Aeolian Process and landforms

All land features formed by wind are also called ‘Aeolian features’ after the name of the
Greek God of wind ‘Aeolus’. Wind, although present everywhere, is a powerful agent of
landform creation only in regions that are dry and mostly free of vegetation cover.
Wind erodes, transports, and deposits smaller particles like sand but may move even
larger particles under special conditions. These processes lead to a variety of features.
The scale of features ranges from very small to a vast expanse of several thousand
square kilometers. The main features are hollows and grooves on rocky surfaces and
mounds of sand. They have different shapes and sizes and are named and classified as
such. Arid, semi-arid and sub-humid climatic regions are best suited for aeolian
features. These drier parts occupy central and western regions of the continents that
are on the leeward side of easterly rain-bearing winds coming from the oceans. The
wind is, no doubt, an important geomorphic agent but it is not as effective a process of
erosion as rivers and sea waves. “Wind is a comparatively minor agent of Geomorphic
change because of the low density of air as compared to rock and water” (A. Bloom,
1979). Aeolian processes involving erosion of dry, loose, and unprotected geomaterials,
transportation, and deposition of the sediments mainly sands, are most active in arid
and semi-arid regions of tropical and temperate environments. Aeolian processes are
generally associated with desert areas but one should keep in mind that deserts
(defined as barren, desolate, and plantless areas) are of two types viz. hot and warm
deserts and cold deserts. Aeolian processes are not active in cold deserts because the
surfaces are always covered with permanent ice sheets. Thus, winds are active in those
arid and semi-arid environments where the ground surface is covered with loose and
friable geomaterials.
Desert environments are characterized by very low mean annual rainfall (less than 250
mm, average being 100 m m ), practical absence of vegetation, very high daily and
annual ranges of temperature, dust storms, high-velocity winds, the dominance of
sands, highly variable annual rainfall (years without rainfall), occasional torrential rainfall
through strong rainstorm s resulting into stream floods and sheet floods.

EROSIONAL WORKS OF WIND

Wind erosion in arid and semi-arid regions is assisted by mechanical weathering.
Expansion of rocks due to high daytime and summer temperatures and contraction
consequent upon lower night and winter temperatures result in the disintegration of
crystalline rocks which facilitates aeolian erosion. Wind erosion is largely controlled and
determined by (i) wind velocity, (ii) nature and amount of sands, dust, and pebbles
(tools of erosion), (iii) composition of rocks, (iv) nature of vegetation and (vi) humidity,
rainfall amount and temperature. It may be mentioned that wind erosion generally
takes place above the ground and thus wind velocity plays a major role in determining
the degree of aeolian erosion. It is now generally agreed that wind is of relatively minor
significance in the evolution and development of landforms of any significance.

Unlike rivers and glaciers, winds erode the rocks from all sides because of their variable
directions. Wind erosion occurs in three ways viz. (1) deflation, (2) abrasion or
sandblasting, and (3) attrition. The process of removing, lifting, and blowing away dry
and loose particles of sand and dust by winds is called deflation (derived from the
Latin word deflate, which means blowing away). Long continued deflation removes
most of the loose materials and thus depressions or hollows were known as ‘blowouts.
Deflation also attacks rock surfaces mainly sandstones, detaches small fragments, and
helps in forming small depressions in rock surfaces but the process of depression
formation through deflation in bedrock surfaces is exceedingly slow. Since deflation
removes mostly fine particles (mainly sands) larger particles such as gravel are left over
the surface. Thus, the accumulation of gravel over thousands of years forms desert
pavements that protect the rocks below from further wind erosion.
Wind armed with entrained sand grains as tools of erosion attacks the rocks and erodes
them through the mechanisms of abrasion, fluting, grooving, pitting, and polishing. The
combined effects of these mechanisms are collectively called abrasion or sandblasting
Attrition involves mechanical tears and wears off the particles suffered by themselves
while they are being transported by wind through the processes of saltation and
surface creep. Saltation involves the movement of sand and gravel through the
mechanisms of bouncing, jumping, and hopping by turbulent airflow. Surface creep
involves the movement of relatively bigger particles along the ground surface by strong
winds. Thus, the particles, while they are moving, collide against each other and are
further comminuted in finer particles.

