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Late Pleistocene and Holocene dune activity and wind regimes in the Western
Sahara Desert of Mauritania

Article  in  Geology · November 2002

DOI: 10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0991:LPAHDA>2.0.CO;2

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Late Pleistocene and Holocene dune activity and wind regimes in
the western Sahara Desert of Mauritania
Nicholas Lancaster Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, Nevada 89512, USA
Gary Kocurek Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
Ashok Singhvi  Planetary and Geosciences Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380 009,

V. Pandey India
Max Deynoux  Centre de Géochimie de la Surface, Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre, Centre
Jean-Francois Ghienne  National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Louis Pasteur, 67084 Strasbourg-Cedex, France
Khalidou Lô Département de Géologie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Nouakchott, Nouakchott,
Mauritania

ABSTRACT and progressively younger sediments of the Mauritania basin (Giresse et

The western Sahara Desert in Mauritania is dominated by al., 2000). The Agneitir sand sea overlies Pleistocene deposits. A series
extensive sand seas consisting largely of linear dunes. Analyses of of coastal sabkhas occupies interdune areas and former shallow bays,
Landsat images, geomorphic and stratigraphic studies, and opti- which are relics of the Holocene (5.5 ka) transgression that reached 2 m
cally stimulated luminescence dating of dunes in the Azefal, Ag- above sea level in this area (Barusseau et al., 1995). Previous investi-
neitir, and Akchar sand seas provide evidence that three main gen- gations in the area (Kocurek et al., 1991) identified a glacial-age period
erations of dunes were formed during the periods 25–15 ka of dune construction (called the Ogolien in Mauritania), followed by late
(centered around the Last Glacial Maximum), 10–13 ka (spanning Pleistocene to Holocene humid conditions (represented by interdune la-
the Younger Dryas event), and after 5 ka. The wind regimes that custrine deposits and dune pedogenesis), and a return to dune activity
occurred during each of these periods were significantly different, and minor dune construction in the late Holocene.
leading to the formation of dunes on three distinct superimposed
trends—northeast, north-northeast, and north—and the develop- IMAGE ANALYSIS AND FIELD STUDIES
ment of the sand seas as composite geomorphic features. The Azefal, Agneitir, and Akchar sand seas and their component
dune elements were mapped on Landsat Thematic Mapper images of
Keywords: Sahara Desert, linear dunes, Quaternary climate change, the area by using their distinctive spectral characteristics. The best
paleowinds. discrimination of the different dune elements was achieved by using a
Gaussian stretch of a combination of bands 7, 4, and 1. The stretched
INTRODUCTION
The Sahara is the largest warm-climate desert on Earth. The re-
sponse of this desert system to Milankovitch- and sub-Milankovitch–
scale climatic changes is important to the global climate system. Three
major states of the Sahara have been identified for the past 25 k.y.: (1)
a Pleistocene hyperarid mode of active transport of sand and dust cen-
tered around the Last Glacial Maximum, (2) an early to middle Holocene
humid period (the African Humid Period), and (3) a late Holocene return
to arid conditions. Conditions for the African Humid Period have been
extensively documented (e.g., Gasse, 2000). The terrestrial record of eo-
lian activity has largely been inferred from stratigraphic relationships
among eolian, fluvial, and lacustrine deposits (e.g., Swezey, 2001). There
are few directly dated records of eolian activity for this region. In this
paper we present new data from geomorphic, stratigraphic, and optically
stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating studies of dunes in the western
Sahara of Mauritania and discuss their significance for late Quaternary
climate, wind regime, and dune response.

STUDY AREA
The western Sahara in Mauritania is dominated by extensive sand
seas that consist largely of linear dunes (Fig. 1). During Pleistocene
glacial periods of low sea level these dunes extended onto the conti-
nental shelf (Sarnthein and Diester-Haas, 1977), and were truncated by
the subsequent rise in sea level. Previously workers in the region (Fry-
berger, 1980; Sarnthein and Diester-Haas, 1977) drew attention to the
existence of crossing dune trends and superimposition of dunes on
different alignments, suggesting that wind regimes in the region have
changed over time. We targeted one area in the western part of Mau-
ritania between latitudes 188309 and 208309 N, in which several dune
trends are visible on satellite images and where three sand seas (Azefal, Figure 1. Sand seas of western Mauritania, showing location of
study area. Broken line indicates extent of Mauritania basin (Giresse
Agneitir, Akchar) are in close proximity (Fig. 2). et al., 2000). Sand roses were compiled using methods of Fryberger
The Azefal and Akchar sand seas directly overlie Precambrian base- (1979) from wind data (Departments of the Navy, Commerce, and Air
ment rocks to the east, but near the coast they overlie Miocene–Pliocene Force, 1996).

