Morphology and dynamics of star dunes from numerical modelling

International audienceStar dunes are giant, pyramid-shaped dunes composed of interlaced arms. These arms are marked by sinuous crests and slip faces of various directions. Their radial symmetry and scale suggest that the star dunes form as a result of complex interactions between a multidirectional wind regime and topography. However, despite their ubiquity in modern sand seas, comparatively little is known about their formation and evolution. Here we present a discrete numerical model of star-dune behaviour based on the feedback mechanisms between wind flow and bedform dynamics. Our simulations indicate that the morphology of star dunes results from the combination of individual longitudinal dunes. We find that the arms of the star dunes propagate only under favourable wind regimes. In contrast to dunes that form from an erodible bed, the crests of the propagating arms are oriented such that sand flux is maximized in the direction of arm growth. Our analysis of the simulated three-dimensional structures suggests that the morphodynamics of the arms are controlled by the frequency of wind reorientation, with a high frequency of reorientation leading to smaller arm dimension and high rates of growth. We suggest that arm propagation is an important process of mass exchange in dune fields