Abstract
Geomorphic controls on regional scale dust emissions: investigating aeolian and fluvial interactions in arid landscapes
2008 Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group Conference: Program and Abstracts, p.107
Biennial Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group (ANZGG), 13th (Queenstown, Australia, 10-Feb-2008–15-Feb-2008)
2008
Abstract
The concept of sediment availability as a major control on dust emissions within arid environments is of growing interest in aeolian geomorphology. Theoretical models suggest that during arid phases thegeomorphic features which supply dust to the airstream may become exhausted of wind erodible sediments (Bullard and McTainsh, 2003). As a result, major dust source areas tend to be associated with fluvial depocentres in arid and semi-arid settings, where periodic flood inundation events re-supply the system with fine erodible sediments (Prospero et al., 2002). Previous research has suggested that aeolian-fluvial interactions are an important mechanism controlling dust emissions from Australia's principal dust source regions, the Lake Eyre and Murray-Darling Basins (Bullard and McTainsh, 2003; McTainsh, 1998). Field studies on the Diamantina River floodplain have indicated that aeolian and fluvial systems are linked at annual time scales (McTainsh et al., 1999; McTainsh et al., 2002). In this study we seek to characterise the nature of this linkage and how it may affect dust emissions from eastern Australia. In particular we examine the role of fluvial processes in aeolian sediment supply/exhaustion cycles and the temporal scales over which these processes operate. This is achieved using an 11 year time series of weekly dust emissions (Marx et al., 2005) which is compared with records of river flow, vegetation cover and soil moisture in the Lake Eyre Basin.
Details
- Title
- Geomorphic controls on regional scale dust emissions: investigating aeolian and fluvial interactions in arid landscapes
- Authors
- Samuel K Marx (Author) - University of QueenslandN P Webb (Author) - University of QueenslandH A McGowan (Author) - University of QueenslandD T Neil (Author) - University of Queensland
- Contributors
- T Cohen (Editor)I Houshold (Editor)
- Publication details
- 2008 Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group Conference: Program and Abstracts, p.107
- Conference details
- Biennial Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group (ANZGG), 13th (Queenstown, Australia, 10-Feb-2008–15-Feb-2008)
- Publisher
- Australian and New Zealand Geomorphology Group, Inc.
- Date published
- 2008
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449771202621
- Output Type
- Abstract
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