Recent Dynamics of Subarctic Dunes as Determined by Tree-Ring Analysis of White Spruce, Hudson Bay, Québec
Abstract The radial-growth patterns of white spruce were studied on a number of trees growing in subarctic dunes along the eastern coast of Hudson Bay to calculate the rates of accumulation, erosion, and migration of cold-climate sand dunes. The average rate of sand accumulation in sheltered dunes (...
| Published in: | Quaternary Research |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1992
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(92)90041-g http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:003358949290041G?httpAccept=text/xml http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:003358949290041G?httpAccept=text/plain https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400024157 |
| Summary: | Abstract The radial-growth patterns of white spruce were studied on a number of trees growing in subarctic dunes along the eastern coast of Hudson Bay to calculate the rates of accumulation, erosion, and migration of cold-climate sand dunes. The average rate of sand accumulation in sheltered dunes (forest sites) was 2.5 to 3.3 cm/yr, which is two to three times lower than in highly exposed dunes with a rate of sedimentation of 7.65 cm/yr. The average erosion rate was 1.4–1.7 cm/yr, about two times lower than the accumulation rate. The migration rate of sheltered dunes was 18 to 30 cm/yr, three to five times lower than for an exposed dune which advanced at a speed of 74 cm/yr. This migration rate established for highly exposed dunes in the Subarctic with tree-ring methods is about 10 times lower than that established for a barchan in the Sahara with other methods. |
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