Giant clusters of crescent-shaped sand dunes found not just on Earth but on other planets in the solar system might emerge when large dunes give birth to smaller ones, researchers say.
Crescent-shaped dunes known as barchans sprawl across vast deserts everywhere from Morocco to Mars. Typically 3 to 30 feet (1 to 10 meters) high, they can be up to some 3,300 feet (1,000 m) long in the direction the wind blows. Barchans can form on the seafloor and on ice as well — indeed, anywhere fluid (like air or water) might flow across grains of matter (like sand) that rest on top of hard, flat surfaces.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Strangely Shaped Dunes Stay Stable Through 'Birthing' | LiveScience
