Cited research: Geology 38, 491–494 (2010)

Sand dunes are a common feature of wind-swept deserts on Earth and on other planets, and can assume a variety of shapes depending on sand and wind characteristics. To investigate the physical mechanisms involved in dune formation and dynamics, scientists in France combined simulations with underwater experiments.

Sylvain Courrech du Pont and Pascal Hersen at the University of Paris Diderot and their colleagues created sand structures similar to real dunes using controlled motions of a plate of sand in a water tank.

The researchers observed that dune morphology is largely affected by the angle between different dominant 'wind' directions. Extended longitudinal dunes were stable whereas crescent-shaped ones were not. The results could help scientists to extract historical information about regional wind regimes from dune observations. Q.S.

Credit: BILDAGENTUR/PHOTOLIBRARY