Late Quaternary deposition and erosion processes along the margins of the Yamin Plain, northeast Negev, Israel

This study presents rates of accumulation and transport of sands as well as rates of incision along the margins of the Yamin Plain, northeastern Negev, and evaluates the stability of the present landscape. Geomorphological mapping, OSL and ¹⁴C dating, and sedimentological analyses suggest that rates of erosion range between ~45 mm/year in the eastern side of the study area and 0.05 mm/y on the western side. The calculated erosion rates show that, until recently, geomorphic processes in the eastern part of the plain were dominated by accumulation of sands derived from the Hazeva Group. However, accelerated erosion is observed near the contact between the sand units and the carbonate bedrock of the Judea Group. It appears that the area west of the plain has been stable during the last glacial (circa 73-18 ka). We suggest that the exclusion of domestic grazing from the Yamin Plain in the 1950s changed the balance between erosion and sedimentation and caused accelerated erosion mainly in the eastern part of the Yamin Plain by decreasing infiltration and increasing runoff.