Climate-surface-pore-water interactions on a salt crusted playa: implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanning

Sodium accumulating playas (also termed sodic or natric playas) are typically covered by polygonal crusts with different pattern characteristics, but little is known about the short‐term (hours) dynamics of these patterns or how pore water may respond to or drive changing salt crust patterning and s...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nield, J, Wiggs, G, King, J, Bryant, R, Eckardt, F, Thomas, D, Washington, R
Format: Journal article
Published: Wiley 2015
_version_ 1797102359343529984
author Nield, J
Wiggs, G
King, J
Bryant, R
Eckardt, F
Thomas, D
Washington, R
author_facet Nield, J
Wiggs, G
King, J
Bryant, R
Eckardt, F
Thomas, D
Washington, R
author_sort Nield, J
collection OXFORD
description Sodium accumulating playas (also termed sodic or natric playas) are typically covered by polygonal crusts with different pattern characteristics, but little is known about the short‐term (hours) dynamics of these patterns or how pore water may respond to or drive changing salt crust patterning and surface roughness. It is important to understand these interactions because playa‐crust surface pore‐water and roughness both influence wind erosion and dust emission through controlling erodibility and erosivity. Here we present the first high resolution (10−3 m; hours) co‐located measurements of changing moisture and salt crust topography using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and infra‐red imagery for Sua Pan, Botswana. Maximum nocturnal moisture pattern change was found on the crests of ridged surfaces during periods of low temperature and high relative humidity. These peaks experienced non‐elastic expansion overnight, of up to 30 mm and up to an average of 1.5 mm/night during the 39 day measurement period. Continuous crusts however showed little nocturnal change in moisture or elevation. The dynamic nature of salt crusts and the complex feedback patterns identified emphasize how processes both above and below the surface may govern the response of playa surfaces to microclimate diurnal cycles.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T06:04:53Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:ed7d9a7a-320f-41ca-85cb-34d57058d6df
institution University of Oxford
last_indexed 2024-03-07T06:04:53Z
publishDate 2015
publisher Wiley
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:ed7d9a7a-320f-41ca-85cb-34d57058d6df2022-03-27T11:25:29ZClimate-surface-pore-water interactions on a salt crusted playa: implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanningJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:ed7d9a7a-320f-41ca-85cb-34d57058d6dfSymplectic Elements at OxfordWiley2015Nield, JWiggs, GKing, JBryant, REckardt, FThomas, DWashington, RSodium accumulating playas (also termed sodic or natric playas) are typically covered by polygonal crusts with different pattern characteristics, but little is known about the short‐term (hours) dynamics of these patterns or how pore water may respond to or drive changing salt crust patterning and surface roughness. It is important to understand these interactions because playa‐crust surface pore‐water and roughness both influence wind erosion and dust emission through controlling erodibility and erosivity. Here we present the first high resolution (10−3 m; hours) co‐located measurements of changing moisture and salt crust topography using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and infra‐red imagery for Sua Pan, Botswana. Maximum nocturnal moisture pattern change was found on the crests of ridged surfaces during periods of low temperature and high relative humidity. These peaks experienced non‐elastic expansion overnight, of up to 30 mm and up to an average of 1.5 mm/night during the 39 day measurement period. Continuous crusts however showed little nocturnal change in moisture or elevation. The dynamic nature of salt crusts and the complex feedback patterns identified emphasize how processes both above and below the surface may govern the response of playa surfaces to microclimate diurnal cycles.
spellingShingle Nield, J
Wiggs, G
King, J
Bryant, R
Eckardt, F
Thomas, D
Washington, R
Climate-surface-pore-water interactions on a salt crusted playa: implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanning
title Climate-surface-pore-water interactions on a salt crusted playa: implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanning
title_full Climate-surface-pore-water interactions on a salt crusted playa: implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanning
title_fullStr Climate-surface-pore-water interactions on a salt crusted playa: implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanning
title_full_unstemmed Climate-surface-pore-water interactions on a salt crusted playa: implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanning
title_short Climate-surface-pore-water interactions on a salt crusted playa: implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanning
title_sort climate surface pore water interactions on a salt crusted playa implications for crust pattern and surface roughness development measured using terrestrial laser scanning
work_keys_str_mv AT nieldj climatesurfaceporewaterinteractionsonasaltcrustedplayaimplicationsforcrustpatternandsurfaceroughnessdevelopmentmeasuredusingterrestriallaserscanning
AT wiggsg climatesurfaceporewaterinteractionsonasaltcrustedplayaimplicationsforcrustpatternandsurfaceroughnessdevelopmentmeasuredusingterrestriallaserscanning
AT kingj climatesurfaceporewaterinteractionsonasaltcrustedplayaimplicationsforcrustpatternandsurfaceroughnessdevelopmentmeasuredusingterrestriallaserscanning
AT bryantr climatesurfaceporewaterinteractionsonasaltcrustedplayaimplicationsforcrustpatternandsurfaceroughnessdevelopmentmeasuredusingterrestriallaserscanning
AT eckardtf climatesurfaceporewaterinteractionsonasaltcrustedplayaimplicationsforcrustpatternandsurfaceroughnessdevelopmentmeasuredusingterrestriallaserscanning
AT thomasd climatesurfaceporewaterinteractionsonasaltcrustedplayaimplicationsforcrustpatternandsurfaceroughnessdevelopmentmeasuredusingterrestriallaserscanning
AT washingtonr climatesurfaceporewaterinteractionsonasaltcrustedplayaimplicationsforcrustpatternandsurfaceroughnessdevelopmentmeasuredusingterrestriallaserscanning