Aeolian Sand and Sand Dunes - Tapa dura

It is more than half a century since the publication of R. A. Bagnold’s classic book The physics of blown sand and desert dunes, and it is a tribute to the quality of Bagnold’s work that many of the fundamental principles which he developed - main valid today. His book continues to be essential reading for any serious s- dent of aeolian processes. However, the past two decades have seen an explosion in the scale of research dealing with aeolian transport processes, sediments, and landforms. Some of this work has been summarized in review papers and edited conference proceedings, but this book provides the rst attempt to review the whole eld of aeolian sand research. Inevitably, it has not been possible to cover all - pects in equal depth, and the balance of included material naturally re ects the - thors’ own interests to a signi cant degree. However, our aim has been to provide as broad a perspective as possible, and to provide an entry point to an extensive mul- disciplinary scienti c literature, some of which has not been given the attention it deserves in earlier textbooks and review papers. Many examples are drawn from existing published work, but the book also makes extensive use of our own research in the Middle East, Australia, Europe, and North America. The book has been written principally for use by advanced undergraduates, po- graduates, and more senior research workers in geomorphology and sedimentology.

Aeolian sand and sand dunes is an important review of the recent literature dealing with the mechanics of aeolian sand transport, sand dune dynamics, internal structure, and the post-depositional processes that modify the properties of aeolian sand. Partly as a result of increasing concern about the effects of climatic change, agricultural development in arid areas, and sea-level rise on coasts, the past two decades have seen vastly expanded research into aeolian processes, sediments and landforms. This book presents the first authoritative summary of the most important aspects of this research, emphasizing key concepts, new developments, and promising areas for future investigation. Extensive reference is made to the published literature in sediment-transport mechanics, geomorphology, sedimentary geology, and civil engineering; many examples are drawn from the authors' own research in the Middle East, Australia, Europe and North America. Topics covered include the nature of airflow in the Earth's atmosphere, the basic properties and origin of sand grains, the formation of sand seas, the dynamics and internal structures of sand dunes, weathering and diagenesis of dune sand, and problems associated with the human usage of dune areas. An extensive bibliography allows the reader to follow up points of particular concern. Written for senior undergraduates, postgraduate research students, lecturers and reasearch workers in geomorphology and sedimentology, the text includes equations when appropriate, without being overly mathematical. As an invaluable reference source for established researchers, Aeolian sand and sand dunes also serves as a highly useful introduction for newcomers to the field, and should also appeal to botanists, agricultural scientists, civil engineers, and anyone with an interest in wind-blown sand.