What is special about the sand dunes in Namibia?

What is special about the sand dunes in Namibia?

Set within the coastal desert of Namibia are the biggest sand dunes in the world. They attract a vast number of travellers each year, many of whom aim to climb up the sands and enjoy a thrilling slide back down. Due to its unique red sand, Sossusvlei is a must-see for many people when travelling to Africa.

What next the sand dunes move?

Sand dunes are masses of loose sand that move across the ground in wind. The grains are blown up the windward side of a dune until they reach the top; then they drop down into the shelter of the lee (the side away from the wind). Other grains are blown up and over, burying the first.

Where are the sand dunes in Namibia?

Sossusvlei (sometimes written Sossus Vlei) is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia.

Do sand dunes stay in one place?

Dunes may look monumental, but their grains don’t stay in one place for long. White Sands’ sprawling field is home to several types of dunes. At the most upwind edge, you’ll find transverse dunes, which can stretch hundreds of feet wide.

How tall is the tallest sand dune in the world?

Duna Federico Kirbus – Catamarca, Argentina. The Duna Federico Kirbus is the highest dune in the world, measuring a whopping 1234 meters in height (2845 above sea level).

How high is the tallest sand dune in Namibia?

1,256 feet
Dune 7 is the highest dune in Namibia. The dune has been measured at over 1,256 feet (383 meters) and is named Dune 7 because it is the seventh dune one encounters after crossing the river Tsauchab.

Why the sand dunes keep shifting?

The sand dune keeps shifting because of the wind blowing over the surface and they are known as “shifting dunes”. These dunes have two slopes, one is steep and the other is mild.

How was the sand dunes formed?

Sand dunes are created when wind deposits sand on top of each other until a small mound starts to form. Once that first mound forms, sand piles up on the windward side more and more until the edge of the dune collapses under its own weight.

How are the sand dunes of the Namib created?

The dunes of the Namib were created by sand being carried on the wind from the coast. The wind in Sossusvlei itself blows from all directions meaning the dunes are known as “star” dunes – as they cause the sand to form a star shape with multiple “arms”. This wind pattern also means that the dunes hardly move.

How old are the sand dunes in Sossusvlei?

The wind in Sossusvlei itself blows from all directions meaning the dunes are known as “star” dunes – as they cause the sand to form a star shape with multiple “arms”. This wind pattern also means that the dunes hardly move. The sand here is five million years old.

Why are sand dunes in Walvis Bay different?

The difference in dune types generally reflects changing winds and sand supply. Strong, unimodal winds in an area of limited sand produce barchan dunes. These are common near the coast where the sand is emerging from the sea and can move at over 60m per annum, as along the coastal road in the Skeleton Coast Park north of Walvis Bay.

How tall is the monster dune in Namibia?

The more popular – and widely photographed – Dune 45 is just 80m high, but people still like to climb the monster Big Daddy for two main reasons: firstly, because it overlooks the surreal landscape of Dead Vlei, a white pan filled with the dark fossils of camelthorn trees, and secondly because climbing Big Daddy gives you ultimate bragging rights.