the Sahara desert contained thousands of barchans; which limits the number of dunes that could be studied during field missions. Therefore, we chose to monitor barchan dunes with satellite imagery, which can be seen as a complementary approach to field missions. We collected data from the Sentinel platform (https://scihub.copernicus.eu/dhus/); we used a machine learning method as a basis for the detection of barchan dunes positions in the satellite image. We trained a deep learning model on a mid-sized dataset that contained blocks representing images of barchan dunes, and images of other desert features, that we collected by cropping and annotating the source image. During testing, we browsed the satellite image with a gliding window that evaluated each block, and then produced a probability map. Finally, a threshold on the latter map exposed the location of barchan dunes. We used a subsample of data to train the model and we gradually incremented the size of the training set to get finer results and avoid over fitting. The positions of barchan dunes were successfully detected and deep learning was an effective method for this application. Sentinel-2 images were chosen for their availability and good temporal resolution, which will allow the tracking of barchan dunes in future work. While Sentinel images had sufficient spatial resolution for the detection of mid-size to large size barchans, we noted that it was relatively difficult to detect smaller barchan dunes. Overall, deep learning allowed us to achieve a high accuracy in the detection of barchan dunes. The tracking of hundreds of barchans using this detection method would provide an insight into the understanding of the dynamics of this natural phenomenon.

Demography and monitoring of Welsh's milkweed (Asclepias welshii) at Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Treesearch

Brent C. Palmer; L. Armstrong

2001-01-01

Results are presented of a 12-year monitoring program on the Coral Pink Sand Dunes and Sand Hills populations of the threatened Welsh's milkweed, Asclepias welshii N & P Holmgren. The species is an early sera1 member of the dune flora, colonizing blowouts and advancing with shifting dunes. When an area stabilizes and other vegetation encroaches, A. welshii is...

Global characterization of Titan's dune fields by RADAR and VIMS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

garcia, A.; Rodriguez, S.; Lucas, A.; Appéré, T.; Le Gall, A.; Reffet, E.; Le Corre, L.; Le Mouélic, S.; Cornet, T.; Courrech Du Pont, S.; Narteau, C.; Bourgeois, O.; Radebaugh, J.; Arnold, K.; Barnes, J. W.; Sotin, C.; Brown, R. H.; Lorenz, R. D.; Turtle, E. P.

2013-12-01

Cassini/RADAR high-resolution images of Titan's surface revealed linear features, geomorphologically similar to longitudinal dunes. Those dunes cover a large portion of the whole surface of Titan, i.e 7.8%, and 13.4% are present on the 58.4% of the surface imaged by the RADAR/SAR from July 2004 to July 2013 (fig.1). 99.6% of the dunes are confined at the equatorial regions (30°N-30°S). Formed and sculpted by the wind, those features represent clues for the understanding of the climatic history on the satellite. By using the joint analysis between RADAR/SAR observations and the infrared VIMS mosaic corrected for atmospheric contributions acquired through July 2013 and June 2010 respectively, we found a very high degree of correlation at global scale (more than 70%) between the RADAR dunes and a specific infrared VIMS spectral unit, the 'dark brown unit'. Some RADAR dunes, less than 2%, also belong in a commonly referenced unit, the 'dark blue unit'. These two units have been delimited by defining for each a specific set of spectral criteria. We have shown that those two units present a spectral behavior different, especially at short wavelengths (below 2 μm) allowing to say that the 'dark brown unit' is dominated by organic sediment, similar to atmospheric aerosols, namely tholins, and the 'dark blue' is most likely enriched in water ice compared to the rest of Titan's surface. Given the strong correlation between RADAR dunes and the infrared 'dark brown unit' we are now able to extrapolate the total surface area of the dunes material to the total surface area of the 'dark brown unit' which correspond to 17% of the Titan's surface. This permits to estimate the volume of sediment of 360,000 km3 (total mass ≈ 290,000 GT). Thus, these estimates based on the RADAR dunes/VIMS units correlation make the dune fields the largest organic reservoir on Titan's surface and characterize more precisely the composition of the dune material over the total extend of the dune regions.

Seasonal geomorphic processes and rates of sand movement at Mount Baldy dune in Indiana, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilibarda, Zoran; Kilibarda, Vesna

2016-12-01

Winds are very strong, frequent, and have high energy (annual DP ∼800 VU) along the southern shores of Lake Michigan, allowing the coexistence of fixed and active dunes. Six years (2007-13) of monitoring Mount Baldy in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore reveals that this is the most active coastal dune in the Great Lakes region. This paper documents aeolian processes and changes in the dune's morphology that occur temporarily, following storms, or seasonally, due to weather (climate) variations. Most of the sand transport in this area takes place during strong storms with gale force (>17.5 m/s) winds, which occur in the autumn and winter months. A single storm, such as the October 28-31, 2013 event, can contribute 25% of the annual sand transport and dune movement inland. In its most active year (June 1, 2011 through May 31, 2012), Mount Baldy moved inland on average 4.34 m, with a maximum of 6.52 m along the blowout's axis (155° azimuth). During this particularly active season, there were six storms with sustained gale force winds, winter air temperatures were warmer than average, and shelf ice on Lake Michigan lasted only one day. The dune is least active during the summer season, when the winds are weakest. The late fall and winter winds are the strongest. But in a typical year, most of the dune's advance inland takes place during the spring thaw when sand is released from over-steepened and lumpy slip face, allowing it to avalanche to the toe of the slip face. However, with a warming air temperatures, a reduction in the duration of winter shelf ice, and rising Lake Michigan levels, the annual rates of sand transport and dune movement may increase. The recent Mount Baldy management strategy, which includes planting vegetation and installing wind barriers on the dune's stoss side in an effort to fix the dune and stop its further movement inland, may potentially cause the destruction of the mobile sand, open dune habitat, resulting in the extinction of rare plants, insects, lizards, birds, and mammals.

The geomorphology and evolution of aeolian landforms within a river valley in a semi-humid environment: A case study from Mainling Valley, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Na; Zhang, Chun-Lai; Wu, Xiao-Xu; Wang, Xun-ming; Kang, Li-qiang

2014-11-01

This paper systematically analyzes a valley's aeolian landforms in a semi-humid region and presents a model of its contemporary evolution. Mainling Valley of the Yarlung Zangbo River on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was chosen as the case study for the analysis of morphometric characteristics and the evolution sequence of aeolian landforms via field data and remote sensing images. The aeolian landforms were primarily composed of aeolian sand belts on river terraces and dunes (sheets) on hillside slopes. Three types of aeolian sand belts were identified based on their dune types. In type I belts, an erosive air stream combined with relatively high vegetation cover (10%) produced sparsely distributed parabolic dunes with a high variability of dune heights; in type II belts, the continual reworking by the erosive air stream in combination with low vegetation cover (3%) formed more densely distributed barchans and transitional dunes with a moderate variability of dune heights; and in type III belts, the gradual evolution from an erosive sand-laden air stream to a saturated sand-laden air stream in combination with low vegetation cover (2%) produced the densest crescentic dunefields but with the least variability in dune heights. Dune sizes increase, dune shapes become uniform, and dune distribution becomes close from type I to III belts. Lateral linking and merging of the dunes were also observed within the belts. Together this evidence indicates that an evolution sequence may exist. Aeolian dunefields in the belt appear to evolve from embryonic parabolic dunefields to adolescent barchan dunefields and, subsequently, to mature compound crescentic dunefields. As the aeolian sand belt evolves into the mature stage, sand accumulations at the foot of the mountain valley can be steps for sand accumulation on valley-side slopes.

Scale-dependent behavior of the foredune: Implications for barrier island response to storms and sea-level rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, Chris; Wernette, Phil; Weymer, Bradley A.

2018-02-01

The impact of storm surge on a barrier island tends to be considered from a single cross-shore dimension, dependent on the relative elevations of the storm surge and dune crest. However, the foredune is rarely uniform and can exhibit considerable variation in height and width at a range of length scales. In this study, LiDAR data from barrier islands in Texas and Florida are used to explore how shoreline position and dune morphology vary alongshore, and to determine how this variability is altered or reinforced by storms and post-storm recovery. Wavelet analysis reveals that a power law can approximate historical shoreline change across all scales, but that storm-scale shoreline change ( 10 years) and dune height exhibit similar scale-dependent variations at swash and surf zone scales (< 1000 m). The in-phase nature of the relationship between dune height and storm-scale shoreline change indicates that areas of greater storm-scale shoreline retreat are associated with areas of smaller dunes. It is argued that the decoupling of storm-scale and historical shoreline change at swash and surf zone scales is also associated with the alongshore redistribution of sediment and the tendency of shorelines to evolve to a more diffusive (or straight) pattern with time. The wavelet analysis of the data for post-storm dune recovery is also characterized by red noise at the smallest scales characteristic of diffusive systems, suggesting that it is possible that small-scale variations in dune height can be repaired through alongshore recovery and expansion if there is sufficient time between storms. However, the time required for dune recovery exceeds the time between storms capable of eroding and overwashing the dune. Correlation between historical shoreline retreat and the variance of the dune at swash and surf zone scales suggests that the persistence of the dune is an important control on transgression through island migration or shoreline retreat with relative sea-level rise.

Hurricane Sandy: observations and analysis of coastal change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sopkin, Kristin L.; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Doran, Kara S.; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Morgan, Karen L.M.; Guy, Kristy K.; Smith, Kathryn E.L.

2014-01-01

Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, made landfall on October 29, 2012, and impacted a long swath of the U.S. Atlantic coastline. The barrier islands were breached in a number of places and beach and dune erosion occurred along most of the Mid-Atlantic coast. As a part of the National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards project, the U.S. Geological Survey collected post-Hurricane Sandy oblique aerial photography and lidar topographic surveys to document the changes that occurred as a result of the storm. Comparisons of post-storm photographs to those collected prior to Sandy’s landfall were used to characterize the nature, magnitude, and spatial variability of hurricane-induced coastal changes. Analysis of pre- and post-storm lidar elevations was used to quantify magnitudes of change in shoreline position, dune elevation, and beach width. Erosion was observed along the coast from North Carolina to New York; however, as would be expected over such a large region, extensive spatial variability in storm response was observed.

Nourishment of perched sand dunes and the issue of erosion control in the Great Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsh, William M.

