page_title: Sastrugi
hierarchical_section_title: Sastrugi
caption_attribution_description: Sastrugi - wind sculpted snow near South Pole Station. Image ID: anta0183, NOAA At The Ends of the Earth Collection Photographer: Ross Burgener, ET, NOAA/OAR/ESRL/GMD
context_page_description: Sastrugi, or zastrugi, are features formed by erosion of snow by wind.
  They are found in polar regions, and in snowy, wind-swept areas of temperate regions, such as frozen lakes or mountain ridges.
  Sastrugi are distinguished by upwind-facing points, resembling anvils, which move downwind as the surface erodes.
  These points usually lie along ridges perpendicular to the prevailing wind; they are steep on the windward side and sloping to the leeward side. Smaller irregularities of this type are known as ripples or wind ridges.
  Large sastrugi are troublesome to skiers and snowboarders. Traveling on the irregular surface of sastrugi can be very tiring, and can risk breaking equipment—ripples and waves are often undercut and the surface is hard and unforgiving, with constant minor topographic changes between ridge and trough.
context_section_description: Sastrugi, or zastrugi, are features formed by erosion of snow by wind. 
  They are found in polar regions, and in snowy, wind-swept areas of temperate regions, such as frozen lakes or mountain ridges. 
  Sastrugi are distinguished by upwind-facing points, resembling anvils, which move downwind as the surface erodes. 
  These points usually lie along ridges perpendicular to the prevailing wind; they are steep on the windward side and sloping to the leeward side. Smaller irregularities of this type are known as ripples (small, ~10 mm high) or wind ridges.
  Large sastrugi are troublesome to skiers and snowboarders. Traveling on the irregular surface of sastrugi can be very tiring, and can risk breaking equipment—ripples and waves are often undercut and the surface is hard and unforgiving, with constant minor topographic changes between ridge and trough.
caption: Wind sculpted snow near South Pole Station, forming sastrugi features.
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