PROVENANCE OF AEOLIAN SEDIMENT: THE UPPER COACHELLA VALLEY,CALIFORNIA

Rapid urbanization around Palm Springs, California has encroached upon the sand habitats of the endangered Coachella Valley fringetoed lizard (Uma inornata). The Nature Conservancy and the Coachella Valley Preserve System are concerned about maintaining an adequate sediment supply to the dune environments that urban growth might interrupt. Determining the source of the existing aeolian sediments is a critical first step toward ensuring a perpetual sediment supply. Geochemical links between the aeolian sediment sources and the Coachella Valley Preserve dunes were discovered by mapping the aeolian sand distribution and analyzing trace elements using multivariate statistical techniques.