ArcDune: Sand dunes and Holocene environmental change in the European Arctic

Beskrivning

Arctic landscape and climate are highly sensitive to change and closely coupled. This project aims to reconstruct the history of Arctic landscape and climate change through analysis of sand dunes in the Fennoscandian Arctic.

Current climate change in the Arctic is unpreceded in the instrumental record, with profound consequences for the environment and landscape on both regional and global scales. Understanding past landscape (in)stability and evolution in this sensitive area is essential for understanding the response of the Arctic to current and future climate change impacts. This understanding starts with accurate and detailed mapping. Semi-automatic data-driven analysis provides a mechanism for efficient investigation of large areas.

In the European Arctic, aeolian sand dunes have been affected by climatic changes since their initial formation after the retreat of the last glacial ice sheet. Dune orientation is driven by prevailing wind direction during stabilization, while the form and stratigraphy of dunes is a function of climate-driven reworking events. We integrate a geomorphological interpretation of the mapping, stratigraphic analysis, and independent dating to systematically test the suitability of dues as climate archives, as local scale fires and destabilization events may overprint wider climate forcing.