This story appears in the November 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine. I got my first lesson in the physics of sand dunes in 1998 on an expedition into the Sahara. In order to take aerial ...

Clearly you can’t visit the sand planet of Arrakis and maybe you wouldn’t want to. It’s hot, it’s dry, and you can’t walk in ...

Because Great Sand Dunes is an official Dark Sky Park, it’s the perfect way to wrap up your day by stargazing! Park at the Great Sand Dunes Parking Area and walk toward the dunes. Bring a blanket, ...

You can easily walk over to Devils Garden Trailhead and avoid trying to find a parking space for one of the park's most popular hikes You can walk over to the Sand Dune, Broken Arch, and Tapestry Arch ...

Sand dunes are a natural part of the habitat at Sandbanks and help prevent flooding and coastal erosion Views are being sought on the future of sand dunes at a popular tourist hotspot. Sandbanks ...

The age of one of Earth's largest and most complex types of sand dune has been calculated for the first time. Star dunes - or pyramid dunes - are named after their distinctive shapes and reach ...

Sand grains that are very round and dry (moisture on the dune's surface can cause sand to clump together, inhibiting avalanching) Grains on the dune's surface that are "well sorted," meaning they ...