Coral Pink Sand Dunes
Most sand dunes are located in the desert however, The Coral Pink Sand Dunes, found in southern Utah and just southeast of Zions National Park, are at the base of a mountain. The dunes are formed from the erosion of pink-colored Navajo Sandstone surrounding the park. The high winds passing through the notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains pick up loose sand particles and then drop them onto the dunes. Because the winds are forced through the Notch they pick up velocity and are able to sweep up the loose sandstone sediment on the tops of the mountains.
These winds can move the sand dunes as much as 50 feet each year. The sand making up the dunes are well sorted and rounded.
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| Grains of sand magnified |
The wind leaves ripples in the sand in the picture below. You can also see that the wind has left a "shadow" around the clump of vegetation.
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