Occurrence and Significance of Ventifacts in the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic

ABSTRACT

Ventifacts, developed on a variety of lithologies and at a range of scales, are reported for the first time from the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic. Detailed observations of ventifact locations and site stratigraphies indicate most examples are associated with a major occasion of wind activity following a period of severely cold climate but before restoration of vegetation cover and peat formation. ¹⁴C dates (c. 13.6-11.0 ka B.P.) from basal peats consign ventifact formation to the Late Glacial period. Abundant material susceptible to wind movement was available at that time. The erosion and movement of sand continues at many sites but at none can it be demonstrated that ventifact formation is entirely a recent or contemporary process. The ¹⁴C dates also reveal that climatic amelioration following the last cold episode occurred significantly earlier than previously considered.