White Sands

Ewing, R. C.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-40498-7_6

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The White Sands dune field is the largest gypsum dune system in the world, derived from deflation of paleo-Lake Otero (McKee, 1966; Langford, 2003; Kocurek et al, 2007; Allen et al, 2009; Ewing, 2020). Understanding the timing of initial dune construction, and therefore lake deflation, is critical for understanding regional landscape evolution, including the history of lake desiccation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Onset of dune construction based on archaeological evidence, White Sands, New Mexico

et al. 2023

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The White Sands dune field is the largest gypsum dune system in the world, derived from deflation of paleo-Lake Otero deposits. Understanding the timing of initial dune construction, and therefore lake deflation, is critical for understanding regional landscape evolution, including the history of lake desiccation. The onset of dune construction is currently estimated at ~8000 to 6500 cal yr BP, but numerical age control is limited. Archaeological evidence reported here indicates two older phases of gypsum dune construction. An archaeological site draped over a parabolic dune south of the main dune body contains artifacts dating to >12,200 cal yr BP, providing an upper age limit for the landform. Another site buried within a remnant of the main dune field yielded six statistically identical radiocarbon dates averaging ~8770 cal yr BP. The initial phase of terminal Pleistocene deflation and parabolic dune construction was perhaps localized but correlates with a period of regional aridity. Barchans and crescentic ridges comprising the main dune body developed in the Early Holocene in response to elevated salinity in local ground water and extensive exposures of gypsum available for deflation, likely due to aridity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The gypsum dune field covers ~500 km 2 of the northern Tularosa Basin in south-central New Mexico (Ewing 2020). This structural and topographic basin flanks the Rio Grande valley along the east margin of the Rio Grande Rift (Hawley, 2005; Allen et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Onset of dune construction based on archaeological evidence, White Sands, New Mexico

et al. 2023

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Contemporary and future dust sources and emission fluxes from gypsum- and quartz-dominated eolian systems, New Mexico and Texas, USA

Sweeney

Forman

McDonald

2021

Geology

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Recent research on dust emissions from eolian dunes seeks to improve regional and global emissions estimates and knowledge of dust sources, particularly with a changing climate. Dust emissions from dune fields can be more accurately estimated when considering the whole eolian system composed of active to stabilized dunes, interdunes, sand sheets, and playas. Each landform can emit different concentrations of dust depending on the supply of silt and clay, soil surface characteristics, and the degree to which the landforms are dynamic and interact. We used the Portable In Situ Wind Erosion Laboratory (PI-SWERL) to measure PM10 (particulate matter <10 μm) dust emission potential from landforms in two end-member eolian systems: the White Sands dune field in New Mexico (USA), composed of gypsum, and the Monahans dune field in west Texas, composed of quartz. White Sands is a hotspot of dust emissions where dunes and the adjacent playa yield high dust fluxes up to 8.3 mg/m2/s. In contrast, the active Monahans dunes contain 100% sand and produce low dust fluxes up to 0.5 mg/m2/s, whereas adjacent stabilized sand sheets and dunes that contain silt and clay could produce up to 17.7 mg/m2/s if reactivated by climate change or anthropogenic disturbance. These findings have implications for present and future dust emission potential of eolian systems from the Great Plains to the southwestern United States, with unrealized emissions of >300 t/km2/yr.

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Evolutionary Stages of Active to Vegetated Coastal Transgressive Dunefields in the San Matías Gulf Coast, Argentina

Toffani,

Hesp,

Isla

et al. 2023

Preprint

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White Sands

Cited by 3 publications

References 54 publications

Onset of dune construction based on archaeological evidence, White Sands, New Mexico

Onset of dune construction based on archaeological evidence, White Sands, New Mexico

Contemporary and future dust sources and emission fluxes from gypsum- and quartz-dominated eolian systems, New Mexico and Texas, USA

Evolutionary Stages of Active to Vegetated Coastal Transgressive Dunefields in the San Matías Gulf Coast, Argentina

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