Breakthrough Study Reveals Age and Rapid Formation of Star Dunes

A breakthrough study has revealed the age and rapid formation of star dunes, providing insights into Earth’s geological past. Scientists have solved the mysterious absence of star-shaped dunes from Earth’s geological history for the first time, dating one back thousands of years. The study by Aberystwyth University, Birkbeck, and UCL academics is the first to date how long it took a star dune to form and examine its internal structure. Star dunes, believed to be the tallest dunes on Earth, are also found elsewhere in the solar system, on Mars and on Saturn’s moon Titan. Despite being common today, star dunes have almost never been found in the geological record. Their absence has bemused scientists as past deserts are a common part of the history of Earth, preserved in rocks deep underground. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the new study dated the foundations of a star dune in the southeast of Morocco known as Lala Lallia to around 13,000 years old.