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Full-Text Articles in Soil Science
Reconstructing Regional Paleoenvironments And Geomorphic History Of High Plains Playa-Lunette Systems, Alyssa E. Sims
Reconstructing Regional Paleoenvironments And Geomorphic History Of High Plains Playa-Lunette Systems, Alyssa E. Sims
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Playas are ephemeral upland-embedded wetlands found in semiarid and arid regions worldwide. Lunettes are isolated dunes that form along the downwind margin of playas. The paleoclimatic and geomorphic history of High Plains playa-lunette systems (PLSs) are poorly understood. To address this, we characterize the stratigraphy of four PLSs in southwest Kansas, USA. Methods include: 1) collect soil-sediment cores from playa centers and windward slopes of lunettes; 2) describe cores using USDA techniques; 3) estimate age of stratigraphic units using radiocarbon (14C); and 4) reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions using stable carbon isotopes (13C) and particle size analysis. Playa stratigraphy is relatively simple …