noun
- a crescent-shaped sand dune with the horns pointing downwind
Usage: geology
Examples
- The barchan dunes slowly migrated across the desert floor.
- Scientists studied the formation of barchan dunes in the Sahara.
- Wind patterns determine the distinctive crescent shape of a barchan.
- The barchan’s horns extended several meters beyond its central ridge.
- Satellite images revealed hundreds of barchan dunes in the region.
- The research team measured how quickly the barchan moved each year.