The utility of desert sand dunes as Quaternary chronostratigraphic archives: evidence from the northeast Rub' al Khali

被引:40
作者
Leighton, Carly L. [1 ]
Bailey, Richard M. [1 ]
Thomas, David S. G. [1 ,2 ]
机构
[1] Univ Oxford, Sch Geog & Environm, Oxford OX1 3QY, England
[2] Univ Cape Town, Dept Environm & Geog Sci, ZA-7701 Rondebosch, South Africa
关键词
Optically stimulated luminescence; Sand dune; Quaternary climate change; Stratigraphy; Bayesian; BOUNDING SURFACES; SOUTH-AFRICA; ACCUMULATION; HOLOCENE; CHRONOLOGIES; DYNAMICS; KALAHARI; RECORD; AUSTRALIA; DEPOSITS;
D O I
10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.04.016
中图分类号
P9 [自然地理学];
学科分类号
0705 ; 070501 ;
摘要
The distributions of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from dunes are affected by palaeoenvironmental changes, complex dune dynamics and sampling strategy. Extracting the relative importance of these factors when interpreting discontinuous OSL chronologies from sand dunes has proven difficult, and is particularly hindered in contexts where the internal sedimentary structures of dunes are not visible. In this study samples for OSL dating were taken from three major dune exposures in the Rub' al Khali, United Arab Emirates, each showing clear internal structure, with the aim of addressing these problems. Specific objectives were to assess how ages of individual sedimentary units represent dune accumulation as a whole, and how the dune record in turn reflects known past environmental changes. Final ages were calculated using the OxCal software package, by incorporating the known relative stratigraphy through the application of Bayesian methods. The results show that stratigraphy alone is not sufficient at these sites to guide OSL sampling; that is, chrono- and lithostratigraphic boundaries do not necessarily coincide. Where chronological hiatuses are present, internal sediment stratigraphy can be a useful tool in identifying potential problems of under-sampling the full dune record. The implications of these findings for reconstructing Quaternary climates from dune chronologies are considered. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:303 / 318
页数:16
相关论文
共 56 条
[1]   Holocene development of multiple dune generations in the northeast Rub' al-Khali, United Arab Emirates [J].
Atkinson, Oliver A. C. ;
Thomas, David S. G. ;
Goudie, Andrew S. ;
Parker, Adrian G. .
HOLOCENE, 2012, 22 (02) :179-189
[2]   Late Quaternary chronology of major dune ridge development in the northeast Rub' al-Khali, United Arab Emirates [J].
Atkinson, Oliver A. C. ;
Thomas, David S. G. ;
Goudie, Andrew S. ;
Bailey, Richard M. .
QUATERNARY RESEARCH, 2011, 76 (01) :93-105
[3]   Preserving the palaeoenvironmental record in Drylands: Bioturbation and its significance for luminescence-derived chronologies [J].
Bateman, M. D. ;
Boulter, C. H. ;
Carr, A. S. ;
Frederick, C. D. ;
Peter, D. ;
Wilder, M. .
SEDIMENTARY GEOLOGY, 2007, 195 (1-2) :5-19
[4]  
Blott S., 2000, GRADISTAT V 4 0
[5]  
Bristow CS, 2007, GEOL SOC AM SPEC PAP, V432, P19, DOI 10.1130/2007.2432(02)
[6]   The sedimentary structure of linear sand dunes [J].
Bristow, CS ;
Bailey, SD ;
Lancaster, N .
NATURE, 2000, 406 (6791) :56-59
[7]   Combining ground penetrating radar surveys and optical dating to determine dune migration in Namibia [J].
Bristow, CS ;
Lancaster, N ;
Duller, GAT .
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 2005, 162 :315-321
[8]   ORIGIN OF BOUNDING SURFACES IN ANCIENT AEOLIAN SANDSTONES [J].
BROOKFIELD, ME .
SEDIMENTOLOGY, 1977, 24 (03) :303-332
[9]   Multiphase late Quaternary aeolian sediment accumulation in western South Africa: Timing and relationship to palaeoclimatic changes inferred from the marine record [J].
Chase, Brian M. ;
Thomas, David S. G. .
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL, 2007, 166 :29-41
[10]   Late Quaternary dune accumulation along the western margin of South Africa: distinguishing forcing mechanisms through the analysis of migratory dune forms [J].
Chase, Brian M. ;
Thomas, David S. G. .
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS, 2006, 251 (3-4) :318-333