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Hot Desert Systems and Landscapes

Barchan and Seif Dunes

  • 4 things to know
  • Component 1

Overview

Recall questions on the shape of a barchan dune, why its horns advance faster and how sand moves up, over and down it, and on seif dunes, the two-directional wind regime that forms them and the direction in which they elongate.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Define a barchan dune.

Key term

How does sand move down the leeward side of a barchan dune?

Key term

In which direction does a seif dune elongate relative to wind patterns?

Process

Explain how sand moves across a barchan dune.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Define a barchan dune.

    Model answer

    A crescent-shaped dune with horns pointing downwind, formed where sand supply is limited and wind direction is consistent.

  2. 2

    Why do the horns of a barchan dune advance faster than the centre?

    Model answer

    The horns have less sand volume, so they move more quickly.

  3. 3

    How is sand transported up a barchan dune?

    Model answer

    Sand is transported up the gentle windward slope via saltation.

  4. 4

    What happens to sand when it reaches the crest of a barchan?

    Model answer

    Sand accumulates at the crest.

  5. 5

    How does sand move down the leeward side of a barchan dune?

    Model answer

    Sand avalanches down the steep leeward slip face.

  6. 6

    What are seif dunes?

    Model answer

    Linear, elongated dunes aligned parallel to the dominant wind direction, often formed by bidirectional winds.

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AThe horns have less sand volume, so they move more quickly.
BSand is transported up the gentle windward slope via saltation.
CSand accumulates at the crest.

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