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Western edge of Lençois Maranhenses where the dunes are being pushed into the mangrove forest and seasonal wetlands. Also some views of coastal fishing huts and boats.

Lençois Maranhenses National Park is a coastal dune field (measuring some 155,000 hectares) that is flooded with freshwater lakes during the January to May rainy season. Strong prevailing winds from the East mobilize the barchan dunes during the dry season and, combined with the equatorial sun, evaporate the lakes and prevent permanent vegetation from taking root. The dunes are composed of quartz grains that are eroded from the granite and washed down from the Parnaiba River and then carried north by ocean currents before being deposited on the coast of Lençois Maranhenses. The name means "bed sheets of Maranhão Province", as from above they resemble undulating sheets of pure white.

Filename
STNMTZ_20090716_03309.tif
Copyright
©2009 George Steinmetz
Image Size
5616x3744 / 60.2MB
Contained in galleries
Brazil Dunes
Western edge of Lençois Maranhenses where the dunes are being pushed into the mangrove forest and seasonal wetlands. Also some views of coastal fishing huts and boats.<br /> <br /> Lençois Maranhenses National Park is a coastal dune field (measuring some 155,000 hectares) that is flooded with freshwater lakes during the January to May rainy season. Strong prevailing winds from the East mobilize the barchan dunes during the dry season and, combined with the equatorial sun, evaporate the lakes and prevent permanent vegetation from taking root. The dunes are composed of quartz grains that are eroded from the granite and washed down from the Parnaiba River and then carried north by ocean currents before being deposited on the coast of Lençois Maranhenses. The name means "bed sheets of Maranhão Province", as from above they resemble undulating sheets of pure white.

All images ©George Steinmetz. Please contact us for usage.