1990-09-01

Although limited in coverage, perched sand dunes situated on high coastal bluffs are considered the most prized of Great Lakes dunes. Grand Sable Dunes on Lake Superior and Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan are featured attractions of national lakeshores under National Park Service management. The source of sand for perched dunes is the high bluff along their lakeward edge. As onshore wind crosses the bluff, flow is accelerated upslope, resulting in greatly elevated levels of wind stress over the slope brow. On barren, sandy bluffs, wind erosion is concentrated in the brow zone, and for the Grand Sable Bluff, it averaged 1 m3/yr per linear meter along the highest sections for the period 1973 1983. This mechanism accounts for about 6,500 m3 of sand nourishment to the dunefield annually and clearly has been the predominant mechanism for the long-term development of the dunefield. However, wind erosion and dune nourishment are possible only where the bluff is denuded of plant cover by mass movements and related processes induced by wave erosion. In the Great Lakes, wave erosion and bluff retreat vary with lake levels; the nourishment of perched dunes is favored by high levels. Lake levels have been relatively high for the past 50 years, and shore erosion has become a major environmental issue leading property owners and politicians to support lake-level regulation. Trimming high water levels could reduce geomorphic activity on high bluffs and affect dune nourishment rates. Locally, nourishment also may be influenced by sediment accumulation associated with harbor protection facilities and by planting programs aimed at stabilizing dunes.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 27 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-16

ISS027-E-034290 (16 May 2011) --- Ar Rub al Khali Sand Sea, Arabian Peninsula is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 27 crew member on the International Space Station. The Ar Rub al Khali, also known as the “Empty Quarter”, is a large region of sand dunes and interdune flats known as a sand sea (or erg). This photograph highlights a part of the Ar Rub al Khali located close to its southeastern margin in the Sultanate of Oman. Reddish-brown, large linear sand dunes alternate with blue-gray interdune salt flats known as sabkhas at left. The major trend of the linear dunes is transverse to northwesterly trade winds that originate in Iraq (known as the Shamal winds). Formation of secondary barchan (crescent-shaped) and star dunes (dune crests in several directions originating from a single point, looking somewhat like a starfish from above) on the linear dunes is supported by southwesterly winds that occur during the monsoon season (Kharif winds). The long linear dunes begin to break up into isolated large star dunes to the northeast and east (right). This is likely a result of both wind pattern interactions and changes in the sand supply to the dunes. The Empty Quarter covers much of the south-central portion of the Arabian Peninsula, and with an area of approximately 660,000 square kilometers it is the largest continuous sand desert on Earth. The Empty Quarter is so called as the dominantly hyperarid climate and difficulty of travel through the dunes has not encouraged permanent settlement within the region. There is geological and archeological evidence to support cooler and wetter past climates in the region together with human settlement. This evidence includes exposed lakebed sediments, scattered stone tools, and the fossils of hippopotamus, water buffalo, and long-horned cattle.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore : Transportation System Existing Conditions

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-20

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore ("the Lakeshore") is a significant regional destination along southern Lake Michigan. The Lakeshore manages scenic, fragile dunes and other ecosystems within its jurisdiction. The Lakeshores transportation system s...

Dunes in Brashear

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-01-08

This Mars Global Surveyor MGS Mars Orbiter Camera MOC image shows a field of dark sand dunes on the northwestern floor of Brashear Crater. The dunes formed largely from winds that blew from the southeast lower right

Sediment flux and airflow on the stoss slope of a barchan dune

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lancaster, N.; Nickling, W. G.; Neuman, C. K. McKenna; Wyatt, V. E.

1996-09-01

Measurements of sediment flux on the windward slope of an isolated barchan using an array of 30 sand traps provide new data that can constrain models of dune dynamics. The data show that at low wind incident speeds, flux increases up the dune exponentially, whereas at higher wind speeds the increase with distance approaches linearity. Wind profile measurements, conducted at the same time as the flux measurements, indicate that, although wind speed at a given height increases by 1.2 times from dune toe to brinkline, wind shear velocity derived from the profile data decreases up the dune and is in many cases below transport threshold values. This demonstrates that conventional wind profiles, derived from anemometry on dunes, do not measure the part of the boundary layer that is significant for sediment transport.

Sand dune effects on seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arran, M.; Vriend, N. M.; Muyzert, E. J.

2017-12-01

Ground roll is a significant source of noise in land seismic data, with cross-line scattered ground roll particularly difficult to suppress. This noise arises from surface heterogeneities lateral to the receiver spread, and in desert regions sand dunes are a major contributor. However, the nature of this noise is poorly understood, preventing the design of more effective data acquisition or processing techniques. Here, we present numerical simulations demonstrating that sand dunes can act as resonators, scattering a seismic signal over an extensive period of time. We introduce a mathematical framework that quantitatively describes the properties of noise scattered by a barchan dune, and we discuss the relevance of heterogeneities within the dune. Having identified regions in time, space, and frequency space at which noise will be more significant, we propose the possibility of reducing dune-scattered noise through careful survey design and data processing.

Ripples and Dunes in Proctor Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-09

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Rover (MRO) has observed two types of wind (aeolian) features in Proctor Crater: large, dark features that are sand dunes, made up of basaltic particles, and smaller, light-toned ripples that we call "TAR," or "transverse aeolian ridges." The origin of the TARs is a mystery. They might be dust deposits, or perhaps coarse grained ripples that are coated in bright dust. These TARs are less than 10 meters tall, and are much smaller than the sand dunes that reach impressive heights of over 130 meters. In other places on Mars, TARs are generally older than sand dunes, but here in Proctor Crater, it is not so obvious. How can we tell which came first, the TARs or the dunes? The dunes are situated on top of the TARs, and with this information, we can say the dunes are clearly the younger formations here in Proctor Crater. Fortunately, HiRISE has a tool that can solve this riddle. By taking stereo images of the same region from two different locations, we can estimate the topography of the region by measuring the displacement of surface features from one picture to the other. The result is a quantitative estimate of the local surface topography, called a digital terrain model. The dunes are situated on top of the TARs, and with this information, we can say the dunes are clearly the younger formations here in Proctor Crater. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22040

76 FR 47123 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List Six Sand Dune...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-04

...(a) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), which are: (a... Dunes are a small complex of crescent-shaped dunes (WildEarth Guardians 2010, p. 8). The highest dune...]C) (Rust 1981, pp. 13, 27; Rust and Hanks 1982, p. 324). The Sand Mountain serican scarab is active...

Erosion of Coastal Foredunes: A Review on the Effect of Dune Vegetation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

intensity, sustainable nature-based coastal protection measures are of growing interest. One of these considered features is coastal dunes, which... protection by sand banks, beaches, and dunes. Coastal Engineering 87:136–146. Hesp, P. 1991. Ecological processes and plant adaptations on coastal dunes...ERDC/CHL CHETN-I-94 February 2017 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Erosion of Coastal Foredunes: A Review on the Effect

44 CFR 63.17 - Procedures and data requirements for imminent collapse certifications by States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... forth. (i) Top edge of bluff (cliff top). (ii) Top edge of escarpment on an eroding dune (i.e., a nearly vertical erosional cut at the seaward face of the dune). The normal high tide should be near the toe of the... high bluff or dune and not accessible from the water side, the top edge of the bluff or dune will be...

Sand dune of Ruby, Arizona, an anthropogenically created biodiversity hotspot for wasps and their velvet ant parasitoids

Treesearch

Justin O. Schmidt

2013-01-01

A large artificial sand dune composed of finely crushed mine tailings was produced by deep mining operations at Ruby, Arizona. Today, the ghost town of Ruby is an important historical location and biodiversity refuge, with the newly formed dune forming the core of the refuge. The dune provides ideal nesting habitat for at least 13 species of sand-loving wasps,...

Vulnerability Assessment of a Coastal Dune System at São Francisco do Sul Island, Santa Catarina, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alquini, Fernanda; Bertoni, Duccio; Sarti, Giovanni; Ciccarelli, Daniela; Pozzebon, Alessandro; Ferreira de Melo Júnior, João Carlos; Voos Vieira, Celso

2016-10-01

In this paper a Coastal Dune Vulnerability Index (CDVI) has been applied on a beach located in the eastern side of Sao Francisco do Sul Island (Brazil). The aim of this study is to assess the vulnerability of a coastal dune system and to identify the areas that result most sensitive to environmental changes. The CDVI has been applied along six transects traced out on two sectors that have been selected based on dune characteristics: Zone A is characterized by well developed parabolic dunes, whereas Zone B is characterized by transverse dunes. The analysis involved 51 quantitative and qualitative variables, divided into five groups: geomorphological dune system condition, marine influence, Aeolian effect, vegetation condition and human effect. The total CDVI was computed as the unweighted average of the partial vulnerability indices. In summary, the total vulnerability can be classified as medium: the geomorphological factor must be monitored at Grande beach, in particular the blowouts in Zone A and the frontal dune retreat in Zone B. The results of the study confirm that the management of coastal areas might be improved using a tool such as the CDVI, which can be easily applied on a regular basis to take under control the factors that mostly affect the evolution of the site.

Lateral vegetation growth rates exert control on coastal foredune hummockiness and coalescing time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, Evan B.; Moore, Laura J.; Durán Vinent, Orencio

2017-08-01

Coastal foredunes form along sandy, low-sloped coastlines and range in shape from continuous dune ridges to hummocky features, which are characterized by alongshore-variable dune crest elevations. Initially scattered dune-building plants and species that grow slowly in the lateral direction have been implicated as a cause of foredune hummockiness. Our goal in this work is to explore how the initial configuration of vegetation and vegetation growth characteristics control the development of hummocky coastal dunes including the maximum hummockiness of a given dune field. We find that given sufficient time and absent external forcing, hummocky foredunes coalesce to form continuous dune ridges. Model results yield a predictive rule for the timescale of coalescing and the height of the coalesced dune that depends on initial plant dispersal and two parameters that control the lateral and vertical growth of vegetation, respectively. Our findings agree with previous observational and conceptual work - whether or not hummockiness will be maintained depends on the timescale of coalescing relative to the recurrence interval of high-water events that reset dune building in low areas between hummocks. Additionally, our model reproduces the observed tendency for foredunes to be hummocky along the southeast coast of the US where lateral vegetation growth rates are slower and thus coalescing times are likely longer.

Two-dimensional airflow modeling underpredicts the wind velocity over dunes

PubMed Central

Michelsen, Britt; Strobl, Severin; Parteli, Eric J. R.; Pöschel, Thorsten

2015-01-01

We investigate the average turbulent wind field over a barchan dune by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics. We find that the fractional speed-up ratio of the wind velocity over the three-dimensional barchan shape differs from the one obtained from two-dimensional calculations of the airflow over the longitudinal cut along the dune’s symmetry axis — that is, over the equivalent transverse dune of same size. This finding suggests that the modeling of the airflow over the central slice of barchan dunes is insufficient for the purpose of the quantitative description of barchan dune dynamics as three-dimensional flow effects cannot be neglected. PMID:26572966

'Sharks Teeth' -- Sand Dunes in Proctor Crater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Sometimes, pictures received from Mars Global Surveyor's Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) are 'just plain pretty.' This image, taken in early September 2000, shows a group of sand dunes at the edge of a much larger field of dark-toned dunes in Proctor Crater. Located at 47.9oS, 330.4oW, in the 170 km (106 mile) diameter crater named for 19th Century British astronomer Richard A. Proctor (1837-1888), the dunes shown here are created by winds blowing largely from the east/northeast. A plethora of smaller, brighter ripples covers the substrate between the dunes. Sunlight illuminates them from the upper left.

