The Daily Croissant

Eclectic Perambulations in the Noosphere

  • Martian Barchans

    • 25 Apr 2012
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    • April 25 2012 Mars Sand Dunes
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    "When does Mars act like a liquid? Although liquids freeze and evaporate quickly into the thin atmosphere of Mars, persistent winds may make large sand dunes appear to flow and even drip like a liquid. Visible on the above image right are two flat top mesas in southern Mars when the season was changing from Spring to Summer. A light dome topped hill is also visible on the far left of the image. As winds blow from right to left, flowing sand on and around the hills leaves picturesque streaks. The dark arc-shaped droplets of fine sand are called barchans, and are the interplanetary cousins of similar Earth-based sand forms. Barchans can move intact a downwind and can even appear to pass through each other. When seasons change, winds on Mars can kick up dust and are monitored to see if they escalate into another of Mars' famous planet-scale sand storms."
    via apod.nasa.gov

     

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  • Coral Pink Sand Dunes- Utah

    • 18 Mar 2012
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    • Interactive March 18 2012 Panorama Sand Dunes Utah
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    click and drag on image to pan, scroll to zoom
    via utah3d.net

     

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  • Brazil's Lençóis Maranhenses - Lagoons Among the Dunes

    • 18 Jan 2012
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    • Brazil January 18 2012 National Parks Sand Dunes
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    View Larger Map

    via maps.google.com

    The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses) is located in Maranhão state, in northeastern Brazil, just east of the Baía de São José, between 02º19’—02º45’ S and 42º44’—43º29’ W. It is an area of low, flat, occasionally flooded land, overlaid with large, discrete sand dunes. It encompasses roughly 1000 square kilometers, and despite abundant rain, supports almost no vegetation. The park was created on June 2, 1981.

    via kuriositas.com

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  • MRO Spots Martian Dunes in Motion

    • 25 Nov 2011
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    • 24November11 MRO Mars Sand Dunes
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    A rippled dune near Herschel crater undulates in the thin Martian wind.

     

    The dark sand of this barchan dune changes position between June 15, 2008 and May 21, 2010.

     

    "The benefit of long-term observations from orbit became evident today with the release of images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter showing the subtly shifting motion of large sand dunes on the red planet, proving that the surface of Mars is much more dynamic than previously believed !"
    via universetoday.com

     

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  • Sand Dunes, Junggar Basin, Northwestern China

    • 15 Oct 2011
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    • 14October11 China ISS Sand Dunes desert
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    "This photograph taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station highlights a sand dune field within the Burqin-Haba River-Jimunai Desert near the borders of China, Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan. The dune field (approximately 32 kilometers or 20 miles long) is located immediately west-northwest of the city of Burqin (not shown), and is part of the Junggar Basin, a region of active petroleum production in northwestern China. The Irtysh River—with associated wetlands and riparian vegetation (appearing grey-green in the image) —flows from its headwaters in the Altay Mountains towards Siberia (right to left across the image)."
    via earthobservatory.nasa.gov

     

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  • The Most Beautiful Sand Dunes on Earth

    • 7 Oct 2011
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    • 06October11 Sand Dunes desert
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    Media_httpwwwenvironm_iwgda

    Sossusvlei, Namibia

    "Centuries of sand built up around dry lake beds in Namibia's magnificent Sossusvlei make for some of the most incredible dunes on Earth. The name of this place means 'dead end marsh'".  

    "Sand dunes are some of the world's great natural wonders. Formed by winds that sculpt their spectacular shapes, they provide needed coastal protection from ocean waves whipped up in storms. Some of the most spectacular, such as those found in Sossusvlei, Namibia, were formed thousands if not millions of years ago, when there were ancient lakes and seas in areas now inland. We have gathered some of the most spectacular photos of sand dunes we could find for your enjoyment."

    via environmentalgraffiti.com

     

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  • Patterns of Nature : Sand Dunes at Rub al Khali

    • 29 May 2011
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    • 28May11 Middle East Sand Dunes desert
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    "Rub al-Khali, a huge sandy desert in the Middle East, located along the southern, western and eastern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula. It captures the territory of several countries: Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The total area of 650 000 square meters, which exceeds the aggregate area of France, Belgium and the Netherlands."  
    via wahfunny.com

     

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