When barchan dunes move over craters

Abstract

We investigate the possible outcomes of a subaqueous barchan moving over a crater-like depression in the bed. For that, we carried out experiments where we varied the dune size, crater and grain diameters, and flow velocities. We found that subaqueous barchans can be blocked, destroyed, or pass over craters, with transitional situations, and that strong instabilities take place under some conditions. Based on a dune-crater size ratio and a modified Stokes number, we propose a map that classifies the different outcomes of interactions. If used with caution, the map can serve as a reference for understanding the much slower behavior of dunes migrating over or near craters on the surface of Mars.

Published under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, DOI 10.1029/2025GL120187. To view open-access paper, go to https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL120187

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