Dune

A dune is a mound or ridge of loose sediment shaped by wind or water. Its form and movement reflect sediment supply, fluid flow, and vegetation.

Saltation: A mode of sediment transport in which grains move in short hops along a surface. Wind-driven hops dislodge other grains and help dunes grow.
Granular material: A collection of discrete solid particles that interact through contact and friction. Dune sediment behaves as grains rather than as a continuous solid.
Coastal dune: A wind-built ridge or mound of sand formed along a coast. Coastal dunes store sand and can buffer shorelines against waves and storms.
Parabolic dune: A U-shaped dune whose arms point upwind and are often anchored by vegetation. It contrasts with downwind-pointing barchans and commonly forms on vegetated coasts.
Dune field: A broad area containing many dunes, often arranged in patterns shaped by wind and sediment supply. Interactions among neighboring dunes create patterns that cannot be understood from one mound alone.
Aeolian transport: The movement of sediment by wind across Earth's surface. It supplies and redistributes the grains that build wind-shaped dunes.
Grain size: A measure of the diameter of individual sediment particles. Grain size influences which flows can move sediment and what dune forms result.
Dune stabilization: The reduction of dune movement through vegetation, fencing, or other interventions. Stabilization limits sand drift where moving dunes threaten roads or settlements.
Linear dune: An elongated ridge of sand, often aligned with the resultant of two prevailing wind directions. Its long crest can record more complex wind regimes than a simple crescent dune.
Sand drift: The movement and accumulation of sand transported by wind. Dune migration can bury roads, fields, and structures through continuing sand drift.

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