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Geomorphic Evidence of Climate Change from Desert-Basin Palaeolakes

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Geomorphology of Desert Environments

Abstract

Hydrographically closed basins are numerous in arid regions largely for reasons related to climate (Langbein 1961). Whether desert basins originally formed by structural, volcanic, meteoritic, aeolian, fluvial, biologic, or other processes (Hutchinson 1957, Reeves 1968), they can generally be maintained for long periods if accumulation of surface water is insufficient in volume and duration to establish permanent overflow to externally drained fluvial systems. Other factors that can extend desert-basin longevity include high basin relief, continuance of depression-forming processes, and slow rates of sedimentation. As a result, closed desert basins are especially well developed in arid regions of active extensional tectonics, such as the Great Basin section of the Basin and Range physiographic province in western North America.

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Authors
  1. Dorothy Sack
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo, 14261, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Athol D. Abrahams

  2. Department of Geography, University of Keele, ST5 5BG, Keele, Staffordshire, UK

    Anthony J. Parsons

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© 1994 Athol D. Abrahams and Anthony J. Parsons

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Sack, D. (1994). Geomorphic Evidence of Climate Change from Desert-Basin Palaeolakes. In: Abrahams, A.D., Parsons, A.J. (eds) Geomorphology of Desert Environments. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8254-4_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8254-4_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-015-8256-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-8254-4

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