GC3XWZH Singing Sand Dunes (Earthcache) in California, United States created by Team Stevecat

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GC3XWZH ▼

A cache by Team Stevecat Message this owner

Hidden : 10/1/2012

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Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Singing Sand Dunes

The dunes are singing in the desert! Called booming dunes, these, and many sand dunes emit loud, deep hums that can last for several minutes. Dunes produce these bizarre sounds when very dry sand slides over itself, like an avalanche. You can make it happen by sliding down the slip face of a dune. As the sand begins to vibrate, you'll hear the singing.

Dumont Dunes were created approximately 18,000 years ago when Lake Manly in Death Valley and Lake Dumont in Silurian Valley began to dry up. Left behind was sand that was blown and deposited here.

Dumont Dunes is unique because almost every type of dune formation can be found in this area. The continually changing wind direction maintains the dunes.

There are several types of sand dunes.

The crescent dune is the most common type of sand dune. As its name suggests, this dune is shaped like a crescent moon with points at each end, and it is usually wider than it is long. Crescent dunes form when winds blow from one direction. This dune traverses desert surfaces faster than any other type of dune.

The linear dune is straighter than the crescent dune with ridges as its prominent feature. Linear dunes are longer than they are wide -- in fact; some are more than 100 miles (about 160 kilometers) long. The ridges are long and snakelike, and these dunes usually occur in parallel sets separated by other sand, gravel or rocky corridors.

The star dune has arms that radiate out from a center pyramid-shaped mound, hence the descriptive name. Star dunes grow upward instead of outward and are a result of multidirectional winds. They tend to show up around topographic barriers. They're among the tallest sand dunes on earth.

The dome dune is rare, oval- or circular-shaped and has no slip face. Dome dunes sometimes appear at the ends of crescent dunes. Most dome dunes are low -- only a few feet high.

The parabolic dune is U-shaped, but differs from the crescent dune because its crests point upward, with elongated arms that follow behind. A parabolic dune's trailing arms are typically anchored by vegetation.

The main dune area, visible to the north (about 3 miles north of this coordinate) is 4 miles long and 1 mile wide and at the highest point (Competition Hill) it is over 450 feet above the desert floor.
The total volume of sand in Dumont Dunes is 7 billion cubic feet, or enough sand to build a road 40 feet wide by 6 inched thick almost 3 times around the earth!

Dumont Dunes are bordered by steep volcanic hills and the slow running Amargosa River, the region is easily recognized from a distance by its distinctive sand dunes. The elevation here varies from 700 feet, at the river, to 1200 feet at the top of Competition Hill, the tallest of the dunes.

The dunes here are part of a BLM Recreation area, fees are required. You do Not need to enter the BLM land area to log this cache.

To log this cache send us an email with the “Singing Sand Dunes GC3XWZH” in the title and answer these questions:

Facing the dunes, what color are the dunes, and what color are the mountains to the south?
What type of dunes are visible?
If you got close to the dunes, were you able to hear them sing?

Sources:

California Bureau of Land Management
United States Geological Survey

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Singing Sand Dunes

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Singing Sand Dunes EarthCache

This cache has been archived.

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Geocache Description:

Singing Sand Dunes

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