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Sand dunes are common aeolian landforms and are found on over ~40% of the Earth's land surface. The distribution and characteristics of sand dunes in the northern hemisphere are the major focus. Practical advice on how to deal with migrating dunes and a description of proven practices are presented. The application of recently available high-resolution satellite data for mapping and change detection and a summary of advances in techniques for characterizing the mineralogy of sand is explained. The target audience of this book will be those working in the fields of arid land studies, geoinformatics, social sciences, and landscape ecology.
Key features:
- Present a synthesis of past work, 'connect the dots' so that the work of physical geographers, geomorphologists, physicists and climatologists, hydrologists, and related fields can be made available within one book.
- Exhaustively reviews the key recent research on the typology, distribution, formation and current status of sand dunes.
- Provides a synoptic overview of the current problems and prospects for controlling migrating sand dunes that threaten infrastructure, and encroach on agricultural land and urban areas.
- Demonstrates the utility of new advanced monitoring techniques such as high-resolution satellite imagery and specialized laboratory equipment to study the mineralogy and structure of dune sands.
Prof Lu Qi is Chief Scientist and Director of the Institute of Desertification Studies in the Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF).
