Aeolian dune deposits
There are two main types of dunes that are present in the Murray River floodplain. These include source bordering dunes, and transverse dunes.
Source bordering Dunes:
Formed in glacial times by sand being blown by south-westerly winds from dry beds of ancient streams that have dried up in the off season (Rutherford, 1990, p28). These are only found on ancestral tracts so are less common today (Rutherford, 1990, p28). They look like mounds or unusual sandy rises stretching up to 1.5km across and many kilometres long. (Rutherford & Kenyon, 2005). They tend to be found on northern banks of ancestral channels, so are quite uncommon to be seen today.
Transverse dunes:
These are long, asymmetrical dunes that lie at right angles to the prevailing winds. As seen in Figure Y below, similar to source bordering dunes transverse dunes involve the deposition of sediment by winds. An example is the Bama sandhill (also known as the Kanyapella lunette).
Source bordering Dunes:
Formed in glacial times by sand being blown by south-westerly winds from dry beds of ancient streams that have dried up in the off season (Rutherford, 1990, p28). These are only found on ancestral tracts so are less common today (Rutherford, 1990, p28). They look like mounds or unusual sandy rises stretching up to 1.5km across and many kilometres long. (Rutherford & Kenyon, 2005). They tend to be found on northern banks of ancestral channels, so are quite uncommon to be seen today.
Transverse dunes:
These are long, asymmetrical dunes that lie at right angles to the prevailing winds. As seen in Figure Y below, similar to source bordering dunes transverse dunes involve the deposition of sediment by winds. An example is the Bama sandhill (also known as the Kanyapella lunette).
Figure Y- how transverse dunes are formed (Nelson, 2014)