EXPLORATION OF THE DUNES

At about 4 km towards the interior at the height of Sealine, we catch the "fast way" of the desert constituted by hundreds of tracks of tires which all go about in the same south direction and from there we will have about 20 km straight until a very wide basin (GPS point: N24°41' 44 E51°24' 57) where we see some constructions. Our final Gps point indicated above corresponding to the nearest "sea", to 5 km from there. By following the trace, we always go to the south, we find a rusted panel and we take on the right of this one to shoot towards the intermediate point N24°39'19.42 E51°24'18.56. We are there. The coast in front of us is in Saudi Arabia, the border passing in the middle of the sea arm. The regulars of the sector know of course dozens of spots more remote, on 20 km towards the west. The point N24°36'39.8 E51°21'16.8 which corresponds to the top of a large dune offering a panoramic view on the Khor Al Udayd.

The Barkhane is a crescent-shaped dune with convexity to the wind. Its migration speed depends on its size and the slope on which it moves, the speed decreasing when the size increases. In the Sahara, the populations used it as a safe: something was hidden on the leeward side and the parcel reappeared a few months later on the other side, the dune having passed over it! The barkhanes do not generally remain in an isolated state. They can merge and form more or less complex groups ranging from chains or barkhanic trains to real dune masses.

The parabolic is an asymmetrical dune in the shape of a horseshoe with a concavity to the wind often more or less fixed by vegetation. Its disposition in relation to the wind direction is the opposite of that of the barkhane. The parabolic dune is not very mobile and generally does not migrate much once it is formed.

Pyramid dunes or "ghourds" are sand hills often shaped like a star pyramid with three or more arms spreading out from the top. Up to 300 meters high, these dunes signify the absence of prevailing winds. The ghourds can be aligned and form ghourdic chains.

Singing sand dunes . You will pass with your guide in the "singing dunes". You go down the open gates of the "singing dune" at a slow speed and indeed you hear a rather strange grinding noise that occurs nowhere else in this desert. Due to the vibrations, but we do not know exactly why nor how. Strange!