Holocene stratigraphy and chronology of the Casper Dune Field, Casper, Wyoming, USA
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Abstract
Activation chronologies of dune fields within the North American Great Plains are significant sources of paleoclimate information. Although many regional chronologies exist, several dune fields have been understudied, including the Casper Dune Field of central Wyoming. This study investigated aeolian dune sediment and buried soils of the Casper Dune Field. Complex parabolic and hairpin parabolic dunes dominate the eastern dune field, while simple parabolic and linear dunes dominate the western dune field. Buried soils are found throughout the dune field, though their distribution and degree of development varies. Buried soils in the eastern dune field are weakly developed with typical A-C profiles, whereas soils in the western dune field typically exhibit A-Bt-C profiles. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon ages were used to provide a chronology of dune field activation that spans most of the Holocene. At the onset of the Holocene, alluvium was deposited first, followed by widespread dune activity ~ 10.0—6.2 ka. Following activity, the dune field stabilized until about 4.1 ka. During this stabilization period, however, reactivation occurred in at least one locality within the dune field at 5.1 ka. Subsequent aeolian activity occurred at 4.1 ka and between 1.0 ka and 0.4 ka. The resulting activation chronology is compared with those obtained from elsewhere in Wyoming and from other west-central Great Plains dune fields.
Study Area
Publication type | Article |
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Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | Holocene stratigraphy and chronology of the Casper Dune Field, Casper, Wyoming, USA |
Series title | Holocene |
DOI | 10.1177/0959683610362812 |
Volume | 20 |
Issue | 5 |
Publication Date | April 23, 2010 |
Year Published | 2010 |
Language | English |
Publisher | Sage |
Contributing office(s) | Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center |
Description | 11 p. |
First page | 773 |
Last page | 783 |
Country | United States |
State | Wyoming |
City | Caspar |
Other Geospatial | Caspar Dune Field |