Signal or noise: temporal and spatial patterns in aeolian activity at global, regional, and local levels from the INQUA Dunes Atlas Database

LANCASTER, N.; ARMITAGE, S.; BRISTOW, C.; BUBENZER, O.; BURROUGH, S.; DULLER, G.; HALFEN, A.; HESSE, P.; RHODES, E.; ROSKIN, J.; SINGHVI, A.; THOMAS, D.; TRIPALDI, A.; YANG, X.; WOLFE, S.; ZÁRATE, M.

Lanzhou

Conferencia; VIII International Conference Aeolian Research; 2014

International Conferences for Aeolian Research

The INQUADunes Atlas chronologic database currently contains 3081 luminescence and 535radiocarbon records of directly dated periods of aeolian sand deposition from1174 inland dune locations throughout the world, mostly in low- andmid-latitudes.   Additional data arebeing added as they become available. The database enables: (1) analysis ofpatterns of dated dune deposits at multiple temporal and spatial scales; (2)correlation of these patterns with other paleoclimatic proxies; and (3)assessment of the paleoclimatic implications of periods of aeolian deposition. Regionaland global analyses of the dataset indicate that a coherent paleoclimaticsignal from periods of sand deposition is equivocal at best in many areas.   This stems from several aspects of theavailable dataset, which include: (1) uneven spatial coverage of dated dunedeposits; (2) the heterogenous nature of the dune sedimentary record; (3)modulation of the record by the influence of sediment supply; and (4) stochastic?noise? in the dated record. It is clear that resolution of these issues toprovide a better understanding of dune and dunefield responses to Quaternaryclimate change is not just a matter of additional dates.  A systematic dating program that reflectsfundamental patterns of dunefield sensitivity to climatic and hydrologicchanges and relates dated deposits to patterns of dune morphology andsedimentology is needed as a research priority. Achievement of this programwill require significant resources as well as an international collaborativeeffort.