Eolian erosion of polygons in the Atacama Desert as a proxy for hyper-arid environments on Earth and beyond

dc.contributor.authorSager, Christof
dc.contributor.authorAiro, Alessandro
dc.contributor.authorArens, Felix L.
dc.contributor.authorSchulze-Makuch, Dirk
dc.date.accessioned2022-07-22T16:27:16Z
dc.date.available2022-07-22T16:27:16Z
dc.date.issued2022-07-20
dc.description.abstractPolygonal networks occur on various terrestrial and extraterrestrial surfaces holding valuable information on the pedological and climatological conditions under which they develop. However, unlike periglacial polygons that are commonly used as an environmental proxy, the information that polygons in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert can provide is little understood. To promote their use as a proxy, we investigated a polygonal network within an inactive channel that exhibits uncommonly diverse surface morphologies and mineral compositions, using geochemical and remote sensing techniques. Our findings show that the polygons belong to a continuous network of the same genetic origin. Their differences result from post-formational differential eolian erosion up to 50 cm depth, exposing indurated subsurface horizons rich in sulfate or nitrate and chloride. Their location in an ancient channel could lead to the misinterpretation of fluvial polygon erosion, however, we find no such signs but evidence for aqueous resurfacing of microtopography by fog and minimal rainwater infiltration. Our findings extend the use of polygons as proxies in the Atacama Desert, indicating saline soils and hyper-arid conditions. We conclude that this example of polygon erosion can guide future polygon research, especially regarding the use of erosional surfaces on Earth and beyond to gain valuable subsurface insights.en
dc.description.sponsorshipTU Berlin, Open-Access-Mittel – 2022en
dc.identifier.eissn2045-2322
dc.identifier.urihttps://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/handle/11303/17248
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-16027
dc.language.isoenen
dc.relation.ispartof10.14279/depositonce-17841
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subject.ddc550 Geowissenschaften, Geologiede
dc.subject.otherAtacama Deserten
dc.subject.otherpatterned groundsen
dc.subject.otherpolygonen
dc.subject.otherhyper-ariden
dc.subject.otherEolian erosionen
dc.titleEolian erosion of polygons in the Atacama Desert as a proxy for hyper-arid environments on Earth and beyonden
dc.typeArticleen
dc.type.versionpublishedVersionen
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.articlenumber12394en
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.doi10.1038/s41598-022-16404-yen
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitleScientific Reportsen
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublishernameSpringerNatureen
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublisherplaceLondon [u.a.]en
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume12en
tub.accessrights.dnbfreeen
tub.affiliationFak. 2 Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften::Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysikde
tub.affiliation.facultyFak. 2 Mathematik und Naturwissenschaftende
tub.affiliation.instituteZentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysikde
tub.publisher.universityorinstitutionTechnische Universität Berlinen

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