IAG Photo Contest – winner January-March 2025
The winner of the IAG Photo Contest in January-March 2025 is Špela Čonč (Slovenia)! Find below her photo and descriptive text.
If you want to participate in the context, find the rules, guidelines and details on the procedure here.
Ventifacts – aeolian rocky geomorphic features
by Špela Čonč, Slovenia
Death Valley National Park in the USA is often described as a land of extremes, known for being the hottest, driest, and lowest national park. While deserts may seem like barren, monotonous landscapes, they are shaped by a variety of physical and anthropogenic factors—Death Valley being no exception. Despite its harsh conditions, the park boasts remarkable biodiversity and geodiversity. Beyond its famous landmarks, such as Badwater Basin, Devil’s Golf Course, and Zabriskie Point, Death Valley also features smaller-scale geomorphic wonders. Among them are ventifacts — rocks sculpted by wind-driven sand into abraded, pitted, etched, grooved, or polished forms. These features typically develop in valley bottoms and open areas where strong winds transport sand and silt over long distances, effectively sandblasting the rock surfaces. If undisturbed, ancient ventifacts serve as valuable paleo-wind indicators, as their grooves and striations align with historical wind directions.