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Remobilization of southern African desert dune systems by twenty-first century global warming

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Listed:
  • David S. G. Thomas

    (University of Oxford)

  • Melanie Knight

    (University of Salford)

  • Giles F. S. Wiggs

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

The dune thing Desert dunes cover some 5% of Earth's land surface, including almost 30% of Africa, where vegetated dunes are widely used in agriculture, but the potential impact of global warming on dune systems is not well understood. New climate modelling studies suggest that for a range of CO2 emissions scenarios, extensive dune systems from South Africa to Angola will be activated as a consequence of future global warming by 2010. This shift in desert dunes could have drastic effects on the environment, and marked socio-political implications for the countries in which the dune systems fall.

Suggested Citation

  • David S. G. Thomas & Melanie Knight & Giles F. S. Wiggs, 2005. "Remobilization of southern African desert dune systems by twenty-first century global warming," Nature, Nature, vol. 435(7046), pages 1218-1221, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:435:y:2005:i:7046:d:10.1038_nature03717
    DOI: 10.1038/nature03717
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Y. Ashkenazy & H. Yizhaq & Haim Tsoar, 2012. "Sand dune mobility under climate change in the Kalahari and Australian deserts," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 901-923, June.
    2. Amelia Carolina Sparavigna, 2013. "A Study of Moving Sand Dunes by Means of Satellite Images," International Journal of Sciences, Office ijSciences, vol. 2(08), pages 33-42, August.
    3. Mohammad Reza Rahdari & Andrés Rodríguez-Seijo, 2021. "Monitoring Sand Drift Potential and Sand Dune Mobility over the Last Three Decades (Khartouran Erg, Sabzevar, NE Iran)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Amelia Carolina Sparavigna, 2016. "Analysis of the Motion of Some Brazilian Coastal Dunes," International Journal of Sciences, Office ijSciences, vol. 5(01), pages 22-31, January.
    5. Chen, Zheng & Liu, Jieyu & Li, Li & Wu, Yongping & Feng, Guolin & Qian, Zhonghua & Sun, Gui-Quan, 2022. "Effects of climate change on vegetation patterns in Hulun Buir Grassland," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 597(C).
    6. Niti B. Mishra & Kelley A. Crews & Jennifer A. Miller & Thoralf Meyer, 2015. "Mapping Vegetation Morphology Types in Southern Africa Savanna Using MODIS Time-Series Metrics: A Case Study of Central Kalahari, Botswana," Land, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-19, March.
    7. Amelia Carolina Sparavigna, 2013. "The GNU Image Manipulation Program Applied to Study the Sand Dunes," International Journal of Sciences, Office ijSciences, vol. 2(09), pages 1-8, September.
    8. Andreas Eleftheriou & Petros Mouzourides & George Biskos & Panayiotis Yiallouros & Prashant Kumar & Marina K.-A. Neophytou, 2023. "The challenge of adopting mitigation and adaptation measures for the impacts of sand and dust storms in Eastern Mediterranean Region: a critical review," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(6), pages 1-36, August.
    9. Reed, M.S. & Podesta, G. & Fazey, I. & Geeson, N. & Hessel, R. & Hubacek, K. & Letson, D. & Nainggolan, D. & Prell, C. & Rickenbach, M.G. & Ritsema, C. & Schwilch, G. & Stringer, L.C. & Thomas, A.D., 2013. "Combining analytical frameworks to assess livelihood vulnerability to climate change and analyse adaptation options," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 66-77.
    10. Jerome R. Mayaud & Nicholas P. Webb, 2017. "Vegetation in Drylands: Effects on Wind Flow and Aeolian Sediment Transport," Land, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-24, September.
    11. Yanli Lyu & Peijun Shi & Guoyi Han & Lianyou Liu & Lanlan Guo & Xia Hu & Guoming Zhang, 2020. "Desertification Control Practices in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, April.
    12. C. Williams & D. Kniveton, 2012. "Atmosphere-land surface interactions and their influence on extreme rainfall and potential abrupt climate change over southern Africa," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 981-996, June.
    13. Amelia Carolina Sparavigna, 2013. "A Case Study of Moving Sand Dunes: The Barchans of the Kharga Oasis," International Journal of Sciences, Office ijSciences, vol. 2(08), pages 95-97, August.
    14. Knox, J.W. & Rodríguez Díaz, J.A. & Nixon, D.J. & Mkhwanazi, M., 2010. "A preliminary assessment of climate change impacts on sugarcane in Swaziland," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(2), pages 63-72, February.
    15. Kefi, Sonia & Rietkerk, Max & Katul, Gabriel G., 2008. "Vegetation pattern shift as a result of rising atmospheric CO2 in arid ecosystems," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 332-344.
    16. Andrew Gunn & Amy East & Douglas J. Jerolmack, 2022. "21st-century stagnation in unvegetated sand-sea activity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.

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