June 25, 2014

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Star Wars Geology

“There are no good wars, with the following exceptions: the American Revolution, World War II, and the Star Wars Trilogy.” Bart Simpson in “Bart the General” (1990) Geology played a role in many past conflicts, but can war – even if only a fictional future war – play a role in geological fieldwork?

By David Bressan

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

"There are no good wars, with the following exceptions: the American Revolution, World War II, and the Star Wars Trilogy."

Bart Simpson in "Bart the General" (1990)

Geology played a role in many past conflicts, but can war - even if only a fictional future war - play a role in geological fieldwork?

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

The film set of the fictional desert city of Mos Espa, hometown of Anakin Skywalker, was build in 1997 for the movie "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" and then abandoned. Despite being located in the Tunisian desert, it's an easily approachable tourist attraction and therefore well documented by photographs. The dry climate preserves the buildings very well and the only menace for the site comes from the slowly moving barchan dunes - up to 6 meters high windblown accumulations of sand and gypsum grains - so often featured in adventure and science-fiction movies.

The set of Mos Espa, consisting of 20 buildings made of wood and plaster, was build on a flat, clay-rich pan and the city later expanded digitally in size, with dunes only barely visible in the background of some scenes. However the prevailing wind, blowing from east to west, constantly moves the sand grains up the windward slope of the dune, on the steeper downwind slope the sand accumulates - the entire dune is therefore migrating with the wind eastwards, just in the direction of the remains of Mos Espa.

Using the film set as fixed reference point in a quite featureless landscape and comparing a series of satellite images from 2002 to 2009, researchers were able to calculate the migration rate of three larger dunes. With values of 5- 15 meters per year the dunes move on with an average speed, the study notes that the dune located nearest to the film set slowed down over the years, possibly influenced by changes in the wind pattern caused by the encountered artificial obstacles.

However, sooner or later Mos Espa will be buried by the terrestrial dunes. Already today the toe of a smaller dune is touching one of the western buildings and one of the largest observed dunes - large enough to bury the entire site - will move over the film set in estimated 80 years.

Bibliography:

LORENZ, R.D.; GASMI, N.; RADEBAUGH, J.; BARNES, J.W. & ORI, G.G. (2013): Dunes on planet Tatooine: Observation of barchan migration at the Star Wars film set in Tunisia. Geomorphology Vol. 201: 264-271

LORENZ, R.D. & ZIMBELMAN, J.R. (2014): Dune Worlds: How Windblown Sand Shapes Planetary Landscape. Springer Praxis Books - Geophysical Sciences: 308

My name is David Bressan and I'm a freelance geologist working mainly in the Austroalpine crystalline rocks and the South Alpine Palaeozoic and Mesozoic cover-sediments in the Eastern Alps. I graduated with a project on Rock Glaciers dynamics and hydrology, this phase left a special interest for quaternary deposits and modern glacial environments. During my research on glaciers, studying old maps, photography and reports on the former extent of these features, I became interested in history, especially the development of geomorphologic and geological concepts by naturalists and geologists. Living in one of the key area for the history of geology, I combine field trips with the historic research done in these regions, accompanied by historic maps and depictions. I discuss broadly also general geological concepts, especially in glaciology, seismology, volcanology, palaeontology and the relationship of society and geology.

More by David Bressan

Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism

Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.

When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.

Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber

Thank you,

Jeanna Bryner, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe