Sand dunes ‘communicate’ when they move, new research claims
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sand dunes can communicate with their neighbors as they move across landscapes, and they can push neighboring dunes farther away if the landscape dictates, according to a paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters on Tuesday.
“They’re definitely communicating,” the paper's senior author, Nathalie Vriend, told The Washington Post. “If I give my neighbor in front of me a push, it’s something I do. But we’re not talking about humans with brains, we’re talking about sand dunes that communicate — inanimate objects communicating information.”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sand dunes in the Sahara Desert, Merzouga, Morocco. (iStock)
Each time a sand dune is hit by wind or water, a tiny disturbance is created, which in turn gives a neighboring dune a little push. The tiny bumps share information about the landscape so other dunes know when to keep moving or to re-form elsewhere.
Vriend told the Post that climate-fueled desertification and an increased number of sand dunes can end up damaging roads and other infrastructure.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As the planet warms, scientists hope to gain more understanding about how sand dunes move as a window into their impact on dry climates.