What Controls the Shape and Motion of Sand Dunes?
ES1603  Dunes on Other Planets and Moons

Do dunes form on other planets as well? If they exist on other planets, would they exhibit the same shapes as dunes on Earth? Spacecraft and landing vehicles have provided us with a way to view other planetary surfaces. We can analyze these images to search for evidence of dunes. In the images below, circular features are impact craters or volcanic landforms.

  !   Click each image for a larger view. Examine each image for evidence of dunes.

All images NASA
8. Which planets or moons have dunes? State evidence to support your conclusions. What does the presence of dunes indicate about conditions on a planet or moon? 


	

 	

		
			
	

	
	

		 
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