Collaborative Research: NSFGEO-NERC: The Origin of Aeolian Dunes (TOAD)

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Aeolian (wind-blown) sand dunes occupy 10% of the Earth's surface, both in vast desert sand seas and as important natural defenses against flooding along coasts. Despite extensive study of mature dunes, the question of "How do wind-blown dunes form?" remains unanswered, yet it is central to understanding dunes as major geological units, particularly given their increasing occurrence in desert regions of the United States and their adverse impact on water and vegetation supplies. This research will examine the key inter-relationships between airflow, surface properties, changes in sand transport and bedform shape that lie behind a meaningful understanding of how nascent dunes emerge. The project will promote international collaboration among the United States, the United Kingdom, and Namibia. It will generate public educational materials about desert landscapes and geomorphology, foster partnerships with National Parks in both the United States and Namibia, and provide quality scientific training and field experience to students.Field monitoring of surface properties and bedform change at high resolution will be performed at three carefully chosen locations of known dune development. Complementary laboratory experiments will enable accurate characterization of flow very close to the 3D surface of modelled dunes that, together with the field datasets, will drive a computer model to test the sensitivity of dune initiation and growth to different controls in a range of environmental conditions in deserts, coasts and on other planets. In concert, this approach represents an opportunity to overcome an enduring plateau for understanding the origins of one of the major terrestrial landform systems. The team will work with staff at Great Sand Dunes National Park in the United States and the Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia to create broadly accessible public engagement materials. At a dedicated impact workshop in Gobabeb, Namibia, the team will showcase to interested local Namibian and international delegates the project findings and how these findings could be used to influence societal and economic issues. The project will engage undergraduate and graduate students in Namibia and give them valuable experience that could inspire them to pursue careers in science.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.