Fluvial Megafans on Earth and Mars

About this book

Megafans are partial cones of river sediment that reach unexpectedly large dimensions, with the largest on Earth being 700 km long. Due to recent developments in space-based observations, global mapping efforts have shown that modern megafan features cover vast landscapes on most continents. This book provides a new inventory of nearly 300 megafans across five continents. Chapters focus on regional studies of megafans from all continents barring North America and Antarctica. The major morphological attributes of megafans and multi-megafan landscapes are discussed, and the principal controls on megafan development are examined. The book also compares megafans with alluvial fans, deltas, floodplains and the recently recognised 'major avulsive fluvial system' (MAFS). The final part of the book discusses the application of megafan research to economic geology, aquifers and planetary geology including layered deposits on Mars. This is an invaluable reference for researchers in geomorphology, sedimentology and physical geography.

Contents

1. Megafans as major continental landforms / M. Justin Wilkinson, Yanni Gunnel
2. A Global Megafans Map / M. Justin Wilkinson, Nathan Currit
3. Megafans of Africa / M. Justin Wilkinson, Kevin Burke, Nathan Currit, Mikhail A. Kreslavsky
4. Megafans of the Northern Kalahari Basin / M. Justin Wilkinson, Roy McG. Miller, Frank Eckardt, Mikhail A. Kreslavsky
5. The Chaco Megafans / Edgardo M. Latrubesse, Edward Park, Carlos Ramonell, Anwar Sounny-Slitine, Edgardo Cafaro
6. Megafans of the Pantanal Basin, Brazil / Maurício G. M. Santos, José C. Stevaux, Mario L. Assine
7. Geomorphic and chronological assessment of aggradation patterns on the Río Grande (Guapay) megafan, eastern Bolivia / Jan-Henne May, Timothy Cohen, Frank Preusser, Heinz Veit
8. Megafans of southern and central Europe / Alessandro Fontana, Paolo Mozzi
9. The Loire megafan, central France / Yanni Gunnel
10. Megafans of the Gangetic Plains, India / Rajiv Sinha, Kanchan Mishra, Sampat K. Tandon
11. The Kosi megafan, India: morphology, dynamics, and sedimentology / Rajiv Sinha, Kumar Gaurav, Kanchan Mishra, Surya Gupta
12. Megafans in Australia: a case study of the Holocene Mitchell megafan, Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia / Tessa I. Lane, Rachel A. Nanson, R. Bruce Ainsworth, Boyan K. Vakarelov
13. Megafans of the northern Victorian Riverine Plains, Australia / Karen A. Kapteinis, John A. Webb, Susan Q. White
14. Geology of fluvial-fan deposits: facies patterns, architectural organisation, and implications for economic geology / Dario Ventra, Andrea Moscariello
15. An investigation of lithology, hydrogeology, bioturbation and pedogenesis in a cored borehole through the Andoni Formation of the Cubango Megafan, northern Namibia / Roy McG. Miller, Stephen T. Hasiotis, Christoph Lohe, Falk Lindenmaier, Martin Quinger
16. Megafans on Mars: a fluvial analogue for the Sinus Meridiani layered sediments / M. Justin Wilkinson, Mark Salvatore, Ricardo Vilalta
17. Megafans in world landscapes: results of a global survey / M. Justin Wilkinson
18. Some future megafan research directions / M. Justin Wilkinson and Yanni Gunnel

Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Justin Wilkinson is a senior research scientist in the department of geography at Texas State University, and a senior scientist in the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit at the NASA-Johnson Space Center. Wilkinson's research focusses on 'unconventional' river landscapes, the end points of desert rivers, and extensive megafan depositional plains. The astronaut corps awarded him the 'Silver Snoopy' pin as Earth Observations trainer and a book on Costa Rica illustrated with astronaut photos earned him NASA's Public Service Medal.

Yanni Gunnell is professor of physical geography and environmental studies at Université Lumière Lyon 2 where he studies environmental change and landscape evolution. Gunnell's research covers geomorphology, Quaternary geology, geodynamics, geoarchaeology, land-cover change, and social science. He has served as editor for nonprofit learned society journals, and as guest-editor of books and book chapters in several languages.


Contributors:
- M. Justin Wilkinson
- Yanni Gunnel
- Nathan Currit
- Kevin Burke
- Mikhail A. Kreslavsky
- Roy Mcg. Miller
- Frank Eckardt
- Edgardo M. Latrubesse
- Edward Park
- Carlos Ramonell
- Anwar Sounny-Slitine
- Edgardo Cafaro
- Maurício G. M. Santos
- José C. Stevaux
- Mario L. Assine
- Jan-Henne May
- Timothy Cohen
- Frank Preusser
- Heinz Veit
- Alessandro Fontana
- Paolo Mozzi
- Rajiv Sinha
- Kanchan Mishra
- Sampat K. Tandon
- Kumar Gaurav
- Kanchan Mishra
- Surya Gupta
- Tessa I. Lane
- Rachel A. Nanson
- R. Bruce Ainsworth
- Boyan K. Vakarelov
- Karen A. Kapteinis
- John A. Webb
- Susan Q. White
- Dario Ventra
- Andrea Moscariello
- Roy Mcg. Miller
- Stephen T. Hasiotis
- Christoph Lohe
- Falk Lindenmaier
- Martin Quinger
- Mark Salvatore
- Ricardo Vilalta