Star Dunes
News Excerpt:
Recently, Scientists unveiled the first in-depth study focused on a star dune in eastern Morocco called Lala Lallia, situated within the Sahara Desert.
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Star Dunes:
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Key findings of the study:
- Lala Lallia dune is about 900 years old, and it has been accumulating roughly 6,400 metric tons of sand annually as wind relentlessly blows sand through the desert.
- Lala Lallia is moving westerly at a speed of about 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) annually.
- The researchers used ground-penetrating radar to peer inside the dune and employed luminescence dating to determine how long Lala Lallia has taken to form, a method based on the amount of energy trapped inside the grains of sand.
About Lala Lallia star dune:
- This star dune is situated in eastern Morocco; the term Lala Lallia means "highest sacred point" in the local Berber language.
- It is situated within the Sahara Desert in a small sand sea called Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga town, close to the Algerian border.
- Lala Lallia rises about 330 feet (100 meters) above the surrounding dunes and is approximately 2,300 feet (700 meters) wide.
- It contains about 5.5 million metric tons of sand.
Conclusion:
The study of the Lala Lallia star dune in Morocco sheds light on the formation and characteristics of star dunes, which are rare and majestic sand formations. Innovative techniques like ground-penetrating radar and luminescence dating, provide valuable insights into the dynamic processes shaping Earth's deserts.
