Geomorphology and sediments of sand ramps in the Mojave desert

Sand ramps are amalgamated accumulations of aeolian, fluvial, and talus deposits. They have developed as a result of the interactions of wind-blown sand and desert piedmont processes adjacent to mountain ranges in the Mojave Desert and occur next to regional and local sand transport corridors. Sand ramps are dominated by aeolian sand that was deposited as sand sheets against the mountain front, but also include significant fluvial units. Periods of geomorphic stability are represented by paleosols and talus accumulations. The sand ramps provide a record of the response of aeolian processes to climatic change in the Mojave Desert. Most are now relict features and accumulated in periods of higher sediment supply from fluctuating and/or desiccating paleolakes during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene.