You already know the six types of dunes by their form. now let’s focus on the relationships between their form and the wind patterns that shape them:
a) barchan dunes have both their steep slip faces and their tips facing downwind as the result of a steady wind direction.
b) transverse dunes are oriented perpendicular to a steady wind direction.
c) barchanoid dunes are also oriented perpendicular to a steady wind direction.
d) longitudinal dunes are mostly parallel to somewhat varying wind directions.
e) parabolic dunes have their tips pointing upwind but their steep slip faces pointing downwind.
f) star dunes are the result of highly variable wind directions.