The Paradox of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park

NASA Earth Observatory/Michala GarrisonThe coastal dune system in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northeastern Brazil is among the most surreal landscapes on Earth. From that perspective, the sweeping curves of the largest coastal dune field in South America resemble a rumpled, white bedsheet. NASA Earth Observatory/Michala GarrisonThe dune field, a tan area within an expanse of green, is the centerpiece of the park. The dune field exists because of the rare convergence of geologic and climatic conditions. That is fast for sand dunes, though not the fastest in the world.