Premium
Sedimentary effects of flood‐producing windstorms in playa lakes and their role in the movement of large rocks
Author(s) -
SanzMontero M. E.,
Cabestrero Ó.,
RodríguezAranda J. P.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3677
Subject(s) - geology , sedimentary rock , storm , flood myth , fluvial , ripple marks , sedimentary structures , structural basin , ecological succession , geomorphology , paleontology , earth science , hydrology (agriculture) , oceanography , sedimentary depositional environment , archaeology , ripple , geotechnical engineering , ecology , physics , voltage , quantum mechanics , biology , history
Abstract This paper sheds light on the hydrodynamic conditions of transport and sedimentary effects of wind‐induced water currents produced during strong windstorms in low gradient systems. Repeated field surveys were conducted in a playa lake in central Spain to determine the impacts of major winter storms on the bed form morphology in real time. The succession of storms that passed through the area from mid‐December 2013 to early February 2014 left behind a variety of sedimentary structures: mainly ripple marks showing complex patterns and erosional structures. The latter include obstacle scours, grooves and other tool marks. In situ observations revealed that strong storm events in almost flat, extremely shallow lakes (less than 5 cm) have enough hydraulic energy to erode and remove high volumes of sediments and may also lead to large stones sliding across the bed, thus creating long grooves. Sole marks found in ancient continental successions have been typically attributed to fluvial conditions. We suggest that shallow lake basins should not be discounted when storm‐generated structures are preserved in ancient rocks. The identification of such sedimentary structures provides valuable information for reconstructing hydrodynamic conditions and paleoclimatic conditions in semi‐arid environments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.