▁is ▁often ▁useful ▁to ▁look ▁at ▁water ▁and ▁energy ▁flow ▁together ▁when ▁studying ▁desert ▁e cos ystem s ▁and ▁e col ogy . ▁ ▁Water ▁avail ability ▁in ▁desert s ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁h inder ed ▁by ▁loose ▁sed iments . ▁D ust ▁clouds ▁commonly ▁form ▁in ▁wind y , ▁ar id ▁clim ates . ▁Scient ists ▁have ▁previously ▁the or ised ▁that ▁desert ▁dust ▁clouds ▁would ▁enh ance ▁ra inf all , ▁however , ▁some ▁more ▁recent ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁precip itation ▁is ▁actually ▁in hib ited ▁by ▁this ▁phenomen on ▁by ▁absor bing ▁mo ist ure ▁from ▁the ▁atmosphere . ▁ ▁This ▁absor ption ▁of ▁atmos pher ic ▁mo ist ure ▁can ▁result ▁in ▁a ▁positive ▁feedback ▁loop , ▁which ▁leads ▁to ▁further ▁desert ification . ▁ ▁Land s cape ▁ ▁Des ert ▁land sc apes ▁can ▁contain ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁ge ological ▁features , ▁such ▁as ▁o ases , ▁rock ▁out cro ps , ▁d unes , ▁and ▁mountains . ▁ ▁D unes ▁are ▁structures ▁formed ▁by ▁wind ▁moving ▁sed iments ▁into ▁m ounds . ▁ ▁Des ert ▁d unes ▁are ▁generally ▁class ified ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁orientation ▁relative ▁to ▁wind ▁directly . ▁Poss ibly ▁the ▁most ▁recogn izable ▁d une ▁type ▁are ▁trans verse ▁d unes , ▁character ized ▁by ▁cr ests ▁trans verse ▁to ▁the ▁wind ▁direction . ▁Many ▁d unes ▁are ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁active , ▁meaning ▁that ▁they ▁can ▁travel ▁and ▁change ▁over ▁time ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁wind . ▁However ,