News tagged with dunes
Caltech Rover ready for rock-yard competition in Houston
(Phys.org) -- Later this week, a four-wheeled robot designed and built by Caltech undergraduate students will maneuver, apparently under its own guidance, through various challenges at the NASA Johnson Space ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 29, 2012 |
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Scientists measure Martian sand movement: Dune migration rates appear to be similar to those on Earth
Last year, images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured sand dunes and ripples moving across the surface of Mars—observations that challenged previously held beliefs that there was not a lot ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 09, 2012 |
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View from orbit of a huge white sands dust storm
It’s clear from this image of why a region in New Mexico, USA is called ‘White Sands.’ The dust plumes in this photograph taken by an astronaut on board the International Space Station show ...
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
May 01, 2012 |
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Discovery of Indian artifacts complicates Genesis solar project
The Feb. 27 letter from the chairman of the Colorado River Indian Tribes was pleading and tough. It asked President Barack Obama to slow the federal government's "frantic pursuit" of massive solar energy projects in the Mojave ...
Technology / Energy & Green Tech
Apr 26, 2012 |
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Clouds get in the way on Mars
The science team from the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter wanted to take another look at a region of icy sand dunes on Mars to look for seasonal changes as spring is now arriving on the Red ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Mar 23, 2012 |
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Geologists discover new class of landform -- on Mars
(PhysOrg.com) -- An odd, previously unseen landform could provide a window into the geological history of Mars, according to new research by University of Washington geologists.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Mar 22, 2012 |
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New research points to erosional origin of linear dunes
Linear dunes, widespread on Earth and Saturn's moon, Titan, are generally considered to have been formed by deposits of windblown sand. It has been speculated for some time that some linear dunes may have ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Feb 24, 2012 |
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Researchers uncover a mechanism to explain dune field patterns
In a study of the harsh but beautiful White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, University of Pennsylvania researchers have uncovered a unifying mechanism to explain dune patterns. The new work represents a contribution ...
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Feb 06, 2012 |
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Putting an airplane on a distant moon
(PhysOrg.com) -- In addition to its rivers, oceans, mountains, sand dunes and winds, Saturn’s moon Titan may someday share another similarity with Earth: airplanes.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jan 25, 2012 |
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Cassini sees the two faces of Titan's Dunes
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new analysis of radar data from NASA's Cassini mission, in partnership with the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, has revealed regional variations among sand dunes on Saturn's ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jan 24, 2012 |
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Dutch unveil plan in war against the sea: a sandbar
In its age-old war to keep back the sea, low-lying Netherlands has dumped sand onto a surface larger than 200 football fields just off the coast -- and will wait for nature to do the rest.
Dec 20, 2011 |
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With 'Google Earth' for Mars, explore the red planet from home
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new software tool developed by the HiRISE team in the UA's Lunar and Planetary Lab allows members of the public to download high-resolution images of the Martian landscape almost instantaneously ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 08, 2011 |
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Winds drive dune movement on Mars
Sand dunes, a common feature on the surface of Mars, can provide a record of recent and past changes. Some dunes near Mars’ polar areas have been observed to move recently due to carbon dioxide ice sublimation, ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 16, 2011 |
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Iran, Iraq pay $1.2 bn to battle sandstorms
A top Iranian environment official said on Monday Tehran and Baghdad will jointly pay $1.2 billion in a project to reduce the number of sand dunes in a bid to cut the number of sandstorms from Iraq.
Oct 03, 2011 |
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Earth from space: African gem
(PhysOrg.com) -- This Envisat image shows southern Namibia and northern South Africa on Africa's lower-west coast.
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Aug 15, 2011 |
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Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind. The valley or trough between dunes is called a slack. A "dune field" is an area covered by extensive sand dunes. Large dune fields are known as ergs.
Some coastal areas have one or more sets of dunes running parallel to the shoreline directly inland from the beach. In most cases the dunes are important in protecting the land against potential ravages by storm waves from the sea. Although the most widely distributed dunes are those associated with coastal regions, the largest complexes of dunes are found inland in dry regions and associated with ancient lake or sea beds.
Dunes also form under the action of water flow (alluvial processes), and on sand or gravel beds of rivers, estuaries and the sea-bed.
The modern word "dune" came into English from French circa 1790. In ancient times, words cognate to "dune" probably had the meaning of a built-up hill or citadel fortification.
For more information about Dune, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
