Runoff generation in a sandy area—the nizzana sands, Western Negev, Israel

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the results of sprinkling experiments conducted over the lower part of vegetated and crusted linear dunes as well as over flat playa surfaces that appear in the interdune corridors. Data obtained show that these two surface units respond quickly to rainstorms. Runoff generation can be expected for any storm exceeding 2‐3 mm and runoff coefficients are high. When the topsoil algal crust, 1 to 2 mm thick, is removed from the surface of the dune, infiltration increases drastically and eliminates any possibility of runoff generation under present‐day rainfall conditions. This data may be of great help in the understanding of the geomorphology and sedimentary sequence of the corridors separting linear dunes.