Definition
“A dune that tends to develop unusual height but migrates only a limited distance because seasonal shifts in direction of the dominant wind cause it to move alternately in nearly opposite directions” (Jackson 1997, p. 545).
Description
Reversing dunes are intermediate in character between star and transverse dunes. They are similar to transverse dunes but have a secondary slip face which develops periodically and is oriented in an opposite direction from that of the primary slip face (McKee 1979).
Subtype
Sigmoidal dune. S-shaped or straight, triangular (Tsoar 2001), steep-sided, sharp-crested dune which is formed in response to alternating and opposing winds of roughly equal velocities (Holm 1957; Stone 1967; Edgell 2006) (Fig. 1).
Reversing slip faces containing bright material on double-sided (sigmoidal) barchan dunes in Proctor Crater, Mars. (a) MOC NA M1900307 during the fall (Ls = 45°) and (b) MOC NA E0902707 during the spring (Ls = 263°) show the same area...
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References
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Silvestro, S., Hermas, E. (2014). Reversing Dune. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_305-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_305-1
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