Journal ArticleDOI
Late Pleistocene eolian history of the Liwa region, Arabian Peninsula
Stephen Stokes,Helen E. Bray +1 more
TLDR
The Liwa region of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the most distinctive geomorphological features of the Rub Al Khali desert of southern Arabia as mentioned in this paper, characterized by a sharp crescentic boundary coincident with a N-S elevation drop of ∼65 m with the transverse ridges in Al Qâfa to the north.Abstract:
The Liwa region of the United Arab Emirates is one of the most distinctive geomorphological features of the Rub Al Khali desert of southern Arabia. Characterized by a sharp crescentic boundary coincident with a N-S elevation drop of ∼65 m with the transverse ridges in Al Qâfa to the north, Liwa is an area of some of the world9s largest megabarchan dunes. Deep drilling of continuous cores has provided an opportunity to observe the internal structure and age of these two ergs. Subsurface stratigraphy is complex, reflecting rapid facies transitions between dune and interdune sub-environments. Most of the cored sediment is dominated by cross-bedded and structureless sand units of inferred eolian (transverse dune) depositional origin. A total of 56 optical ages for sand-sized quartz grains extracted from these cores provide a chronological framework for deposition of the late Quaternary ergs. A marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 erg is identified north of the Liwa crescent in the Al Qâfa region, which reaches vertical thicknesses >100 m. A MIS 1 erg in the form of megabarchan dunes is recorded south of the Liwa crescent. This was deposited on a pre–MIS 5 land surface, since ca. 6 ka, over a period of just a few thousand years. Contemporary bypassing of eolian sands via superimposed dunes in both Al Qâfa and Liwa appears to be in equilibrium with the current wind regime. A consideration of a variety of factors that control the availability, mobilization, and preservation of eolian sediments and resulting bedforms leads us to infer that the system is not sediment-supply or transport limited. Instead, the system is preservation limited, being controlled by a correlated combination of sea level and precipitation. Both of these factors are strongly linked to global climate variations in the eccentricity (ca. 100 ka) band. Paradoxically, the bulk of the preserved record of eolian activity in the southern Arabian Peninsula occurs within relatively humid interglacial phases rather than arid intervals. Evidence of eolian deposition during arid phases may not for the most part be preserved in large areas of the sand sea. Observed contrasts in the preserved record of eolian activity between Al Qâfa and Liwa, and the Wahiba Sand Sea, may in part relate to contrasting eolian bedform morphology.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Luminescence dating: Basics, methods and applications
Frank Preusser,Detlev Degering,Markus Fuchs,Alexandra Hilgers,Annette Kadereit,Nicole Klasen,Matthias Krbetschek,Daniel Richter,Joel Q.G. Spencer +8 more
TL;DR: An overview of the physical basics of luminescence dating, the necessary procedures from sampling to age calculation, potential problems that may interfere with correct age calculation as well as procedures to identify and resolve those problems is given in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI
Active sand seas and the formation of desert loess
TL;DR: In this article, a global view of the sand sea is adopted and examined in detail several well-known late Pleistocene loess regions in different subtropical deserts (Africa, The Middle East and Arabia).
Journal ArticleDOI
Seasonal melting and the formation of sedimentary rocks on Mars, with predictions for the Gale Crater mound
TL;DR: In this paper, a model for the formation and distribution of sedimentary rocks on Mars is proposed, where the rate-limiting step is supply of liquid water from seasonal melting of snow or ice.
Journal ArticleDOI
Impact of luminescence dating on geomorphological and palaeoclimate research in drylands
Ashok K. Singhvi,Naomi Porat +1 more
TL;DR: Luminescence dating has truly transformed the science of deserts and drylands and has necessitated a revision of conventional interpretation of sedimentary records and stratigraphic correlations as discussed by the authors.
Journal ArticleDOI
Hominin Dispersal into the Nefud Desert and Middle Palaeolithic Settlement along the Jubbah Palaeolake, Northern Arabia
Michael D. Petraglia,Michael D. Petraglia,Abdullah Alsharekh,Paul S. Breeze,Chris Clarkson,Rémy Crassard,Nick Drake,Huw S. Groucutt,Richard P. Jennings,Adrian G. Parker,Ash Parton,Richard G. Roberts,Ceri Shipton,Carney Matheson,Abdulaziz Al-Omari,Margaret-Ashley Veall +15 more
TL;DR: The discovery of three stratified and buried archaeological sites in the Nefud Desert is described, which includes the oldest dated occupation for the region and stone tool assemblages are identified as a Middle Palaeolithic industry that includes Levallois manufacturing methods and the production of tools on flakes.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Luminescence dating of quartz using an improved single aliquot regenerative-dose protocol
Andrew S. Murray,Ann G. Wintle +1 more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Optical dating of single and multiple grains of quartz from jinmium rock shelter, northern australia: part i, experimental design and statistical models*
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors outline the background to the optical dating program at Jinmium, and describe the experimental design and statistical methods used to obtain optical ages from single grains of quartz sand.
Dose-rate conversion factors: update
TL;DR: In the field of luminescence and electron spin resonance dating, dose rate conversion factors are widely used to convert concentrations of radioactive isotopes to dose rate values as mentioned in this paper, which are derived from data provided by the National Nuclear Data Center of the Brookhaven National Laboratory, which are compiled in Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data Files (ENSDF) and Nuclear Wallet Cards.
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