ACTION OF WINDS

CONTENT

1. Processes of Wind Erosion
2. Features of Wind Erosion and their Modes of Formation
3. Features of Wind Deposition and their Mode of Formation

Processes of Wind Erosion

Erosion takes place mainly by winds in deserts. Wind erosion involves the removal or wearing away of rocks in desert by wind energy or blowing wind.

The main agent of erosion in the desert is the wind. Wind erosion takes place through the process of (i) Deflation (ii) Abrasion (iii) Attrition          

(i) Deflation

This is the lifting and blowing away of loose sand and pebbles by wind. Deflation results in the lowering of the land surface to form large depressions called deflation hollows.

(ii) Abrasion

This is the process whereby sand particles carried by wind are used to blast or wear away rock surface as in rock pedestal, zeugen and yardang.

(iii) Attrition

This is the process whereby wind borne particles collide with one another, resulting in the wearing away of each other. This results in the reduced round sizes of the particles.