Definition
A thin layer of aeolian drift sand deposit (of uniform grain-size distribution) concentrated in a round or ellipsoid shape, usually rising slightly above a surrounding (higher-roughness) surface but without any slip-face development or evidence of lee-side flow separation.
Synonyms
Description
Irregularly shaped sand deposits (Bourke et al. 2004) (Fig. 1).
Drift deposits (sand patches and sand strips) on Mars near Arnus Vallis. Superposed ripple-like bedforms or grooves are oriented perpendicular to the orientation of elongated deposits. Prominent sand patch is shown by arrow (Bourke et al. 2004). HiRISE ESP_017696_1940 at 13.7°N, 70.3°E (NASA/JPL/UA)
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References
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Baas, A.C.W., Hargitai, H. (2015). Sand Patch. In: Hargitai, H., Kereszturi, Á. (eds) Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_324
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_324
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