Aeolian dynamics of transgressive dunefields on the southern Mozambique coast,Africa |
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| Authors: | Lucas Lavo António Jimo Miguel João Wagner Alencar Castro |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Post Graduate Program in Geology (PPGl), Federal University at Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil;2. Laboratory of Coastal Geology, Sedimentology and Environment (LAGECOST), Department of Geology and Paleontology (National Museum) of the Federal University at Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil;3. International Cooperation Project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil (CAPES), Brazil |
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| Abstract: | A relatively unknown coastal zone of southern Mozambique in Africa is covered by vast mobile and stabilized dunefields. The aeolian dynamics of these transgressive dunefields are studied based on mobility and stability models, statistical analysis of climate data and topographic profiles. Detailed analyses of regional winds, rainfall records, atmospheric temperature records and annual monitoring of dune migration rates helped to find reliable data about instantaneous aeolian sand transport rates, wind drift potential, dune mobility and dune migration rates. The data obtained suggest that the coastal transgressive dunefields are controlled by the southeast winds, availability of loose sediments on the beach, the presence of headland boundary between Maputo and Gaza provinces and the appropriate deposition spaces between the coastline and lacustrine‐lagoon systems. Two distinctive segments of transgressive dunefields were identified in the region studied, including the northern segment of Maputo province with active (mobile) and semi‐vegetated dunes that migrate 23 m/yr landward, and Gaza province dunefields with stabilized (vegetated) and semi‐vegetated dunes. The data obtained in this research have considerable potential to make a valuable contribution to the study of coastal dunefields. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | coastal dunefields climate conditions dune migration instantaneous sand transport southeast Africa |
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