77 FR 11061 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Endangered Status for the Dunes Sagebrush...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

... Agreement for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and Sand Dune Lizard (Sceloporus... Conservation Agreement for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and Sand Dune Lizard...

Origin and diagenesis of clay minerals in relation to sandstone paragenesis: An example in eolian dune reservoirs and associated rocks, Permian upper part of the Minnelusa Formation, Powder River basin, Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pollastro, R.M.; Schenk, C.J.

Eolian dune sandstones are the principal reservoir rocks in the Permian upper part of the Minnelusa Formation, Powder River basin, Wyoming. These sandstones formed as shorelines retreated and dunes migrated across siliciclastic sabkhas. Sandstones are mainly quartzarenites; on average, clay minerals constitute about 5 wt.% the whole rock. Although present in minor amounts, clay minerals play an important role in the diagenetic evolution of these sandstones. Allogenic clay minerals are present in shaly rock fragments and laminae. Early infiltration of clays into porous sabkha sands commonly form characteristic menisei or bridges between framework grains or, when more extensive, form coatingsmore » or rims on grain surfaces. Authigenic clays include nearly pure smectite, mixed-layer illite/smectite (I/S), and late diagenetic illite and corrensite; these clay minerals are present as pore-lining cements. In addition to the deposition and neoformation of clay minerals throughout sandstone paragenesis, the conversion of smectite to illite occurred as temperatures increased with progressive burial. A temperature of 103C is calculated at a present depth of 3,200 m using a geothermal gradient of 30C/km and a mean annual surface temperature of 7C. After correction for uplift and erosion (250 m), the maximum calculated temperature for the conversion of all random I/S to ordered I/S is 100C. This calculated temperature is in excellent agreement with temperatures of 100-110C implied from I/S geothermometry.« less

Evolution of the Salinas-El Espartal and Xagó beach/dune systems in north-western Spain over recent decades: evidence for responses to natural processes and anthropogenic interventions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flor-Blanco, Germán; Flor, Germán; Pando, Luis

2013-04-01

The confining barrier comprising the Salinas-El Espartal beach/dune system forms part of the mouth complex of the Avilés estuary on the central coast of Asturias (NW Spain). In this study the evolution of the beach and its dune field, as well as the estuary, is established based on appraisal of both natural and anthropogenic processes. In particular, dredging in the estuary mouth has had a strong negative impact on the system, including the recession of the dune front by between 20 and 30 m, and degradation of the seafront, first built at the edge of the beach dunes in 1965 and rebuilt in 1994. By contrast, the dumping of dredged material at a nearby beach, Xagó, has caused a remarkable dune progradation of 45 m on average, creating aeolian tabular sheets. The future dredging management of the mouth of the Avilés estuary should be directly related to the evolution of the El Espartal and Xagó dune fields.

Autumn Frost, North Polar Sand Dunes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Autumn in the martian northern hemisphere began around August 1, 1999. Almost as soon as northern fall began, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) started documenting the arrival of autumn frost--a precursor to the cold winter that will arrive in late December 1999. The first features to become covered by frost were the sand dunes that surround the north polar ice cap. The dunes seen here would normally appear very dark--almost black--except when covered by frost. Why the dunes begin to frost sooner than the surrounding surfaces is a mystery: perhaps the dunes contain water vapor that emerges from the sand during the day and condenses again at night. This picture shows dunes near 74.7oN, 61.4oW at a resolution of about 7.3 meters (24 feet) per pixel. The area covered is about 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated from the upper right. The picture appears to be somewhat fuzzy and grainy because the dunes here are seen through the thin haze of the gathering north polar winter hood (i.e., clouds).

Inland aeolian deposits of the Iberian Peninsula: Sand dunes and clay dunes of the Duero Basin and the Manchega Plain. Palaeoclimatic considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernat Rebollal, M.; Pérez-González, A.

2008-12-01

This paper describes the latest research on the geomorphological characteristics, formation environment and chronology of the main inland aeolian deposits from the south-eastern Duero Basin (DB) and the Manchega Plain (MP) of the Iberian Peninsula. Similarities and differences between the aeolian deposits of these two locations are summarised. Wind deflation from the Guadiana and Júcar alluvial systems created the aeolian deposits of the MP. These deposits are mainly composed of quartz sands. However, in the San Juan alluvial plain (MP) there is a large extent of clay dunes formed by exposure to prevalent winds of seasonal playa-lakes with salt and clay sediments. In the DB, wind remobilisation of the small particles from Quaternary terraces and Tertiary arkosic sediments left aeolian deposits of quartz-feldspar sands. Textural parameters of the aeolian deposits show large variations depending on the location and the original deposit. Thus, in the DB the aeolian sands derived from the deflation of fluvial sediments are better sorted and smaller in grain size than those created by the deflation of arkosic sediments. Morphologically, simple and compound parabolic dunes (U-V forms, hemicyclic, lobate and elongate), crescentic and linear dunes, climbing dunes and blowout dunes have been recognized at both sites. Barchan and dome dunes are present only in the DB while "lunette lunette-clay dunes" are found only in the MP. In both locations, the large extent of aeolian sand sheets and the predominance of simple and compound parabolic dunes indicates the active role of sparse vegetation cover in the formation of this aeolian system. In the DB, dunes were formed by southwest and west winds, while in the MP the aeolian morphologies indicate that the prevalent winds were west and northwest. The chronology of the dune deposits is being determined with luminescence (TL-OSL) dating and Mass Spectrometry Analysis ( 14C-AMS). In this way, the aeolian activity and stabilisation stages can be established, the latter well marked in the DB through soil A horizon development. Thus, the main sand dune formation in the DB and the eastern regions of the MP occurred between 13.5 and 7 ka BP, during the cold and arid Younger Dryas episode and the Early Holocene. The clay dunes of the MP accumulated mainly from 29 to 19 ka BP that corresponds with Heinrich events HE-3 and HE-2 and the Last Glacial Maximum. However, clay dunes were also formed between 13.5 and 7 ka BP. In both locations, there have been reactivations of some sand deposits in the recent Holocene, with maximum activity around 5-2 ka BP and 0.5-0.2 ka BP. On the other hand, three marked stages of stabilisation of the DB aeolian system have been established with 14C-AMS, around 10.2, 6.2 and 1.2 ka BP. Finally, the main winds contributing to dune construction were also responsible for the deflation processes with the formation of erosional depressions.

Coastal change from Hurricane Sandy and the 2012-13 winter storm season: Fire Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hapke, Cheryl J.; Brenner, Owen; Henderson, Rachel E.; Reynolds, B.J.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mounted a substantial effort in response to Hurricane Sandy including an assessment of the morphological impacts to the beach and dune system at Fire Island, New York. Field surveys of the beach and dunes collected just prior to and after landfall were used to quantify change in several focus areas. In order to quantify morphologic change along the length of the island, pre-storm (May 2012) and post-storm (November 2012) lidar and aerial photography were used to assess changes to the shoreline and beach, and to measure volumetric changes. The extent and thicknesses of overwash deposits were mapped in the field, and measurements were used to determine volume, distribution, and characteristics of the deposits. The beaches and dunes on Fire Island were severely eroded during Hurricane Sandy, and the island breached in three locations on the eastern segment of the island. Landward shift of the upper portion of the beach averaged 19.7 meters (m) but varied substantially along the coast. Shoreline change was also highly variable, but the shoreline prograded during the storm by an average of 11.4 m, due to the deposition of material eroded from the upper beach and dunes onto the lower portion of the beach. The beaches and dunes lost 54.4 percent of their pre-storm volume, and the dunes experienced overwash along 46.6 percent of the island. The inland overwash deposits account for 14 percent of the volume lost from the beaches and dunes, indicating that the majority of material was moved offshore. In the winter months following Hurricane Sandy, seven storm events with significant wave heights greater than four m were recorded at a wave buoy 30 nautical miles south of Fire Island. Monthly shoreline and profile surveys indicate that the beach continued to erode dramatically. The shoreline, which exhibited a progradational trend immediately after Sandy, eroded an average of 21.4 m between November 2012 and mid-March 2013, with a maximum landward shift of nearly 60 m. By March 2013 the elevation of the beach in the majority of the surveyed profiles was lowered below the mean high water level (0.46 m), and the beach lost an additional 18.9 percent of its remaining volume. In the final time period of the field surveys (March to April 2013), the beach began to show signs of rapid recovery, and in 90 percent of the profiles, the volume of the beach in April 2013 was similar to the volume measured immediately after Hurricane Sandy. Overall, Hurricane Sandy profoundly impacted the morphology of Fire Island and resulted in an extremely low elevation, low relief configuration that has left the barrier island vulnerable to future storms. The coastal system subsequently began to show signs of recovery, and although the beach is likely to experience continued recovery in the form of volume gains, the dunes will take years to rebuild. Events such as Sandy result in a coastal environment that is a more vulnerable to future storm impacts, but they are an important natural process of barrier islands that allow these systems to evolve in response to sea-level rise.

Controls on coastal dune morphology, shoreline erosion and barrier island response to extreme storms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Houser, C.; Hapke, C.; Hamilton, S.