q 2002 Geological Society of America. For permission to copy, contact Copyright Permissions, GSA, or editing@geosociety.org.
Geology; November 2002; v. 30; no. 11; p. 991–994; 6 figures; Data Repository item 2002117. 991
 Figure 2. Landsat image of study area, showing sites at
which dunes were sampled for stratigraphic, sedimen-
tologic, and optically stimulated luminescence dating.
Note superimposed sets of linear dune trends.
image was classified by using a supervised Malanobis distance scheme
with training sites based on areas of each major dune sediment type,
together with interdune and sabkha surfaces. From this analysis, we
identified three dune-trend classes that decrease progressively in size:
(1) a northeast-trending class of large, degraded linear ridges that ap-
pear brown in images, (2) a north-northeast–trending (0208) class of
moderate-sized linear dunes, commonly with active crests, that appear
yellow in images, and (3) a north-trending class of small linear dunes
that appear white in images. The dune trends were extracted from the
image and are shown in Figure 3. Mapped dune trends were used as
the basis for field investigations.
The Azefal sand sea consists of several of the large (10–50 m
high), northeast-trending ridges: ;30 km from the present coastline,
the sand sea is crossed by complexes of the north-northeast–trending
linear dunes. Some of these dunes appear to rework sand from the
main northeast-trending part of the Azefal. Others originate to the
north, and cross west of the terminus of the largest northeast-trending
relict dune ridge. A third dune trend is oriented due north and consists
of active simple linear dunes (5–20 m high) with a spacing of 150–
200 m.
The Agneitir sand sea occupies a roughly triangular area between
the Azefal and Akchar sand seas. The upwind (northeast), trailing mar-
gin of the sand sea consists of large areas of rolling dark brown, coarse-
grained active sand sheets and zibars aligned transverse to the northeast
linear dune trend. These active sand sheets and zibars are overlain to
the west by the north-northeast–trending linear dunes that are 20–50
m high, and spaced ;900 m apart. Between the areas of zibars and
the linear dunes are extensive interdune areas, many of which are
floored by lacustrine carbonate and diatomite deposits. The small north-
992
Figure 3. Dune trends determined from Landsat image
analysis. Note that north trend is shown schematically,
owing to small size and close spacing of these dunes.
See Figure 6 for detailed example of relationships be-
tween dune trends.
trending linear dunes, prominent in the Azefal, are restricted to areas
of the Agneitir that are within 10 km of the present coastline.
The Akchar sand sea consists of broad, northeast-trending ridges
with a spacing of 2000–3000 m near the coast and 1000 m inland.
Associated with the linear ridges are extensive areas of coarse, dark
brown sands, which are formed into zibars oriented transverse to the
northeast trend. The northeast-trending linear ridges are crossed by
scattered north-northeast–trending linear dunes, but linear dunes on the
north trend are rare.
In each of the sand seas in the study area, both the north-northeast–
trending and northeast-trending linear dunes are degraded and form an
undulating, indurated surface overlain by the active north-trending
dunes. This surface, littered with Neolithic stone artifacts and pottery,
bounds a bioturbated, slightly indurated red-brown sand enriched in
silt and clay that grades downward to brown or yellow-brown sand
over a few meters and is interpreted as a paleosol. Close to the present
coastline, the older dunes are covered by extensive Holocene shell
middens with a thickness to 0.50 m (Kocurek et al., 1991).
DUNE-TREND CHRONOLOGY
Positions on each of the dune-trend classes were selected for OSL
dating (Fig. 2). Dune sands were sampled by a combination of hand-
dug pits (maximum depth 1.5 m) and augering (maximum depth of 5
m). Figure 4 summarizes the stratigraphy and OSL ages at the sample
locations.
The age of the deposition of sediments was estimated by using
blue-green light-stimulated luminescence (BGSL) optical dating tech-
GEOLOGY, November 2002
 Figure 4. Stratigraphy and location of optically stimulated luminescence dates at sample sites located in Figure 2.
niques. Experimental methods and procedures followed Srivastava et
al. (2001). Ages were determined by using multiple-aliquot BGSL
techniques with short shine normalization and late-light subtraction1.
The OSL ages cluster into three groups: (1) 24–15 ka, (2) 13–10 ka,
and (3) after 5 ka. Each of these periods of eolian activity is associated
1GSA Data Repository item 2002117, Table DR1, Luminescence dating
results, is available on request from Documents Secretary, GSA, P.O. Box 9140,
Boulder, CO 80301-9140, editing@geosociety.org or at www.geosociety.org/
pubs/ft2002.htm.
Figure 5. Wind regime comparisons. A: Modern wind
regime for Nouakchott (location in Fig. 1). B: North-
northeast dune trend. C: Northeast dune trend. Bro-
ken line indicates dune trend.
GEOLOGY, November 2002
with a distinct linear dune trend. The oldest ages (24–15 ka) are all
associated with the northeast dune trend. Dunes with an age of 13–10
ka trend north-northeast. The late Holocene ages in our study are as-
sociated with local eolian activity in interdune areas, but appear to be
representative of a much more widespread period of dune activity that
continues to the present day.
RECONSTRUCTION OF PAST WIND REGIMES
Present-day wind regimes in the western Sahara are dominated by
winter northeasterly and easterly trade winds. In summer, weakening
