Project properties
Title Palaeogroundwater reconstruction of sandy landscapes using drift-sand dunes
Group Soil Geography and Landscape
Project type thesis
Credits 36
Supervisor(s) Jasper Candel (SGL, WUR), Marijn van der Meij(Institute of Geography, University of Cologne), Laxmi Chaulagain (SGL, WUR)
Examiner(s) Jasper Candel and Marijn van de Meij
Contact info laxmi.chaulagain@wur.nl; jasper.candel@wur.nl; m.vandermeij@uni-koeln.de
Begin date 2024/09/01
End date 2025/09/01
Description Soil-and-water-leading principles are becoming increasingly important for spatial planning in cultural and natural landscapes. Reconstruction of past groundwater levels provides insight into the natural functioning of groundwater systems, that can be used for future sustainable land use. In this MSc project, the past groundwater levels of the sandy landscapes of the Netherlands will be reconstructed using geomorphological and pedological features of drift-sand landscapes. Drift sands are aeolian dune landscapes formed by reactivation of earlier deposited cover sands, either by natural or anthropogenic disturbances. Drift-sand landscapes consist of deflation planes where the sand is eroded and dunes where the sand is deposited. Today, such deflation areas appear as topographical depressions. This thesis is based on the hypothesis that deflation only occurs in dry sand and that it is limited by increased surface wetness. The elevation of the deflation planes can therefore represent groundwater levels at the time of deflation. To test this hypothesis, GIS analysis, field analysis and interpretation will be performed in drift-sand areas in Drenthe, The Netherlands. Based on the student's interest, the methods and focus of the study are flexible. There is an option to additionally use Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating and/or modelling with iMOD/MODFLOW.
Used skills Literature study, field work (augering/coring), soil profile description, digital terrain analysis, GIS, optional but not required: dating and/or modelling
Requirements Interest in stratigraphy, geomorphology, groundwater