Abstract

In the past decade there has been a call for integrated studies that examine the interaction of fluvial and aeolian processes (Belnap et al., 2011; Bullard and Livingstone, 2002). In this study, we examined the role of land-use, weather, and soil type on the flux of aeolian material into dry washes on the Colorado Plateau in central Utah, USA, and western Colorado, USA. Our goal was to quantify the impact of individual deposition and erosion events by correlating weather and land-use data with a combination of measurement methods including dust collection via dust traps, GPS surveying, and close-range photogrammetry. Our data suggest that there is an interaction between these processes and that seasonality and land-use play a large role in determining the strength of this interaction. Particularly, high land-use and dry, windy conditions were most conducive to the surface movement of sediment and subsequent removal of that sediment by fluvial processes.

Degree

College and Department

Life Sciences; Biology

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/