Aeolian Processes in Quaternary Sediments
Summary
Wind-driven activity has sculpted vast expanses of the Earth’s surface throughout the Quaternary, redistributing sand and silt into dynamic landforms such as dunes, loess blankets and sand sheets. These aeolian deposits record glacial–interglacial shifts in climate, vegetation cover and topography, and serve as archives for reconstructing past atmospheric circulation and environmental change. Saltation, abrasion and suspension govern the erosion, transport and deposition of particles in settings ranging from arid deserts to periglacial plains. Palaeosols intercalated within aeolian sequences mark intervals of landscape stability and soil formation, while shifts in grain-size distributions and sedimentary structures—from large transverse dunes to diffuse sand drifts—reflect variations in wind strength and sediment supply. Human activities, from Mesolithic burning to medieval deforestation, have modulated aeolian dynamics by altering vegetation cover and sediment availability. In coastal, lacustrine and inland contexts worldwide, Quaternary aeolian sediments provide insights into rates of landscape change, the timing of climatic events and the evolution of ecosystems. Applications extend to assessing modern desertification risk, optimising soil conservation measures and interpreting palaeoenvironmental proxies in ice cores and lake sediments. A comprehensive understanding of aeolian processes integrates sedimentology, geochronology, mineralogy and palaeoecology to discern the complex feedbacks between wind regimes, surface conditions and human land use.
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Aeolian Processes in Quaternary Sediments publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in aeolian processes in quaternary sediments across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Aeolian processes: The erosion, transport and deposition of sediments by wind action.
Quaternary: The most recent geological period, spanning the last 2.6 million years and characterised by cyclic glacial–interglacial climates.
Palaeosol: A buried soil horizon preserved within a sedimentary sequence, indicating past stable surface conditions.
Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL): A dating method that measures the time elapsed since mineral grains were last exposed to sunlight.
Podzolisation: A soil-forming process in acidic, sandy substrates, yielding a bleached eluvial horizon overlying a dark, humus-rich illuvial horizon.
References
- A multi-staged drift sand geo-archive from the Netherlands: New evidence for the impact of prehistoric land use on the geomorphic stability, soils, and vegetation of aeolian sand landscapes. Catena (2023).
- SOIL ORGANIC CARBON DATING OF PALEOSOILS OF ALLUVIAL FANS IN A BLOWN SAND AREA (NYÍRSÉG, HUNGARY). Radiocarbon (2022).
- Macro- and micro-scale study and chronology of Late Weichselian aeolian sediments in Estonia, north-eastern European Sand Belt. International Journal of Earth Sciences (2019).
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