Thar Desert has several unique features and shows distinctive assemblage of Quaternary sediment deposits in continental geological basin configurations. A large variety of spectacular dune fields ranging from clustered parabolic to transverse, linear, reticulate, star and barchanoids dunes have been mapped across the vast span of the Thar Desert. The clustered parabolic dunes constitute characteristic aeolian landforms of the Thar Desert that are presently getting disturbed by the contemporary aeolian dynamism and increasing anthropogenic activities. These older stabilized dune forms have been worked upon episodically by aggressive winds and climatic amelioration with increased rainfall that resulted in producing several evolved and superimposed complex dune forms, impregnated with pedogenic calcrete formation. A unique succession of colluvium-aeolian deposits and characteristic stable parabolic and obstacle dunes landscape with other successive and distinctive dune diversity located in the central parts of the Thar Desert are elucidated here as Geoheritage sites of ‘sedimentology’ and ‘geomorphology and active geological processes’ in dryland environment that deserve to be preserved for its geoscientific, educational and recreational values and hold immense geotourism potential.

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Geotourism Potential of Quaternary Colluvio-Aeolian Deposits and Unique Parabolic Dunes Landscape in Central Thar Desert of India: Insights into Geoheritage Sites Depicting Climatic Oscillations

  • Sudesh Kumar Wadhawan

摘要

Thar Desert has several unique features and shows distinctive assemblage of Quaternary sediment deposits in continental geological basin configurations. A large variety of spectacular dune fields ranging from clustered parabolic to transverse, linear, reticulate, star and barchanoids dunes have been mapped across the vast span of the Thar Desert. The clustered parabolic dunes constitute characteristic aeolian landforms of the Thar Desert that are presently getting disturbed by the contemporary aeolian dynamism and increasing anthropogenic activities. These older stabilized dune forms have been worked upon episodically by aggressive winds and climatic amelioration with increased rainfall that resulted in producing several evolved and superimposed complex dune forms, impregnated with pedogenic calcrete formation. A unique succession of colluvium-aeolian deposits and characteristic stable parabolic and obstacle dunes landscape with other successive and distinctive dune diversity located in the central parts of the Thar Desert are elucidated here as Geoheritage sites of ‘sedimentology’ and ‘geomorphology and active geological processes’ in dryland environment that deserve to be preserved for its geoscientific, educational and recreational values and hold immense geotourism potential.