Title:
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A geophysical and geochronological assessment of coastal dune evolution at Aberffraw, North Wales
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Aberffraw is a lkm wide and 3km long transgressive dune field on the Isle of
Anglesey, North Wales, that extends inland along a northeast-southwest trending valley
from a southwest facing beach, Traeth Mawr. The prevailing wind is from the
southwest and both the parabolic dunes and the vaUey within which they lie are subparallel
to the prevailing wind. The dune field at Aberffraw includes two foredunes
ridges and three rows of active parabolic dunes. At the landward end is a lake, Llyn
Coron, which has been formed by the dunes migrating up the valley and damming the
river, Mon Ffraw. Rates of parabolic dune migration, calculated from aerial
photographic analysis using a new linear fit method for compound dune forms, range
from a minimum of 0 m1yr to 3.6 mJyr, with an average migration rate of 1 m1yr.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) was used to identify sedimentary structures in the
subsurface of the two foredune ridges, four parabolic dune ridges and the associated
interdune areas. Surveys at 100 MHz and 200 MHz allowed the resolution of both the
gross dune field stratigraphy (bounding surfaces, erosion surfaces) and the smaller
sedimentary structures (e.g. cross-stratification, foresets, cut and fill troughs), together
with the water-table and basement. Interpretation of the GPR profiles used a
combination of the radar facies technique and a radar sequence boundary stratigraphic
approach to construct relative chronologies for sections of the stratigraphy. Detailed
intersecting GPR surveys by Llyn Coron revealed a relative chronology of six sand
packages younging successively towards the NE, bounded by erosion surfaces
representative of relic lake beds. Large landward dipping erosion surfaces are
interpreted as incursions by the lake, with a raised water-table resulting from highstand
phases initiated by dune damming. Smaller troughs and planar based scours are
interpreted as periods of deflation to a lowered water-table associated with lowstand
phases of the lake. Prograding stacks of landward dipping foresets are interpreted as
continued dune migration throughout these events.
Hand augering was used to sample specific packages identified from the GPR profiles
for Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating to provide absolute ages for sand
deposition. Samples were also acquired from the neighbouring site of Newborough
Warren for comparison, and for radiocarbon dating. Quartz grains were dated using a
single aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) protocol that allowed for sensitivity changes
and monitoring of thermal charge transfer. Thirty-four dates ranged from AD 1281 for
a 5 m deep sample to AD 1981 for a modern bleached sample, demonstrating good
precision in contrast with the radiocarbon technique over this time scale. and
confirming the relative chronology constructed from the GPR data. The OSL dates for
sand movement at Aberffraw show good correlation with both local and regional
temporal trends in sand movement for coastal dune areas in NW Europe, with a
positive correlation between periods of sand movement and periods of increased storm
frequency and severity associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and
climatic deterioration during the Little Ice Age cooling event.
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