Wind-blown sediments are deposite as a result of a significant reduction in wind speed and obstruction caused by bushes, forests, marshes and swamps, lakes, large river walls, and so on. Sand is deposite on both the windward and leeward sides of fixed obstacles.
Erosion process by wind may be divided into three stages:
Deflation
- This stage includes picking up and blowing away loose items like dirt and rock fragments from the ground by high-speed winds.
- Blowing capacity is mostly determined by the size of the material being lifted from the ground.
- Finer dust and sands can be transported miles from their source and deposited far outside the desert borders.
- Deflation causes the land surface to sink, forming enormous depressions known as Deflation hollows. Deflation is the term for this procedure.
- Hollows are sometimes generated as a result of this process, which is typically minor in size but can range in diameter from 1 to 15 kilometers.
Abrasion
- Abrasion is the process by which tiny particles carried by the wind remove particles from the surface of rocks. Abrasion is minimum at the ground level since the velocity of the wind is ununiform due to friction. The eroded material is further transported using three methods:
- Surface creep – During wind erosion, large particles with a diameter between 0.5 mm and 2 mm roll across the soil’s surface, collide, and knock other particles around them. This process is successful in moving the larger particles only a few metres.
- Saltation – Saltation involves the movement of sand and gravel through bouncing, hopping, and jumping of turbulent airflow. It generally occurs among medium-sized soil particles. Although they are too big to be suspended, these particles are light enough to be lifted off the surface.
- Suspension – When tiny particles of less than 0.1 mm diameter are lifted into the air by turbulence, they grow larger and eventually form dust storms. These tiny clay fragments, sand, and organic matter particles are just a few examples. Not all surface-generated dust, though, is perpetually suspended in the atmosphere. Within a few kilometres of the erosion site, larger dust particles (0.05 to 0.1 mm) may be released into the atmosphere.
Attrition
- Attrition- Attrition is the mechanical wear and tear of particles blasted by the wind in the air while being transported by wind.
- Sand particles carried by the wind begin a friction process within themselves, reducing their size. This is referred to as attrition.
- High-speed winds speed up the erosional process.
- Hard rocks, on the other hand, take a long time to erode, whereas soft rocks do so quickly.
- Small particles can travel very long distances, whereas large pebbles and stones (with a radius of 5 to 8 centimeters) can only travel a short distance.
Stages Of Erosion Process By Wind
Read Also : Wind Eroded Arid Landforms
