Simple facts
Where is it? Oyyl Dune Field, Kazakhstan [49.0485097, 54.776320616]
What do you see in the photo? Large field of dunes shaped like slugs
Who took the photo? Nameless astronaut on the International Space Station
When did you take it? June 15, 2022
This fascinating photo of the astronaut shows a field of dunes in the strange shape of Kazakhstan, which resembles a giant slug meandering across the landscape. The mollusk mimics are covered with vegetation masses, suggesting that the sand is slowly frozen.
The dune fields are located about 175 miles (280 km) northeast of the Caspian Sea, west of Kazakhs, in the western part of Kazakhstan province. It is sandwiched between the village of Oil in the west (left in the image) and the large flood plain (right in the image) to the east.
According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, it covers an area of about 75 square miles (190 square kilometers) that is about three times the size of Manhattan, and measures approximately 13 miles (21 km) at its widest point.
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Dune fields form in natural depression, or sinks, within the surrounding landscape. Usually they are in areas where there are strong winds that allow sand to be deposited in these holes. In this case, the slug-shaped sink is located approximately 300 feet (90 meters) from the altitude of the surrounding landscape.
Most of the sand in this sink comes from the adjacent flood plain and another flood plain to the south (not shown in the image). According to National Geographic, flood plains produce a large amount of sand when dried, as previously trapped coarse sediments were scattered across the land and blown away by the wind.
Related: See all the best images of Earth from Space
The parallel lines visible throughout the dunes are accumulated as general winds push the sand north. Over time, the location of these ridges shifts subtly in the same direction.
The dark patches scattered across the dune fields are plants rooted on the ridge. When this vegetation is high enough, the ridges are locked in place and kept in motion, as are some of the frozen dunes in place along various coastlines around the world.
According to the Earth Observatory, most vegetation is concentrated along the south and west edges of the dune fields.
Scientists are currently unsure whether the rest of the dune field will continue to be litigated and overrun by future plant life.
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