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The History and Evolution of Desert Hydrology and Landforms: The Role of Climate Change

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Dryland Ecohydrology

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the evidence that can be used to establish the nature of environmental conditions in deserts and to demonstrate the changes that have occurred in their hydrology and geomorphology, particularly during the course of the last few millions of years. After a definition of aridity and its causes, the chapter investigates the evidence for past arid conditions, including aeolian phenomena, pluvial kaes, carbonate precipitates, floral and faunal remains, archaeological remains, and ocean core sediments. The paper condludes with a discussion of aridity initiation, intensification and frequency of events.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Andrew S. Goudie

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  1. Andrew S. Goudie
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Correspondence to Andrew S. Goudie .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Paolo D'Odorico

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA

    Amilcare Porporato

  3. Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC, USA

    Christiane Wilkinson Runyan

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Goudie, A.S. (2019). The History and Evolution of Desert Hydrology and Landforms: The Role of Climate Change. In: D'Odorico, P., Porporato, A., Wilkinson Runyan, C. (eds) Dryland Ecohydrology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23269-6_8

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