Standing-water deposits as indicators of Late Quaternary dune migration in the northwestern Negev, Israel

Late Quaternary playa (stand-water) deposits are present in river channels upstream from dune fields in the northwestern Negev and represent a drainage disordering caused by dune migration during periods of aridity. These deposits are associated with modifications in the drainage system, including course changes and piracy, caused by dunes blocking drainage networks. Radiocarbon dates from the standing-water sediments indicate the occurrence of two periods of aridity: (1) 20,900 to 16,000 years B.P. and (2) 11,680 to 10,300 years B.P. These two periods indicate a correlation between glacial advances in Europe and dry intervals in the Near East during the Upper Pleistocene. We suggest that spatial and temporal associations between standing-water deposits, modifications in stream direction, soil formation and the dunes themselves can serve as a good indicator for the timing of dune migration.