Frequency and Magnitude of Aeolian Processes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

This research project provides new information to fill in data gaps regarding the magnitude, frequency, and seasonality of aeolian sediment transport events in three of the McMurdo Dry Valleys: the Taylor, the Victoria, and the Wright. The characterization of the aeolian transport system in these valleys is based on two years of continuous ten minute average observations of wind speed and direction, temperature and
saltation activity at four locations within these three valleys. In addition to this high-resolution temporal data, for each of the two years of observation, up to two time/event integrated horizontal saltation flux measurements were made with custom-designed traps that remained open for periods of time regulated by the saltation flux at each of the four measurement locations. These trap-derived fluxes combined with the saltation and wind data has allowed for the characterization of time the saltation system was active, the average flux rates per unit of saltation time, as well as an estimation of the total annual horizontal flux based on the record of the total time saltation was observed to be active. The temporal record of saltation activity is also linked to wind direction and temperature providing information on the daily and seasonal patterns of aeolian transport.