Giant dune in Morocco is 13,000 years old!
British researchers have discovered that the giant star-shaped dune known as "Lala Lallia" in Morocco was formed 13,000 years ago. The age of the dune was calculated using the "luminescence dating" technique, which determines when the sand grains were last exposed to sunlight.
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Researchers from England have determined that the formation of the giant star-shaped dune known as "Lala Lallia" in Morocco dates back approximately 13,000 years.
According to a BBC report, researchers from a team consisting of Aberystwyth University and Birkbeck, University of London, conducted a detailed examination of this giant dune in eastern Morocco.
Using the "luminescence dating" technique to determine the age of the dunes, the researchers examined sand samples under red light in the laboratory to identify when the sand grains were last exposed to sunlight.
The researchers determined that the formation of Lala Lallia, which is approximately 100 meters high and 700 meters wide, dates back about 13,000 years. They also found that the dune did not grow for nearly 8,000 years after its formation, but later expanded rapidly and moved westward.
Regarding the calculation of the dune's age, Professor Geoff Duller, one of the researchers, stated: "We see light from these sand grains in our dark laboratory. The brighter the light, the older the sediment grains are and the longer they have been buried (in the sand)."
The results of the research were published in the journal "Scientific Reports".