A sandstorm in a desert. Image credit annechia.com
ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Wind in Deserts
- Wind is responsible for eroding, transporting and depositing materials in deserts.
- To learn more go to Wind Action in Deserts.
- Various landforms are formed by the above processes. To learn more about each of these landforms click on each one.
Important notice
- A common misconception is that wind erosion is the most dominant form of erosion in deserts.
- That is not true as water action and other forms of denudation are just as important.
- Although wind action is not the most important agent of change in deserts, its effect are far more important here than in other areas.
- You should also note that chemical weathering also occurs in deserts.
- The importance of wind action therefore varies from desert landscape to desert landscape and cannot thus be generalised.
Wind Action
- Wind action in deserts are also known as aeolian processes.
- These processes include erosion, transportation and deposition.
- Deflation hollows
- Dunes ( Barchan, seif/transverse)
- Sand ripples
- Yardang
- Inselbergs/Bornhardts/Kopjes
- Zeugen
You will note that inselbergs/bornhardts and kopjes are formed out of combined wind and water action as well as weathering processes, in fact most of the landforms above are rarely if ever formed by wind action alone.
To access more topics go to the Geography Notes page.
