ANALYSIS OF LINEAR SAND DUNE MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY, SOUTHWESTERN KALAHARI DESERT

Linear dunes are the most common desert dune form, usually occurring i n extensive dunefields rather than as isolated individuals. As part of a wider project investigating the dynamics and environmental signific ance of linear dunes, the extensive linear dunefield of the southweste rn Kalahari Desert, southern Africa, was investigated for planimetric pattern variability. Considerable intradunefield variability was ident ified through aerial photograph analysis of a 4000 km(2) area, leading to the development of a five-class classification scheme. This scheme was validated statistically utilising data for key planimetric patter n variables: Y-junctions, termini, orientation range, and wavelength. The application of the classification scheme throughout the dunefield permits the identification of trends in planimetric patterns. This pro vides a basis for first attempts to explain aspects of planimetric var iability in terms of the behaviour of linear dunes and their responses to key environmental variables.