Mesquite Flat Dunes
by Heidi Smith
Title
Mesquite Flat Dunes
Artist
Heidi Smith
Medium
Photograph
Description
I think I managed to get this image with very few (or possibly no) people in it. The dunes had so many people walking all over them I thought it may be nearly impossible to get a shot virtually free of anyone.
Many first time visitors to Death Valley are surprised it is not covered with a sea of sand. Less than one percent of the desert is covered with dunes, yet the shadowed ripples and stark, graceful curves define "desert" in our imaginations.
For dunes to exist there must be a source of sand, prevailing winds to move the sand, and a place for the sand to collect. The eroded canyons and washes provide plenty of sand, the wind seems to always blow (especially in the springtime), but there are only a few areas in the park where the sand is "trapped" by geographic features such as mountains.
The sand dunes of Death Valley National Park are excellent places for nature study and recreation. All of the dunes in Death Valley National Park are protected as wilderness, off-road vehicle travel is not permitted and sandboarding is not allowed on the Eureka Dunes.
source - nps.gpv
Uploaded
April 12th, 2013
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Viewed 1,164 Times - Last Visitor from Ottawa, ON - Canada on 03/20/2024 at 5:32 PM
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