Geomorphology of Desert Dunes

Nicholas Lancaster is a leading expert on desert sand dunes, and Emeritus Research Professor from the Desert Research Institute, USA. He has worked on desert dunes in Africa (Namib, Kalahari, northern and western Sahara), Arabia, Antarctica, and the western United States (Mojave and Sonoran Deserts). His research focuses on dune dynamics and morphology, the application of remote sensing, ground penetaring radar and optical dating, and the impacts of climate change on desert regions. He has won multiple awards including the Farouk El-Baz Award from the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division of the Geological Society of America (2001), the NSHE Regent's Researcher Award (2007), and the Liu Tungshen Medal from the International Quaternary Association (INQUA, 2019).

Part I. Introduction and Fundamental Concepts: 1. Desert Dune Systems; Part II. Dune Morphology and Sediments; 2. Dune Morphology; 3. Dune Sediments; Part III. Dune Processes and Dynamics; 4: Sand Transport By Wind; 5. Airflow and Sand Transport on Dunes; 6. Dune Dynamics; Part IV. Boundary Conditions for Dune Formation and Development: 7. Controls of Dune Morphology; 8. Controls on Dune Orientation; 9. Controls of Dune Size and Spacing; 10. Response of Dune Systems to Changing Boundary Conditions; Part V. Sand Seas and Dunefields; 11. Characteristics and Distribution of Sand Seas and Dunefields; 12. Dune Patterns in Sand Seas; 13. Formation of Sand Seas and Dune Fields; Part VI. Dune Systems in Time and Space; 14. Ancient Dune Systems – The Rock Record; 15. Quaternary Paleo Dune Systems; 16. Planetary Dune Systems; Part VI. Conclusions; 17. Review and Prospects; References; Index.