Abstract
Iceland has over 20,000 km2 of sandy deserts with active aeolian processes. The sandy areas have black surfaces due to their basaltic origin, and the sand is often dominated by volcanic glass. The sand originates largely from glacial margins, glacio-fluvial deposits and volcanic eruptions, but also sedimentary rocks. The sand has a wide range of textural properties according to the nature and distance from the sand source. The sandy areas are spreading. Rich and vegetated ecosystems are replaced by sandy deserts with low fertility and water-holding capacity. Threshold values for Icelandic sand were determined with automatic sensors and dust traps. The threshold values are influenced by the surface roughness and the texture of the sand. Wet sand is observed to move during storm events, and coarse, light density tephra > 1 mm is easily moved by the wind.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 359-371 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Arid Environments |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2001 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information: This research was funded by the Agricultural Research Institute and the Soil Conservation Service, with additional funding from The Icelandic Research Council (Science fund and Graduate student research grant). We thank Einar Gretarsson (RALA) for his all his help with instruments and field-work, and John Stout (USDA-ARS) for valuable suggestions during the work and preparation of the manuscript.Other keywords
- Aeolian processes
- Iceland
- Sand-fields
- Threshold
- Wind erosion