Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes — Why the Whole Valley Is Not Dunes
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Transcript
Sand exists throughout Death Valley, yet large dune fields form only where three conditions coincide: a source of sand, wind strong enough to move it and a barrier that traps it. At Mesquite Flat, eroding mountains supply grains and surrounding topography keeps enough of them from escaping. The National Park Service identifies crescent, linear and star-shaped dunes here. Mesquite plants stabilize some hummocks and create habitat in what can look like bare sand. The dunes therefore correct a common desert stereotype. Wind does not simply cover every basin with sand. Dune fields are localized systems controlled by geology, vegetation and airflow.