2008-01-01

The response of a barrier island to an extreme storm depends in part on the surge elevation relative to the height and extent of the foredunes which can exhibit considerable variability alongshore. While it is recognized that alongshore variations in dune height and width direct barrier island response to storm surge, the underlying causes of the alongshore variation remain poorly understood. This study examines the alongshore variation in dune morphology along a 11 km stretch of Santa Rosa Island in northwest Florida and relates the variation in morphology to the response of the island during Hurricane Ivan and historic and storm-related rates of shoreline erosion. The morphology of the foredune and backbarrier dunes was characterized before and after Hurricane Ivan using Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and related through Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). The height and extent of the foredune, and the presence and relative location of the backbarrier dunes, varied alongshore at discrete length scales (of ~ 750, 1450 and 4550 m) that are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Cospectral analysis suggests that the variation in dune morphology is correlated with transverse ridges on the inner-shelf, the backbarrier cuspate headlands, and the historical and storm-related trends in shoreline change. Sections of the coast with little to no dune development before Hurricane Ivan were observed in the narrowest portions of the island (between headlands), west of the transverse ridges. Overwash penetration tended to be larger in these areas and island breaching was common, leaving the surface close to the watertable and covered by a lag of shell and gravel. In contrast, large foredunes and the backbarrier dunes were observed at the widest sections of the island (the cuspate headlands) and at crest of the transverse ridges. Due to the large dunes and the presence of the backbarrier dunes, these areas experienced less overwash penetration and most of the sediment from the beachface and dunes was deposited within the upper-shoreface. It is argued that this sediment is returned to the beachface through nearshore bar migration following the storm and that the areas with larger foredunes and backbarrier dunes have smaller rates of historical shoreline erosion compared to areas with smaller dunes and greater transfer of sediment to the washover terrace. Since the recovery of the dunes will vary depending on the availability of sediment from the washover and beachface, it is further argued that the alongshore pattern of dune morphology and the response of the island to the next extreme storm is forced by the transverse ridges and island width through alongshore variations in storm surge and overwash gradients respectively. These findings may be particularly important for coastal managers involved in the repair and rebuilding of coastal infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Ivan.

Advanced Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Imaging Radar (InSAR) for Dune Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Havivi, Shiran; Amir, Doron; Schvartzman, Ilan; August, Yitzhak; Mamman, Shimrit; Rotman, Stanely R.; Blumberg, Dan G.

2016-04-01

Aeolian morphologies are formed in the presence of sufficient wind energy and available lose particles. These processes occur naturally or are further enhanced or reduced by human intervention. The dimensions of change are dependent primarily on the wind energy and surface properties. Since the 1970s, remote sensing imagery, both optical and radar, have been used for documentation and interpretation of the geomorphologic changes of sand dunes. Remote sensing studies of aeolian morphologies is mostly useful to document major changes, yet, subtle changes, occurring in a period of days or months in scales of centimeters, are very difficult to detect in imagery. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is an imaging technique for measuring Earth's surface topography and deformation. InSAR images are produced by measuring the radar phase difference between two separated antennas that view the same surface area. Classical InSAR is based on high coherence between two or more images. The output (interferogram) can show subtle changes with an accuracy of several millimeters to centimeters. Very little work has been done on measuring or identifying the changes in dunes using InSAR methods. The reason is that dunes tend to be less coherent than firm, stable, surfaces. This work aims to demonstrate how interferometric decorrelation can be used for identifying dune instability. We hypothesize and demonstrate that the loss of radar coherence over time on dunes can be used as an indication of the dune's instability. When SAR images are acquired at sufficiently close intervals one can measure the time it takes to lose coherence and associate this time with geomorphic stability. To achieve our goals, the coherence change detection method was used, in order to identify dune stability or instability and the dune activity level. The Nitzanim-Ashdod coastal dunes along the Mediterranean, 40 km south of Tel-Aviv, Israel, were chosen as a case study. The dunes in this area are of varying levels of stability and vegetation cover and have been monitored meteorologically, geomorphologically, and studied extensively in the field. High resolution TerraSAR-X (TSX) images covering the entire research area were acquired for the period of 2011 to 2012. Analysis was performed in imaging processing and GIS software. The coherence results display minor changes on the dune crest (0.42-0.49), compared to bigger changes in windward slope (0.31-0.37). The level of change depends on the dune location relative to its distance from the sea. Furthermore, the coherence results show decreasing over time. Field results indicate erosion/deposition of sand ranging from -99 to 137 mm/year. The results of this study confirm that it is possible to monitor subtle changes in sand dunes and to identify dune stability or instability, only by the use of SAR images, even in areas characterized by low coherence.

Changes in vegetation and biological soil crust communities on sand dunes stabilizing after a century of grazing on San Miguel Island, Channel Island National Park, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zellman, Kristine L.

2014-01-01

San Miguel Island is the westernmost of the California Channel Islands and one of the windiest areas on the west coast of North America. The majority of the island is covered by coastal sand dunes, which were stripped of vegetation and subsequently mobilized due to droughts and sheep ranching during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Since the removal of grazing animals, vegetation and biological soil crusts have once again stabilized many of the island's dunes. In this study, historical aerial photographs and field surveys were used to develop a chronosequence of the pattern of change in vegetation communities and biological soil crust levels of development (LOD) along a gradient of dune stabilization. Historical aerial photographs from 1929, 1954, 1977, and 2009 were georeferenced and used to delineate changes in vegetation canopy cover and active (unvegetated) dune extent among 5 historical periods (pre-1929, 1929–1954, 1954–1977, 1977–2009, and 2009–2011). During fieldwork, vegetation and biological soil crust communities were mapped along transects distributed throughout San Miguel Island's central dune field on land forms that had stabilized during the 5 time periods of interest. Analyses in a geographic information system (GIS) quantified the pattern of changes that vegetation and biological soil crust communities have exhibited on the San Miguel Island dunes over the past 80 years. Results revealed that a continuing increase in total vegetation cover and a complex pattern of change in vegetation communities have taken place on the San Miguel Island dunes since the removal of grazing animals. The highly specialized native vascular vegetation (sea rocket, dunedelion, beach-bur, and locoweed) are the pioneer stabilizers of the dunes. This pioneer community is replaced in later stages by communities that are dominated by native shrubs (coastal goldenbush, silver lupine, coyote-brush, and giant coreopsis), with apparently overlapping or cyclical succession pathways. Many of the dunes that have been stabilized the longest (since before 1929) are dominated by exotic grasses. Stands of biological soil crusts (cyanobacteria) are found only on dunes where vascular vegetation is already present. Biological soil crusts are not found on dunes exhibiting a closed vascular plant canopy, which may indicate that the role of soil crusts in dune stabilization on the island is transitory. Particle-size analyses of soil samples from the study area reveal that higher biological soil crust LOD is positively correlated with increasing fine grain content. The findings indicate that changes in vegetation communities may be the most rapid at earlier and later stages of dune stabilization and that regular monitoring of dunes may help to identify the interactions between vegetation and soil crusts, as well as the potential transitions between native and exotic plant communities.

Floor of Baldet Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-06-17

This NASA Mars Odyssey image shows a remarkable array of dunes on the floor of a large impact crater named Baldet. Many of the dunes in this region are isolated features with large, sand-free interdune surfaces between the individual dunes.

Storm Damage Reduction Project Design for Wallops Island, Virginia, Version 1.01

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

69 4.5.2 Dune response...93 6.1.2 Characterization of berm and dune volumes ............................................................. 98 6.1.3 Characterization of...contour. .............................................................. 70 Figure 4-12. Return period for dune crest lowering

Dune Patterns

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-23

Data from NASA Cassini spacecraft show that the sizes and patterns of dunes on Saturn moon Titan vary as a function of altitude and latitude left. Images of Earth dunes Oman and Kalahari are shown at right as seen by NASA Terra spacecraft.

Russell Crater Dunes, Defrosted

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-10-27

The Russell Crater dune field is covered seasonally by carbon dioxide frost; this image from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the dune field after the frost has sublimated. There are just a few patches left of the bright seasonal frost.

Slip Face on Downwind Side of Namib Sand Dune on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-01-04

This view from NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover shows the downwind side of "Namib Dune," which stands about 13 feet (4 meters) high. The site is part of Bagnold Dunes, a band of dark sand dunes along the northwestern flank of Mars' Mount Sharp. The component images stitched together into this scene were taken with Curiosity's Navigation Camera (Navcam) on Dec. 17, 2015, during the 1,196th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. In late 2015 and early 2016, Curiosity is conducting the first up-close studies ever made of active sand dunes anywhere but on Earth. Under the influence of Martian wind, the Bagnold Dunes are migrating up to about one yard or meter per Earth year. The view spans from westward on the left to east-southeastward on the right. It is presented as a cylindrical perspective projection. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20281

Downwind Side of Namib Sand Dune on Mars, Stereo

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-01-04

This stereo view from NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover shows the downwind side of "Namib Dune," which stands about 13 feet (4 meters) high. The image appears three-dimensional when viewed through red-blue glasses with the red lens on the left. The site is part of Bagnold Dunes, a band of dark sand dunes along the northwestern flank of Mars' Mount Sharp. The component images stitched together into this scene were taken with Curiosity's Navigation Camera (Navcam) on Dec. 17, 2015, during the 1,196th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. In late 2015 and early 2016, Curiosity is conducting the first up-close studies ever made of active sand dunes anywhere but on Earth. Under the influence of Martian wind, the Bagnold Dunes are migrating up to about one yard or meter per Earth year. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20282

Vegetation and substrate properties of aeolian dune fields in the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Draut, Amy E.

2011-01-01

This report summarizes vegetation and substrate properties of aeolian landscapes in the Colorado River corridor through Grand Canyon, Arizona, in Grand Canyon National Park. Characterizing these parameters provides a basis from which to assess future changes in this ecosystem, including the spread of nonnative plant species. Differences are apparent between aeolian dune fields that are downwind of where modern controlled flooding deposits new sandbars (modern-fluvial-sourced dune fields) and those that have received little or no new windblown sand since river regulation began in the 1960s (relict-fluvial-sourced dune fields). The most substantial difference between modern- and relict-fluvial-sourced aeolian dune fields is the greater abundance of biologic soil crust in relict dune fields. These findings can be used with similar investigations in other geomorphic settings in Grand Canyon and elsewhere in the Colorado River corridor to evaluate the health of the Colorado River ecosystem over time.

A Comparison of Methods Used to Estimate the Height of Sand Dunes on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bourke, M. C.; Balme, M.; Beyer, R. A.; Williams, K. K.; Zimbelman, J.

2006-01-01

The collection of morphometric data on small-scale landforms from other planetary bodies is difficult. We assess four methods that can be used to estimate the height of aeolian dunes on Mars. These are (1) stereography, (2) slip face length, (3) profiling photoclinometry, and (4) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). Results show that there is good agreement among the methods when conditions are ideal. However, limitations inherent to each method inhibited their accurate application to all sites. Collectively, these techniques provide data on a range of morphometric parameters, some of which were not previously available for dunes on Mars. They include dune height, width, length, surface area, volume, and longitudinal and transverse profiles. Thc utilization of these methods will facilitate a more accurate analysis of aeolian dunes on Mars and enable comparison with dunes on other planetary surfaces.

