Coastal dunefields of south Brazil as a record of climatic changes in the South American Monsoon System

Author(s)

Mendes, Vinicius Ribau ^[1] ; Fonseca Giannini, Paulo Cesar ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Geol Sedimentar & Ambiental, Inst Geociencias, BR-05508 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Geomorphology; v. 246, p. 22-34, OCT 1 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Southern Brazil coastal dunefields are undergoing a stabilization process that appears to be influenced by climate change. Although this process is relatively well known in the literature, the precise climatic mechanisms involved were not fully understood until now. Here, we propose anew method for integrating meteorological data with dunefield morphology analyses by remote sensing to better understand the impacts of recent climate change on dunefield dynamics. Based on this approach, three successive morphological phases were identified for the Santa Catarina central coast dunefields since 1938: (i) increased sand saturation; (ii) reduced sand saturation with consequent accelerated dune migration; and (iii) decelerated dune migration with trends of stabilization by the vegetation cover. For the coastal dunefields of southern Brazil, the stabilization process can be explained mechanistically by an increase in precipitation and decrease of wind power, both of which were correlated with the intensification of the South American Monsoon System. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/53988-8 - Acquisition of a luminescence dating system and a precision microsampler for the study of environmental changes in the Quaternary period
• Grantee: Paulo César Fonseca Giannini
• Support type: Multi-user Equipment Program
• FAPESP's process: 09/54232-4 - Morphodynamics and chronology of quaternary aeolian depositional systems in Brazil
• Grantee: Paulo César Fonseca Giannini
• Support type: Regular Research Grants