Definition
Modified wedge dune extended longitudinally in the resultant transport direction.
Formation
Drop dunes form in areas where sand supply is low and subject to a bimodal wind regime where the directions of the winds differ by >120° (Parteli and Herrmann 2007; Parteli et al. 2009a; Reffet et al. 2010). It originates from a wedge dune whose downwind tail elongates, leading to a longitudinal dune (Parteli et al. 2009a; Fig. 1).
Drop dunes in a crater in Noachis Terra, Mars, near 49.6°S, 7.1°E. The dunes elongate in the resultant transport direction (Parteli and Herrmann 2007; Parteli et al. 2009a; Reffet et al. 2010). (a) Mosaic of CTX D09_030885_1308_XI_49S353W and P15_007005_1304_XN_49S352W (b) MOC R2001409. (NASA/JPL/MSSS)
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References
Parteli EJR, Herrmann HJ (2007) Saltation transport on Mars. Phys Rev Lett 98:198001
Parteli EJR, Durán O, Tsoar H, Schwämmle V, Herrmann HJ (2009a) Dune formation under bimodal winds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:22085–22089
Parteli EJR, Almeida MP, Durán O, Andrade JS Jr, Herrmann HJ (2009b) Sand transport on Mars. Comput Phys Commun 180:609–611
Reffet E, Courrech du Pont S, Hersen P, Douady S (2010) Formation and stability of transverse and longitudinal sand dunes. Geology 38:491–494
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Parteli, E.J.R. (2014). Drop Dune. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_121-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_121-2
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