Holocene dune formation at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Area, Nevada, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lancaster, Nicholas; Mahan, Shannon

2012-01-01

Small isolated dune fields in the northern Mojave Desert are important centers of biodiversity and archaeological occupation sites. Currently dunes at Ash Meadows, Nevada, are stabilized by vegetation and are experiencing erosion of their upwind margins, indicating a negative sediment budget. New OSL ages from dunes at Ash Meadows indicate continuous eolian accumulation from 1.5 to 0.8 ka, with further accumulation around 0.2 ka. Prior studies (e.g., Mehringer and Warren, 1976) indicate periods of dune accumulation prior to 3.3 ka; 1.9–1 ka; and after 0.9 ka. These periods of eolian accumulation are largely synchronous with those identified elsewhere in the Mojave Desert. The composition of the Ash Meadows dunes indicates their derivation from regional fluvial sources, most likely during periods when axial washes were active as a result of enhanced winter precipitation.

The dune effect on sand-transporting winds on Mars.

PubMed

Jackson, Derek W T; Bourke, Mary C; Smyth, Thomas A G

2015-11-05

Wind on Mars is a significant agent of contemporary surface change, yet the absence of in situ meteorological data hampers the understanding of surface-atmospheric interactions. Airflow models at length scales relevant to landform size now enable examination of conditions that might activate even small-scale bedforms (ripples) under certain contemporary wind regimes. Ripples have the potential to be used as modern 'wind vanes' on Mars. Here we use 3D airflow modelling to demonstrate that local dune topography exerts a strong influence on wind speed and direction and that ripple movement likely reflects steered wind direction for certain dune ridge shapes. The poor correlation of dune orientation with effective sand-transporting winds suggests that large dunes may not be mobile under modelled wind scenarios. This work highlights the need to first model winds at high resolution before inferring regional wind patterns from ripple movement or dune orientations on the surface of Mars today.

The dune effect on sand-transporting winds on Mars

PubMed Central

Jackson, Derek W. T.; Bourke, Mary C; Smyth, Thomas A. G.

2015-01-01

Wind on Mars is a significant agent of contemporary surface change, yet the absence of in situ meteorological data hampers the understanding of surface–atmospheric interactions. Airflow models at length scales relevant to landform size now enable examination of conditions that might activate even small-scale bedforms (ripples) under certain contemporary wind regimes. Ripples have the potential to be used as modern ‘wind vanes' on Mars. Here we use 3D airflow modelling to demonstrate that local dune topography exerts a strong influence on wind speed and direction and that ripple movement likely reflects steered wind direction for certain dune ridge shapes. The poor correlation of dune orientation with effective sand-transporting winds suggests that large dunes may not be mobile under modelled wind scenarios. This work highlights the need to first model winds at high resolution before inferring regional wind patterns from ripple movement or dune orientations on the surface of Mars today. PMID:26537669

Investigating Mars: Candor Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-10

This image shows part of eastern Candor Chasma. At the bottom of the image is the steep cliff between the upper surface elevation and the depths of Candor Chasma. The small lobate feature at the base of the cliff in the bottom of the image is a landslide deposit formed by failure of the cliff face and gravitational downslope movement of the material. Candor Chasma is one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. It is approximately 810 km long (503 miles) and has is divided into two regions - eastern and western Candor. Candor is located south of Ophir Chasma and north of Melas Chasma. The border with Melas Chasma contains many large landslide deposits. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas. Many forms of erosion have shaped Chandor Chasma. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant gravity driven mass wasting (landslides). The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 8916 Latitude: -7.95016 Longitude: 293.509 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-12-18 11:38 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22162

Polar Dunes Resolved by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter Gridded Topography and Pulse Widths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neumann, Gregory A.

2003-01-01

The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) polar data have been refined to the extent that many features poorly imaged by Viking Orbiters are now resolved in densely gridded altimetry. Individual linear polar dunes with spacings of 0.5 km or more can be seen as well as sparsely distributed and partially mantled dunes. The refined altimetry will enable measurements of the extent and possibly volume of the north polar ergs. MOLA pulse widths have been recalibrated using inflight data, and a robust algorithm applied to solve for the surface optical impulse response. It shows the surface root-mean-square (RMS) roughness at the 75-m-diameter MOLA footprint scale, together with a geological map. While the roughness is of vital interest for landing site safety studies, a variety of geomorphological studies may also be performed. Pulse widths corrected for regional slope clearly delineate the extent of the polar dunes. The MOLA PEDR profile data have now been re-released in their entirety (Version L). The final Mission Experiment Gridded Data Records (MEGDR's) are now provided at up to 128 pixels per degree globally. Densities as high as 512 pixels per degree are available in a polar stereographic projection. A large computational effort has been expended in improving the accuracy of the MOLA altimetry themselves, both in improved orbital modeling and in after-the-fact adjustment of tracks to improve their registration at crossovers. The current release adopts the IAU2000 rotation model and cartographic frame recommended by the Mars Cartography Working Group. Adoption of the current standard will allow registration of images and profiles globally with an uncertainty of less than 100 m. The MOLA detector is still operational and is currently collecting radiometric data at 1064 nm. Seasonal images of the reflectivity of the polar caps can be generated with a resolution of about 300 m per pixel.

Sheet-gravel evidence for a late Holocene tsunami run-up on beach dunes, Great Barrier Island, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nichol, Scott L.; Lian, Olav B.; Carter, Charles H.

2003-01-01

A semi-continuous sheet of granule to cobble-size clasts forms a distinctive deposit on sand dunes located on a coastal barrier in Whangapoua Bay, Great Barrier Island, New Zealand. The gravel sheet extends from the toe of the foredune to 14.3 m above mean sea level and 200 m landward from the beach. Clasts are rounded to sub-rounded and comprise lithologies consistent with local bedrock. Terrestrial sources for the gravel are considered highly unlikely due to the isolation of the dunes from hillslopes and streams. The only source for the clasts is the nearshore to inner shelf of Whangapoua Bay, where gravel sediments have been previously documented. The mechanism for transport of the gravel is unlikely to be storm surge due to the elevation of the deposit; maximum-recorded storm surge on this coast is 0.8 m above mean high water spring tide. Aeolian processes are also discounted due to the size of clasts and the elevation at which they occur. Tsunami is therefore considered the most probable mechanism for gravel transport. Minimum run-up height of the tsunami was 14.3 m, based on maximum elevation of gravel deposits. Optical ages on dune sands beneath and covering the gravel allow age bracketing to 0-4.7 ka. Within this time frame, numerous documented regional seismic and volcanic events could have generated the tsunami, notably submarine volcanism along the southern Kermadec arc to the east-southeast of Great Barrier Island where large magnitude events are documented for the late Holocene. Radiocarbon ages on shell from Maori middens that appear to have been reworked by tsunami run-up constrain the age of this event to post ca. 1400 AD. Regardless of the precise age of this event, the well-preserved nature of the Whangapoua gravel deposit provides for an improved understanding of the high degree of spatial variability in tsunami run-up.

Investigating Mars: Melas Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-01

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. Today's image covers part of the floor of the canyon. At the top of the image is one of the many hills found on the floor in this region. The linear grooved surface is part of a landslide deposit. Melas Chasma has many large landslide regions. Landslide deposits often have grooved surfaces with the grooves parallel to the direction of movement as the slide occurred. The ends of the landslide typically have a lobate edge, and will flow around large preexisting landforms. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 19112 Latitude: -11.1675 Longitude: 289.748 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2006-04-05 23:00 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22132

C, N and P stoichiometric mismatch between resources and consumers influence the dynamics of a marine microbial food web model and its response to atmospheric N and P inputs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pondaven, P.; Pivière, P.; Ridame, C.; Guien, C.

2014-02-01

Results from the DUNE experiments reported in this issue have shown that nutrient input from dust deposition in large mesocosms deployed in the western Mediterranean induced a response of the microbial food web, with an increase of primary production rates (PP), bacterial respiration rates (BR), as well as autotrophic and heterotrophic biomasses. Additionally, it was found that nutrient inputs strengthened the net heterotrophy of the system, with NPP : BR ratios < 1. In this study we used a simple microbial food web model, inspired from previous modelling studies, to explore how C, N and P stoichiometric mismatch between producers and consumers along the food chain can influence the dynamics and the trophic status of the ecosystem. Attention was paid to the mechanisms involved in the balance between net autotrophy vs. net heterotrophy. Although the model was kept simple, predicted changes in biomass and PP were qualitatively consistent with observations from DUNE experiments. Additionally, the model shed light on how ecological stoichiometric mismatch between producers and consumers can control food web dynamics and drive the system toward net heterotrophy. In the model, net heterotrophy was notably driven by the parameterisation of the production and excretion of extra DOC from phytoplankton under nutrient-limited conditions. This mechanism yielded to high C : P and C : N ratios of the DOM pool, and subsequent postabsorptive respiration of C by bacteria. The model also predicted that nutrient inputs from dust strengthened the net heterotrophy of the system; a pattern also observed during two of the three DUNE experiments (P and Q). However, the model was not able to account for the low NPP : BR ratios (down to 0.1) recorded during the DUNE experiments. Possible mechanisms involved in this discrepancy were discussed.

Prehistoric fires and the shaping of colonial transported landscapes in southern California: A paleoenvironmental study at Dune Pond, Santa Barbara County

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ejarque, Ana; Anderson, R. Scott; Simms, Alexander R.; Gentry, Beau J.

2015-03-01

Using a novel combination of paleoecologic proxies including pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), macroscopic charcoal, and Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particles (SCPs), 5000 years of landscape change, fire history and land-use have been reconstructed from Dune Pond, Santa Barbara County, California. The pond was sensitive to Holocene regional climatic variability, showing different phases of lower (4600-3700 cal yr BP, 2100-700 cal yr BP, historical period) and higher (3700-2100 cal yr BP, 700-150 cal yr BP) local moisture availability. During this period the landscape was dominated by a coastal mosaic vegetation including dune mats, coastal scrub and salt marshes on the dunes and backdunes, with chaparral and oak woodland growing in the valley plains and foothills. Fire was intimately linked with such dominating mosaic vegetation, and the combination of wet conditions and the presence of nearby human settlement were a trigger favoring coastal fires for at least two periods: from 3100 to 1500 cal yr BP and from 650 cal yr BP until the 18th century. In both cases fire was an important tool to keep an open coastal landscape attractive to hunting wildlife. Finally, matching this varied range of high-resolution paleoecological proxies with historical records we could characterize the development of colonial transported landscapes following the Euro-American settlement of Santa Barbara. The introduction of livestock grazing by Spanish colonists favored erosive processes and the introduction of fecal-borne parasites in freshwater bodies, negatively impacted salt and brackish coastal marshes, and promoted the invasion of alien grasses and ruderals. This agro-pastoral landscape was consolidated during the American period, with a greater role for cultivation, the development of industrial activities and increased population. Despite negative environmental consequences such as the loss of native habitats, exotic land-uses and plants introduced during the historical period significantly contributed to the configuration of a cultural landscape which forms part of the cultural heritage of California.

