Geomorphology of Desert Dunes

by Nicholas Lancaster

Overview

How desert dunes are formed, how they change, their environmental significance and the role of climate change - these issues are examined through extensive case studies drawn from South Africa, India, Northern Europe and Australia.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415060943
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/21/1995
Series:	Physical Environment Series
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Nicholas Lancaster is a leading expert on desert sand dunes, and Emeritus Research Professor from the Desert Research Institute, USA. He has worked on desert dunes in Africa (Namib, Kalahari, northern and western Sahara), Arabia, Antarctica, and the western United States (Mojave and Sonoran Deserts). His research focuses on dune dynamics and morphology, the application of remote sensing, ground penetaring radar and optical dating, and the impacts of climate change on desert regions. He has won multiple awards including the Farouk El-Baz Award from the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division of the Geological Society of America (2001), the NSHE Regent's Researcher Award (2007), and the Liu Tungshen Medal from the International Quaternary Association (INQUA, 2019).

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Sand Transport by the Wind 3. Dune Morphology and Morphometry 4. Dune Sediments 5. Dune Dynamics 6. Controls of Dune Morphology 7. Sand Seas 8. Palaeoenvironments and Dunes 9. Review and Prospect

Editorial Reviews

‘Studying desert dunes continues to be essential to our understanding of the geomorphology and climate of Earth and other worlds in the solar system. The update to this anchoring text seamlessly merges the significant advancements in aeolian science over the past few decades with core concepts from decades prior. This book will serve as the go-to source for any scientist needing a reference for wind-blown sand dunes and as the textbook for training the next generation of aeolian scientists.’ Ryan Ewing, Texas A&M University

‘Nick Lancaster’s fifty-plus years of field research on desert dunes and his keen insights on the ‘big-picture’ of dune formation and change make him the best qualified person to write the definitive book on the subject. This thoroughly revised and updated second edition is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand desert sand dunes.’ Jeff Lee, Department of Economics and Geography, Texas Tech University

‘This fully updated new edition provides a masterly synthesis of the burgeoning research into desert dunes worldwide. Whether it is current dune processes, the evolution of dune systems in the past or extra-terrestrial aeolian features, this book has it all. It is an excellent testimony to Nick Lancaster’s five decades of desert dune analysis, and will be the definitive ‘go-to’ text for a long time.’ David Thomas, University of Oxford

From the Publisher