EROSIONAL LANDFORMS
Long-continued erosional works through the mechanisms of abrasion or sandblasting
and de­flation produce some characteristic landforms in desert areas such as:
Deflation basins- Depressions formed in the deserts due to the removal of
sands through the process of deflation are called deflation basins or blow-outs or
desert hollows. Wind lowers the ground by blowing away the unconsolidated
material & hence forms a small depression. Water then seeps out forming oases
or swamps in deflation hollows or depressions.

Mushroom rocks -The rocks having a broad upper part and narrow base
resembling an umbrella or mushroom are called mushroom rocks or pedestal
rocks. This undercut, mushroom-shaped pedestal rocks are formed due to
abrasive works of wind. The bases of the individual rock block are abraded
vigorously from all sides because of variable directions of the wind and active
abrasion is limited to six feet height from the ground while the upper part is least
affected by abrasion.

Inselbergs- are the isolated residual hills above the flat surface or mounds on
the surface. Inselbergs have now been also located in subhumid and humid
climates. The inselberg is an isolated hill, ridge, or small hill rising out of the
surrounding plain. Characterized by very steep slopes & rather rounded tops.
Demoiselles-represent rock pillars having relatively resistant rocks at the top
and soft rocks below. These features formed due to differential erosion of hard
rocks (less erosion) and soft rocks (more erosion). The demoiselles are maintained
so long as the resistant caprocks are seated at the top of the pillars.
Zeugen- Rock masses of a tabular form resembling a capped inkpot standing on
a softer rock pedestal of shape, mudstone, etc. are called zeugen. The bases of
such features are broader than their tops. These are formed in those desert areas
where the temperature during the night becomes so low that the moisture in the
joints and crevices of rocks freeze. The frozen moisture again thaws during the
daytime. The alternate freeze and thaw of moisture cause expansion and
contraction of volume respectively. This mechanism causes the disintegration of
rocks along the joints. The disintegrated fine materials are blown away by the
wind. The repetition of this mechanism results in the formation of zeugen. Tabular
masses which have a layer of soft rocks lying beneath a surface layer of more
resistant rocks
The difference in the erosional effect of the wind on soft & resistant rock surfaces
carve them into weird looking ridge & furrow landscape
Yardangs- are quite similar to Zeugen but instead of lying in horizontal strata
upon one another, the hard and soft rocks of Yardangs are vertical bands. Rocks
are aligned in the direction of prevailing winds. Winds abrasion excavates the
bands of softer rocks into long narrow corridors, separating the steep-sided
overhanging ridges of hard rocks called Yardangs. The most characteristic
feature of yardangs is their parallelism.
Dreikanter-Faceted rock boulders* cobbles and pebbles abraded by long-
period wind erosion are called ventifacts. A ventifacor or faceted rock block may
have as many as eight abraded facets. The rock pieces (boulders) having three
abraded facets are called dreikanter while the boulders with two abraded facets
are called zweikanter.

Stone lattice - The rocks of varying compositions and resistance when abraded
by powerful wind charged with erosion tools (rock particles) become of uneven
surface as the powerful wind abrades weaker sections of rocks and removes the
abraded materials while relatively resistant sections are least affected by abrasion.
Such pitted and fluted rock surfaces are called stone lattices.
Wind bridges and windows - Holes are formed due to continuous abrasion
of the stone lattice by a powerful wind. These holes are gradually widened and
ultimately they reach the opposite side of the rocks. Such holes formed through
abrasion across the rocks are called wind windows. The holes are further widened
and enlarged through the processes of abrasion and deflation in such a way that
arch-like features having intact roofs are formed. These are called window
bridges.
Mesas and Buttes- Mesa is a flat, table-like land mass with a very resistant
horizontal top layer & very steep sides which, may be formed in the canyon region.
The hard stratum on the surface resist denudation by both wind & water thus
protecting the underlying layer of rocks from being eroded.
Continuous denudation through ages may reduce Mesas in an area so that they
become isolated flat-topped hills called Buttes.