of the Sahara high results in a significant proportion of northerly and
northwesterly winds from the now-dominant Azores high. The effect
of the African monsoon is evident to the south of the study area, giving
rise to southerly winds in late summer (Dubief, 1979).
Eolian bedforms are aligned to maximize gross sediment transport
normal to their crests (Rubin and Hunter, 1987). By using the program
Trend (Rubin and Ikeda, 1990), it is possible to determine the dune
trend that satisfies the gross-bedform-normal rule in present-day wind
regimes, as well as to simulate the most likely combination of winds
that produced dunes of different trends in the past. The gross-bedform-
normal trend for Nouakchott is 0088, closely paralleling the north-
trending modern linear dunes in this part of the study area (Fig. 5A).
This trend is a product of interactions between easterly and northeast-
erly winds in the winter season (45% of annual potential sand trans-
port), and northwesterly winds in summer (30% of annual potential
sand transport). By iteratively changing the proportion of winds from
different direction sectors, it is possible to simulate the wind regime
that produces a selected gross-bedform-normal dune trend. The best fit
for the north-northeast (0208) trend involves a wind regime with in-
creased sand transport from the east and northwest (Fig. 5B). The
northeast-trending ridges were likely produced by a wind regime in
which the north, northwesterly, and easterly components were en-
hanced compared to today (Fig. 5C).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Dune-trend analysis, stratigraphy, and OSL age clusters all reinforce
the interpretation that the three dune trends are the result of three distinct
993
periods of eolian construction, and correspond to data from elsewhere in
the Sahara (Swezey, 2001). Widespread eolian activity prior to 11 ka is
reported throughout the Sahara; humid conditions and dune stabilization
occurred from 11 to 5 ka. However, thermoluminescence-dated eolian
strata (12.2–10 ka) spanning the Younger Dryas event (12.5–11.5 ka)
are found in southern Tunisia (Swezey et al., 1999). Low lake levels are
also reported for this time from Lake Tigalmamine in Morocco (Lamb
and van der Kaars, 1995) and many sites in the southern Sahara (Gasse
and Van Campo, 1994). Evidence for late Holocene dune activity is
widespread (Swezey, 2001).
The marine proxy record of eolian dust indicates high dust input
from 25 to 14.8 ka (i.e., centered around the Last Glacial Maximum),
followed by a well-defined period of low dust input lasting until 5.5
ka, when climates abruptly became more arid (deMenocal et al., 2000).
An arid interval characterized by increased dust input, however, oc-
curred from 13.4 to 12.3 ka, corresponding approximately to the Youn-
ger Dryas event. The dune record from western Mauritania closely
parallels the dust record, but with a somewhat longer eolian episode
spanning the Younger Dryas.
Analysis of the dune trends and simulations of the dune-forming
winds indicate that wind regimes in this area during the Last Glacial
Maximum and Younger Dryas were characterized by enhanced east-
erly, northerly, and northwesterly winds. This suggests intensification
of the seasonal high-pressure cells during periods of dune construction.
The geomorphic relationships between the three different dune
generations illustrate how dune systems can respond to climatic
change. The cores of the sand seas are the large, relict northeast-
trending linear dunes constructed during a period centered about the
Last Glacial Maximum. The superimposed, north-northeast–trending
dune generation was apparently formed during a relatively short period
(2000–3000 yr) spanning the period of the Younger Dryas. This trend
is best developed in the Agneitir sand sea and at the downwind ter-
minus of the Azefal sand sea. Dune reorientation and/or extension oc-
curred during a lower sea level because these trends cross the Baie St.
Jean and its coastal sabkhas. The youngest dune trend (north) occurs
superimposed upon the pedogenic horizon formed during the Holocene
humid period. The north trend is most prominent in the Azefal sand
sea, especially on its northern flanks, but forms only a minor compo-
nent of the Agneitir and Akchar sand seas, because the Azefal is best
positioned to receive sand transported by northerly winds. The decreas-
ing dune size for each progressively younger generation reflects the
degree of dune construction as a function of both wind-regime duration
and energy level. Satellite images of the Azefal sand sea (Fig. 6) show
clear evidence for reorientation of the termini of older dunes, support-
ing the model of Werner (1995) and Werner and Kocurek (1997) for
change in dune patterns at defect (termination) sites. In this model,
because linear dunes have few terminations per crest length, these
dunes are remarkably stable features. The stability of linear dunes is
further illustrated by the superposition of progressive generations of
linear dunes at an angle to older trends, arguing for a rate of dune
formation that is greater than the rate at which the older, larger dunes
can be reoriented.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the Banc d’Arguin National Park for permission to work in the study area,
David Rubin (U.S. Geological Survey) for provision of the program Trend, and Dan Muhs
and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on the manuscript.
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Manuscript received April 16, 2002
Revised manuscript received June 27, 2002
Manuscript accepted July 16, 2002
Printed in USA
GEOLOGY, November 2002