seif

/sayf, suyf/, n.

a long narrow sand dune parallel to the prevailing wind direction.

[ < Ar sayf sword]

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▪ sand dune

      a long, narrow sand dune or chain of dunes, generally oriented in a direction parallel to the prevailing wind or in a direction resulting from two or more winds blowing at acute angles to each other. The dune crest consists of a series of peaks and gaps, and the steep, or slip, face may change sides of the dune according to changes in wind direction. Most seif dunes occur in the open desert and rest on a coarse sand sheet. Seifs, common in Libya and southern Iran, may range up to 90 m (300 feet) in height, with a width of six times their height and a length of up to 100 km (60 miles). They grow in height and width by the action of crosswinds and in length by the action of winds parallel to their axis.

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