Holocene evolution of the Xagó dune field (Asturias, NW Spain) reconstructed by means of morphological mapping and ground penetrating radar surveys

G. Flor-Blanco, D. Rubio-Melendi, G. Flor, J.P. Fernández-Álvarez, D.W.T. Jackson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

In the aeolian dune field of Xagó, morphological mapping and GPR profiles were obtained to propose an evolutionary sequence that was significantly more accurate than what can be inferred from surficial morphologies studies alone. Three successive dune sets were identified: inner (climbing dunes), middle (large transverse ridge and minor elongated dunes) and outer fields (foredune with lee-projection dunes and incipient foredune). The falling sea level since the Flandrian transgression to the present is deduced from the relative position of the dunes, including a prograding tendency. Long intervals of stabilisation are interspersed, during which each dune set is built, and the GPR records reveal that a period of erosion processes occurred in the southern middle field with a subsequent accretion. These results demonstrate the progradation and erosion processes during the Holocene evolution of the dune field, which can be extrapolated to dune fields with the same characteristics in these latitudes.Xagó is one of the places where, stratigraphically, reflectors reveal an erosive surface representing the intermediate event of transgressive or standstill sea level previously undetected.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)35-50
JournalGeo-Marine Letters
Volume36
Issue number(1)
DOIs
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 6 Jan 2016

Keywords

  • Holocene dune evolution GPR Xago Astuarius Spain

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