Barchan dunes collide in this astronaut image of Brazil’s southern coastline. Barchan (pronounced “bar-kahn”) dunes are crescent-shaped; their tips point downwind into their direction of travel. When many barchan dunes Keep reading
Tag: barchan
Changing Climes on Mars
China’s Zhurong rover explored Utopia Planitia on Mars from May 2021 to December 2022. During that expedition, the rover uncovered evidence of a major shift in climate that took place Keep reading
Martian Barchans
Dunes are a fascinating interplay between fluid and granular flow. This satellite photo shows a dune field on Mars, Nili Patera. The dominant direction of wind flow is from the Keep reading
Barchan Dunes
The winds of Mars create sand dunes that seem to flow like a liquid across the planet’s surface. Here the wind blows from right to left around the flat top Keep reading