About 10% of a non-polar desert is dune covered

Arid and Semi-Arid Landscapes

1. Arid (Desert) has Precipitation (mm) < 10 x Temperature in oC 25o C Desert < 25 cm = 250 mm rain
2. UNESCO index Desert Precipitation/Potential Evaporation < 0.25 Desert Aridity Index = Potential Evaporation/ Precipitation < 4.0

Skip Lawson's Theory pp. 283-284

World's Deserts

about 1/5th of land

Types: subtropical, rain-shadow, coastal, interior, polar

Semi-Arid
Semi-arid (Steppe, Savannah, dry grassland) has Precipitation (mm) > 10 x Temperature in oC but < than 20x
(c) 2004-2009 Charles L. Smart. All rights reserved

Flash Floods

Role of Desert Varnish, lack of plant cover

Stream Flood
(c) 2004-2009 Charles L. Smart. All rights reserved

Desert Landforms Produced By Water

alluvial fan

Arroyo - Water-Carved Canyon

Usually dry

Playa, Salar, Sabkha A Playa in Death Valley, California

Evaporite Pan of dried-up Playa

Inselberg

Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Pediment

Eolian Processes
We have been studying the physics of wind generated landforms when we consider sand grains in wind tunnels

Wind storm, Lothagam Hill dunes

Physics of Wind Transport

Sandstorm

Air has low density, so wind is a relatively minor agent of geomorphic change Rock density 2000 times density same volume of air so rock fragments are difficult to lift with air. A one meter per second (1 m/sec) flow of water lifts the same particle as about 30 m/sec flow of air

Toadstools
"Undercut, mushroom shaped pedestal rocks in desert areas are commonly attributed to wind erosion" Ignore Bloom's comments p291 right 1 following the line above. This area is frequently hit with high sandstorms. These remove the paint from our trucks.
Water and wind formed erosional features such as this toadstool

Wind-Borne Sediment causes deflation and abrasion

Sahara to Caribbean Effect on Hurricanes

Surface creep

Desert Pavements or Reg

Note desert varnish, lack of sand, Iron Oxide over everything Infiltration is slow Flash Floods, and most water leaves the area

Desert Pavements (cont'd)

Hammada (Hamada) = barren rock

Makes a great runway for supply aircraft Just clear away a few big rocks We tow makeshift rakes behind our Land Rovers

Desert Pavement
Source: Martin Miller

Erosional Landform - Deflation Hollow

Anecdote How fast does this occur?

Abrasion Origin of Ventifacts

Erosional Landforms - Ventifacts

Wind eroded (sand blasted) surfaces

Erosional Landform - Yardangs

Sphinx?

White Desert, Egypt

 Reduced wind velocity results in sediments deposition Dunes are hills of loose wind-born sand

Deposition Landforms of Eolian Sands

Size, shape, and orientation of dunes are determined by available sand, vegetation, and wind
Sand drift in Lee Of Mountains

Dunes form in a lee

High velocity zone

Dunes are accumulations in the lee of local obstructions, possibly an upwind dune

Dune Migration
Slip face (deposition)

Windward slope erosion and transport

Just like ripples in a stream

Star Dunes

Star Dunes

Variable Wind Direction

Copyright Frank Eckardt 2002

Longitudinal Dunes

Constant wind direction, no vegetation

Longitudinal Dunes

Constant wind direction, no vegetation

Transverse Dunes

Massive volumes of sand, low consistent winds

Transverse Dunes

Massive volumes of sand, low consistent winds

Barchan Dunes

Isolated Dunes, low sand supply, migrating across rock

Barchan Dunes
Isolated low sand supply; migrating across rock

Parabolic Dunes

Horns pinned by plants

Typical of coasts

Parabolic Dunes
Stabilized horns" point upwind

Dunes in Victoria Crater Mars

Suspended Load Transport and Deposition

In dry areas very high winds can suspend fine sand particles

Suspended Load Dust

Loess from the Columbia River Basin

Loess deposits are (usually) of glacial outwash silt. These thin downwind.

Global loess
Origins
Desert Glacial

Layers of dust from Patagonia appear in Vostok cores just prior to interglacials

End Arid and semi-arid

What type of dune?