Municipal initiatives for managing dunes in coastal residential areas: a case study of Avalon, New Jersey, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordstrom, Karl F.; Jackson, Nancy L.; Bruno, Michael S.; de Butts, Harry A.

2002-10-01

The characteristics of foredunes created in a municipal management program on a developed barrier island are evaluated to identify how landforms used as protection structures can be natural in appearance and function yet compatible with human values. Shoreline management zones include a naturally evolving, undeveloped segment; a noneroding, developed segment; eroding and noneroding segments of an "improved beach" where dunes have been built by artificial nourishment; and a privately built, artificially nourished dune on the shoreline of an inlet. A disastrous storm in 1962 resulted in an aggressive program for building dunes using sand fences, vegetation plantings, purchase of undeveloped lots, and sediment backpassing to maintain beach widths and dune elevations. The present nourished and shaped foredune in the improved beach is higher, wider, and closer to the berm crest than the natural dune. Restricted inputs of aeolian sand keep the surface flat and poorly vegetated. A stable section of this engineered shore has a wider beach, and sand fences have created a higher foredune with greater topographic diversity. The cross shore zonation of vegetation here is more typical of natural dunes, but the environmental gradient is much narrower. The privately built dune is low, narrow, and located where it could not be created naturally. Foreshore and aeolian sediments in the undeveloped segment and the improved beach are similar in mean grain size (0.16-0.21 mm) and sorting (0.31-0.39 φ), but sediment on the surface of the nourished dune is coarser (28.1% gravel) with a more poorly sorted sand fraction (1.30 φ) representing lag elements on the deflation surface. Willingness to enhance beaches and dunes for protection has reduced insurance premiums and allowed the municipality to qualify for funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to replace lost sediment, thus placing an economic value on dunes. Success of the management program is attributed to: (i) timing property-purchase and dune-building programs to periods immediately after storms (causing residents to accept high dunes that restrict access or views); (ii) instituting a vigorous education program (reminding residents of hazards during nonstorm periods); (iii) maintaining control over local sediment supplies (to keep pace with erosion and create new shoreline environments); (iv) investing private and municipal economic resources in landforms (qualifying them for external funds for replacement); and (v) maintaining, augmenting, or simply tolerating biodiversity and natural processes (retaining a natural heritage).

Reattachment Zone Characterisation Under Offshore Winds With Flow Separation On The Lee Side Of Coastal Dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delgado-Fernandez, I.; Jackson, D.; Cooper, J. A.; Baas, A. C.; Lynch, K.; Beyers, M.

2010-12-01

Airflow separation, lee-side eddies and secondary flows play an essential role on the formation and maintenance of sand dunes. Downstream from dune crests the flow surface layer detaches from the ground and generates an area characterised by turbulent eddies in the dune lee slope (the wake). At some distance downstream from the dune crest, flow separates into a reversed component directed toward the dune toe and an offshore “re-attached” component. This reattachment zone (RZ) has been documented in fluvial and desert environments, wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations, but not yet characterised in coastal dunes. This study examines the extent and temporal evolution of the RZ and its implications for beach-dune interaction at Magilligan, Northern Ireland. Wind parameters were measured over a profile extending from an 11 m height dune crest towards the beach, covering a total distance of 65 m cross-shore. Data was collected using an array of nine ultrasonic anemometers (UAs) deployed in April-May 2010, as part of a larger experiment to capture airflow data under a range of incident wind velocities and offshore directions. UAs were located along the profile (5 m tower spacing) over the beach, which allowed a detailed examination of the RZ with empirical data. Numerical modelling using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software was also conducted with input data from anemometer field measurements, running over a surface mesh generated from LiDAR and DGPS surveys. Results demonstrate that there is a wind threshold of approximately 5-6 ms-1 under which no flow separation exists with offshore winds. As wind speed increases over the threshold, a flow reversal area is quickly formed, with the maximum extent of the RZ at approximately 3.5 dune heights (h). The maximum extent of the RZ increases up to 4.5h with stronger wind speeds of 8-10 ms-1 and remains relatively constant as wind speed further increases. This suggests that the spatial extent of the RZ is independent of incident wind speed and is located between 4-5h. The magnitude of the maximum extent of the RZ is similar to that simulated using CFD and is consistent with previous studies conducted in desert dunes and wind tunnel simulations for offshore winds blowing over tall and sharp-crested dunes. Ongoing analyses are being conducted to evaluate the effect of changing wind direction, dune height and shape.

Rip currents, mega-cusps, and eroding dunes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thornton, E.B.; MacMahan, J.; Sallenger, A.H.

2007-01-01

Dune erosion is shown to occur at the embayment of beach mega-cusps O(200 m alongshore) that are associated with rip currents. The beach is the narrowest at the embayment of the mega-cusps allowing the swash of large storm waves coincident with high tides to reach the toe of the dune, to undercut the dune and to cause dune erosion. Field measurements of dune, beach, and rip current morphology are acquired along an 18 km shoreline in southern Monterey Bay, California. This section of the bay consists of a sandy shoreline backed by extensive dunes, rising to heights exceeding 40 m. There is a large increase in wave height going from small wave heights in the shadow of a headland, to the center of the bay where convergence of waves owing to refraction over the Monterey Bay submarine canyon results in larger wave heights. The large alongshore gradient in wave height results in a concomitant alongshore gradient in morphodynamic scale. The strongly refracted waves and narrow bay aperture result in near normal wave incidence, resulting in well-developed, persistent rip currents along the entire shoreline. The alongshore variations of the cuspate shoreline are found significantly correlated with the alongshore variations in rip spacing at 95% confidence. The alongshore variations of the volume of dune erosion are found significantly correlated with alongshore variations of the cuspate shoreline at 95% confidence. Therefore, it is concluded the mega-cusps are associated with rip currents and that the location of dune erosion is associated with the embayment of the mega-cusp.

Dome and Barchan Dunes in Newton Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-10-01

This observation from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows both dome and barchan dunes in a small sand dune field on the floor of Newton Crater, an approximately 300 kilometer 130 mile wide crater in the Southern hemisphere of Mars.

Dunes on Titan: A major landform revealing atmospheric and surface processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radebaugh, Jani; Lorenz, Ralph; Arnold, Karl; Savage, Christopher; Williams, Brigitte

The surface of Saturn’s moon Titan is covered in features that herald an active atmosphere and perhaps interior, such as dunes, rivers, lakes, mountain chains, and possible cryovolcanoes. Examining the geomorphology of these features helps us approach an understanding of the processes that are occurring or have occurred in the atmosphere and subsurface. A major landform on Titan is dunes, composed of organic sands ultimately derived from upper atmospheric processing of methane, subsequently perhaps eroded from organic sedimentary layers by methane rainfall and fluvial flow. Dunes fill vast fields, termed sand seas, similar to those observed in the Sahara, Namibia, and the Arabian peninsula. The equatorial region of Titan contains five separate sand seas as observed by the Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) and Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) instruments. Together these sand seas cover 14 percent of the surface, totaling 12 million km2, and each have areas on the scale of the Saharan Great Sand Sea. They adjoin each other through sediment pathways around landmasses, and these large-scale connections as well as individual dune interactions with topography indicate a general transport of sediment from west to east. Measurements of dune height, width and spacing in Cassini SAR images reveal all of Titan’s thousands of linear dunes are of the same population. This indicates there was general uniformity in the wind and sediment supply conditions that led to the current dune forms. Variations in the parametric values result from deviations from these conditions, in some locations where elevated terrains have deflected winds. Dunes and sand seas are among the stratigraphically youngest features on Titan, showing little evidence of being affected by impact cratering or fluvial flow. However, individual dunes may be relatively stable, as the reorganization time scale for these features on Earth can be tens to hundreds of thousands of years. Recent field studies of large, linear dunes in Namibia reveal a complex reworking of the dune interior, overprinted on the main duneform, as a result of changing regional conditions. These field studies, which can be undertaken at a level of detail not yet possible to obtain on Titan, help us better understand the history of similar landforms on a distant solar system body.

Morphodynamics of Planetary Deserts: A Laboratory Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, A.; Courrech Du Pont, S.; Rodriguez, S.

2014-12-01

Earth deserts show a rich variety of dune shapes from transverse to barchan, star and linear dunes depending on the history of wind regimes (strength and variability) and sand availability [1]. In desert, exposed to one wind direction, dunes perpendicular to the wind direction are found to be transverse or barchans, only sand availability plays a key role on their formation and evolution. However, the evolution time scale of such structures (several years) limits our investigation of their morphodynamics understanding. We use here, a laboratory experiment able to considerably reduce space and time scales by reproducing millimeter to centimeter subaqueous dunes by controlling environmental parameters such as type of wind (multi-winds, bimodal, quasi-bimodal or unidirectional wind) and amount of sediment [2,3]. This set up allows us to characterize more precisely the different modes of dune formation and long-term evolution, and to constrain the physics behind the morphogenesis and dynamics of dunes. Indeed, the formation, evolution and transition between the different dune modes are better understood and quantified thanks to a new setting experiment able to give a remote sediment source in continuous (closer to what happens in terrestrial desert): a sand distributor that controls the input sand flow. Firstly, in a one wind direction conditions, we managed to follow and quantify the growth of the instability of transverse dunes that break into barchans when the sand supply is low and reversely when the sand supply is higher, barchan fields evolve to bars dunes ending to form transverse. The next step will be to perform experiments under two winds conditions in order to better constrain the formation mode of linear dunes, depending also only on the input sand flux. Previous experiments shown that linear "finger" dunes can be triggered by the break of transverse dunes and then the elongating of one barchan's arm [4]. These studies can farther explain more precisely in different wind history and sand supply, these patterns state that should emerge and, by applying the relevant scale law, to apply this laboratory work to terrestrial and planetary (Mars and Titan) desert dynamics. [1] Bagnold R.A. (1941). [2] Hersen P. (2004). [3] Reffet E. (2010). [4] Courrech Du Pont S. et al. (2014).

Investigating Mars: Hebes Chasma

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-17

The large mesa in the center of Hebes Chasma dominates this image. The top of the mesa is at the center of the image, with the cliff faces to the top and bottom of the image. The layering of the mesa is most easily identified in the lower part of the image. The long linear depression on the northern face indicate that wind action played a large part in eroding the mesa. Hebes Chasma is an enclosed basin not connected to Valles Marineris. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 15281 Latitude: -1.13682 Longitude: 283.509 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-05-25 12:52 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21812

Aeolian Shear Stress Ratio Measurements within Mesquite-Dominated Landscapes of the Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico, USA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, James; Nickling, W. G.; Gilliles, J. A.

