#aeolian processes

[grainelevator]

The aeolian processes of katabatic winds in Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys shape boulders into surreal formations

[fuckyeahfluiddynamics]

What Makes a Dune?

Wind and water can form sandy ripples in a matter of minutes. Most will be erased, but some can grow to meter-scale and beyond. What distinguishes these two fates?  (Image credit: M. Gheidarlou; research credit: C. Rambert et al.; via Eos) Read the full article

[fuckyeahfluiddynamics]

La Grande Dune du Pilat

Southwest of Bordeaux in France stands Europe's tallest sand dune, La Grande Dune du Pilat. Some 2.7 kilometers long and over 100 meters high, this dune took shape here over thousands of years. (Image credit: W. Liang; via NASA Earth Observatory) Read the full article

[fuckyeahfluiddynamics]

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 some 400,000 years ago. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona; research credit: J. Liu et al.; via Gizmodo)

[fuckyeahfluiddynamics]

Snow-Covered Trees

In the Hakkōda Mountains of Japan, snow encases the trees, transforming the ski slopes into a hoodoo-filled winter wonderland. (Image credit: S. Shibata; via Colossal)

[fuckyeahfluiddynamics]

Racing Dunes

The deserts of Namibia are home to some of the fastest and most consistent winds in the world. As a result, they're also home to some of the fastest-moving dunes on Earth. (Image credit: top - E. Böhtlingk, animation - J. Stevens; via NASA Earth Observatory)

[fuckyeahfluiddynamics]

How Dunes Form

On its face, the idea that sand and wind can come together to form massive mountainous dunes seems bizarre. But dunes -- and their smaller cousins, ripples -- are everywhere, not just on Earth but on other planetary bodies where fine particles and atmospheres interact. (Image and video credit: Be Smart)

[fuckyeahfluiddynamics]

Martian Flyover

Fly over a Martian crater in this incredibly detailed 8K video built from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter imagery. Like Earth's deserts, Mars is largely shaped by wind, and we get some fantastic views of sand ripples in this flyover. (Video and image credit: S. Doran/NASA; via Colossal)