Modern global models of earth-atmosphere-ocean processes are becoming increasingly sophisticated but still require
validation against empirical data and observations. This commentary reports on international initiatives amongst aeolian researchers
that seek to combine fi eld-based data sets and geomorphological frameworks for improving the quality of data available to
constrain and validate global models. These include a second iteration of the Dust Indicators and Records from Terrestrial Marine
Palaeoenvironments (DIRTMAP2) database, the Digital Atlas of Sand Seas and Dunefi elds of the World and a new geomorphologybased
land surface map produced by the QUEST (Quantifying Uncertainties in the Earth System) Working Group on Dust.
History
School
Social Sciences
Department
Geography and Environment
Citation
BULLARD, J., 2010. Bridging the gap between field data and global models: current strategies in aeolian research. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 35 (4), pp. 496-499.