Are there names for the different shapes of desert sand dunes?

Ripples on a dune in Eureka Valley, California (photograph by Terrence Moore). ... Some types of crescentic dunes move faster over desert surfaces than any other type of dune. A group of dunes moved more ... U-shaped mounds of sand with convex noses trailed by elongated arms are parabolic dunes. read more

Sometimes these dunes are called U-shaped, blowout, or hairpin dunes, and they are well known in coastal deserts. Unlike crescentic dunes, their crests point upwind. The elongated arms of parabolic dunes follow rather than lead because they have been fixed by vegetation, while the bulk of the sand in the dune migrates forward. read more

In the Sahara Desert of Africa, the sand dunes are so large they are referred to as sand seas. The sand dunes move with the wind and resemble a moving sea. Most sand dunes are considered asymmetrical, meaning that if you cut down a central line, they are not identical on both sides. read more

Dunes occur in different shapes and sizes, formed by interaction with the flow of air or water. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the stoss (upflow) side, where the sand is pushed up the dune, and have a shorter"slip face" in the lee side. The valley or trough between dunes is called a slack. read more