barchan
bar-KAHN
A crescent-shaped sand dune with horns pointing downwind, formed by wind blowing consistently from one direction across a hard surface with a limited sand supply. Barchans are among the most elegant landforms on earth — symmetrical, aerodynamic, and in constant slow motion, migrating downwind at rates of up to 100 feet per year. They travel as individuals or in fleets across reg and hamada surfaces.
Etymology
Kazakh/Turkic barkhan, a sand dune. The word entered Western science through Russian Central Asian exploration.
Notes
Also found on Mars, where they migrate across the surface just as they do on Earth.
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