Exploring Arrakis: Could Humans Survive the Deserts of Dune?

By Kelley Northam

At the beginning of the 2021 blockbuster movie Dune, the character Chani says, “My planet, Arrakis, is so beautiful when the sun is low.” While she already appreciates the stunning natural splendor of her home, outsiders Paul Atredies and Lady Jessica desperately try to survive the sweltering heat, sprawling desert, and gigantic sandworms that befall them in Arrakis.

While Dune is a work of science fiction, it has made scientists ponder whether a civilization could survive and thrive on a planet like Arrakis. Could humans withstand the dangers of the Arrakis sun long enough to experience its beauty?

A Sandy Simulation

Climate scientists Alex Farnsworth, Michael Farnsworth, and Sebastian Steinig decided to find out by creating a computer simulation of the fictional planet. In 2021, they started their work by inputting data into a climate model typically used to forecast the Earth’s weather and climate patterns. The model analyzes variables such as the laws of physics, topography, and atmosphere.

The team assumed that Arrakis would share the Earth’s fundamental physics laws, but they gathered most of their information from the lore in the Dune novels by Frank Herbert and The Dune Encyclopedia by Willis E. McNelly. One of the most notable differences between Arrakis and Earth is the lower atmosphere’s ozone level. On Earth, the ozone concentration is 0.000001 percent, while on Arrakis, it is 0.5 percent. The higher the ozone level, the more heat air can retain.

It’s Plausible for Paul

After over three weeks of computer calculations, the team reached an exciting conclusion: humans could survive on Arrakis. According to the model, temperatures around the planet’s equator would range from about 113°F in the warmest months to about 59°F in the coldest ones. While extreme heat can be unpleasant and dangerous, populated areas of Mexico, India, and other regions consistently experience temperatures of over 113°F.

However, the simulations also suggest that some areas would be uninhabitable. In the mid-latitude regions, areas lying between 30° and 60° of the equator, summers could be a scalding 158°F, and polar areas could be as frigid as –103°F. Advanced technologies in the Dune universe, like “Stillsuits,” which keep wearers cool and hydrated by recycling bodily moisture, could help people survive in these areas. However, in the real world, no such technology currently exists, rendering these regions uninhabitable.

If humans ever ventured to a real-world Arrakis, we’d have more reason to fear the sun than sandworms. But if we took the proper precautions and stayed within specific regions, we might be able to marvel at the sun sinking below the dunes.