Sand Dune Morphodynamics

Research by Dr Pieter Vermeesch and Colleagues developed remote sensing and geophysical/geochronological methodologies to determine the movements of sand dunes, which are used by engineering and petroleum companies to plan pipeline, road and rail routes and production facilities in sandy deserts where migrating sand dunes are a problem.

Wind-blown sand is a hazard causing abrasion, blocking filters and burying equipment. Identifying areas with the greatest sand flux, where dunes are most active, and areas with low sand flux, where dunes are least active can be used in planning the location of pipelines and other desert infrastructure to mitigate against damage from wind-blown sand. 

Based on the pilot studies companies have recognised that these new methods provide an advantage over competitors and this has delivered commercial benefits. The newly developed techniques have been used on very large multi-million pound pipeline engineering projects including In Salah Gas for BP and Hassi Ba Hamou for BG in the Algerian desert. 

To understand sand migration rates over the short to long-term Vermeesch developed a new approach to monitor the speed and sand flux of migrating dunes using the COSI-Corr change detection algorithm to pairs of high-resolution optical satellite images taken at differing times and Bristow developed ground penetrating radar (GPR) and geochronology techniques to determine long-term rates of dune migration.

Based on the pilot studies companies have recognised that these new methods provide an advantage over competitors and this has delivered commercial benefits. The newly developed techniques have been used on very large multi-million pound pipeline engineering projects including In Salah Gas for BP and Hassi Ba Hamou for BG in the Algerian desert. 

References to the research:

• The sedimentary structure of linear sand dunes, C. S. Bristow, S. D. Bailey and N. Lancaster, Nature 406, 56-59 (2000) doi:10.1038/35017536
• Age and dynamics of linear dunes in the Namib desert, C. S. Bristow, G. A. T. Duller and N. Lancaster, Geology 35, 555-558 (2007) doi:10.1130/G23369A.1
• Remotely sensed dune celerity and sand flux measurements of the world’s fastest barchans (Bodélé, Chad), P. Vermeesch and N. Drake, Geophysical Research Letters, 35, L24404 (2008) doi:10.1029/2008GL035921
• A 45-year time series of dune mobility indicating constant windiness over the central Sahara, P. Vermeesch and S. Leprince, Geophysical Research Letters, 39, L14401 (2012) doi:10.1029/2012GL052592