DEPOSITIONAL WORK OF WIND

Depositional work of wind is geomorphologically

very important because significant features like sand dunes and loess are formed.
Deposition of wind-blown sediments occurs due to a marked reduction in wind
speed and obstructions caused by bushes, forests, marshes and swamps, lakes,
big rivers, walls, etc. Sands are deposited on both windward and leeward sides of
fixed obstructions. The accumulated sand mounds on either side of the
obstructions are called sand shadows. Accumulations of sand between obstacles
are called sand drifts.
 Sand Dunes-
Heaps or mounds of sand are generally called sand dunes or
simply dunes. Though sand dunes are significant depositional features of desert
areas they also formed in all those areas where sands are available in profusion
and wind is capable of transporting and depositing them in suitable areas.
Formation of Sand Dunes- Formation of sand dunes begins with the
accumulation of sands in the form of low sand mounds due to obstruction in the
wind speed caused by fixed obstructions (e.g. trees, bushes, grasses, rocks, hills,
etc.). These accumulated low sand mounds become obstacles in themselves and a
cause gradual accumulation of sand. Thus, sand mounds gradually grow in height
and •467 length and ultimately become typical sand dunes.

Formation of sand dunes requires (i) abundance of sands, (ii) high-velocity

wind so that a huge quantity of sand may be blown and transported to
form dunes, (iii) obstacles of trees, bushes, forests, rock outcrops, walls,
rock boulders, etc. so that sand may be trapped and forced to settle down
and (iv ) suitable places for the accumulation of sands.

Classification based on location - (i) coastal sand dunes, (ii) in land or desert sand
dunes, (iii) riverine sand dunes. (7 ) Classification based on shape - (i) longitudinal sand
dunes or seifs, (ii) transverse sand dunes or barchan s, and (iii) parabolic sand dunes.

Longitudinal sand dunes - Sand dunes formed parallel to the wind direction are
called longitudinal dunes. They are huge aeolian landforms extending hundreds of
kilometers in length with an average width of a kilometer or more and an average
height of several hundred meters. The Windward slope of these dunes is gentle while
the leeward slope is steep. These dunes are formed in the inner parts of the great
deserts where high-velocity winds are constant in direction.

Transverse sand dunes - Dunes formed transverse to the direction of prevailing

winds are called transverse dunes. These are formed by ineffective winds along the
coasts and margins of deserts. They are not very common depositional features in
extensive deserts. They appear as wave-like features. Transverse dunes are ridges of
sand that are perpendicular to the wind direction.
Barchan dunes - Sand dunes of crescentic shape having two horns are called
barchans. In fact, barchans are special types of transverse dunes. The windward side has
a gentle slope and is convex in the plan while the leeward side is a concave-in plan with
a steep slope. The horns always project downwind. Transverse dunes are transformed
into barchans (Turkish word Barkan meaning thereby sandhill) when sand supply
becomes more limited downwind.
Loess-Loess is formed from a high accumulation of windblown dust that is trapped,
deposited, and preserved on certain landscapes. After deposition, dust will be altered
by weathering and soil-forming processes, and is held in place by vegetation. loess is
among the most widespread unconsolidated sediments, and of crucial importance for
agricultural regions where loess deposits are known to form fertile soils because of their
ability to store water and retain nutrients. \\ During sand transport in dune systems,
sand grains get smaller due to a process called abrasion. Particle size reduction of sand-
sized grains by abrasion to produce coarse silt particles in deserts. Abrasion can
produce coarse silts from dune sands. Bigger, heavier particles are transported by wind
over shorter distances, while finer, lighter particles are transported over longer
distances.
Seif-
A seif is a long, narrow sand dune or a chain of dunes that is generally directed
parallel to the prevailing wind or in a direction formed by two or more winds
blowing at sharp angles to one another.
Sometimes, due to very speedy winds, the middle portion of the barchans may
get eroded or blown away, and the homes at the edges of the barchans get
transformed into dunes.
The gap between two adjacent seif dunes is a called corridor