A simple model accounting for the uptake, transport, and deposition of wind-eroded mineral particles in the hyperarid coastal Atacama Desert of northern Chile

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
Recent studies of sediment cores collected at the bottom of Mejillones Bay in north Chile (23°S) show a laminated structure in which the amount of particles of aeolian origin and their size create significant differences between the layers. This suggests inter-annual to inter-decadal variations in the strength of the local southerly winds responsible for (1) the erosion of the adjacent hyperarid surface of the Mejillones Pampa, and (2) the subsequent transport of the eroded particles towards the bay. A simple model accounting for the vertical uptake, transport, and deposition of the particles initially set into motion by wind at the surface of the pampa is proposed. After calibration, the model is used to assess the sensitivity of the deposition flux to the wind intensity variations.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Earth surface processes and landforms, issn : 0197-9337, 2011, vol. 36, n°. 7, p. 923-932, nombre de pages : 10, Références bibliographiques : 26 ref.

Date :
2011

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley