Thesis
Investigation of the influences of meteorology and topographic features on the mobility of the NE portion of the St. Anthony Dune Field, Idaho
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2014
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/101336
Abstract
The northeastern dune complex of the Saint Anthony Dune Field (SADF) is an ~20 km expanse of active to stabilized barchanoid, barchan, and parabolic sand dunes derived from alluvial and lacustrine sediment that accumulated along eastern margin of the ancestral glacial Lake Terreton and/or within the Market Lake basin. Understanding meteorological predictors of sand dune migration informs landscape evolution and impact assessment of eolian activity on sensitive agricultural lands in the western United States. Previous eolian researchers evaluated the influence of meteorological variables on sand dune activity (i.e., Lancaster's Mobility Index). However, this index failed to account for effects of lag time on dune mobility and remains relatively untested in semi-arid and arid climates. Northeastern dune complex air photo images were used to characterize dune morphology, map textural and chemical trends, and calculate average annual migration rates. Statistical analyses determined the effects of meteorological variables on sand dune migration. Study results inform literature about the relations between meteorological variables and dune migration rate, advancing the understanding of complex issues associated with dune field response. Topographic influence on airflow, eolian sediment provenance and regional meteorology constitute multiple influences on sand dune characterization and migration. Geomorphic and textural features suggest that the topographically prominent Juniper Buttes, located ~10 km southwest of the SADF, strongly influences dune migration direction. Additionally, seasonal airflow patterns contribute to the division of the northeastern dune complex into east and west subcomplexes. Provenance assessment indicates that dune complex sediment was sourced from the Snake River and/or Lost River systems while the relative contribution from each system remains unquantified. Examination of meteorological variables indicates that 23% of variation of sand dune migration rates is attributed to temperature, precipitation and wind speed. When incorporating lag time in the statistical model the explained variance increases to 45%. This study investigated sand dune response within a small portion of the SADF and therefore results are limited in scope. However, results suggest that researchers investigating relations between meteorological variables and dune activation and stabilization should consider the effects of topography and lag time to interpret dune migration.
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Details
- Title
- Investigation of the influences of meteorology and topographic features on the mobility of the NE portion of the St. Anthony Dune Field, Idaho
- Creators
- Rachael Hilary Hoover
- Contributors
- David R. Gaylord (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525031901842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis