News Announcements

Summary of Results from the Planetary Dune Workshop, Alamogordo, NM.

The Top 10 Things Planetary Dune Research Needs to Focus On.

1. Better communication between dune scientists studying ALL planetary surfaces (e.g. joint research, future workshops, special sessions at meetings).
2. More terrestrial analog studies to better understand fundamental processes
• More field analog studies of BOTH morphology and process
• Field sites should include both warm and cold deserts e.g., (Arctic for megaripple studies)
• Potential importance of Pleistocene-age para- and peri-glacial landscapes.
• Physical weathering as a source of particles for transport by wind.
3. Scaling of dunes and sediment transport between the Earth, Mars, Titan, and laboratory experiments.
4. Increased use of small-scale higher resolution climate models (e.g. mesoscale models) of dunes fields for comparison with observed wind directions.
5. Development, completion and/or expansion of planetary dune databases, especially the completion of the Mars Digital Dune Database (MGD3) to include the polar regions and added compositional information. The planned Earth dunes database should be supported.
6. Additional research to develop or refine dune classification schemes to consider both morphology and formation processes, e.g. effects of formative wind regimes on dune morphology.
7. More research on the formation process of linear dunes (important for Titan), esp. lee dunes.
8. More research of the physical properties of dunes on Mars, Titan, and Earth and how these properties affect remote sensing observables.
9. Modeling of dune morphodynamics, especially dune initiation and merging/linking of dunes (computer and flume)
10. Inclusion of instruments to measure key parameters for aeolian processes (e.g wind speed and direction) on all future planetary (esp. Mars) landers and rovers.

Planetary Dunes Workshop is a Success.

The Mars-Dunes.org Consortium held a workshop in Alamogordo, NM. The workshop, sponsored by LPI and JPL and organized by the USGS, PSI, DRI, and SETI, incorporated oral and poster presentations, as well as extended discussion dispersed around a one-day field trip to dunes at White Sands National Monument. This workshop brought together researchers with interests in planetary dunes from diverse backgrounds, ranging from image analysis to modeling to terrestrial analogue studies. A group of approximately 45 researchers from 8 countries (4 continents) had intensive discussion of problems and issues in an attempt to identify the most promising approaches to understanding these dune systems and to develop a collaborative interdisciplinary research agenda. The workshop will produce a white paper and a special issue outlining the current status of planetary aeolian dune research and identifying key areas for future research. The agenda and links to the abstracts can be found at the LPI dune meeting website.

Mars Global Digital Dune Database: MC2 to MC29

Sand dunes are among the most widespread aeolian features present on Mars, serving as unique indicators of the interaction between the atmosphere and surface. A new Mars Global Digital Dune Database (MGD³) provides a comprehensive and quantitative view of the geographic distribution of moderate- to large-size dune fields (area > 1 km²). MGD³, which extends from 65° N to 65° S latitude and encompasses ~ 550 dune fields, is now available for download in its entirety as USGS Open-File Report #2007-1158 Click here to link to the Dune Database Open File Report. Selected portions of MGD³ will soon be available using JMARS software, a free geographical information system (GIS) provided by Arizona State University. Click here to link to JMARS. Selected portions will also soon be available at the U.S.G.S. Planetary GIS Web Server (PIGWAD). Click here to link to PIGWAD.

Suggested Citation:
Hayward, R.K., Mullins, K.F., Fenton, L.K., Hare, T.M., Titus, T.N., Bourke, M.C., Colaprete, A., Christensen, P.R., 2007, Mars Global Digital Dune Database: MC2 to MC29: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1158.

Journal Announcements

Planetary Aeolian Dunes and Dune Fields:
A special issue of the Journal Geomorphology

Theme:
Sand dunes and other aeolian bedforms are a prominent part of landscapes shaped by wind action on several bodies in our solar system. Despite three decades of study of these features, many questions regarding their composition and sediment sources, morphology, age, origins, and dynamics under present and past climatic conditions remain poorly understood. Recently acquired data from orbiters and rovers together with innovative approaches using terrestrial analogs and numerical models are beginning to provide new insights into planetary sand dunes.

The special issue will publish papers delivered at the four day workshop on Planetary Dunes: A record of climate change, Alamogordo, New Mexico (April 28th-May2nd 2008). We interpret aeolian "dunes" liberally and welcome manuscripts on other aeolian bedforms and deposits such as sand seas, ripples and sand sheets.

General:
1. Special Issues of Geomorphology are intended to include a collection of high quality papers on a major theme within the general subject area of geomorphology. The papers themselves are subject to the same high level of quality control as papers in regular issues.
2. The issue should represent a coherent set of original papers which are clearly linked by an overall theme. Papers which do not accord with the theme will be rejected and/or the authors may be encouraged to submit such papers to the regular issues of Geomorphology through the regular on-line submission system.
3. Guest Editors for the Special Issue are Mary Bourke (mbourke@psi.edu), Lori Fenton (lfenton@carlsagancenter.org) and Nick Lancaster (nick.lancaster@dri.edu).

Paper Submission:
1. The deadline for paper submission is JUNE 30th 2008.
2. Submit separate files for the text, Tables and each Figure. Text should be in good grammatical English (for non-English first language authors, we recommend
having the text corrected before entering it on the web. English style may follow UK or US English spellings, but do not mix). Text should be in 12-point font; lines should be numbered and should be double spaced. The format should follow the "Geomorphology" style (see current issues for details, but take note of the points below):

a. In the text use Figure, Table etc. when within the context of a sentence, but (Fig. 1; Table 2), when reference is made in brackets. For references within the text use the common convention of (surname, date). Use "and" not "&" between first and second authors. For two references with the same date, use a b in the sequence in which the references appear in the text. Do not use italics for et al., only for biological names. Reference strings within the text should be in date order. All figures should be listed in one sequence in the order in which they are dealt with in the text.
b. In the reference list note the punctuation conventions. Do not use italics or bold. Do not use "and" or "&" between authors. Initials follow surnames in all cases. All multiple author names should be spelled out. Sequence the reference list alphabetically, single authors first, followed alphabetically by joint authors, then multiple authors (referred to in the text by et al.) by year.
c. Note the following conventions:
i. Journal articles: Harvey, A.M., 2002. Effective timescales of coupling within fluvial systems. Geomorphology 44, 175-201.
ii. Papers in edited books etc. use the following style: Harvey, A.M., Gutierrez
-Elorza, M., 2004. Repeated patterns of Quaternary discontinuous gullying at El
Tormillo, Ebro Basin, Spain. In: Garcia, C., Batalla, R.J. (Eds.), Catchment Dynamics and River Processes: Mediterranean and other Climate Regions. Elsevier, Am
sterdam, pp.53-67.

3. We encourage the submission of illustrations, (e.g. line drawings, maps, photographs). These are normally reproduced in greyscale. We particularly encourage
the submission of illustrative photographs (or other images): geomorphology is after all a visual science! Color on the web is free of charge, color in the printed version of the journal is subject to the following charges per paper: € 350 for the first figure and € 200 for consecutive figures. Authors must indicate which figures should be published in color in the printed version, and that they are willing to cover the costs involved. If authors would like a color figure on the web and greyscale in the print version, two files of each illustration for which color is desired should be submitted (one in greyscale, one in color).
4. Authors are responsible for submitting their papers electronically and directly onto a special section of the Elsevier web site allocated to the Special Issue. A special code will be required by authors. This code will be made available to authors by the Guest Editors when supplied to them by Elsevier.
5. Each paper will be assigned to one of the guest editors during the review and revision stage.
6. Each paper will be reviewed by at least two international specialists. Invitation to publish as part of a thematic set is not a guarantee of publication. Strict peer review standards will apply.
7. All first or corresponding authors will receive galley proofs for checking.
8. The complete set of final manuscripts, accompanied by all the required information, will be evaluated by (one of) the Editor(s)-in-Chief of the journal, who makes the final decision on acceptance of manuscripts in consultation with the Guest Editors.

Publication:
1. The Senior Editor then authorizes the whole set to go into production.
2. Within a few weeks of acceptance of the Issue, the papers should be available on the Science Direct website. Publication in print is some months after that.

3. Note that the publication time for Special Issues is rather longer than that
for Regular Issues of Geomorphology. That is often inevitable in that all depend
s on the slowest paper, and publication is sometimes delayed a little in order t
o maintain the correct balance between Special and Regular Issues.

PDF Reprints, Free Copy and No Page Charges:
1. Each senior author will receive a PDF reprint of his/her manuscript as well as a complimentary copy of the issue.
2. There are no page charges.

General Announcements

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