Research project: Linear dunes, their structure, age and migration (Namibia and Australia)

The aims of this project are to solve a long-standing debate on the development and migration of linear dunes, to use GPR to image the internal structure of linear dunes and test models for the structure of linear dunes and determine their age. The objectives are to answer questions such as:

1. How are linear dunes formed?
2. Do linear dunes move sideways?
3. Are linear dunes Pleistocene relics?
4. Why are linear dunes so common in modern deserts but rarely recognised in the rock record?

Age and migration of a dune using a combination of ground penetrating radar (GPR) to image dune structure and optical dating to determine the dune age (see Bristow et al. 2005). Interpretation of the GPR profile gives a relative age for the dune stratigraphy. Optical dating provides ages for calculating end point migration rates.

	Drilling sand dunes in Namibia to obtain samples for optical dating as part of a study of the age and migration of linear dunes in the Namib Sand Sea using GPR and OSL.
	Diagram showing rates of dune migration from Bristow et al. 2005.

Related publications

• First results from GPR published in Nature (Bristow et al. 2000).
• Integration of GPR and OSL investigation of dune migration published in the Journal of the Geological Society, London (Bristow et al. 2005).
• Latest results appearing in Geology June 2007.
• Download report on Linear Dunes (Namibia and Australia)