Desert landscapes are not as lifeless as they look. Vast seas of sand dunes can not only grow, move, and interact with one another, a recent study suggests they can also 'breathe'.
Desert landscapes are not as lifeless as they look. Vast seas of sand dunes can not only grow, move, andUsing a super-sensitive probe that took decades to invent, researchers have shown sand dunes regularly inhale and exhale tiny amounts of water vapor.
When plunged into a dune in the Qatar desert, the instrument was able to scan the temperature, radiation, and moisture in its surroundings on a millimeter-scale resolution in just 20 seconds. The authors know of no other instruments that can keep tabs on a sand dune with such high spatial or temporal resolution.
The pores of a sand dune, therefore, carry moisture from the surface downward, and these pathways are made and remade as the wind blows.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Deserts 'breathe' water vapor, study showsDeserts may seem lifeless and inert, but they are very much alive. Sand dunes, in particular, grow and move—and according to a decades long research project, they also breathe humid air.
Read more »
‘Dune’ Oscar Haul a High-Water Mark for Hungary’s Booming Production IndustryIf Sunday night’s Oscar ceremony were a validation for Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros., whose $165 million gamble on Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi tentpole “Dune” paid off in the form of six A…
Read more »
Jason Momoa Confirmed Where He & Lisa Bonet Really Stand During His Oscars Red Carpet AppearanceJason Momoa finally gave insight into where his relationship with Lisa Bonet stands. The couple announced their separation earlier this year.
Read more »
Trying to stay ahead of competition, U.S. pares down troubled $3 billion neutrino experimentAn adjusted plan should get the United States’s next great particle physics experiment running as early as 2029, researchers say.
Read more »
Pluto has giant ice volcanoes that could hint at the possibility of lifeImages of Pluto captured by NASA's New Horizons mission have revealed a region full of giant ice volcanoes on the dwarf planet. These volcanoes were recently active and may support the idea that a subsurface ocean exists on the distant world today.
Read more »