The Cosmolian program for simulating aeolian dynamics and its application to central Australia. Issue 9 (17th June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vainer, Shlomy; Ben Dor, Yoav
• Is Part Of: Earth surface processes and landforms. Volume 46:Issue 9(2021)
• Page Start: 1631
• Page End: 1639
• Publication Date: 2021-06-17
• Subjects: aeolian -- Australian landscape evolution -- coupling cosmogenic nuclides and luminescence -- data‐based modelling -- process‐oriented modelling -- Simpson Desert -- cosmogenic nuclides -- OSL -- dating sand dunes; Geomorphology -- Periodicals; 551.4
• DOI: 10.1002/esp.5169
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0197-9337

Abstract

Abstract: The wide spatial coverage of sand dunes in continental interiors makes the understanding of their activity and accumulation history valuable for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and the interpretation of landscape evolution. Nevertheless, the study of aeolian landscape development at the million‐year timescale is hampered by the complex interaction of factors determining dune migration and the inherently self‐destructive nature of their chronostratigraphy, thus limiting the applicability of traditional dating methods. This study presents a standalone program that simulates aeolian transport based on luminescence‐derived chronologies coupled with numerical modelling of the accumulation of cosmogenic nuclides. This integrative approach to modelling the history of aeolian landforms reveals phases of emergence of aeolian sand into the landscape, and provides a data‐based scheme that facilitates the morphodynamical study of aeolian processes over multiple timescales and up to several millions of years. The application of the program for reanalysing previously reported data from the Australian Simpson Desert reveals multiple pulses of sand dispersion into central Australia at 3.8–3.4, 2.9–2.5 and 1.5–1 Ma, corresponding to pronounced changes in climatic conditions and landscape deformation events. The synchronicity of the results with the established environmental framework that would promote the production and aeolian distribution of sand exemplifies the applicability of process‐based modelling in constructing a timeframe of key landscape evolution events in arid environments by studying aeolian deposits. The dependence of the parameters used to determine environmental settings on sand transportation patterns additionally makes the program a powerful tool to further investigate the triggers and mechanisms of aeolian processes. Abstract : Introducing Cosmolian, a program for modelling the chronological evolution of aeolian landscapes based on luminescence and cosmogenic nuclides data. Upper panel: The program's interface; (a) Simulation module. (b) Analyses module. Lower panel: The integrated results of millions of simulations reveal three major events of aeolian activity in central Australia at 3.8–3.4, 2.9–2.5 and 1.5–1 Ma.