Identification and examination of gravel-sized ventifacts in Abdia village, south of Damghan;with implication on paleoclimate

The present study aims to identify and examine gravel-sized ventifacts in the vicinity of Abdia village, located in the southern part of the city of Damghan. To collect samples required for the present study, an area approximately four km wide was logged. Nearly 200 gravel-sized ventifacts with an average size of 36 mm in diameter were collected from above-ground surfaces. The ventifacts collected for the present study were found within unconsolidated sedimentary structures. The identification of a variety of ventifacts including rubbing pits, vortex pits, facets such as dreikanters and einkanters, spheroid ventifacts, and worm-shaped gravels (rillstones) distinguishes the study as there have been no previous reports on the aforementioned ventifacts in Iran. The data analysis also shows that the studied area had a different, moist climate in the late Pleistocene–early Quaternary(?). However, the passage of time along with the formation of a dune and desert pavement in the area has brought an arid climate with strong winds, which is an appropriate environment for the formation of gravel-sized ventifacts.