Sand Bodies in Israel: Sources, Dynamics, Morphology, Chronology and Relations with Prehistoric to Modern Humans

The main sources of Israel'sIsrael sand bodies are the Nile River system and the Dead Sea Rift valleys. The main dune fieldsDune fields are along the Mediterranean coast, in the northwestern Negev desert and in the southern Arava valley. Altogether, the sand bodies and sandstone exposures cover ~ 7.5% of the area of Israel. Studies of the dune fieldsDune fieldsof IsraelIsrael have contributed significantly to the scientific understanding of aeolianAeoliandynamics, aeolian-fluvial interactionsAeolian-fluvial interactions, dune field ecology, QuaternaryQuaternary palaeoenvironments and palaeoclimates, and to the changing roles in the lives of prehistoric to modern humans. In particular, the important effect of vegetation, biocrusts and wind power, though not necessarily aridity, on past and present dune mobility and stability has been analyzed and modelled. This chapter reviews the geospatial character, source regions and materials, dynamics, age, and morphology of loose and consolidated sand and dune bodies in Israel, and deals with the forcing factors affecting dune fieldDune fields stability and mobility, and the changing relationship of sand bodies with human activities since prehistory.