A sastruga or zastruga (collective noun: sastrugi or zastrugi) is a member of a body of sharp irregular grooves or ridges formed on a snow surface by wind erosion and deposition, and found in polar and temperate snow regions. They differ from sand dunes in that the ridges are parallel to the prevailing winds.

Sastrugi are various surface irregularities resulting from wind erosion, saltation of snow particles and deposition. Ranked by increasing size, these irregularities are known as ripples (~10 mm high), wind ridges, barchans and sastrugi (up to 1 meter high). Larger features are especially troublesome to skiers. Travel on the irregular surface of sastrugi can be very tiring - ripples and waves are often undercut, the surface is hard and unforgiving with constant minor topographic changes between ridge and trough.

The word is a coinage from the Russian collective noun sastrugi/zastrugi.

External links

• Example of sastrugi at Mount Erebus, Antarctica

Perla, R., B. Glenne. (1981 CE). Handbook of Snow, Principles, Processes, Management and Use (pp. 709-740). ISBN0-0-08-025375-X