Overview

• The Lala Lallia star dune in southeastern Morocco, one of Earth's oldest, was formed 13,000 years ago, coinciding with the Younger Dryas cooling event.
• Star dunes, resembling stars from above, are the tallest dunes on Earth but have been rarely found in the geological record.
• Ground penetrating radar and luminescence dating techniques were used to uncover the dune's age and internal structure.
• The dune has been moving west at a speed of about 1.6 feet per year due to wind patterns.
• The discovery could help geologists identify similar structures in the rock record and understand Earth's climatological history.