2006-01-01

A field study was conducted to ascertain the amount of protection that mesquite-dominated communities provide to the surface from wind erosion. The dynamics of the locally accelerated evolution of a mesquite/coppice dune landscape and the undetermined spatial dependence of potential erosion by wind from a shear stress partition model were investigated. Sediment transport and dust emission processes are governed by the amount of protection that can be provided by roughness elements. Although shear stress partition models exist that can describe this, their accuracy has only been tested against a limited dataset because instrumentation has previously been unable to provide the necessary measurements. This study combines the use of meteorological towers and surface shear stress measurements with Irwin sensors to measure the partition of shear stress in situ. The surface shear stress within preferentially aligned vegetation (within coppice dune development) exhibited highly skewed distributions, while a more homogenous surface stress was recorded at a site with less developed coppice dunes. Above the vegetation, the logarithmic velocity profile deduced roughness length (based on 10-min averages) exhibited a distinct correlation with compass direction for the site with vegetation preferentially aligned, while the site with more homogenously distributed vegetation showed very little variation in the roughness length. This distribution in roughness length within an area, defines a distribution of a resolved shear stress partitioning model based on these measurements, ultimately providing potential closure to a previously uncorrelated model parameter.

Run for your life, but bite for your rights? How interactions between natural and sexual selection shape functional morphology across habitats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomes, Verónica; Carretero, Miguel A.; Kaliontzopoulou, Antigoni

2018-02-01

A central issue in evolutionary biology is how morphology, performance, and habitat use coevolve. If morphological variation is tightly associated with habitat use, then differences in morphology should affect fitness through their effect on performance within specific habitats. In this study, we investigate how evolutionary forces mold morphological traits and performance differently given the surrounding environment, at the intraspecific level. For this purpose, we selected populations of the lizard Podarcis bocagei from two different habitat types, agricultural walls and dunes, which we expected to reflect saxicolous vs ground-dwelling habits. In the laboratory, we recorded morphological traits as well as performance traits by measuring sprint speed, climbing capacity, maneuverability, and bite force. Our results revealed fast-evolving ecomorphological variation among populations of P. bocagei, where a direct association existed between head morphology and bite performance. However, we could not establish links between limb morphology and locomotor performance at the individual level. Lizards from walls were better climbers than those from dunes, suggesting a very fast evolutionary response. Interestingly, a significant interaction between habitat and sex was detected in climbing performance. In addition, lizards from dunes bit harder than those from walls, although sexual differentiation was definitely the main factor driving variation in head functional morphology. Taking into account all the results, we found a complex interaction between natural and sexual selection on whole-organism performance, which are, in some cases, reflected in morphological variation.

Late Holocene eolian activity in the mineralogically mature Nebraska Sand Hills

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, D.R.; Stafford, Thomas W.; Swinehart, J.B.; Cowherd, S.D.; Mahan, S.A.; Bush, C.A.; Madole, R.F.; Maat, P.B.

1997-01-01

The age of sand dunes in the Nebraska Sand Hills has been controversial, with some investigators suggesting a full-glacial age and others suggesting that they were last active in the late Holocene. New accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon ages of unaltered bison bones and organic-rich sediments suggest that eolian sand deposition occurred at least twice in the past 3000 14C yr B.P. in three widely separated localities and as many as three times in the past 800 14C yr at three other localities. These late Holocene episodes of eolian activity are probably the result of droughts more intense than the 1930s "Dust Bowl" period, based on independent Great Plains climate records from lake sediments and tree rings. However, new geochemical data indicate that the Nebraska Sand Hills are mineralogically mature. Eolian sands in Nebraska have lower K-feldspar (and K2O, Rb, and Ba) contents than most possible source sediments and lower K-feldspar contents than dunes of similar age in Colorado. The most likely explanation for mineralogical maturity is reduction of sand-sized K-feldspar to silt-sized particles via ballistic impacts due to strong winds over many cycles of eolian activity. Therefore, dunes of the Nebraska Sand Hills must have had a long history, probably extending over more than one glacial-interglacial cycle, and the potential for reactivation is high, with or without a future greenhouse warming. ?? 1997 University of Washington.

Run for your life, but bite for your rights? How interactions between natural and sexual selection shape functional morphology across habitats.

PubMed

Gomes, Verónica; Carretero, Miguel A; Kaliontzopoulou, Antigoni

2018-01-02

A central issue in evolutionary biology is how morphology, performance, and habitat use coevolve. If morphological variation is tightly associated with habitat use, then differences in morphology should affect fitness through their effect on performance within specific habitats. In this study, we investigate how evolutionary forces mold morphological traits and performance differently given the surrounding environment, at the intraspecific level. For this purpose, we selected populations of the lizard Podarcis bocagei from two different habitat types, agricultural walls and dunes, which we expected to reflect saxicolous vs ground-dwelling habits. In the laboratory, we recorded morphological traits as well as performance traits by measuring sprint speed, climbing capacity, maneuverability, and bite force. Our results revealed fast-evolving ecomorphological variation among populations of P. bocagei, where a direct association existed between head morphology and bite performance. However, we could not establish links between limb morphology and locomotor performance at the individual level. Lizards from walls were better climbers than those from dunes, suggesting a very fast evolutionary response. Interestingly, a significant interaction between habitat and sex was detected in climbing performance. In addition, lizards from dunes bit harder than those from walls, although sexual differentiation was definitely the main factor driving variation in head functional morphology. Taking into account all the results, we found a complex interaction between natural and sexual selection on whole-organism performance, which are, in some cases, reflected in morphological variation.

Aeolian shear stress ratio measurements within mesquite-dominated landscapes of the Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, James; Nickling, W. G.; Gillies, J. A.

2006-12-01

A field study was conducted to ascertain the amount of protection that mesquite-dominated communities provide to the surface from wind erosion. The dynamics of the locally accelerated evolution of a mesquite/coppice dune landscape and the undetermined spatial dependence of potential erosion by wind from a shear stress partition model were investigated. Sediment transport and dust emission processes are governed by the amount of protection that can be provided by roughness elements. Although shear stress partition models exist that can describe this, their accuracy has only been tested against a limited dataset because instrumentation has previously been unable to provide the necessary measurements. This study combines the use of meteorological towers and surface shear stress measurements with Irwin sensors to measure the partition of shear stress in situ. The surface shear stress within preferentially aligned vegetation (within coppice dune development) exhibited highly skewed distributions, while a more homogenous surface stress was recorded at a site with less developed coppice dunes. Above the vegetation, the logarithmic velocity profile deduced roughness length (based on 10-min averages) exhibited a distinct correlation with compass direction for the site with vegetation preferentially aligned, while the site with more homogenously distributed vegetation showed very little variation in the roughness length. This distribution in roughness length within an area, defines a distribution of a resolved shear stress partitioning model based on these measurements, ultimately providing potential closure to a previously uncorrelated model parameter.

Sojourner at "Mermaid Dune"

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-08-08

This is an image of the rover Sojourner at the feature called Mermaid Dune at the MPF landing site. Mermaid is thought to be a low, transverse dune ridge, with its long (approximately 2 meters) axis transverse to the wind, which is thought to come from the lower left of the image and blow toward the upper right. The rover is facing to the lower left, the "upwind" direction. The rover's middle wheels are at the crestline of the small dune, and the rear wheels are on the lee side of the feature. A soil mechanics experiment was performed to dig into the dune and examine the sediments exposed. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00794

Curiosity heads to active Martian dunes on This Week @NASA – November 20, 2015

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-11-20

NASA’s Curiosity rover is making an unscheduled stop on its way up Mount Sharp on Mars, for a close-up look at a collection of actively moving sand dunes. Images from orbit indicate that the Bagnold Dunes are migrating as much as about 3 feet per Earth year, and includes one particular dune that is about two-stories high and as broad as a football field. Researchers plan to have the rover take samples for analysis. No active dunes have ever been visited anywhere else in the solar system besides Earth. Also, Orion cone panels welded, Launch approaches for Cygnus, Student CubeSat onboard Cygnus, New crew access tower components and more!

Optical Dating of Holocene Dune Sands in the Ferris Dune Field, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stokes, Stephen; Gaylord, David R.

1993-05-01

Optical dating of late Quaternary quartz dune sands from the Clear Creek portion of Ferris dune field, Wyoming, demonstrates the considerable potential of the technique as a chronostratigraphic tool. A sequence of radiocarbon-dated Holocene interdune strata permit optical dating of the intercalated dune sand to be tested; the concordance is good. The optical dates for the aeolian deposits not datable by radiocarbon suggest that aeolian sedimentation at Clear Creek peaked during two relatively short phases at ca. 8500 and 4000 yr B.P. The dates indicate that aeolian accumulation maxima (at least in the Clear Creek area) may not be synchronous with previously defined phases of marked aridity.

The influence of groundwater depth on coastal dune development at sand flats close to inlets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Filipe Galiforni; Wijnberg, Kathelijne M.; de Groot, Alma V.; Hulscher, Suzanne J. M. H.

2018-05-01

A cellular automata model is used to analyze the effects of groundwater levels and sediment supply on aeolian dune development occurring on sand flats close to inlets. The model considers, in a schematized and probabilistic way, aeolian transport processes, groundwater influence, vegetation development, and combined effects of waves and tides that can both erode and accrete the sand flat. Next to three idealized cases, a sand flat adjoining the barrier island of Texel, the Netherlands, was chosen as a case study. Elevation data from 18 annual LIDAR surveys was used to characterize sand flat and dune development. Additionally, a field survey was carried out to map the spatial variation in capillary fringe depth across the sand flat. Results show that for high groundwater situations, sediment supply became limited inducing formation of Coppice-like dunes, even though aeolian losses were regularly replenished by marine import during sand flat flooding. Long dune rows developed for high sediment supply scenarios which occurred for deep groundwater levels. Furthermore, a threshold depth appears to exist at which the groundwater level starts to affect dune development on the inlet sand flat. The threshold can vary spatially depending on external conditions such as topography. On sand flats close to inlets, groundwater is capable of introducing spatial variability in dune growth, which is consistent with dune development patterns found on the Texel sand flat.

Deep Soil Recharge in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: New Evidences in MU-US Sandy Land of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Y.; Yang, W.; Zhan, H.

