Dr. Matthew Purtill
Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Matthew Purtill was the lead author of an article recently published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science.
The article, "Geochronology and Depositional History of the Sandy Springs Aeolian Landscape in the Unglaciated Upper Ohio River Valley, United States," reports on the age of formation history of relict, wind-blown sand dunes in the Ohio Valley.
Project results suggest that periods of accelerated dune deposition during the last 12,000 years were linked to past climate events, especially periods of increased aridity or drought. The finding suggests that many now vegetated dune fields in the eastern U.S. could become destabilized due to climate change and have negative impact on soil and agricultural resources.
