7.3 Landscapes Shaped by Wind

Wind Erosion

Strong desert winds pick up, transport, & deposit large amounts of fine sediment

Wind erodes in the desert in 2 ways: deflation & abrasion

Deflation is the lifting & removal of loose particles such as clay & silt

Wind Deposits

Loess is windblown silt that covers the land

The wind can create landforms when it deposits its sediment

Loess & sand dunes are both landscape features made by wind

Sand dunes are not as wide spread (do not cover as much land) as loess

Types of Sand Dunes

What form sand dunes take on depends on wind direction & speed, how much sand is available, & the amount of vegitation

6 Types of sand dunes

Barchan Dunes

Transverse Dunes

Barchanoid Dunes

Longitudinal Dunes

Parabolic Dunes

Star Dunes