2017-12-01

Precipitation induced recharge is an important source of groundwater budget but it is very difficult to quantify in arid and semiarid regions. In this study, a newly invented lysimeter was used to monitor deep soil recharge (DSR) under 200 cm depth in MU-US sandy land in western China under three kinds of landforms (mobile dune, semi-fixed dune, and fixed dune). We found that the annual DSRs in such three different kinds of landforms varied significantly. Specifically, the annual DSRs were 224.1 mm (50.5% of the annual precipitation), 71.1 mm (50.5% of the annual precipitation), and 1.3 mm (0.3% of the annual precipitation) in mobile dune, semi-fixed dune, and fixed dune, respectively. We also found that vegetation coverage and precipitation pattern significantly affected DSR. A 24-hr precipitation event with the precipitation amount greater than 8 mm was able to infiltrate soil deeper than 200 cm and contributed to ground water recharge directly. Vegetation was a dominant factor influencing infiltration in the fixed sand dune. Our research revealed that precipitation induced DSR in arid and semi-arid regions was a complex process that required long-term monitoring and innovative system analysis of interrelated factors such as precipitation strength and pattern, meteorological parameters, and dynamic soil moisture. Key words: Precipitation pattern, sand dune groundwater, deep soil recharge, infiltration.

The investigation of Martian dune fields using very high resolution photogrammetric measurements and time series analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J.; Park, M.; Baik, H. S.; Choi, Y.

2016-12-01

At the present time, arguments continue regarding the migration speeds of Martian dune fields and their correlation with atmospheric circulation. However, precisely measuring the spatial translation of Martian dunes has rarely conducted only a very few times Therefore, we developed a generic procedure to precisely measure the migration of dune fields with recently introduced 25-cm resolution High Resolution Imaging Science Experimen (HIRISE) employing a high-accuracy photogrammetric processor and sub-pixel image correlator. The processor was designed to trace estimated dune migration, albeit slight, over the Martian surface by 1) the introduction of very high resolution ortho images and stereo analysis based on hierarchical geodetic control for better initial point settings; 2) positioning error removal throughout the sensor model refinement with a non-rigorous bundle block adjustment, which makes possible the co-alignment of all images in a time series; and 3) improved sub-pixel co-registration algorithms using optical flow with a refinement stage conducted on a pyramidal grid processor and a blunder classifier. Moreover, volumetric changes of Martian dunes were additionally traced by means of stereo analysis and photoclinometry. The established algorithms have been tested using high-resolution HIRISE images over a large number of Martian dune fields covering whole Mars Global Dune Database. Migrations over well-known crater dune fields appeared to be almost static for the considerable temporal periods and were weakly correlated with wind directions estimated by the Mars Climate Database (Millour et al. 2015). Only over a few Martian dune fields, such as Kaiser crater, meaningful migration speeds (>1m/year) compared to phtotogrammetric error residual have been measured. Currently a technical improved processor to compensate error residual using time series observation is under developing and expected to produce the long term migration speed over Martian dune fields where constant HIRISE image acquisitions are available. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under iMars grant agreement Nr. 607379.

Observations of Sand Dune Migration on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon using High-Resolution Multibeam Bathymetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplinski, M. A.; Buscmobe, D.; Ashley, T.; Tusso, R.; Grams, P. E.; McElroy, B. J.; Mueller, E. R.; Hamill, D.

2015-12-01

Repeat, high-resolution multibeam bathymetric surveys were conducted in March and July 2015 along a reach of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon near the Diamond Creek gage (362 km downstream of Lees Ferry, AZ) to characterize the migration of sand dunes. The surveys were collected as part of a study designed to quantify the relative importance of bedload and suspended sediment transport and develop a predictive relationship for bedload transport. Concurrent measurements of suspended-sediment concentrations, bed-sediment grain size, and water velocity were also collected. The study site is approximately 350 m long and 50 m wide; water depths are 7 to 10 m during normal flows; and a field of sand dunes form along its entire length with negligible coarse material at the bed surface. Full swath coverage of the site required about 6 to 10 minutes to complete with two passes of the survey vessel. Mapping occurred continuously during several survey periods. For each survey period, time-series of bathymetric maps were constructed from each pair of survey lines. In March, surveys were collected over durations of 2, 3, 9, and 11 hours, at discharges of 339 to 382 m3/s. In July, surveys were collected over durations of 4, 4, and 13 hours, at discharges ranging from 481 to 595 ft3/s. These surveys capture the migration of sand dunes over a wide range of discharge with an unprecedented temporal resolution. The dunes in March were between 30 and 50 cm in height, 5 m in length, and migrating downstream at about 1 m per hour. In July, dunes were between 75 and 130 cm in height and 10-15 m in length, and were migrating downstream at rates of 5 to 2 m per hour. The surveys also reveal that the dune migration is spatially and temporally variable, with fast-migrating small dunes variably superimposed on slower-moving larger dunes. The dunes also refract around shoreline talus piles and other flow constrictions collectively causing a large degree of dune deformation as they migrate.

Responses of dune plant communities to continental uplift from a major earthquake: sudden releases from coastal squeeze.

PubMed

Rodil, Iván F; Jaramillo, Eduardo; Hubbard, David M; Dugan, Jenifer E; Melnick, Daniel; Velasquez, Carlos

2015-01-01

Vegetated dunes are recognized as important natural barriers that shelter inland ecosystems and coastlines suffering daily erosive impacts of the sea and extreme events, such as tsunamis. However, societal responses to erosion and shoreline retreat often result in man-made coastal defence structures that cover part of the intertidal and upper shore zones causing coastal squeeze and habitat loss, especially for upper shore biota, such as dune plants. Coseismic uplift of up to 2.0 m on the Peninsula de Arauco (South central Chile, ca. 37.5º S) caused by the 2010 Maule earthquake drastically modified the coastal landscape, including major increases in the width of uplifted beaches and the immediate conversion of mid to low sandy intertidal habitat to supralittoral sandy habitat above the reach of average tides and waves. To investigate the early stage responses in species richness, cover and across-shore distribution of the hitherto absent dune plants, we surveyed two formerly intertidal armoured sites and a nearby intertidal unarmoured site on a sandy beach located on the uplifted coast of Llico (Peninsula de Arauco) over two years. Almost 2 years after the 2010 earthquake, dune plants began to recruit, then rapidly grew and produced dune hummocks in the new upper beach habitats created by uplift at the three sites. Initial vegetation responses were very similar among sites. However, over the course of the study, the emerging vegetated dunes of the armoured sites suffered a slowdown in the development of the spatial distribution process, and remained impoverished in species richness and cover compared to the unarmoured site. Our results suggest that when released from the effects of coastal squeeze, vegetated dunes can recover without restoration actions. However, subsequent human activities and management of newly created beach and dune habitats can significantly alter the trajectory of vegetated dune development. Management that integrates the effects of natural and human induced disturbances, and promotes the development of dune vegetation as natural barriers can provide societal and conservation benefits in coastal ecosystems.

Automated mapping of linear dunefield morphometric parameters from remotely-sensed data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Telfer, M. W.; Fyfe, R. M.; Lewin, S.

2015-12-01

Linear dunes are among the world's most common desert dune types, and typically occur in dunefields arranged in remarkably organized patterns extending over hundreds of kilometers. The causes of the patterns, formed by dunes merging, bifurcating and terminating, are still poorly understood, although it is widely accepted that they are emergent properties of the complex system of interactions between the boundary layer and an often-vegetated erodible substrate. Where such dunefields are vegetated, they are typically used as extensive rangeland, yet it is evident that many currently stabilized dunefields have been reactivated repeatedly during the late Quaternary. It has been suggested that dunefield patterning and the temporal evolution of dunefields are related, and thus there is considerable interest in better understanding the boundary conditions controlling dune patterning, especially given the possibility of reactivation of currently-stabilized dunefields under 21st century climate change. However, the time-consuming process of manual dune mapping has hampered attempts at quantitative description of dunefield patterning. This study aims to develop and test methods for delineating linear dune trendlines automatically from freely-available remotely sensed datasets. The highest resolution free global topographic data presently available (Aster GDEM v2) proved to be of marginal use, as the topographic expression of the dunes is of the same order as the vertical precision of the dataset (∼10 m), but in regions with relatively simple patterning it defined dune trends adequately. Analysis of spectral data (panchromatic Landsat 8 data) proved more promising in five of the six test sites, and despite poor panchromatic signal/noise ratios for the sixth site, the reflectance in the deep blue/violet (Landsat 8 Band 1) offers an alternative method of delineating dune pattern. A new edge detection algorithm (LInear Dune Optimized edge detection; LIDO) is proposed, based on Sobel operators with directional filtering and topologically-constrained recursion to optimize the inclusion of marginal zones. The method offers the potential for rapid quantitative mapping of linear dunefield patterning, providing validation data for modeling studies, and offering for the first time the ability to readily remap dunefields to assess dune reorganization at the dunefield scale.

Intertidal Sandbar Welding as a Primary Source of Sediment for Dune Growth: Evidence from a Large Scale Field Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohn, N.; Ruggiero, P.; de Vries, S.

2016-12-01

Dunes provide the first line of defense from elevated water levels in low-lying coastal systems, limiting potentially major flooding, economic damages, and loss of livelihood. Despite the well documented importance of healthy dunes, our predictive ability of dune growth, particularly following erosive storm events, remains poor - resulting in part from traditionally studying the wet and dry beach as separate entities. In fact, however, dune recovery and growth is closely tied to the subtidal morphology and the nearshore hydrodynamic conditions, necessitating treating the entire coastal zone from the shoreface to the backshore as an integrated system. In this context, to further improve our understanding of the physical processes allowing for beach and dune growth during fair weather conditions, a large field experiment, the Sandbar-aEolian Dune EXchange EXperiment, was performed in summer 2016 in southwestern Washington, USA. Measurements of nearshore and atmospheric hydrodynamics, in-situ sediment transport, and morphology change provide insight into the time and space scales of nearshore-beach-dune exchanges along a rapidly prograding stretch of coast over a 6 week period. As part of this experiment, the hypothesis that dune growth is limited by the welding of intertidal sandbars to the shoreline (Houser, 2009) was tested. Using laser particle counters, bed elevation sensors (sonar altimeters and Microsoft Kinect), continuously logging sediment traps, RGB and IR cameras, and repeat morphology surveys (terrestrial lidar, kite based structure from motion, and RTK GPS), spatial and temporal trends in aeolian sediment transport were assessed in relation to the synoptic onshore migration and welding of intertidal sandbars. Observations from this experiment demonstrate that (1) the intertidal zone is the primary source of sediment to the dunes during non-storm conditions, (2) rates of saltation increase during later stages of bar welding but equivalent wind conditions, and (3) alongshore variability in rates of backshore fluxes appear to be related to alongshore variability in intertidal morphology. These observations quantitatively support the Houser (2009) bar welding hypothesis and provide valuable new insights on nearshore-beach-dune sediment exchanges